Vienna is the capital city of central Europe, with all the political, cultural, and strategic significance this implies. For a century and a half it endured an Ottoman siege, withstanding and finally turning back the armies of the Sublime Porte. It was the seat of Maria Theresia and Joseph II as Habsburg policy came to dominate the cabinet rooms of Europe, while Austrian music reigned supreme in its concert halls: Haydn, Mozart, Schubert and many others made Vienna the most important city in the history of western music. Later, in its imperial twilight, Vienna came to embody Mitteleuropa, that cosmopolitan, multi-ethnic realm of avant-garde aesthetics and intellectual pluralism, of Klimt, Schiele, Kraus and Freud, that was bloodily extinguished by the twin catastrophes of totalitarianism and war. And yet Vienna, like Austria as a whole, has handled its transition to modernity remarkably well. Today’s city, overlaid with a confident self-possession and an enduring civic pride, is a gleaming patchwork of mediaeval alleys and Renaissance squares, of Baroque palaces and Secession cafés. This tour will visit a number of the irresistible delights that have attracted so many thinkers, artists, and musicians over the centuries, including St Stephen’s Cathedral, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, and the option to visit the Staatsoper for an opera, or a private organ concert in one of the historic churches.
Dates:
11-15 December 2022
Prices:
All prices listed are per person
Twin/double share: from £1950
No flights price: call for details
Double room for sole use supplement: £250
Deposit: £450