“The country is wonderful. Mountains holding up cups of snow to the fiery sun.”

                  - English novelist George Meredith, praising the Alps in a letter to Frederick A. Maxe, July 1861

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Austria

Small yet beautiful, Austria has unrivaled Alpine scenery, some of Europe’s finest baroque architecture, and a long musical and cultural tradition. The Austrian people also are known for their warmth and hospitality toward visitors. Straddling the center of Europe, the country has exerted a critical influence on the region’s history through centuries, becoming a major player in world politics.

Today, despite loss of territory and power after two world wars, Austria retains its status as the crossroads of modern Europe. The grandeur of the mountains draws visitors from all over the world, while the combination of efficiency and charm makes Austria one of Europe’s most beguiling destinations.

Vienna is a dramatic city of rich cultural diversity. During the 17th century Vienna’s Baroque building boom created a legacy of palaces, mansions, and other buildings that is unequaled in Europe. Vienna is fondly known as the “City of Composers” as the Habsburg rulers were music lovers and musicians. The waltz is inextricably linked to Vienna thanks to Johann Strauss, the “Waltz King”. Humming the strains of Strauss, Schubert and Hayden is as integral to the Viennese travel experience as having coffee and scrumptious pastry in a coffeehouse or konditorei. And don’t forget to enjoy the wines made from the most recent grape harvest, heuriger, in taverns called Heurigen!

Just south of Vienna in the wine producing region of eastern Austria is the spa town of Baden. There one can enjoy the healing thermal waters and additional spa treatments and programs.

WARSAW, BUDAPEST, VIENNA & PRAGUE

• Professional Tour Guides
• Private piano recital in Warsaw spotlighting the music of Fryderyk Chopin
• Danube River Dinner Cruise
• Lunch at Vienna's Schonbrunn Palace with a demonstration of the art of preparing delectable strudel
• Nalahozeves Castle Evening with local wines and a tour of the private art collections in Prague
• Jasna Gora Monastery with the famous Black Madonna
• Visit Wawel Castle in Cracow
• Tour the Auschwitz memorial and museum
• Tour Cracow's Jewish Quarter or take a journey to the Wieliczka salt mines
• Private concert of Mozart and Strauss by the Vienna Orchestra
• City Tours
• Many other extras

GEMS OF CENTRAL EUROPE

• Services of hosts and local guides in each city
• Enjoy city tours of Budapest, Vienna and Prague
• Visit Fisherman's bastion and Matthias Church in Budapest
• Get a panoramic view of Budapest from the citadel atop Gellert Hill
• Drive along Vienna's Ringstrasse and see the famous Vienna State Opera House
• Enjoy the many cultural delights of Vienna during free time
• Walk the cobblestone streets of Prague, the "city of a hundred spires"
• Tour Prague's Hradcany Castle area and visit St. Vitus Cathedral
• Enjoy plenty of free time to explore on you own