ymphony on the Blue Danube Prague Passau Melk Dürnstein Vienna Bratislava Budapest aboard the Exclusively Chartered Amadeus Queen September 5 to 14, 2018 Dear Alumni and Friends, Goethe once said, “Music is liquid architecture, [and] architecture is frozen music.” The Danube River and the resplendent cultural centers of Prague and Vienna, which inspired classical music’s Great Masters, are a visual symphony of both natural and man‑made architecture—rolling hillsides and lush vineyards are in concert with medieval cities and stone castles—encapsulating what centuries of artists and travelers have found so inspiring and resonant. Join us for this comprehensive itinerary showcasing five countries in the heartland of central Europe. Our itinerary is specially created to feature private performances of the musical heritage of Europe’s most accomplished composers, including Mozart and Beethoven, and it provides opportunities to explore six UNESCO World Heritage sites, experience historically rich and culturally dynamic legacies and contextualize the West’s art and architectural masterpieces. Enjoy three nights in the world‑class city of Prague, the “City of a Thousand Spires,” in a deluxe, centrally located hotel before cruising the fabled Blue Danube from Passau, Germany, to Budapest, Hungary. Travel aboard the exclusively chartered Amadeus Queen—a deluxe river ship launching in 2018 with the ability to dock right in the heart of the cities we visit. High notes of your experience will include a distinctive schedule of exclusively and specially arranged expert lectures, private classical music performances, guided excursions in Prague and in each port of call along the Danube River, and an overnight stay in the fin‑de‑siècle grandeur of Vienna, Austria’s extraordinary capital. This Symphony on the Blue Danube is a sublime composition; it is sure to strike a chord with virtuosos, art and architecture enthusiasts, historians and travelers of all interests. I encourage you to book now as this popular program has sold quickly in the past. Sincerely, James E. Williams (B.S.’84/GPA; M.S.’96/GPA) President, VCU Alumni We are proud of our partnership with Gohagan & Company. If you have questions you are welcome to contact VCU Alumni at (804) 828‑2586. U.S./Prague, Czech Republic Walk through the “Golden Lane,” a quaint Wednesday and Thursday, byway lined with small, Mannerist‑style September 5 and 6 houses and workshops once occupied by castle Depart the U.S. for Prague, goldsmiths, alchemists, artisans and guards. the “City of a Thousand Spires,” Author Franz Kafka was said to have a UNESCO World Heritage site lived here between 1916 and 1917. showcasing 600 years of virtually Discover more of Prague’s time‑honored treasures during the afternoon and evening at untouched architecture. Habsburg Coat Upon arrival, check into the of Arms your leisure. deluxe InterContinental Praha Hotel. Attend the Prague/Passau, Germany Sunday, September 9 private Welcome Reception Thursday Travel through the bucolic wooded evening in the hotel. Czech and German countryside to Prague Passau, where three legendary rivers— Friday and Saturday, September 7 and 8 the Danube, Ilz and Inn—converge. On the guided walking tour, explore the Enjoy lunch in a historic, traditional diverse cultural legacy of Prague, celebrated German restaurant before the walking tour for its splendid combination of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Walk the winding lanes of the Staré Město (Old Town) to the Orloj, the ornate, 15th‑century astronomical clock of the Old Town Hall, and see the iconic Charles Bridge lined with 17th‑ and 18th‑century Baroque statues. Enjoy a brief private performance of Mozart’s music and a specially arranged private tour in the Estates Theatre, where the prodigy’s opera Don Giovanni premiered in 1787. In Josefov, the Jewish Quarter of Prague, visit Europe’s oldest extant Jewish house of worship— the Gothic‑style Old‑New Synagogue—and St. Stephan’s Cathedral organ is a technical marvel. walk amongst the moss‑covered, 15th‑century along the cobblestone streets of Altstadt, headstones of the Old Jewish Cemetery. Passau’s Old Town. Visit the Baroque‑style On Saturday, tour the former residence St. Stephan’s Cathedral, consecrated in the of Bohemian royalty, the Hradčany 12th century, where the largest pipe organ in complex of castles, churches and museums, Europe is housed. whose spires dominate the city skyline. Embark the Amadeus Queen, attend the Visit the neo‑Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, Captain’s Welcome Reception and, following the largest and most significant cathedral in dinner, enjoy a short concert of classical Prague, and see the Royal Mausoleum and music on board. spectacular St. Wenceslas Chapel. By special arrangement, view original Melk, Austria/Drnstein Monday, September 10 Beethoven manuscripts and enjoy a Visit the prestigious 900‑year‑old private string quartet concert in the Benedictine Abbey of Melk. The impressive magnificent, family‑owned 16th‑century cloister is an Austrian Baroque masterpiece Lobkowicz Palace. Cover photo: Budapest’s Gothic Revival Parliament Building is a proud symbol of Hungary’s national rebirth. Photo this page: Prague’s famous Charles Bridge links the medieval Old Town with the Baroque palaces of the Little Quarter. UNESCO Berlin World Heritage Site Cruise Itinerary GERMANY Air Routing Dresden Land Routing CZE Prague CH REPUBLIC r e v i R R a a v R a be ive t u r l an D V SLOVAKIA Passau Dürnstein Melk Bratislava Wachau Vienna Valley Budapest AUSTRIA HUNGARY Admire the Rococo grandeur of Sch Marie Antoinette and Emperor Franz J by Paul Troger, showcasing stunning Heritage open‑air museum of splendid 18th‑century ceiling frescoes and Baroque architecture. Its famous Ringstrasse, priceless relics. The beautiful kirche (church), commissioned by Austro‑Hungarian houses the perfectly intact, multi‑panel, Emperor Franz Josef, showcases the 16th‑century altarpiece by Danube School impressive Vienna State Opera house and master Jrg Breu the Elder. A prestigious Hofburg Palace. Visit the iconic, Gothic‑style center of scholarship throughout the Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral). Middle Ages, the abbey’s library is today a Enjoy a private, specially arranged repository of 100,000 medieval manuscripts. performance of Mozart and other composers’ Later, dock in the charming medieval music in the extraordinary, intricately village of Drnstein, situated below the painted Sala Terrena, Vienna’s oldest hilltop ruins of Castle Kuenringer, where concert hall and where Mozart worked, Richard the Lionheart was held prisoner performed and resided. Further peruse after the Third Crusade. Stroll through the cultural treasures of Vienna this the storybook village, stopping in afternoon and evening at your leisure. th the 15 ‑century Assumption of the Vienna/Bratislava, Slovakia Blessed Virgin Abbey Church for a short, Wednesday, September 12 private organ concert. Enjoy a free morning in Vienna or join This evening, cruise the Danube’s fabled the optional excursion to the UNESCO Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage World Heritage‑designated Schnbrunn site, where terraced vineyards blanket Palace and Gardens, the lavish summer hillsides dotted with haunting medieval estate of the imperial Habsburgs. It was castle ruins. here, in one of the pricelessly adorned Vienna grand salons, that a six‑year‑old Mozart first Tuesday, September 11 performed for Empress Maria Theresa and Former seat of the Habsburg Empire, her daughter, the future Queen of France, Vienna’s historic center is a UNESCO World Marie Antoinette. önbrunn Palace and Gardens, the royal summer home of The original opulence of the Vienna State Opera nz Josef and a UNESCO World Heritage site. house is preserved in its central staircase and foyer. This afternoon, en route to Bratislava, Begin your tour in Pest to see cruise through Austria’s fertile Donau‑Auen the iconic neo‑Gothic limestone National Park, which preserves the last Parliament Building, built between remaining major wetlands in central Europe. 1884 and 1904 on the river’s banks. Bratislava is nestled in the foothills of the Pass through Heroes’ Square and admire impressive Carpathian Mountain range, the monuments honoring the Magyar overlooking the broad banks of the Danube; chiefs who conquered Hungary in A.D. 896. beautifully restored since the end of the The 19th‑century, neo‑Renaissance Cold War, Slovakia’s charming capital Hungarian State Opera House is one of city depicts 21st‑century life amidst its the most beautiful performing arts venues 1000‑year‑old history. On a guided tour in the world; the guided visit highlights its of the Old Town, walk among a sampling interior, which is decorated with frescoes by of central Europe’s finest medieval, Mr Than and Károly Lotz. Here, enjoy a Renaissance and 19th‑century architecture. private, specially arranged aria performance. Visit the Romanesque, 14th‑century Cross the imposing Chain Bridge, Cathedral of St. Martin and the elaborate linking river‑level Pest to the hills of Primatial Palace, and see St. Michael’s Gate, Buda on the opposite side of the Danube. Bratislava’s oldest preserved medieval Visit the late‑19th‑century, neo‑Romanesque fortification, originally built in 1300. Fishermen’s Bastion on Castle Hill. This evening, enjoy a delightful Here, the terrace’s turrets symbolize performance of classical music on board the seven Magyar tribes that settled in the ship. the Carpathian Basin, and the views are exceptional. Nearby is the Gothic‑style