Grand Tour of Austria

Fly from London Heathrow to Vienna and transfer to the 4-star Mercure Grand Hotel Biedermeier for four nights.

A morning walking tour of Vienna includes the pedestrianised Kohlmarkt and Graben, lined with Vienna’s most exclusive shops; a tour of the gloriously grand Hofburg Imperial Palace, its 13th century origins extended by every emperor to form the sprawling 2,600-room edifice it is today, includes a visit to the Imperial Apartments and the Sisi Museum; and a visit to the stunning St. Stephen’s Cathedral, piercing the skyline with its spire and witnessing almost 800 years of Habsburg and Austrian history. Enjoy coffee and cake at a typical Viennese Coffee House and, this evening, a concert by the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra, with the music of Strauss, Mozart and Lehár.
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Travel to Klosterneuburg Abbey, a twelfth-century Augustinian monastery in Klosterneuburg, overlooking the Danube, north of Vienna. The visit includes a tour of the abbey, founded in 1114 by Saint Leopold II of Babenberg, the patron saint of Austria, the abbey contains the Verduner Altar, made in 1181 by Nicholas of Verdun. The visit concludes with a wine tasting at Austria’s oldest winery.
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A morning tour of the Leopoldmuseum, housed in the MuseumsQuartier in Vienna, home to one of the largest collections of modern Austrian art, featuring artists such as Egon Schiele, the Secession founder Gustav Klimt and Oskar Kokoschka. Afternoon at leisure to explore independently, perhaps to people-watch from a riverbank restaurant. This evening, enjoy a Viennese Dinner with a local.
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Take the train to Salzburg (3hrs approx.) and transfer to the 4-star Hotel am Mirabellplatz for a two-night stay. Discover the best of Salzburg on a walking tour of the Altstadt (old town), a UNESCO listed and beautifully preserved enclave, where cobbled streets converge in convivial squares, lined with Baroque, Romanesque and Renaissance buildings; and we include a visit to Mozart’s birthplace, now a museum of his early life, with musical artefacts and family portraits.
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Salzburg’s surrounds are the super-scenic setting for The Sound of Music. Enjoy the landscapes on a morning tour of the Salzkammergut lake district, including the crystal-clear Lake Fuschl, and the crescent shaped Mondsee, backed by limestone cliffs; travel to picturesque St. Gilgen and sail on the famously turquoise waters of Lake Wolfgang to the town of St. Wolfgang, its 15th century church an historic pilgrimage destination, its beautiful backdrop a forested mountain slope. Optional Dinner in the Panorama Restaurant on Fortress Hohensalzburg followed by a Mozart – Strauss concert on the fortress (£85, pre-bookable).
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Drive through magnificent mountain scenery to Innsbruck, and check-in at the 4-star Hotel Grauer Bär for two nights. Discover the narrow streets of medieval houses and arcades on an afternoon guided walking tour of the old town, where landmark monuments include the 16th century Franciscan church, the Hofburg ducal palace; and we visit the Hofkirche (Court Church), housing the cenotaph of Habsburg Emperor Maximilian l, surrounded by Renaissance sculptures.
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Take the ingeniously designed funicular up to the Hungerburg station, and walk across Hermann Buhl Square to the cable car station for Hafelekar, at 2,334m, where fantastic, 360-degree panoramas encompass the city, the Inn Valley, and the surrounding mountain peaks. A spectacular viewing experience, effortlessly reached in a matter of minutes from Innsbruck.
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Transfer to Innsbruck airport for your return flight via Frankfurt to London Heathrow.
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