“In the Footsteps of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven”

Germany, Czech Republic, Austria

October 11 – 22, 2009 (12 days, 10 nights)
Preliminary Itinerary

Sunday, October 11 Depart US

Arrive at your gateway airport at least two hours in advance of the group’s
scheduled flight time to check in for your flights to Berlin, Germany.

Monday, October 12 Leipzig

“Guten Tag” and welcome to Germany! Morning arrival at Berlin’s Tegel Airport.
After claiming your luggage and clearing customs, you will be met by your English-
speaking German tour escort (who’ll be with you throughout the tour) and taken to
your private motorcoach. Transfer to Leipzig with a stop en route in Wittenburg for a
guided tour of Schlosskirche and Lutherhalle.
Upon arrival in Leipzig check in to your hotel and settle in.

Tuesday, October 13 Leipzig

Today you will have a city tour of Leipzig where
Bach was Kapellmeister for 27 years. Your tour will include
Thomaskirche; Nicolaikirche: the Site of the 1989 Revolution;
the Bach Museum with its collection of musical instruments
of Bach’s day; and Schillerhaus in the suburb Gohlis, where
‘Ode to Joy’ was written
During your leisure time, enjoy a stroll through
Leipzig’s bustling streets, lined with bistros, shops and
cafés. Be sure to stop in the Auerbachs Keller restaurant,
immortalized in Goethe’s “Faust”. Walk down
Barfussgaesschen ("Barefoot Alley"), a pedestrian area lined
with restaurants and pubs, some of which have been here
for centuries, including the baroque cafe-restaurant Zum
Arabischen Coffe Baum, which opened its doors in 1694 and
has served as a meeting place for many (Schumann, Richard Wagner, and Goethe)
through the years.
During your stay in Leipzig you will attend an evening concert.
Lecture 1: Bach, the Man Who Made All the Wrong Decisions, Part I
Lecture 2: Bach, the Man Who Made All the Wrong Decisions, Part II

Wednesday, October 14 Leipzig/Prague

Morning transfer. First you’ll stop in Dresden to visit the beautifully restored
Frauenkirche, where Bach played the organ when it first opened.
Continue to Prague. The Czech Republic's capital has led the modern-day
renaissance of Eastern Europe, after surviving wars, Communist rule and the
devastating floods of 2002. The “Golden City” of Prague showcases magnificent

155 W. 72nd Street, Suite 302, New York, NY 10023

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Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture and maintains a marvelous cultural
tradition. Prague’s musical heritage can easily be traced to the Middle Ages, on to
baroque organ music, and to the Classical and Romantic compositions of Smetana and
Dvorak. Music has flourished from the palaces to the villages and homes of the Czech
people for centuries.
Upon arrival in Prague check in to your hotel and overnight.

Thursday, October 15 Prague

On your half-day city tour you’ll visit the
charming Old Town Square with its Gothic Town Hall
and the elaborate, medieval Astronomical Clock.
You’ll also see one of the oldest and best-preserved
Jewish neighborhoods in Europe, Josefov; the outdoor
market; and Wenceslas Square, site of 1989’s “Velvet
Revolution.”
You will attend a classical concert or Opera
(pending availability).

Friday, October 16 Prague

This morning you will have a guided tour of the Prague Castle (founded in 880)
and of the Old Royal Palace. Take in a panoramic view of this “City of 1,000 Spires” and
pass through the castle gardens. Stroll the Golden Lane, a street framed by the tiny
homes of medieval craftsmen and a former residence of Franz Kafka.
Tonight you will have group dinner with Czech Folk Music and Dance.
Lecture 3: The Bohemian Nationalists Dvorak and Smetana
Lecture 4: Mozart, the Neglected Genius, Part I

Saturday, October 17 Prague/Salzburg

Transfer this morning to Salzburg, the city of
Mozart’s birth. Spectacularly situated at the foothills
of the Austrian Alps, Salzburg enjoys a musical
tradition of world-class festivals in spite of its small
town size. Afternoon guided city tour of Salzburg
by coach and on foot, including a visit to Mozart's
Birthplace and the Salzburg Cathedral where Mozart
was christened, later employed as an organist, and
premiered many of his works. You can admire the
10,000 pipe organ there.

Sunday, October 18 Salzburg

Today you will visit the Baroque Residenz Palace, the official residence of the
Prince Archbishops of Salzburg until it was secularized and became part of Austria.
Mozart, the child prodigy, played here. Visit the Hohensalzburg Fortress, one of the most
powerful castles sitting in a prominent position from where you have a spectacular
view of the town.
During your stay in Salzburg you will attend one concert.
Lecture 5: Mozart, the Neglected Genius, Part II

“Footsteps” Tour Itinerary – page 2

Optional Excursion: Hallein Durrnberg Salt Mines - 10 miles from Salzburg:
The Salt Mines of Hallein are among the oldest mines in the World that are open to the
public. Celtic tribes started to carve the salt from the mountain. The “White gold' helped
the Salzburg prince archbishops to accumulate their limitless riches.

Monday, October 19 Salzburg/Vienna

This morning you will transfer to Vienna (approx. 5 hrs). Vienna, one of
Europe’s stateliest cities, maintains an ideal balance between modernized living and an
impressive array of architectures spanning centuries. The seat of rule for the powerful
Hapsburg family (which commanded the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1273 – 1918),
Vienna maintains its regality in both scope and attitude. Musically, no other city can
boast such an illustrious list of composers: Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Haydn all
lived and worked here.
En route you will stop in Oberndorf bei. Oberndorf became famous for the carol
Silent Night that was first performed at the former St. Nikola parish church. In the
1890s, floods from the Salzach River destroyed large parts of Oberndorf. The original
church was finally demolished and a memorial chapel erected on its site in 1937.
Upon arrival in Vienna you will have a panoramic tour of the city.

Tuesday, October 20 Vienna

Today you will have the Mozart tour: the
guided visit will include St. Stephen’s Church; St.
Marx Cemetery where Mozart is buried in an
unknown grave. You will visit also the Schloss
Belvedere, the former residence of the Prince of
Savoy. Today the two palaces host the Museum
of Medieval Austrian Art, the Museum of
Austrian Baroque and the Austrian Gallery.
During your free time you can stop in one of the
many Heurigen Wine Taverns to enjoy typical
Austrian food with the Viennese wine. The real Viennese wine tavern is recognizable
from the Buschen, a bunch of pine tree branches, and the sign hanging in front of the
vineyard's entrance, which signifies that the vintner is entitled to sell homemade wines.
During your stay in Vienna you will attend one concert.

Wednesday, October 21 Vienna

Today’s guided visit will include the magnificent Schoenbrunn Schloss.
In the afternoon you will visit Heiligenstadt and the house where Ludwig van Beethoven
wrote his "Heiligenstadt Testament". Tonight you will have a festive farewell dinner in
a fine local restaurant.
Lecture 6: Beethoven and the Gift of Deafness, Part I
Lecture 7: Beethoven and the Gift of Deafness, Part II

Thursday, October 22 Return US

Morning transfer to the Vienna International Airport to check in for your return
flights to the U.S.
Welcome home!

“Footsteps” Tour Itinerary – page 3

Tour Leader:
Gregory Athnos leads tours with a cultural theme of art and religion. As
Professor Emeritus and Director of Choral Activities at North Park University in
Chicago, he led many tours during his 32 years of teaching. Greg is in demand as a
lecturer on a variety of topics. Reviews for his teaching have drawn comments such as,
“the subject came alive in his hands.” Greg’s degrees are from Northwestern College in
Minneapolis and the University of Michigan. He has also studied Norwegian Folk
Music and its influence on Edvard Grieg at the University of Oslo. Greg has traveled as
conductor, guest clinician, and as lecturer both in music and theology, the latter
emphasizing the theological significance of the Art of the Roman Catacombs.

“Footsteps” Tour Itinerary – page 4