New Year’s in Vienna by Private Train

Itinerary

• Days 1-2: Budapest (Hungary)
  

  Arrive in UNESCO-listed Budapest, built in the grand style of the Habsburgs. Visit the Royal Palace, the largest baroque palace in Hungary used by Franz Josef of Austria, and Matthias Church, originally built in 1255. Enjoy panoramic views of the city from Gellert Hill, and admire the facade of Budapest’s magnificent neo-Renaissance Opera House, decorated with statues of some of the world’s greatest composers.

  HIGHLIGHT

  • Budapest, capital of Hungary, with fine baroque, neoclassical, and art nouveau buildings
  • Royal Palace, painstakingly restored and reopened as a museum, its main wing furnished to period standards
  • Matthias Church, where King Matthias Corvinus had both of his royal weddings
  • Facade of the Budapest Opera House, which at one time hosted Franz Liszt and Gustav Mahler
• Day 3: Keszthely
  

  Enjoy a morning reception at the Royal Waiting Room in Budapest’s Nyugati station before boarding the Golden Eagle Danube Express private train. Settle into your comfortable cabin and have lunch on board as the train heads for Keszthely on the shores of Lake Balaton. Over 750 years old, the town boasts a wide range of architectural styles, such as the Helikon Castle Museum, once home to the Festetics, one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Hungary’s long history.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Elegant reception at the Royal Waiting Room in Budapest’s Nyugati station
  • Warm and shallow Lake Balaton, the largest freshwater lake in Central Europe
  • Helikon Castle Museum, its 111-room main building once home to one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Hungary’s history
• Days 4-5: Graz (Austria), Vienna, New Year’s Eve
  

  Walk the cobbled streets of the UNESCO-listed Old Town of Graz, with its hilltop castle and stately Renaissance and baroque buildings. Explore Vienna, Austria’s capital, and indisputably the center of the musical world in the 18th and 19th centuries. Enjoy a special New Year’s dinner, as well as the city’s holiday fireworks display. The following day, take a romantic carriage ride to indulge in a sumptuous late brunch at the magnificent Palais Coburg.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Graz, Austria’s second-largest city, with it’s UNESCO-listed Old Town
  • Vienna, capital and largest city of Austria, spanning both sides of the Danube
  • Innere Stadt, Vienna’s Old Town, home to many of the cities iconic sights including St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Burgtheater, and the Hofburg Imperial Palace
  • New Year’s Eve gala dinner inside the beautiful Rathaus (City Hall) and fireworks display from the balcony
  • A horse drawn carriage ride to Palais Coburg for a celebratory New Year’s Day brunch
• Days 6-7: Cesky Krumlov (Czech Republic), Prague
  

  Arrive in Cesky Krumlov, a small, beautifully preserved medieval town that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. Its 13^th century pastel-towered castle is the second largest castle in the country. Continue on to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. Attend an operatic performance at the grand neo-Renaissance Prague Karlin Theater, explore the old Jewish Quarter, then wind your way through the city on a historic tram car and survey Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle in the world.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Cesky Krumlov, its Old Town built from the 14^th-17^th centuries in a mixture of gothic, Renaissance, and baroque styles
  • Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, called the “Hundred-Spired City”
  • Old Town Prague, with its 12^th century Town Hall, 14th century Charles (Karel) Bridge graced with 30 baroque statues, and the 15^th century astronomical clock complete with astrological signs and two of the 12 apostles appearing on the hour
  • Prague’s old Jewish Quarter, with its seven synagogues – remnants of the old Jewish settlement
  • Operatic performance at the grand Prague Karlin Theater
  • Prague Castle complex, which includes St. Vitus Cathedral and the beautifully decorated St. Wenceslaus Chapel
• Days 8-9: Kosice (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary)
  

  Discover the beautiful city of Kosice, Slovakia, declared a European Capital of Culture in 2013. Highlights are the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth, a 15th century gothic building that is the largest church in Slovakia, the 14th century St. Urban Tower next to St. Michael’s Chapel, and the ornate State Theater behind its musical fountain. Re-board the train in time for your last meal onboard, and return to Budapest for a festive farewell dinner.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Kosice, founded in the 13th century and today the second largest city in Slovakia
  • 15^th century Cathedral of St. Elizabeth, 14^th century St. Urban Tower, St. Michael’s Chapel, the ornate State Theater, and the rococo old Town Hall