The Music & Art of Dresden
Peter Medhurst with Tom Abbott

Introduction

The 18th century German art historian and archaeologist, Johann Joachim Winckelmann, once remarked that Dresden was the place where beauty was invented, and indeed, the city is renowned for its decorative and fine arts, earning itself the name: ‘Florence on the Elbe’. However, in addition to the museums and the historic buildings of Dresden, music is also an important factor in the cultural life of the city and surrounding areas, and our tour reflects the connections the region has with the great organ builder Gottfried Silbermann and the composers Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner

Day 1

Our odyssey begins with an early morning flight from London to Berlin. On arrival in Berlin, we are met by Peter and Tom and, once we have all gathered, we transfer by coach to Dresden via the district of Dahme-Spreewald and the beautiful city of Luckau - often dubbed ‘the pearl of Lower Lusatia’. In Luckau we have an included lunch at our carefully selected restaurant, and - with time permitting - we take a brief afternoon walk through the historic centre of the city. We then continue our journey to Dresden to check in for five nights at the 4* Bilderberg Bellevue Hotel Dresden. After some time for relaxation from the journey, we enjoy dinner in our hotel.

Day 2

Today is spent in Dresden and after the morning lecture, we make our way on foot over the Augustus Bridge into the city centre to view the treasures of the New Green Vault. This museum contains work by the royal goldsmith Johann Melchior Dinglinger as well as other outstanding masterpieces of historic Baroque jewellery. After our included lunch, we plan to have a private viewing of the Dresden Palace Chapel (to be confirmed nearer the time). The evening is at leisure, or you may wish to go to a concert or the opera. Tickets will be organised through Tailored Travel.

Day 3

This morning we travel to Frauenstein to visit the Silbermann Organ Museum which documents the life and work of the great 18th century Saxon organ builder, Gottfried Silbermann. We return to Dresden for lunch, after which we visit the Catholic Cemetery of Dresden which famously contains the graves of a range of eminent musicians including the resting places of Franz Seydelmann (composer), Josef Tichatschek (first Rienzi and Tannhäuser in Wagner’s operas) and Carl Maria von Weber (the first great German Romantic composer). We spend the rest of the afternoon in the Albertinum, a magnificent Renaissance Revival building (1884-87) housing a collection of paintings ranging from Caspar David Friedrich to Ludwig Richter, and sculptures from Auguste Rodin to the 21st century.

Day 4

Today is spent in the picturesque Elbe Valley and our first port of call is the town of Pirna. Although famous for his scenes of Dresden, Bellotto painted many more scenes of Pirna during his German visit and his canvasses capture beautifully the architectural detail of the town’s church spires, all set against a backdrop of lush vineyards and wood clad hills. Our explorations of the city will also take in the 16th century church of St Marien. We then return to our coach for a scenic ride through ‘Little Saxony’, with Graupa as our destination. Once there, we visit two Wagner museums, first, the Lohengrinhaus; and, second, the Hunting Lodge, where Peter will have the use of the piano. Wagner spent the summer of 1846 in Pirna when he was employed as Royal Saxon Court Conductor in Dresden. We continue to Pillnitz for lunch and afterwards visit the gardens of the famous Pillnitz Palace, sited on the banks of the Elbe.

Day 5

Our penultimate day is spent once again in Dresden. After a morning lecture, we walk to the Gemäldergallerie at the Zwinger to view the old masters. Works here include paintings by Raphael, Rubens, Vermeer and Bellotto. Tom and Peter will guide us around the collection, but there will be plenty of time to explore the galleries at leisure. After an included lunch, we visit the Historic Green Vault, magnificently restored following extensive damage in the last war. After the Vatican, the Historic Green Vault, founded in 1733, is said to be the oldest museum in the world. This evening, we enjoy a private drinks reception before a farewell dinner in our hotel.

Day 6

After checking out of our hotel, we travel to the Meissen Porcelain Factory to experience 300 years of porcelain history as well as to view a range of masterpieces from the past and the present factories. For those who wish it, we take the coach into Meissen to the famous panoramic elevator and ride up to the Albrechstburg and the Cathedral for a swift viewing of the buildings. The Albrechtsburg is a late Gothic castle that dominates the town centre of Meissen, and adjacent to it is Meissen’s Gothic Cathedral built between 1260 and 1410. We relax over an included lunch prior to transferring to Berlin airport for our return flight back to London.

NB: Please note we reserve the right to alter the above itinerary if required for operational reasons. Given the historic nature of the places visited, a certain degree of walking will be involved, and this holiday may not be suitable for those with mobility problems. Flight details may be subject to change. Price based on twin share. Minimum numbers required. Normal booking conditions apply. This holiday and the flights are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Tailored Travel's ATOL number is 5605.

We stay five nights at the centrally located 4* Bilderberg Bellevue Hotel in Dresden (www.bilderberg-bellevue-dresden.de). Located by the River Elbe, facilities at the hotel include a restaurant, bar, swimming pool, gymnasium and a sauna (a €7.50 per person per day fee applies to use the leisure facilities, which would need to be paid locally at the hotel). All of our allocated rooms are en suite and feature television, telephone, hairdryer and a safe. Dinners on the evenings of Days 1 and 5 are included in our hotel and the remaining four nights are on a bed and breakfast basis.

Insurance £92

Single Classic Room supplement £149

Dinners on Days 2 to 4

Local accommodation tax to be paid directly to the hotel