Arrive in Prague on suggested flights and make your way to the hotel. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including travel insurance (a condition of travel), a private hotel transfer, accommodation before or after the tour and a room category upgrade.

At 18:00, join your tour leader Scott Curry and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing at the hotel followed by dinner.

(D)

This morning, visit the historic Estates Theatre, Prague’s oldest standing opera house, which hosted the world premiere of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in 1787, conducted personally by the composer and dedicated to “the people of Prague”.

After lunch, enjoy a guided tour of Prague’s Municipal House. Appreciate the exquisitely decorated interior and some of the finest Art Nouveau furnishings in Europe.

In the evening, walk to the State Opera for a performance of Dvořák’s Rusalka by the National Theatre, a deeply poetic fairy-tale opera whose shimmering score and folkloric atmosphere make it one of the great works of the Czech repertoire.

(BL)

Begin the day with a talk by Scott on the coming days’ performances. Then, visit the Antonín Dvořák Museum, devoted to the life and work of one of the most beloved Czech composers.

The afternoon is at leisure to relax or further explore the Czech capital at your own pace.

Tonight, return to the State Opera for a performance of Puccini’s La Bohème.

(B)

This morning, visit the Lobkowicz Palace, the only privately owned part of Prague Castle, and home to the Lobkowicz collections and museum. Highlights include works by masters such as Brueghel the Elder, Canaletto, Cranach and Velázquez, alongside rare decorative arts from the 16th to 20th centuries, and an unparalleled collection of musical instruments with original scores and manuscripts by Beethoven and Mozart. Attend a chamber music concert in the palace’s Baroque concert hall, an intimate setting that recalls the aristocratic music-making traditions of Central Europe.

In the evening, attend a performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas by the National Theatre at the Estates Theatre.

(BL)

Depart Prague by coach and travel north through the Bohemian countryside, stopping en route in the historic town of Litoměřice. Continue to Dresden, capital of Saxony, famed for its restored Baroque architecture and 700-year musical history, arriving in the mid-afternoon.

After dinner, attend a Christmas organ performance featuring works by Bach in the historic Frauenkirche. The church was rebuilt after the war-time destruction of Dresden and the characteristic stone-bell dome now stands out against the city’s skyline as an international symbol of reconciliation.

(BD)

After a pre-performance talk by Scott, enjoy a private, guided tour of the Old Masters Picture Gallery, a treasure trove of European art housed in the Semper wing of the Zwinger Palace. This prestigious gallery is renowned for its significant holdings of Italian Renaissance and Baroque art, including Raphael’s iconic Sistine Madonna and works by Titian and Correggio.

The afternoon is at leisure to relax or further explore Dresden at your own pace.

Tonight, at the Semperoper, hear the acclaimed Staatskapelle Dresden under the baton of Czech conductor Petr Popelka with piano virtuoso Mao Fujita.

PROGRAM:
Dvořák – Piano Concerto in G minor, Op. 33
Dvořák – Holoubek (‘The Wild Dove’), Op. 110
Janáček – Sinfonietta

(BL)

This morning, enjoy a guided tour of the Kulturpalast, an iconic modernist landmark of the DDR era, now home to the Dresden Philharmonic. Afterwards, visit the historic Green Vault, which boasts one of the world’s largest collections of royal treasures and objects d’art.

After lunch, the remainder of the afternoon is at leisure.

In the evening, return to the Semperoper for a performance of Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges, conducted by Erik Nielsen and directed by Evgeny Titov, who has enjoyed success in both opera and theatre at some of the world’s foremost venues.

(BL)

This morning, travel to Graupa, location of a number of sites associated with Richard Wagner, for a pre-performance talk by Scott in the concert hall of the Hunting Lodge. Then, embark on a guided tour of the Wagner Museum and Lohengrin House, where Wagner sketched the outline of his opera Lohengrin during the summer of 1846, among tranquil riverbanks that inspired his famous overture.

After lunch on the grounds of nearby Pillnitz Castle, return to Dresden in the mid-afternoon.

The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure until this evening’s performance of Korngold’s opera, Die tote Stadt, conducted by Axel Kober, at the Semperoper.

(BL)

The day is at leisure to relax or enjoy the festive spirit at the Striezelmarkt, Germany’s oldest Christmas market, with the central square ablaze with lights and the air filled with the scent of cinnamon apples. The Pyramidenfest, a giant advent pyramid from the Ore Mountains, towers over the array of food and handicraft stalls.

After dinner, return to the Kulturpalast for a concert by the Dresden Philharmonic under the baton of acclaimed conductor Ádám Fischer.

PROGRAM:
Haydn – Symphony No. 104 in D major
Mahler – Symphony No. 4 in G major

(BD)

Depart Dresden and travel north to Berlin. As Germany’s capital prepares for Christmas, embrace the final days of Advent at the city’s famed Christmas markets.

Following an afternoon at leisure, witness Maxime Pascal make his conducting debut with the Berlin Philharmonic in Berlioz’s choral masterpiece, L’Enfance du Christ. This tender oratorio traces the Holy Family’s flight from Herod’s massacre to Egypt, where they find refuge.

PROGRAM:
Berlioz – L’Enfance du Christ, Oratorio, Op. 25

(BL)

Begin the day with a pre-performance talk by Scott. Then, enjoy a private, guided tour of the UNESCO-listed Museum Island, celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2026. Marvel at the architecture of five world-famous museum buildings from the Prussian era, including the iconic Pergamon and Neues museums.

The afternoon is at leisure until this evening’s performance of Verdi’s Nabucco by the Berlin State Opera, conducted by Australian maestro Simone Young. Mongolian baritone Amartuvshin Enkhbat stars as Nabucco alongside internationally-acclaimed soprano Anna Netrebko as Abigaille.

(B)

This morning, enjoy a private, guided tour of the Reichstag – the heart of German democracy. Visit the plenary chamber, learn about the daily workings of the German parliament and admire the panoramic views over Berlin’s skyline from its iconic glass dome.

In the evening, attend a performance at the Konzerthaus by the Belgrade Chamber Orchestra conducted by Daniel Geiss with violinists Daniel Hope and Stanko Madić.

PROGRAM:
Mozart – Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Vivaldi – Concerto for two violins, strings and basso continuo in A minor, Op. 3 No. 8
Vivaldi – Winter (from The Four Seasons) for violin, strings and basso continuo, Op. 8 No. 4

(BL)

Today, enjoy an excursion to Potsdam, best known for the magnificent palaces and parks dating back to its time as the former royal seat of Prussia. Visit Sanssouci Palace, Frederick the Great’s cherished Rococo summer retreat, built in 1747 above vine-clad terraces.

After lunch, drive through the Dutch Quarter and see St Nicholas’ Church before returning to Berlin in the mid-afternoon.

Tonight, enjoy the Deutsche Oper Berlin’s production of The Magic Flute, conducted by renowned Mozart interpreter Tomáš Netopil.

(BL)

After a pre-performance talk by Scott, explore the Neue Nationalgalerie. This modern art museum was designed by celebrated architect Mies van der Rohe and features an impressive collection of artworks by 20th-century artists such as Otto Dix, Max Ernst, Mark Rothko, Dalí and Miró.

This evening, at the Berliner Philharmonie, witness Vladimir Jurowski conduct the prestigious Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra with Dutch pianists Lucas and Arthur Jussen.

PROGRAM:
Humperdinck – Excerpts from Hänsel und Gretel
Poulenc – Concerto for two pianos and orchestra in D minor
Tchaikovsky – Act 1 from The Nutcracker, Op. 71

(BL)

Enjoy an optional morning excursion with Scott to West Berlin, seeing the district’s renowned monuments and wide boulevards and visiting the famous food hall at the KaDeWe department store. Spend the rest of the day at leisure to relax or further explore Berlin at your own pace.

In the evening, embrace a true German-style Christmas Eve dinner. After dinner, there is the possibility to attend Christmas mass at the Cathedral.

(BD)

After a morning at leisure, enjoy a special farewell lunch with Scott and fellow travellers.

Tonight, enjoy a performance of Eugene Onegin by the Komische Oper at the Schiller Theatre. Barrie Kosky’s celebrated production, conducted by Anna Skryleva in her house debut, vividly captures the poetry and tragedy of Pushkin’s characters.

(BL)

Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast.

For those returning home today, make your way to Berlin Airport for suggested flights to Australia or New Zealand. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including a private airport transfer, additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour and travel insurance (a condition of travel).

(B)