DAY 1 | DIRECT FLIGHT TO VIENNA - FIRST INTRODUCTION
Meeting at the airport, where you will meet our office guide, a specialist guide for the destination. Check-in and direct flight to Vienna. Immediately after departure and get acquainted with the charming atmosphere of Vienna ,where there are many Christmas markets with the largest one in the Town Hall Square ,Rathausplatz. Try one of the popular traditional hot drinks of this season "glivavin" or "punch"" and taste roasted sausages, chestnuts or kaiserschmaren from the imperial sweets. In the evening discover the cheerful and fun side of Vienna around the central St. Stephen's Square. Transfer to the hotel for check-in and rest.
DAY 2 | VIENNA - SENBRUN - TOUR
After breakfast at the hotel we start our tour of Vienna where we will visit one of Europe's most important sights, the famous palace of Senbrun, Senbrun, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the summer residence of the Habsburgs from the 18th century until 1918. See the imperial apartments,stunning works of art , see the magnificent gardens and feel what it is like to live as an Emperor (guided visit included). Then on the tour of the city we see the Kunsthaus a complex of buildings of abstract style and the baroque palace complex Belvedere of Prince Eugene of Savoy, today a Gallery with works of art by artists of the modern period and the Modernist movement . We continue to Charles Square where the Church of St. Charles Borromeo and the Hall of the Association of Friends of Music are located and enter the famous Ringstrasse (ring road of the historic centre). Here we will see the State Opera House, the Hofburg Winter Imperial Palace complex, the twin Museums of Art History and Natural History, the Museum Block, the Parliament, the former Imperial Theatre opposite the City Hall, the University, and the Votifkirche (Church of the Tama). and walking through the historic centre, with the famous St. Stephen's Cathedral, we will discover the historic Greek neighbourhood with the Greek Orthodox churches of St. George and Holy Trinity. Free time to enjoy the city centre in a unique Christmas atmosphere. Talk to our guide to find what interests you from an attraction (Natural History Museum, Art History, Museum Square, Treasure Museum, Spanish Riding School etc.) to a good café or restaurant and return to the hotel on your own at your own time.
DAY 3 | VIENNA - LAKES - SALZBURG
Breakfast and start for an optional excursion to Mozart's birthplace, Salzburg. Our route takes us to the central Alps through four of Austria's federal states offering variations and a wealth of visual experiences. We cross the "Alpine Republic" from east to west, climbing from the Danube valley to the alpine zone in the idyllic lake district of Salzkammergut. Here we see some of the country's largest lakes, among them the legendary Monze of Celtic and early Germanic myths. But also the architecture of the countryside and the alpine hinterland is of particular interest. Then we reach the 'Rome of the Alps', the 'Jerusalem of the German-speaking Christian world', the fairytale Salzburg. We walk through the gardens of the Mirabel Palace, leaving the Mozarteum University of Music on our left, and see the Chora Theatre, the home of the Mozart family, the birthplace of King Otto of Greece and the Greek-born composer Herbert von Karajan. We cross the Maquart Bridge or the "locked hearts" of the Zalchach River, and enter the Old Town of the Renaissance and Middle Ages. Strolling through arcades, narrow alleys, we reach the infamous Gettridegasse where Mozart's birthplace, and the Town Hall, is located. We continue to the Palace of the Prince Archbishops next to the Renaissance St. Peter's Cathedral, the Abbeys of St. Peter and the Franciscans. Free time for a walk and coffee. Return to Vienna.
DAY 4 | VIENNA - THESSALONIKI
This day starts with a good breakfast at the hotel and time at leisure for a last walk around this magical city. Then transfer to Vienna/Bratislava airport where we will board our return flight. Arrival in Thessaloniki with the best impressions.
