The Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies
Beethoven's Bonn and Vienna
A tour led by Dr. William Meredith, Director of the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies
June 2-12, 1993
Group photo in Bonn
Itinerary
June 2: Group members met in Bonn in the mid-afternoon and checked into the Scandia Crown, a hotel centrally located overlooking the Rhine next to the Beethoven Hall. A festive dinner welcomed all.
June 3: At 9:00 a.m., Dr. Meredith led the group on a walking tour of town past places of special interest to Beethoven, ending in a special tour of Beethoven's birthplace, the Beethoven-Haus, led by Dr. Hans-Werner Küthen of the Beethoven-Archiv. After lunch, the group visited the town cemetery where Beethoven's mother and many of his friends are buried.
June 4: At 10:00 a.m. the group travelled by bus to Cologne, the seat of the Electorate during Beethoven's youth, for a full day of sightseeing. They visited the magnificent cathedral begun in 1248, the rich 20th-century art collection in the Ludwig Museum, and other treasures of Cologne. The day's planned activities ended with an early dinner in the "Ring."
June 5: A Rhine cruise led the group from St. Goar to Bingen, considered the most picturesque section of the river. They passed the legendary Lorelei and Pfalz where a castle rises out of the center of the river. Saturday evening was spent back in Bonn at one of the events in the "Bonner Summer," the open-air cultural festival.
June 6: The group enjoyed a relaxing train ride to Vienna, viewing the beautiful scenery from first-class compartments. That evening, they checked into the Hilton, Am Stadtpark, overlooking the Danube Canal and one block from the Ring. Some of the group enjoyed that Sunday evening with a stroll around Vienna, visits to coffee houses and beer pubs, and dinner at Vienna's many fine restaurants.
June 7: Highlights of this full day of sightseeing by motorcoach were the National Opera House, the Imperial Theater, the Hofburg Caste, and the Schönbrunn Palace and Park.
June 8: Dr. Rita Steblin, a Beethoven and Schubert scholar working at the International Schubert Institute in Vienna, joined the group for the next two days, giving the group her unique insights into Beethoven's life and times in Vienna and its environs. A bus took the group to Heiligenstadt, the beautiful little village where Beethoven wrote his famous Testament in 1802, and to the "Eroica" House in nearby Döbling. After lunch in the countryside, the group returned to Vienna to visit the cemetery where Beethoven, Schubert, and many other famous musicians are buried.
June 9: Dr. Steblin took the group on a walking tour of Beethoven sights in the central part of town, including the famous Pasqualati House with its Beethoven museum, and other important musical sites of Haydn and Mozart.
June 10: After a day of leisure, the group planned to meet that evening to attend one of the musical events of the season.
June 11: The last free day in Vienna was left open for shopping, visits to museums and the famous Spanish Riding School. A gala farewell dinner at a local restaurant was enjoyed by all.
June 12: After breakfast, group members bid farewell before departing for home or other adventures in Europe.
© The Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies
San José State University