Bavaria and Austria
“The Hills are Alive with the Sound of God’s Music”
16-25 July, 2026
A musical tour providing opportunities for choristers to sing in some of the most iconic churches in this historic and picturesque region of Europe, exploring Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna. Non-singers are also heartily welcomed.
Join us as we experience the culture and beauty of the Alps in the summertime, experiencing the highlights of Munich, the iconic Neuschwanstein Castle, and Vienna, visiting important places from Mozart’s life, and Salzburg, not only visiting some sights made famous through The Sound of Music, but likewise singing ourselves at the historic churches. Other highlights include Melk, St. Florian’s Abbey, and Oberndorf, where we will visit and sing in the chapel where “Silent Night” was first sung in 1818.
Contact Benjamin Kolodziej, Organist and Choirmaster (bkolodziej@stjohnsepiscopal.org.)
Itinerary:
Day 1: Depart DFW for Munich.
Day 2: Arrive in Munich. Take an orientation tour of this second largest city in Germany, including the town hall, the Ludwigstrasse, Hofgarten, and the English Garden, continuing to the Marienplatz with its world-famous Frauenkirche and Glockenspiel. Dinner at our hotel.
Day 3: After breakfast at our hotel, we journey to spend the day at Neuschwanstein, the fairy tale palace designed by King Ludwig. We continue to Salzburg that evening.
Day 4: We sing at the 11am mass at Salzburger Dom. During the afternoon, we tour this world-class historic city, including Fortress Hohensalzburg, overlooking the city and St. Peter’s Abbey, where most of Mozart’s liturgical works were first performed.
Day 5: We travel to the village of Oberndorf to see the “Silent Night” chapel, where the Christmas carol was first sung in 1818. We will sing an informal recital here. Next we travel to the Abbey of St. Florian, a cultural center since the eleventh century. We will sing an informal recital here. We return to Salzburg for free time.
Day 6: We travel to Vienna, where we visit the beautiful Lake District, which hap- pens to be the site of many scenes in The Sound of Music. We sing an informal concert at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Mondsee, and visit the lovely landscapes of the Salzkammergut. In the afternoon we check in to our hotel in Vienna, the city of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and Strauss. We partake of dinner at our hotel.
Day 7: We visit St Stephen’s Cathedral, the Mozart Haus and Museum, the House of Music, and free time to explore this city of innumerable museums.
Day 8: We take a general tour of Vienna, visiting the Schonbrunn and Hofburg Palaces. In the afternoon, we sing informally at the Petrikirche and conclude the day with free time.
Day 9: We depart Vienna for magnificent scenery along the Danube, exploring the Wachau, a region that is the pride of the historic preservation movement in Austria, visiting the majestic monastery at Melk, overlooking the Danube. In the afternoon, we take a Danube River cruise, disembarking at Krems-an-der-Donau, where we have free time. The bus returns us to Vienna.
Day 10: Return to USA.
HOTELS:
Eight (8) nights’ accommodations in twin rooms with private facilities at 4-star hotels chosen for location, reputation, cleanliness, and service. The below hotel options are featured in our program and subject to confirmation:
CITY HOTELS NIGHTS
Munich Hotel Europe or similar https://hotel-europa.de/en/ Salzburg Hotel Europe or similar.
https://www.austria-trend.at/de/hotels/europa-salzburg Vienna Hotel Ananas or similar.
https://www.austria-trend.at/de/hotels/ananas
Land Only: $4,095 (check or cash)
Airfare not included, but airfare quote will be available in September, 2025.
Contact Benjamin Kolodziej for specific questions. (bkolodziej@stjohnsepiscopal.org)
