Pomp and Splendor in Vienna
Reception at Archduke Ferdinand's Great Grandchild
Most people have visited Berlin, London, Paris and Rome numerous times. Vienna, on the other hand, receives hardly any attention. It is a shame, because it can fully match the aforementioned cities.
Austria-Hungary, with Vienna as its capital, was for centuries one of Europe’s most powerful empires, with enormous cultural and intellectual treasures, enriched by Erwin Schrödinger, Sigmund Freud, Gustav Klimt…
In addition, the greatest spirits of music, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, Haydn, Mahler – the list is long – all lived and composed here.
There are several highlights for this trip, one of which is undoubtedly the visit to Princess Anita von Hohenberg, Archduke Ferdinand’s great-granddaughter, who is holding a champagne reception for us at her home.
When we, on Friday, October 9th 2026 at approximately 2:00 p.m., have checked into the impressive Hotel Imperial Riding School, the following awaits us:
Travel plan
Get an overview of what you will experience on your trip.
Overall
Unlike a physical product, a trip is only complete when the trip is over.
Changes will therefore occur and this is also desirable. From the time our trips are offered on the website to the trip itself, it usually takes 6-9 months. It would be quite unusual if an offer did not appear during that period that would be a clear improvement to the overall travel experience. However, significant changes to the overview below will not occur.
All of our trips are based on our guests wanting to join us on new adventures. This is your guarantee that we will strive, to the best of our ability, to ensure that you get a once in a lifetime experience – every time.
Day 1: We arrive in the afternoon. In the evening we have Oberes belvedere to ourselves
Day 2: The Liectenstein family's private art collection - Wien Staatsoper in the evening
Day 3: Princess anita von hohenberg and melk stift
Day 4: Private event wien museum, piano concert and galla dinner at palais coburg
Day 5: the return leg of the tour or extension of the stay
Incl. / Excl.:
What is included
- Fire nætter på det 5* Hotel the Ned.
- Kanapéer og velkomstdrinks fredag aften.
- Pub lunch lørdag.
- Operabillet lørdag aften.
- Sunday Roast.
- Signaturmiddag søndag aften.
- Pub lunch mandag.
- Kanapéer og vin i Sigmund Freuds House.
- Kanapéer og drinks til William Hansons event.
- Entré til Highgate Hill, bådfart, alle guidede ture er inkluderet.
- Morgenmad: du kan tilkøbe 4 kuponer á £ 15, der giver dig 4 * £ 26 at spendere i The Ned’s syv restauranter.
- Drikkevarer på restauranter og pubber overlader vi trygt til dig og tjeneren.
Always included
Not included
PRICE
14000 DKK / € 1,860
Deposit
2500 DKK / € 335
Location
Hotel Imperial Riding School, Ungarsgasse 60, 1030 Wien
Organizer
Parnassos.dk, Overgaden oven Vandet 58A, 2. 1415 Copenhagen
Phone
45 52736316
overtoner@parnassos.dk
Parnassos.dk ApS is a member of the Travel Guarantee Fund. It guarantees your money, while we guarantee your experiences.
Parnassos.dk ApS is a member of ‘the Vienna Experts Club’ and collaborates with the Scandinavian branch of the Austrian National Tourist Office (ANTO).
The journey in detail:
- Friday afternoon: Otto Wagner's Hofpavillon
- Friday Evening: Belvedere palace
- Saturday afternoon: Stadtpalais Liechtensten
- Saturday Evening: Wiener Staatsoper
- Sunday afternoon: Reception at Princess Anita von Hohenberg
- Sunday afternoon: Organ concert
- Sunday Evening: Dinner at Melk Stift
- Monday afternoon: Wien Museu
- Monday afternoon: piano concert
- Monday evening: Galla dinner at Palais Coburg
- Hotel Imperial Riding School
- What do you get for DKK 14,000?
- Extra Day: Musikverein
Franz Joseph I’s private train station – exclusively ours Friday afternoon 9th October 2026
Otto Wagner's Hofpavillon
Why not start our stay in Vienna with a visit to a train station? Not just any station, of course. Not one that is actually used, either.
We have been given permission by Wien Museum to visit Emperor Franz Joseph I’s private train station, also called Otto Wagner’s court pavilion. If you know Franz Joseph I, you know that he was not into any modern gimmicky, so he only used the station twice in his life – reluctantly.
The architect Otto Wagner had done everything he could to create comfortable conditions for the emperor and his court, including an octagonal waiting room in Art Nouveau style with mahogany-clad walls. A private office for the emperor and a baroque-style dome that catered to the emperor’s taste.
It was completed in 1899 and inaugurated by the emperor. It was his first visit. His second visit was not until 1902.
Our first visit will be on Friday, October 9, 2026.
Belvedere Palace, Vienna
After our train station, it’s time for the next experience. Friday evening, we have the entire impressive Upper Belvedere Palace and Museum at our disposal after closing time. No tourist crowds, just us.
Maybe you’ve already visited Belvedere Palace? A breathtaking permanent exhibition with Picasso and Monet paintings on the walls, and of course the world’s largest collection of works by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, including The Kiss.
After we’ve been poured a glass and offered canapés, the museum’s specialists split us into two small groups and take us to the palace’s finest rooms.
But the evening isn’t over yet…
After fine culture, we’re going to a nearby Braüerei and have the best Wienerschnitzel in town.
Belvedere Palace. Ours Friday evening 9th October 2026.
The Liechtenstein family's palace
We have arrived at Saturday. You have the morning to yourself. In the afternoon, we will go on a guided tour of the center of Vienna.
Around the world, there are private museums and art collections that VIP guests can visit undisturbed. Presidents, billionaires, famous pop singers… that kind of thing. You will find such a private collection in the Stadtpalais Liechtenstein in Vienna.
One of Europe’s richest families, the Liechtenstein family, has given us access to their Stadtpalais. A mansion that has recently been renovated for the sum of 120 million euros, paid by the family.
On Saturday afternoon, they open the gate for us. Two in-house art experts are ready to show us the family’s private museum.
A gasp will go through our group when we reach the family’s ballroom, which is almost otherworldly beautiful. A gasp not to be missed.
Wiener Staatsoper
There are two temples of classical music in Vienna: the Vienna State Opera and Musikverein, the former on the same level as the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, which by the way, we and 34 guests visited February 2026.
The four times we have visited Vienna with our guests we have always chosen the State Opera. Last time we attended Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The autumn program for 2026 will not be announced until April, so we cannot yet tell you what we will see, except that the opera house always attracts the finest singers.
Regardless… our opera, Saturday evening, ends around 10 p.m. The night will still be young, we have found a smart, youthful and lively pizzeria for those who want an informal post-theatre dinner, included in the price.
Princess Anita von Hohenberg
Sunday morning, October 11th, a bus will take us to the idyllic Wachau region, just outside Vienna, where we will visit a uniquely special host:
We are honored to have be invited by Archduke Ferdinand’s great-granddaughter, Princess Anita von Hohenberg, who lives at Schloss Artstetten. Here she will receive us for a champagne reception.
Her great-grandfather’s fate had incalculable consequences for the European continent. The assassination of him and his wife on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo, was, as we know, the beginning of World War I.
The couple is buried in the family crypt in the castle basement, which we will also visit.
Princess Anita will hold a speech, and there will be an opportunity to ask questions afterwards.
"Umberto Eco's Abbey"
We have arrived at Saturday, where the morning is yours.
And the afternoon? If we had to sum up the trip to Vienna in one word, it would be “exclusive”. The next experience of the trip takes place in the imposing building of the Palais Coburg, where we immediately move to the palace’s catacombs, where its six wine cellars are situated.
One is dedicated to French champagne, one to New World wines, one to Europe’s finest grapes, one to Spanish and Portuguese wines, one to Austria’s own bottles and finally one to Chateau d’Yquem.
60,000 bottles to admire and envy, including the oldest in the collection, Rüdesheim Apostolic wine from 1727.
Of course we will have time for tastings. You can also buy any wine to take home, including the most expensive in the collection, a magnum bottle for 240,000 euros. It is said to taste delicious.
Interior of the Vienna State Opera we will be visiting Saturday 10th October 2026
Wiener Staatsoper
There are two temples of classical music in Vienna: the Vienna State Opera and the Musikverein, the former on the same level as the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, which we and 34 guests visited in February 2026.
The four times in total we have visited Vienna with our guests, we have always chosen the State Opera. Last time we attended Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The autumn program for 2026 has now been determined and we will attend the fascinating opera Duke Bluebeard’s Castle by Béla Bartók. You can read about the plot below.
The opera ends around 10:00 p.m. The night will still be young and we have found a smart, youthful and lively pizzeria for those who want an informal post-theatre dinner, which is also included in the price.
Bélas Bartók’s opera, Bluebeard’s Castle is one of the most significant works of 20th-century opera composition. Written in 1911, the opera draws inspiration from various folk tales, especially the story of Bluebeard, a mythical figure known for his dark secrets and brutal actions.
The opera centers on the relationship between Bluebeard and his new bride, Judith. When Judith enters Bluebeard’s castle, she discovers seven locked doors, which she becomes curious to open. Each door she opens reveals new layers of Bluebeard’s past — memories of power, pain, and death.
“Bluebeard’s Castle” has over the years gained recognition as one of the great operas of the 20th century. Its psychological themes, combined with Bartók’s unique musical forms, ensure that the work remains relevant and engaging for both audiences and singers.
Visit to the aristocracy
Sunday morning we take our bus to the idyllic Wachau district just outside Vienna. After a stop in a charming little town on the banks of the Danube River, the bus continues and takes us to a very special host.
We are extremely proud to announce that Archduke Ferdinand’s great-granddaughter, Princess Anita von Hohenberg, who lives at Schloss Artstetten, will receive us at her home for a champagne reception in teh afternoon.
Her great-grandfather’s fate had incalculable consequences for the European continent. The assassination attempt on him and his wife, Countess Sophie von Chotek, on June 28th, 1914 in Sarajevo, was, as we know, the start of World War I, which set the entire old continent on fire. The couple is buried in the family crypt in the castle basement, which we will also visit.
Princess Anita will give us a speech, and there will be an opportunity to ask questions afterwards. We are sure that it will be another highlight of the trip.
Roter Salon, Princess Anita von Hohenberg’s hall for receptions for prominent guests – like us.
The Benedictine Abbey in Melk, inspiration for Umberto Eco’s novel, The Name of the Rose.
"Umberto Eco's Monastery"
At the banks of the Danube River – and a few miles away from Schloss Artstetten – we encounter one of the world’s most impressive monasteries, the almost 1000-year-old Benedictine monastery in Melk. (consecrated in 1089).
The buildings have countless relics of saints and a wooden splinter of Christ’s cross.
We visit the monastery in the late afternoon, where the house’s guide shows us around its halls and rooms, not least the large library, within the framework of artistic freedom, that is used in Umberto Eco’s novel, The Name of the Rose.
In addition, we met Father Ludwig Wenzl from Melk Monastery during an event in Vienna. He has promised to give us a short speech when we arrive at the abbey..
Organ concert at Melk Diocese
After the regular closing time, an organ concert is arranged for us in the monastery’s divinely beautiful church, with chief organist Josef Schweighofer at the organ, with a 45-minute program including Buxtehude, Bach and Liszt.
After the concert, we move to the site’s pavilion where a sommelier tells us about the monastery’s own wines – including tastings.
Afterwards, dinner is served for us at the monastery’s lunch restaurant – they open the doors specifically for us. (Trust us, you can get used to the VIP treatment).
Wine tasting and dinner are included in the price, while the wines for the dinner are between you and the waiter. Afterwards, our bus brings us back to Vienna, quite late in the evening.
If our guests are up for it, we know the perfect place for a night cap.
Privately arranged organ concert at Melk Stift Kirche on Sunday, October 11th, 2026.
The brand new Wien Museum
Wien Museum Karlsplatz
We have reached our last day together. (unless you decide to add extra days, see below).
On Mondays, all of Vienna’s museums are closed. But there is one museum we absolutely must see, the newly opened and 12,000 square meters colossal Vienna Museum (the Louisiana Museum of Art in Denmark is 11,500 square meters, so comparable).
So, we have persuaded the museum to open its doors just for us on Monday afternoon.
The museum is divided into 13 “chapters”, from Vienna’s earliest days to the present, from the Roman era to the Habsburg regime, the Ottoman siege, the Nazi era, Red Vienna and up to the present day.
We will end our visit at the top floor with a drink and a view of the magnificent Karlskirche, before we move on to the next event.
Private Piano Recital at Schubert's Gymnasium
We have arrived at the part of the journey where we will remember Vienna’s extraordinary importance for classical music.
The giants of classical music lived here, Vivaldi, Haydn, Mozart, (and Salieri!), Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler, Schoenberg – the list is long and one of the most important has not yet been mentioned, but he will be now: Franz Schubert.
A few years ago, we were allowed access to Schubert’s home in the city, where we attended a wonderful lieder concert.
Near the Vienna Museum – and on the way to our dinner – we find the Technisches Gymnasium, where Erwin Schrödinger went to school – and a century before him, Schubert himself.
The gymnasium has a wonderful concert hall that we can borrow, and we have allied ourselves with the renowned concert pianist, Adela Liculescu, who played for us last year in Beethoven’s home in Heiligenstadt. We believe it’s going to be a magical evening.
The concert pianist Adela Liculescu
The entrance to Palais Coburg
Dinner at Palais Coburg
Palais Coburg is a historic palace located in the center of Vienna. This is where we will be staying on our last evening.
The palace was originally built in the mid-19th century, designed by architect Joseph von Storck. It was commissioned by Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg. The palace then served as the residence of the prince and his family when they were in the city.
Palais Coburg is designed in the neo-Renaissance style, which is characterized by its splendor and elaborate architectural details. Incidentally, the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the great powers took place here in the years 2015 – 2016.
The palace boasts an impressive interior, grand staircases and beautifully landscaped gardens.
We have rented its imposing Johann Strauss Hall for our dinner, a memorable end to our trip. The theme of the trip is pomp and splendor. The palace fits perfectly for that.
Hotel Imperial Riding School
The Imperial Riding School in Vienna, now the Imperial Riding School, Autograph Collection hotel, is a historic 19th-century building in the Landstraße district, in the immediate vicinity of Oberes Belvedere Palace, which we will be visiting Friday.
The building was originally a military riding school founded by Emperor Franz Josef I. Now it has been converted into a luxury hotel that has remained true to the building’s history: a magnificent facade with archways, vaulted ceilings and restored stone columns.
The interior incorporates horse-inspired elements, such as stable-inspired flooring, polished leather and special lighting. The hotel’s rooms offer a mix of royal comfort and modern design. Plus, a fitness center, pool, restaurant and a bar that closes late. The ordinary price is around 5,000 DKK/night.
It could be your home in Vienna in October.
Musikverein
An extra day in Vienna: 13th - 14th October.
If you want an extra day in Vienna AFTER the “official” end of the trip – we can call it the coda – you can add the extra day during the purchase process. The price for an extra night at our 5* hotel is 2,200 DKK for a double room. (far below the normal price).
If you book an extra day, it is tempting to visit the Musikverein on Tuesday evening. In that case, we would happy to book the tickets for you.
We will also arrange something during the day if there is interest. Otherwise, Vienna is a perfect city to explore on your own.
Depending when the Musikverein concert ends – usually a little earlier than its “colleague” Staatsoper performs – we can enjoy a nice dinner together.
What Exactly do you Get for your DKK 14,000?
• Four nights at Hotel The Imperial Riding School. Breakfast included.
• Bus pick-up at Vienna airport Friday late morning, October 9th.
• Friday, October 9th: Visit and guided tour of Otto Wagner’s Hofpavillion. Reception and guided tour at Oberes Belvedere in the evening, where we are served wines and canapés. Dinner Friday evening at a nearby popular restaurant is also included in the price. Wines for our dinners are between our guests and the waiters.
• Saturday, October 10th: Access to the Liechtenstein family’s private art collection. Opera in the evening. Good standard ticket is included in the price. You can upgrade to a Parterre ticket. Late Saturday evening we go to a lively pizza restaurant. Pizza is included in the price.
• Sunday, October 11th: we have an audience with Princess Anita von Hohenberg, where we are served champagne. In the afternoon guided tour and organ concert at Stift Melk followed by wine tasting and dinner at the monastery restaurant. Dinner and wine tasting are included in the price. Wines for the dinner are between our guests and the waiter.
• Monday 12 October: In the afternoon we have the entire Vienna Museum at our disposal. Canapés and wines are served and included in the price. Early evening we have a private piano concert. Followed by a 3-course Gourmet dinner at Palais Coburg. Dinner is included. Wines are between our guests and the waiter.
• Please note: The amount only covers the stay and experiences in Vienna and does not include the flight. This is to give you the greatest possible flexibility, such as when you fly on the day and from where. You may also want to extend your stay.
• If in doubt or have questions to the above, you are always welcome to call 5273 6316.
It all adds up