ROMANIA + BUDAPEST TOUR
George Enescu International Music Festival
Bucharest-Romania
September 09 – 19 |
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11 Day
All Inclusive
First Class Tour
via
Lufthansa Airlines
from Newark |
MANON LESCAUT
Daniela Dessi, Soloist (Bucharest)
“..Dessi sings with marvelous dramatic agility: it’s no wonder that she has
been compared to Maria Callas.” Opera News Apr 2009
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Joshua Bell, Soloist (Bucharest)
Midsummer night’s dream
Ballet – Felix Mendelssohn (Budapest)
BUCHAREST (3), SIGIISHOARA(1) GURA HUMORULUI (1)
SIGHETI MARMATIEL (1) + BUDAPEST (4)
plus: Mogosoaia, Sinaia, Brasov, Maramures, Voronet, Humor, Sapanta |
| Tour cost: |
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$2800 (Air/land rate per person in double room) |
| Single suppl: |
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$400 |
| Land only: |
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$2150 |
| Not included: |
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Airport tax about $360 |
| Arriving: |
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Bucharest |
| Departing: |
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Budapest |
FLIGHTS: Listed flights are with Lufthansa German Airlines from Newark to Bucharest (via Frankfurt) and return from Budapest via Frankfurt to Newark. Land only rates do not include international flights from USA.
INTER CITY TRANSPORTATION: Bucharest/Budapest by deluxe AC coach. Transfers are provided only for persons using group trans-Atlantic flights.
HOTELS: Bucharest: Opera Hotel***, Sighisoara: Casa Wagnerl***, Gura Humorului: Best Western ****, Sighetui Marmatiel: Marmatia***, Budapest: Erszebet Hotel ***.
SIGHTSEEING: As per itinerary including all entrance fees. No extra charges.
ESCORT: Fully escorted from Newark throughout the entire itinerary by a professional, English-Ukrainian speaking tour manager. Local bi-lingual guides will be provided at each destination. A professional tour manager from Romania will guide the group from Bucharest to Budapest.
MEALS: As indicated on itinerary. Half board throughout entire itinerary.
SIDE TRIPS: If you wish to visit surrounding areas of Bucharest or Budapest, this may be arranged at additional cost. Advance confirmation is recommended.
TOUR DOCUMENTS: USA and Canadian citizens DO NOT require visas for Romania
or Hungary. Persons holding other documents, please check with Scope Travel consultant.
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B-Breakfast,
L-Lunch,
D-Dinner |
| Sep 09 Wed |
Newark/ Frankfurt |
Lufthansa Airlines TBA |
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Please be at NEWARK AIRPORT at least 3 hrs prior to flight departure time. Scope representative will assist you with check-in. Your baggage must be checked to your final destination Bucharest (code BUC). If you have more than one piece of checked baggage,
a surcharge of $50 will be collected at airport by agency representative for porterage. |
| Sep 10 Thu |
Frankfurt/Bucharest |
Lufthansa Airlines TBA |
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At Frankfurt Airport you board your non-stop flight to Bucharest. Lunch on board. Expected arrival time at your hotel is 4-5:00PM. Dinner at hotel. |
| Sep 11 Fri |
Bucharest |
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B/D |
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After breakfast, we’ll take a city tour and turn our attention to the Metropolitan Church,
which dominates the city from the top of a small hill; the Romanian Athenaeum,
Manuc’s Inn with Lipscani, its picturesque and animated commercial area;
the gigantic Palace of Parliament built by Ceausescu and the new city district nearby.
Finally, we’ll visit the famous Village Museum, where houses, churches, mills and other architectural items from all over the country are displayed.
The University was founded as a superior school in 1864, four years after
Iasi University, the first Romanian modern university.
In 1864 it included the Law, Sciences, Letters
and Palace of Parliament, Philosophy Faculties.
The afternoon is free for own exploration and shopping.
Dinner at hotel.
In the evening:
Time: 19.00 Bucharest National Opera House
MANON LESCAUT by Giacomo Puccini,
Libretto by Domenico Oliva
Orchestra and Choir of the Bucharest National Opera |
Conductor of the choir: |
Conductor: |
Director: |
Lighits and sets: |
Coreographie: |
Soloists: |
|
STELIAN OLARU |
KERI – LYNN WILSON |
ANDA TABACARU-HOGEA |
CATALIN I. ARBORE |
MIHAI BABUSHKA |
Manon Lescaut - DANIELA DESSI
Lescaut - IONUT PASCU
Des Grieux - FABIO ARMILIATO
Geronte - MIHNEA LAMATIC
Edmondo - MIHAI LAZAR
L’Oste - VASILE CHISIU
Il maestro di ballo - VALENTIN RACOVEANU
Un musico - MARIA JINGA
Sergente - DANIEL FILIPESCU
Lampionajio - LUCIAN CORCHIS
Comandante - RADU PINTILIE |
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| Sep 12 Sat |
Bucharest |
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B/D |
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Today we will enjoy a half day excursion-driverive to Mogosoaia, a commune, 15 km north-west of Bucharest. Here in 1702 on the shore of a beautiful lake, ruling prince Constantin Brancoveanu built an elegant palace combining elements of Romanian traditional architecture and those of Italian architecture. The Palace is an architectural monument having the facade dominated by traditional staircase balconies and by the arcades and columns with capitals, specific to the "Brancovenesc" (Brancovan) style. The building has an overwhelming simplicity of high refinement, its main facade being mirrored in the waters of the lake. The former kitchen, other ancillary buildings, as well as a church, complete this architectural complex, surrounded by a park with age-old trees. Today the visitor can find interesting art exhibitions, cultural events etc. Our next stop is the Snagov Monastery. Situated on an island in the middle of a lake,you have to take a boat to arrive there. It is assumed that here lies berried Vlad Tepes, also knowned as Dracula.
Vlad Tepes - Dracula (1431-1476) was the ruler of Wallachia, one of the Romanian provinces. He was born in Sighisoara (Transylvania). As he was dedicated to honesty and order, he became famous for his brutal methods of punishment. The Romanian word “Tepes” means “Impaler” which refers to his favorite method of punishment: impalement on stakes. He was assassinated in 1476.
In the evening:
| Time: 19.30 Palace Grand Hall |
| ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA |
Conductor: |
HORIA ANDREESCU |
Solist: |
JOSHUA BELL |
Program: |
Saint-Saens – Simfonia nr. 3 in c-moll, op.78 "Simfonia cu orga" with
the participation of the choir of the "George Enescu" Philharmonic
Lalo – Symphonie Espagnole for violin and orchestra op.21
Ravel - Suite no. 2 «Daphnis si Cloe» |
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| Sep 13 Sun |
Bucharest/Sighisoara |
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B/D |
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Departing from Bucharest, we go first to the world famous Peles Palace in Sinaia. Built by King Carol of Romania, this palace is beyond belief in its detail and scenery. After touring the palace, the next stop is in Brasov, an old German town. During the city tour we’ll visit the following sights: the most famous religious monument of the city, the Black Church (14th-15th centuries) the largest gothic church in Romania and within the territory between Vienna and Istanbul; it owes its name to its walls blackened by a fire set by the Austrians in 1689, it exhibits the heaviest mobile bell in Romania (6 tones), a valuable collection of Anatolian carpets from the 17th-18th centuries, an organ dated 1839 with 4000 pipes; Stately buildings Town Hall (15th c.) - at present, Museum of History and Archaeology built in the late Renaissance style combined with Transylvanian baroque elements. After that we go to Sighisoara. We’ll have dinner in the “Vlad Dracul” restaurant.
old edifices are still functional and well-preserved.
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| Sep 14 Mon |
Sighisoara/Gura Humorului |
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B/D |
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Sighisoara is located on the sides of the river Târnava Mare. The old town has been raised by the Saxons between the 12th-17th centuries; included in the UNESCO world heritage, Sighisoara is today an animated European medieval town whose old edifices are still functional and well-preserved. After the city tour we will spend the entire day in the wonderful area of Bukovyna. Dinner and overnight at Gura Humorului.

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| Sep 15 Tue |
Gura Humorului/Sighetu Marmatiel |
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B/D |
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After the breakfast, we shall visit two Moldavian monasteries, Voronet and Humor. Voronet is knowned because of its unique colour, the Voronet-blue, and Humor for it's red.
Next, we enter Maramures, the living museum , an ancient region of Romania, a space where customs, traditions and nature beauty have resisted the erosion of time, a large natural amphitheatre. Here we find the incredible wooden churches, UNESCO monuments, unique in shapes and ornaments, specific to the Romanian style. Many of them house wood and glass paintings of an inestimable value: Bogdan Voda (inner painting), Rozavlea (mural painting from 1754). Arrival in Sighetu Marmatiei for overnight and dinner.
Voronets Monastery, a convent, is probably the most accomplished sample of artistic achievement in Moldavian architecture and painting. The Church has a trefoil form reflecting the medieval Moldavian architectural style, predominantly Byzantine. The monastry is quite impressive by its size.
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| Sep 16 Wed |
Sighetu Marmatiei/Budapest |
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B/D |
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In the morning, we visit the Sapanta village and the well-known Merry Cemetery, spectacular in its originality; the crosses, most of them painted blue, are carved and painted with peasant faces, accompanied by very humorous texts, representing brief biographies of the dead person, with their qualities and shortcomings, their joys and grieves. At Petea, we leave Romania. Our next stop is Budapest, where we'll be arriving at approximately 18.00 local time for dinner at our hotel. |
| Sep 17 Thu |
Budapest Erszebet Hotel |
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B/D |
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A morning guided city tour of BUDA and PEST. From the hills of the PEST side, you will see St. Mathieu's Church, Hungary's Gothic Coronation Church and the fairytale like Fisherman's Bastion, and the Parliament and the Historical Square on the Buda side. Lunch under own arrangements.
Circa 3-4PM we proceed to St. Szantandre, an artisan Village located near Budapest for dinner and Gypsy revelry.
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| Sep 18 Fri |
Budapest Erszebet Hotel |
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B/D |
The entire day is free to enjoy Budapest.
Lunch under own arrangements.
Evening – performance of
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (ballet).
Music by Felix Mendelssohn.
Dinner at hotel.
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| Sep 19 Sat |
Budapest/Frankfurt/Newark Lufthansa Airlines |
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Early AM transfer takes us to Budapest airport for our flight to Frankfurt with connecting flight to Newark.
 
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