TOUR TO THE BACHFEST LEIPZIG: EISENACH – LEIPZIG, 300 KM

June 9, 2018 – June 18, 2018

DAY 1: INDIVIDUAL ARRIVAL AND EISENACH

Upon your self-organized arrival, we meet at the hotel in Eisenach at 2 pm. Afterwards, we take a tour around the city where Johann Sebastian Bach was born and visit the Bachhaus Eisenach. Explore the original places, streets and alleys where young Bach grew up.

DAY 2, EISENACH – GOTHA – OHRDRUF, 60 KM

We depart from Eisenach and cycle along the Hörsel, passing through the gentle rises and falls of the mythical Hörsel hills. Around noon we arrive at Friedenstein Castle in Gotha. Having recollected our strength during the break, we continue the trail towards Wechmar, the Bachs’ place of origin. There we visit the ancestral home of the Bachs, housing the largest family tree of the musicians’ family as well as the original mill, formerly owned by great-grandfather Veit Bach. Come evening, we bike the short distance to Ohrdruf, and stay overnight in a hotel right next to the grounds of Ehrenstein Castle.

DAY 3, OHRDRUF – ARNSTADT, 25 KM

In the morning, we explore Ehrenstein Castle and the idyllic village of Ohrdruf. Bach stayed here as a pupil with his elder brother. A unique highlight is the preserved library within the tower of Michaelis Church which holds hymnbooks and books of sermons dating back to Bach’s time. After a brief stop in the Thuringian Forest we reach Arnstadt. Following Bach’s footsteps, we walk around the historic city center and then make our way towards the Bach House and the Bach Church to hear organ music and an introduction to the history of the building.

DAY 4, ARNSTADT – DORNHEIM – ERFURT – WEIMAR, 52 KM

The next morning, we visit the Bach exhibition at Arnstadt’s Schlossmuseum (Palace Museum). Around noon we depart to see Bach’s wedding church in nearby Dornheim. After a guided tour of the church (where Bach fans from all over the world are still getting married today), we continue on our way along the Gera towards Thuringia’s capital, Erfurt. Here you are shown the most important places of interests concerning Bach and stroll through the city centre before reaching our destination for the day, Weimar.

DAY 5, WEIMAR – BAD SULZA, 35 KM

In Weimar, you are guided around the surviving Bach sites, such as the city castle and city church, where many of Bach’s children where baptised. After this there is some time to explore the city. During the afternoon, we take the idyllic Ilm Valley bike trail going past castles, such as the summer residence of Weimar’s dukes and duchesses. Finally, we get to the Thuringian Wine Gate and the spa town of Bad Sulza, where weary cyclists can recover in the local thermal baths.

DAY 6, BAD SULZA – NAUMBURG – WEIßENFELS, 40 KM

A few kilometres onwards, we leave the Ilm behind and for the rest of the day follow the trail along the Saale, passing by romantic castles until we reach Bad Kösen with its impressive graduation works. Further on our way, the route leads us along the lower vineyards of Saale/Unstrut until we arrive in Naumburg. There, a guided tour of the famous Hildebrandt organ awaits us, which conveys the singularity of Bach’s sound ideal until today. After lunch we cycle to Weißenfels to visit the Heinrich Schütz House. Finally, we stop off to the sounds of Bach’s Hunting Cantata at the Jägerhof, the place it was performed for the first time.

DAY 7, WEIßENFELS – LEIPZIG, 60 KM

The next morning brings a guided tour of the chapel of Neu-Augustburg Castle. Later, we cycle east towards the White Elster. If the weather is nice we stop at the baroque castle Wiederau for lunch, and enjoy coffee and cake whilst listening to a cantata dedicated to Wiederau. Afterwards, the tour continues on the Elster bikeway through the Leipzig lake district to the last stop of the tour, Leipzig. In the evening we listen together to a concert at the Bach Festival with works by the Bach-rediscoverer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, performed in the famous Gewandhaus.

DAY 8, BACHFEST LEIPZIG

After an extensive tour around the city’s many Bach sites there is an opportunity to visit the Bach Museum and explore the city individually. In the evening, we get together to listen to a concert of Bach´s Brandenburg Concertos at St. Nicholas Church.

DAY 9, BACHFEST LEIPZIG

During the day, there are many opportunities to visit church services and other concerts individually during the Bach Festival. At 6 p.m., we meet at St. Thomas Church for the final concert of the Bach Festival, Bach’s Mass in B Minor and enjoy the rest of the evening together.

DAY 10, DEPARTURE

After breakfast, everyone will embark on their individual journey home. Alternatively, you can join our shuttle to Eisenach.

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE:

• nights at mid-range hotels incl. breakfast and lunch packs (on cycling days)
• 1 group dinner in Ohrdruf
• All entrance fees to museums and churches: Bachhaus Eisenach, Castle Friedenstein Gotha, Bachstammhaus Wechmar, Ehrenstein Castle Ohrdruf, Michaelis Church Ohrdruf, Bachhaus Arnstadt, Palace Museum Arnstadt, Traukirche Dornheim (Wedding Church), Heinrich Schütz House Weißenfels, Chapel of Neu-Augustusburg Castle Weißenfels, Bach Museum Leipzig
• City tours in Eisenach, Ohrdruf, Arnstadt, Weimar, Leipzig
• Organ tours and organ concerts in Bach Church Arnstadt, Wender organ and in St Wenzel Naumburg, Hildebrandt organ
• Luggage transport from first to last hotel
• List of equipment
• Sheet music and information leaflets on Bach’s compositions
• Double guiding

The booking is processed via our operator terranova-Touristik.

Optional extras:

• Concerts Bachfest Leipzig:
  • Friday, June 15, 8 p.m.: Great Concert, Gewandhaus, Great Hall
  • Saturday, June 16, 8 p.m.: Brandenburg Concertos 1, St. Nicholas Church (third category)
  • Sunday, June 17, 6 p.m.: Final concert, Mass in B Minor (third category)
• Rental trekking bike or rental e-bike; all bikes include bike bags, locks, tools and helmet
• Return shuttle from Leipzig to Eisenach (incl. person, luggage and individual bike)

PRICE:

Per Person in double room: 1.290 €
Single supplement: 150 €
Package for 3 concert tickets Bachfest Leipzig: 150 €
Return shuttle Leipzig/Eisenach: 35 €
Rental trekking bike (8 gear or 24 gear): 60 €
Rental e-bike: 160 €

Group size: min. 14, max. 20

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