TOUR 4

10 YEARS BACH BY BIKE ANNIVERSARY TOUR TO THE MDR MUSIC SUMMER

EISENACH – KÖTHEN INCL. MÜHLHAUSEN AND LEIPZIG, 400 km

July 15 – 30, 2022, 16 days

1-WEEK BOOKING OPTION

 

On this extensive anniversary cycle tour, you will experience all the locations of Bach’s life and work in central Germany over 11 cycling stages. In cooperation with the MDR-Musiksommer festival, we will enjoy a musical reception on 9 evenings, and this year we will attend all of the concerts of the “Bachorte” series. We will begin geographically at the starting point of the Johann Sebastian Bach Cycle Track, developed by us, in Mühlhausen, and will cycle from there via Bach’s birthplace in Eisenach and his place of death in Leipzig as far as the northernmost Bach town of Köthen.

You will experience some of the most beautiful parts of the three Bach federal states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. Landscape highlights include the Hainich National Park with its ancient beech forests, the Thuringian Basin at the edge of the Rennsteig hiking path, the tranquil Ilm Valley, the river Saale with its romantic castles and vineyards, the Elster meadows near Halle and the Leipzig New Lake District with its inviting swimming opportunities.

The option is available to book just one week of this anniversary tour. Part 1 will take you from Mühlhausen to Weimar and part 2 from Weimar to Köthen. On both tours, you will experience the Bach by Bike Ensemble at the MDR music summer in the Herderkirche in Weimar.

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ITINERARY

DAY 1: INDIVIDUAL ARRIVAL AND MÜHLHAUSEN

We will meet at 2 pm at the hotel in Mühlhausen and explore the medieval town together. Young Bach had his second employment here. We will be welcomed with a fascinating organ performance and explanation by cantor director, Oliver Stechbart in the Divi Blasii church, where we will see the certificate of Bach’s employ­ment in the city´s archive. In the evening we will visit the first concert of the concert series Bach places of MDR music summer with Colllegium Vocale Leipzig conducted by Michael Schönheit in Divi Blasii Church.

 

DAY 2, MÜHLHAUSEN – EISENACH, 45 KM

On our way to Eisenach we cycle through UNESCO World Heritage Hainich National Park, famous for its primeval beech forest. Enjoy the geographical center of Germany in Niederdorla and fantastic views of the Thuringian Basin. In Eisenach 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. In Bach`s baptistery Georgenchurch we listen to a concert of French violinist Amandine Beyer and her baroque orchestra Gli Incogniti.

 

DAY 3, EISENACH – GOTHA, 40 KM

In the morning we visit the Bachhaus Eisenach. At noon 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 our hotel at the garden of Friedenstein Castle in Gotha. Here we listen to the MDR music summer concert Margarethenchurch with cantatas by J. S. Bach and F. Mendelssohn and the MDR-Ensembles conducted by Peter Dijkstra.

 

DAY 4, GOTHA – WECHMAR – OHRDRUF, 20 KM

In the morning we will visit the chapel of Castle Friedenstein in Gotha and we will see the world´s oldest baroque theatre, the Ek­hof Theatre, with its original stage machinery. 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, with its historic fully timbered and wooded room.

In the afternoon, we bike the short distance to Ohrdruf, and stay overnight in a hotel right next to the grounds of Ehrenstein Castle.

 

DAY 5, OHRDRUF – ARNSTADT, 25 KM

Today 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.

We briefly stop in the Thuringian forest and reach Arn­stadt in the late morning. Following Bach’s footsteps, we walk around the historic city center and then make our way towards Bachhaus Arnstadt and the Bach Church to hear organ music and an introduction to the history of the building with Bach-successor Jörg Reddin.

 

DAY 6, ARNSTADT – DORNHEIM – ERFURT, 26 KM

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 can stroll around the “Thuringian Rome” individually.

 

DAY 7, ERFURT – ARNSTADT – ERFURT, BY TRAIN

In the morning you are shown the most im­portant places of interests in Erfurt concerning Bach. At noon we will travel the short distance back to Arnstadt by train and will visit the concert of Leipzig vocal ensemble amarcord and recorder player Erik Bosgraaf at the Bach-Church. Afterwards we will travel back by train to our hotel in Erfurt.

 

DAY 8, ERFURT – WEIMAR, 25 KM

In the morning we will travel to Weimar on a short stage along the “Thurin­gian city-chain”. There you will be guided around the sur­viving Bach sites, such as the city castle and city church, where many of Bach’s children where baptized. In the evening, we listen to a concert of MDR music summer in the Church St. Peter and Paul. The Bach by Bike Ensemble will perform conducted by Jörg Reddin. The founders Anna-Luise Oppelt and Mareike Neumann created a program containing one piece of music from each Bach town of our travel.

We will spend the rest of the evening together with the participants who will leave us here and welcome the new arrivers of part 2.

 

DAY 9, VARITION DEPARTURE

If you booked only part 1 you will embark on your individual journey home. Alternatively, you can join our shuttle to Mühlhausen.

PART 2

DAY 8, VARIATION INDIVIDUAL ARRIVAL AND WEIMAR

Upon your self-organized arrival, we meet at the hotel in Weimar at 3 pm. If you ordered a rental bike, we meet already at 2:30 pm. You are guided around the surviving Bach sites, such as the city castle and city church, where many of Bach’s children where baptized. In the evening we listen to a concert of MDR music summer in the Herderchurch. The Bach by Bike Ensemble will perform conducted by Jörg Reddin. The founders Anna-Luise Oppelt and Mareike Neumann created a program containing one piece of music from each Bach town of our travel.

We will spend the rest of the evening together with the participants who will leave us here and welcome the new arrivers of part 2.

 

DAY 9 WEIMAR – NAUMBURG, 58 KM

We take the idyllic Ilm Valley bike trail going past castles, such as the summer residence of Weimar’s dukes and duchesses. After passing the Thuringian Wine Gate we arrive at the mouth of the Ilm, which feeds into the Saale. We leave the Ilm behind and 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. Here we will visit a concert of MDR music summer in the St. Wenzel Church with the Kreuzchor Dresden performing music by Bach, Schütz, Brahms, Bruckner und Mauersberger.

 

DAY 10, NAUMBURG – WEIßENFELS, 20 KM

In Naumburg a guided tour of the famous Hildebrandt organ awaits us, which conveys the singularity of Bach’s sound ideal until today. You can also visit the city with the famous dome individually. After lunch we cycle to Weißenfels to listen to a concert of MDR music summer with the Gellert Ensemble led by Andreas Mitschke in the chapel of Neu-Augustusburg. 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 11, WEIßENFELS – LEIPZIG, 60 KM

The next morning, we visit the Heinrich-Schütz-House. Later, we cycle east towards the White Elster. We stop at the baroque castle Wiederau for lunch and enjoy coffee and cake whilst listening to a cantata dedicated to Wiederau. The tour continues on the Elster bikeway through the Leipzig lake district to the last stop of the tour, Leipzig. If the weather is nice, we stop for a bath in the lake Cospuden. The evening is at your free disposal.

 

DAY 12, 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.

 

DAY 13, LEIPZIG – HALLE A.D. SAALE, 40 km

We leave Leipzig cycling along the dikes of the White Elster. If the weather is nice, we take a lunch break with a bath at a lake. Afterwards we will reach the city center of Halle, check-in into our hotel and visit the Museum of the eldest Bach Son, the Wilhelm-Friedemann-Bach-House. Cantor Irénée Peyrot awaits us at Market Church and will show us the Reichel- and Schuke-organs where Bach once examined the organ. We spend the evening together at a restaurant next to the Saale-river.

 

DAY 14, HALLE A.D. SAALE – LEIPZIG – HALLE A.D. SAALE, BY TRAIN

In the morning there is time to visit the house of Bach´s famous contemporary George Frederic Handel. In the afternoon we take the train to Leipzig in order to visit the concert of MDR music summer for Bach´s 272nd day of death at St. Thomas Church. Here we listen to the Thomanerchor, conducted by new Thomas-Kantor Andreas Reize, with the Leipziger Barockorchester and Thomas-organist Johannes Lang. We will ride back by train to Halle afterwards.

 

DAY 10, HALLE A.D. SAALE – KÖTHEN, 45 KM

We continue to the final stage of the trip to the residential city of Köthen after a stop at the lake Edderitz. We spend the afternoon discovering Bach’s traces during a tour of the city. In the evening, we listen to the final concert of the series Bach-Orte of the MDR music summer: The Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie and soloist Noa Wildschut perform Bach´s violin concertos. Afterwards we celebrate the anniversary tour with a special baroque dinner like in Bach`s time.

 

DAY 11, DEPARTURE

After breakfast everyone will embark on their individual journey home. Alternatively, you can join our return shuttle to Weimar or Mühlhausen.

If a festival has to be cancelled due to the pandemic, the tours will naturally be adapted to the situation, we will do our best to provide a replacement programme in cooperation with our many musical partners at the locations, and the discrepancy in the tour price will be refunded.

We have developed a sustainable tour concept and pay our tour guides, musicians and local partners fair wages.

 

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF THE WHOLE TOUR:

• 15 nights at mid-range hotels incl. breakfast
• All other services as listed for part 1 plus part 2

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE PART 1:

• 8 nights at mid-range hotels incl. breakfast
• Lunch packs or picnics (on cycling days)
• 2 dinners in Gotha and Ohrdruf
• Guided tour
• Luggage transport from first to last hotel
• All entrance fees to museums and churches: city hall-archive Mühlhausen, Bachhaus Eisenach, Chapel and Ekhof-Theater Castle Friedenstein Gotha, Bachstammhaus Wechmar, Palace Museum Ohrdruf, Michaelischurchtower Ohrdruf, Bachhouse Arnstadt, Palace Museum Arnstadt, Traukirche Dornheim (Wedding Church)
• City tours in Eisenach, Ohrdruf, Arnstadt, Erfurt, Weimar
• Organ tours and organ concerts in Divi Blasii Mühlhausen and Bach Church Arnstadt, Wender organ
• 5 concerts of MDR Music Summer (Cat. 1):
  • Friday, July 15, 2022, 7.30 pm, Chorlichter, Mühlhausen Divi Blasii
  • Saturday, July 16, 2022, 7.30 pm, Bach-Konzerte, Eisenach Georgenchurch
  • Sunday, July 17, 2022, 5 pm, Genius loci, Gotha Margarethenchurch
  • Thursday, July 21, 2022, 7 pm, amarcord, Arnstadt Bachchurch
  • Friday, Juli 22, 2022, 7.30 pm, Reise mit Bach, Weimar Herderchurch
• Sheet music and information leaflets on Bach’s compositions
• List of equipment

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE PART 2:

• 8 nights at mid-range hotels incl. breakfast
• Lunch packs or picnics (on cycling days)
• 1 dinner on the last day in Köthen (Bach Menu)
• Guided tour
• Luggage transport from first to last hotel
• All entrance fees to museums and churches: Heinrich-Schütz-House-Weißenfels, Chapel of Neu-Augustusburg Castle Weißenfels, Bach Museum Leipzig, Handel-House-Halle, Wilhelm-Friedemann-Bach-House Halle
• City tours in Weimar, Leipzig, Halle, Köthen
• Organ tours and organ concerts in St Wenzel Naumburg Hildebrandt organ and Marktkirche Halle Reichelorgan and Schuke organ
• 5 concerts of MDR music summer:
  • Friday, July 22, 2022, 7.30 pm, Reise mit Bach, Weimar Herderchurch (Cat.1)
  • Saturday, July 23, 2022, 7.30 pm, Kruzianer!, Naumburg St. Wenzel (Cat. 1)
  • Sunday, July 24, 2022, 5 pm, Musenhof 1700, Chapel Castle Neu-Augustusburg Weißenfels (Cat.1)
  • Thursday, July 28, 2022, 8 pm, in Memoriam, Leipzig Thomaschurch
  • Friday, July 29, 2022, 7 pm, Jugend streicht, Köthen Bach-Saal
• Sheet music and information leaflets on Bach’s compositions
• List of equipment

Changes reserved

PRICES:

COMPLETE TOUR:

Double room per Person: 3400,- €

Single room supplement: 395,- €

Optional extras complete tour:

• Rental touring bike or rental e-bike; all bikes include bike bags and locks: 205,-/405,- €
• Rental helmet: 56,- €
• Return shuttle from Köthen to Mühlhausen (incl. person, luggage and individual bike) on Saturday July 30, 2022 at 9 am: upon request

PART 1:

Double room per Person: 1900,- €

Single room supplement: 230,- €

PART 2:

Double room per Person: 1900,- €

Single room supplement: 185,- €

Optional extras part 1/2:

• Rental touring bike or rental e-bike; all bikes include bike bags and locks: 115,- € / 220,- €
• Rental helmet: 28,- €
• Return shuttle from Köthen/Weimar to Mühlhausen/Weimar (incl. person, luggage and individual bike) on the last morning: upon request

GROUP SIZE AND MINIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS:

The minimum number of participants for our tours is 15. If the minimum number is not reached, we reserve the right to withdraw from the tour contract. The corresponding declaration must be sent to you at least 29 days before the scheduled beginning of the tour.

The average group size is approximately 15 to 25 people.

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