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

June 12, 2021 – June 21, 2021

DAY 1: INDIVIDUAL ARRIVAL AND EISENACH

Upon your self-organized arrival, we meet at the hotel in Eisenach at 2 pm. If you ordered a rental bike, we meet already at 1 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. 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 make our way towards the Bach House and visit the Bach exhibition at Arnstadt’s Schlossmuseum (Palace Museum).

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

The next morning, we visit the Bach Church to hear organ music and an introduction to the history of the building. 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 get a guided tour of the chapel of Neu-Augustburg Castle.

DAY 7, WEIßENFELS – LEIPZIG, 60 KM CYCLING

The next morning we visit the Jägerhof, the place Bach’s Hunting Cantata was performed for the first time and the Heinrich Schütz House. 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. The tour continues on the Elster bikeway through the Leipzig lake district to Leipzig. The evening is at your free disposal. In the evening we listen together to a concert at Nikolaichurch Leipzig with Bach´s St. John´s Passion, the place where the passion was performed for the first time.

DAY 8, BACHFEST LEIPZIG

After an extensive tour around the city’s many Bach sites we listen to a concert of our patron Nils Mönkemeyer playing 2 concerts of Bachs good friend Georg Philipp Telemann and 2 of the famous Brandenburg concertos. In the afternoon and evening there is time to explore the city individually.

DAY 9, BACHFEST LEIPZIG

During the day, there are many opportunities to visit church services and other concerts of the Bachfest individually. You will also receive a guided tour at the Bach Museum. At 6 p.m., we meet at St. Thomas Church for the final concert of the Bachfest, Bach’s Mass in B Minor conducted by Jordi Savall 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 return shuttle to Eisenach.

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE:

• nights at mid-range hotels incl. breakfast
• lunch packs or picnics (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), St Wenzel Church Naumburg, 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
• Guided tour
• Concerts Bachfest Leipzig:
  • Friday, June 18, 2021, 8 pm, Nikolai Church Leipzig: St. John´s Passion
  • Saturday, June 19, 2021, 2 pm, Haus Leipzig: Brandenburg Concertos
  • Sunday, June 20, 2021, 6 pm, Thomas Church: Final Concert, B-Minor Mass

PRICES: coming soon

Per person in double accommodation:

Per person in single accommodation:

Optional extras:

• Rental trekking bike: 135 Euro
• Rental e-bike: 198 Euro
  
  • all bikes include bike bags, locks
• Rental helmet: 36 Euro
• Return shuttle from Leipzig to Eisenach (incl. person, luggage and individual bike) on Monday, June 21, 2021 at 9 am: 75 Euro

Changes reserved