Own travel arrangements to Hamburg and the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten*****, a shining example of a European grand hotel. The heir to a venerable tradition and a prominent feature of the cityscape for decades, it also sets standards internationally. Since 1897, this elegant establishment on Hamburg’s Binnenalster lake has offered guests from around the world a combination of alluring luxury and timeless elegance within easy reach of numerous cultural and architectural sights.

Welcome dinner in an upmarket restaurant.

Today’s excursion takes us to the Hanseatic city of Lübeck, some 70 km north-east of Hamburg. UNESCO-listed Lübeck is at once a living monument to rich merchants, a centre of culture and a modern university city. Our guided tour transports us back to the Middle Ages: as we stroll through the narrow streets, it is not hard to imagine them thronged with Hanseatic merchants and mariners. The historic old town is a captivating blend of the old and the contemporary. Lübeck is also famous for marzipan, which is intimately bound up with the city’s history. The Marzipan Museum takes us on a journey into the distant past, retracing the evolution of the almond-based delicacy over many centuries, from its eastern origins to the city on the Trave river.

After lunch, we return to Hamburg.

Choice of evening programme:

7 p.m. at the Hamburg State Opera
“The Magic Flute”, opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Keren Kagarlitsky, Musical Director
Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra
With: Hubert Kowalczyk, Dovlet Nurgeldiev, Liv Redpath, Aleksandra Olczyk and others.
Chorus of the Hamburg State Opera
Ticket in price category 2: CHF 135

Alternatively:
Hamburg has a long tradition of musicals. It is not only Germany’s musical capital but also the third largest centre for musical productions in the world, after New York and London. Choose from: “The Lion King”, “MJ – The Michael Jackson Musical”, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” or “Heisse Ecke – The St. Pauli Musical”; tickets subject to availability and on request.

In the midst of HafenCity and overlooking the Elbe stands Hamburg’s latest landmark: the Elbphilharmonie. Our guide will tell us all about the world-famous concert hall, sharing entertaining anecdotes and her extensive inside knowledge. We take the world’s longest curved escalator to the Plaza viewing platform, where a panoramic vista awaits.

11 a.m. in the Grand Hall of the Elbphilharmonie
New Year’s Eve Concert
Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra
Omer Meir Wellber, General Music Director
Hila Baggio, soprano
A dazzlingly bizarre mix of virtuoso singing, imaginative musical language and expressive humour.

The afternoon is free for you to spend as you wish.

6 p.m. at the Hamburg State Opera
Ballet “The Nutcracker”, music by Peter I. Tchaikovsky
Choreography and staging: John Neumeier
Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra
Hamburg Ballet

Followed by a gourmet New Year’s Eve dinner at the hotel.

In the morning, we enjoy an extended walking tour of the old town in the company of an expert guide. We visit St. James’ Church, a pilgrimage church containing numerous art treasures. One of Hamburg’s principal churches, it was partially destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt with a modern tower. We admire the medieval splendour of the interior. Its treasures include three medieval altars, a city panorama from 1681, as well as other historic paintings. The church’s western gallery is home to an especially precious artefact: the Arp Schnitger organ dating from 1693. With more than 4,000 pipes, it is the largest surviving Baroque organ in northern Europe. Cantor Gerhard Löffler gives us a presentation of the organ, while an exclusive recital allows us to experience the unique sound of this historic instrument.

We then sit down to a gourmet New Year lunch.

7.30 p.m. at the Hamburg State Opera
Opera “Tosca”, music by Giacomo Puccini
Choreography and staging: Robert Carsen
Conductor Giampaolo Bisani
With: Ewa Plonka, Joseph Calleja, Gabriele Viviani, Tigran Martirossian and others.
Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra
Chorus as well as children & youth choir of the Hamburg State Opera

After breakfast, departure and return journey as per your personal travel arrangements.