THE POWER, POLITICS AND PLEASURE
‘MIDDLE’ EUROPEAN SOIRÉE 2022
Berlin ♦ Dresden ♦ Prague ♦ Vienna
Join us for a magnificent waltz through Mitteleuropa
Mastering music’s mystery and military history
Napoleon & Beethoven Invade Vienna!
The mighty punch & decorative touch of Fredrick the Great & August the Strong
Porcelain for Princes and cannons for Kaisers
Wienerschnitzel washed down by a Weizenbier
The twilight world of the Cold War
Getting intimate with Bach, Brahms, Beethoven—Mozart & Strauss too
Hitler’s VW and the GDR’s Trabbi
The Baroque palaces and gardens of Schönbrunn and Sanssouci
Ticking 6 off the UNESCO World Heritage List
Strolling the Spree, the Elbe, The Vltava & the Danube
Riesling at the Reichstag & dining in the dome
Romantic Prague and her 9th-century castle
The colorful Hackescher Markt and Kunsthof Passage
The complete works of Gustav Klimt
Sacher torte, the best chocolate cake in the world?
We will take care of all of the details.
All we need is you
Our Soirées
The goal of these small and elegant confections is to capture the energy of a perfect dinner party—great food, fine wine, excellent conversation, beautiful company—and extend it for an entire trip. The group must be curious, intelligent, and fun. That’s you. The hosts need to be witty, charming, and full of great stories. That’s us. The location should hum with art, culture, history, stunning sights and culinary delights. This time it’s the very heart of Europe, with its vivid 20th-century history, its political highs and lows and its rich cultural life. We start in its youngest capital, Berlin, dropping south via the beautifully restored Dresden and elegant Prague to end in Vienna – where better than in this former Hapsburg powerhouse, which also happens to be the home of chocolate cake?
Conley & Silvers small group trips are by invite only and it is an exclusive list. Our guests are culturally curious, fun loving, kind, open minded, enjoy a good history lesson and are physically able to handle the outlined itinerary. No sticks in the mud allowed. Because of this, our repeat client rate is outstanding. Send us a message using the form at the bottom of the page if you'd like more information on this trip and how to get access to the full invitation.
Overview
The raison d’etre of this trip may be serious, as we survey the great sweep of modern European history from the reformation to the twilight world of the Cold War, but it is leavened by art, music, superlative scenery and fabulous food. We have not one but two lecturers: the acclaimed historian Professor Adam Tooze of Columbia University, who will analyse and explain the history we see unfurling before our eyes; and musicologist Professor Craig Wright, retired from Yale, who will help us fully appreciate our luck in hearing music performed in places where it has been played for centuries. Plus, there could be no more interesting time to see Europe, as it undergoes another transformation with the recent exit of Britain from the EU and the consequent shifts in power. Our journey south through Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria traverses the crucible of 20th-century politics; a tangle of borders and cultures that changed the world yet could just about fit into the state of California. It happens to coincide with a wine route whose history requires earnest analysis. While in Germany’s capital we will pay our respects at the Berlin Wall and the Holocaust sites, we will stroll the parks, sample fine food and marvel at art and music – and, who knows what Adam may surprise us with in name of cultural curiosity. Likewise, Dresden offers porcelain, palaces and the placid Elbe, as well as the drama of its military history. As for Prague: we’re all for a dawn raid on the Charles Bridge, to see it before everyone else arrives, for meanders through medieval backstreets and a little thoughtful beer sampling, to help us process. And finally…Oh Vienna! – for its imperial power, for its Staatsoper, for its parks, palaces, shockingly outré waltz, cracking coffee and its two great exports: Mozart and Sacher Torte. So, here’s to glorious Europe, and to our unforgettable journey into its future and its past.
Highlights
Delve into the history of ‘Middle” Europe during 11 illuminating talks featuring Professors Adam Tooze and Craig Wright.
Experience exclusive events such as a private after hours visit to Schönbrunn Palace (UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Relax into the best seats available for at least 5 concerts/ operas in world renowned halls or in privatized venues in palaces and castles.
Loll about in utter luxury in our perfectly located 5-Star accommodations.
Indulge in the best local cuisine created by suburb chefs, all washed down by regional wines and beers in carefully selected restaurants and private venues.
Explore museums, monuments and the marvels of architecture with knowledgeable local guides, including their favorite haunts and backstreets, with added commentary by Professors Tooze and Wright.
Enjoy the services of tasting specialists, curators and of course your bubbly, if not very German, brew of a tour director, Dana Conley who promises to bring guaranteed daily sunshine.
Details
Accommodations
We have personally selected the top hotels for our soirée in what we consider to be the best locations. Our selected hotels all boast 5-Stars and are in the heart of each city making walking to the major sites a cinch. We have noted the categories for our reserved rooms in the hotel descriptions below—going for a blend of space and views. As no two rooms are the same, we will do our best to be fair when handing out the space and the views over the course of the trip; when pressed, we assign room priority in the order we receive the RSVPs. Should you wish to upgrade your room category in any of the hotels, let us know and we can price that out for you.
Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin (5 nights)
The first visitor to the Hotel Adlon in Berlin when it opened in 1907 was the last Kaiser, Wilhelm II, who retained rooms at the hotel that had amazed the city with its elegance and sophistication. It overlooked, as it still does, the Pariser Platz and Brandenburg Gate, minutes’ walk from the old hunting ground that is now one of Germany’s largest public parks, the Tiergarten. The old hotel burned down after the Second World War and the new building, still bearing the Adlon name, opened as a 5* property in 1997. It has recently been beautifully refurbished by Kempinski. Equipped with a spa and glamourous public spaces, you may have a hard time leaving the hotel. We have booked the group into deluxe category rooms with an average of 40 square meters (430 square feet).
Hotel Taschenberpalais Kempinski in Dresden (2 nights)
Ooh, the romance! The Taschenber Palace was built in the 18th century by the propitiously-named Saxon King August the Strong, as a love token for his mistress. It’s right in the Innere Aldstadt, the Old Town, near the Zwinger Museum and Gardens, Semperoper and Frauenkirche, and a few minutes from the River Elbe itself, sliding idly through the city on its way north west to Hamburg. Everybody stays here, including Barack Obama on his state visit to Germany. It has a swimming pool and spa – we suggest booking treatments prior to arrival. We have booked the group Palais Superior rooms with an average of 28 square meters (300 square feet).
The Four Seasons Hotel in Prague (2 nights)
Dana & Adam love relaxing here so much that they may make it their go to anniversary destination. Here’s grandeur: The Four Seasons Hotel sits right beside the River Vlatava with a view of the elegant arches of the Charles Bridge. It was originally built in the neo-classical style by a fish merchant as an apartment block with shops underneath, the today’s hotel incorporates two extra buildings, a 16th-century Baroque house and a factory building converted to apartments in the 1840s. Today it has a swimming pool, an Ava Spa, and several outstanding eateries, including a Japanese pop-up, an Italian restaurant and a fabulous rooftop terraces looking directly across at the castle.
The rooms are sumptuously appointed and the beds are outrageously comfy. We our rooms will have an average of 33 square meters (350 square feet).
Park Hyatt in Vienna (4 nights)
The Park Hyatt exudes elegant luxury in the heart of Vienna. Formally a bank of the past epoque, the architectural bones of the hotel ooze historical charm creating a sophisticated Viennese atmosphere. Combining exquisite interior design with high-quality products and outstanding service, we will be in very good hands. Speaking of good hands, make an appointment at their Arany Spa for a massage and indulge in the ultimate wellbeing experience. After a day on your feet exploring the city, float in the 15-meter indoor swimming pool or relax in the wet area including a sauna, steam bath, sanarium and vitality shower. We may never leave…
We have booked the group into the spacious King View Deluxe category rooms with an average of 40 square meters (430 square feet).
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Your Tour Director and Study Leaders
We will be accompanied by excellent local guides throughout our trip, personally vetted by your Tour Director, Dana Conley.
Dana fell in love with international travel during college while studying art and politics at the Stanford-in-Florence program. She majored in International Relations and has traveled to over 50 countries in search of authentic adventures, beautiful meals, and life-changing moments to share with her private and organizational clients. Via Conley & Silvers LLC, her goal is to provide guests with the highest level of customer service while creating unique and magical itineraries and events. Before co-founding Conley & Silvers with long-time Stanford mate Alison Silvers, Dana’s career spanned from being a researcher at the Pentagon and International security think tanks to art appraisal and directing a gallery. When Dana is not tour managing or on a reconnaissance mission, she divides her time between Europe and New York City where cheese consumption, museum going and walking puppy Ruby reign as her favorite pastimes.
We will be joined by historian Professor Adam Tooze, one of the world’s leading experts in modern European history. He is also good fun, a tireless conversationalist, and an experienced travel study leader. Adam studied and taught at Cambridge as well as the London School of Economics, Yale University, and he is now teaching at Columbia University, where he is Director of the European Institute. Adam’s current book, Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World just hit the shelves with tremendous reviews. Adam’s last two prizing-winning books, The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy and The Deluge: The Great War and the Remaking of Global Order, 1916-1931 were met with critical acclaim. Adam will be helping us place the sites we are visiting into historical, political, and cultural context.
Professor Craig Wright’s first professional ambition was to be a professional golfer, then a classical pianist (the next Van Cliburn). Neither worked out, so he moved from the Eastman School of Music (Bachelor of Music) to Harvard (Ph.D.) to Yale, where he taught music and the humanities for forty-four years. He has written six books on music and Western cultural history, and his seventh The Hidden Habits of Genius will be published by Harper Collins on August 4, 2020--just in time! He comes to this tour attracted by four cities dear to him, and an eagerness to teach, as well as learn from, smart, curious people. He will be lecturing on the cultural history of these cities, with an eye and ear toward their art, architecture, and music. Craig will be joined by his wife, Sherry Dominick, who comes with her own stripes! A Yale bull-dog undergrad, Sherry attended NYU law school and is now a retired from being a senior partner at law firm Wiggin and Dana after thirty-five years.
Tell Me More!
Conley & Silvers small group trips are by invite only and it is an exclusive list. Our guests are culturally curious, fun loving, kind, open minded, enjoy a good history lesson and are physically able to handle the outlined itinerary. No sticks in the mud allowed. Because of this, our repeat client rate is outstanding. Send us a message using the form below if you'd like more information on this trip and how to get access to the full invitation.
Never say good-bye, just see you next time!
Dana & The Team at Conley & Silvers
Conley & Silvers LLC
2700 Broadway # 7C, New York, NY 10025
ConleyandSilvers@gmail.com
www.ConleyandSilvers.com
+ 1 347 951 7948
Skype: DanaConley
CST#2107694-40
Confidential & Proprietary Information