Today is a gold and white day: we’re focusing on the Vienna Secession, the art movement that defined the decadent sophistication of the end of the 19th century, with a guided walk and visit to the famous Secession Building, which has been recently restored (we’ll make a point of seeing Gustav Klimt’s glorious Beethoven Mural.)

From the Secession Building the rest of the afternoon is on your own.  Adam and Dana plan to walk a couple of blocks to the bustling, cheery, noisy Naschmarkt, which started life as a milk market in the early 18th century, later sold fruit and vegetables brought along the Danube Canal, and is now a popular food and flea market with lots of upscale shops and restaurants. This is a great place for a quick bite and to enjoy shopping for last-minute gifts.

On the walk back to the hotel, we strongly suggest visiting the fabulous Albertina Museum, which has thousands of drawings and prints by everyone from Durer to Picasso, before heading back to the hotel to pack and prepare for our celebratory farewell extravaganza! 

It’s white, it’s gold, its doors are tall enough to fit a leaping Lippizaner; we’re off to the extremely glamorous Palais Coburg – a neo-classical palace built on the old city fortifications in the mid-19th century – for our final night of fun. Dress to impress!

We start with a wine tasting – just to make things go with a bang – trying out a few of the 60,000 Austrian wines in the palace cellars with a sommelier, before segueing onto a private concert just for us in a gilded fairy tale room.  We will move to our elegant private dining room for our farewell dinner and to raise a glass to a life changing trip.  Zum Wohl!

PARK HYATT VIENNA (B,R,D)