German opera fans enjoy New Year’s Eve in Bratislava
At the end of December we welcomed a group of one hundred guests who came to spend New Year in the Slovak capital, and to enjoy a feast of fine music.
Bratislava might be one of Europe’s smaller capital cities, but it boasts two opera houses. The Old Opera House was designed by the Viennese theater architects Fellner and Helmer, and built in 1886. The New Opera House, by contrast, is a state-of-art theatre venue located in the vibrant Eurovea district.
Our guests attended two performances: Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II, at the Old Opera House; and Verdi’s Nabucco, which was performed at the New Opera House, conveniently located opposite the Sheraton Hotel, where the visitors enjoyed their New Year’s Eve dinner.
A morning tour of the Old Town offered a chance to relax and make the most of the mild winter weather. We included a visit to the historic Primate’s Palace and St. Martin’s Cathedral, where numerous Hungarian monarchs were once crowned. A coffee break arranged at a stylish Old Town cafe was a nice surprise for the guests. In the afternoon we also arranged a private concert by the Kaiser String Quartet.
A visit to the Bratislava countryside was scheduled on the last day of the year. An excursion along the Small Carpathian Wine Route included a visit to Red Rock, the mighty fortress once owned by the Counts Palffy, and lunch at a typical Slovak restaurant, with tasting of the best local vintages. Our final stop was an exclusive visit to one of the region’s Baroque treasure – St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Trnava.
Their stay in Bratislava proved to be a thoroughly pleasurable experience for our guests – and all this only a few hours’ drive from Munich!