Mozart, Mozart, and ‘The Kiss’

A night view of Vienna and the Danube River

There are still four long months to wait before our first Crystal River Cruises’ vessel sets sail along the Danube, and we understand and share your anticipation for the picturesque scenes that await you in Vienna, Salzburg, Budapest, Belgrade, Bavaria and other charming European gems. This week, we were thrilled to announce one delightful treat in particular, which will unite guests sailing aboard Crystal Mozart with, in effect, Mozart.

…And Strauss (father and son), Van Gogh, Klimt, Kokoschka, Schiele and several other masters so tightly linked to the storied ballrooms and galleries of Vienna’s magnificent Belvedere Palace. We’re not just talking a casual introduction to a few iconic paintings before moving along an anonymous hallway to more beautiful, but unfamiliar works. That’s not really Crystal’s style.

“The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt

No, rather, our destination experts have curated an evening event – exclusive to Crystal Mozart guests – that invites you into the Belvedere Palace, the summer residence of Austria’s Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), an accomplished general and connoisseur of great art. True to the passion of the palace’s former resident, the Baroque UNESCO World Heritage Site now houses one of the world’s greatest collections of Austrian art. Crystal guests will be welcomed in to a private, intimate atmosphere, sans the buzz of hundreds of other admiring visitors, where you’ll spend quality time acquainting yourself with the most famous works of the country’s treasured artists, including the world’s largest Gustav Klimt collection featuring the golden painting “The Kiss.”

Venturing further into the prince’s great Marble Hall – which he commissioned Carlo Carlone to adorn with an intricate illusionist fresca in the early eighteenth century – you’ll appreciate the acoustics of the two-story stone space, as a symphony of Viennese compositions by Johan Strauss and, of course, Mozart echoes from the columns.

The great works of Austrian composers will be performed in the Marble Hall

It’s the kind of enchanted experience one might only enjoy in, say, the home of a prince. And an experience you’ll only enjoy aboard Crystal Mozart sailings, as Crystal is the only English-speaking line to offer such access to our culturally and artistically inquisitive guests.

So, as your anticipation of your first Crystal River Cruise aboard Crystal Mozart grows, you can add this spectacular evening to your list of highlights to come, as it will be offered complimentary for all guests sailing on the vessel’s varied itineraries along the Danube River in 2016 and 2017. Crystal River Cruises for 2016 through 2018 are now available for booking.