Transcript

www.augustustours.de/en Newsletter

20 YEARS OF AUGUSTUSTOURS

EDITORIAL

I can hardly believe it myself, but I’m proud to say that it’s now 20 years since I founded AugustusTours as a one-woman company on the 15th of February 1997.

AugustusTours has since developed into Dresden’s leading incoming agency and provider of active tours – and it is you, our customers and guests, who have enabled us to do so. Working on your behalf, we have conquered new destinations, pedalled along cycle tracks and tested hotels throughout Germany. Yes, your enquiries have grown more and more complex – but we have enjoyed taking up the challenges that has brought with it.

We have grown both better and bigger as a result, with a team of 20 employees now putting their expertise, ideas and passion into a portfolio of outstanding products – from opera trips and tours focusing on themes such as architecture, art or the Reformation to shore excursions for river cruises.

Setbacks such as the floods of 2002 and 2013, the credit crunch and the ash cloud of 2010 might have been a stern test of our patience and strength, but they never stopped us from both looking and moving forwards.

Yours faithfully, Anke Herrmann AugustusTours owner

GUIDED TOURS

It is now 20 years since Anke Herrmann showed her first customers around the beautiful city of Dresden. Guided tours – whether on foot or by coach – remain an important element of our City Tours. Wherever in Germany your journey takes you, our guides will use their passion and enthusiasm to give you a fascinating introduction to their cities.

AugustusTours only works with licensed, experienced guides. They all possess extensive local and specialist knowledge, versatile language skills and the ability to judge the right moment for a spot of humour.

In addition to historical facts and insights into both daily and cultural life, it is, above all, the “behind the scenes” anecdotes – whether entertaining or surprising, funny or touching – that make our guided tours so captivating. Themed tours on topics such as architecture, literature, art and music are especially popular. Whichever option you choose, time invested in our guided tours is time well spent!

SPECIAL NEWSLETTER

Team of AugustusTours © Denise Arlt Photography; Anke Herrmann © Denise Arlt Photography; Zwinger Dresden © Christoph Münch

CITY TOURS

As an experienced incoming agency, we organise tailored tours and programmes of excursions to Germany’s most enchanting regions on behalf of customers ranging from tour operators and coach firms to private groups, companies and clubs. Join us as we explore the Baroque beauty of Saxony’s “Florence on the Elbe”, follow in poetic footsteps in the elegant town of Weimar or explore the culture and traditions of the Sorbs on a city tour to Bautzen.

In the early days, our main area of focus was the organisation of tours to our beautiful home town of Dresden and the surrounding region. Over the years, we have expanded our portfolio to include further destinations in other regions such as Berlin, Bavaria, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. By constantly adding new, original tours to undiscovered areas, we aim to cover the whole of Germany by 2020.

We have offered tours to the federal state of Baden-Württemberg since 2016, giving our guests the chance to be charmed by the idyllic landscapes of the Black Forest or stroll through the picturesque streets of Heidelberg. The Romantic Road through the charming Tauber Valley is one of the region’s highlights, and connects the mediaeval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber with a variety of historic castles and palaces.

Our many years of experience as an incoming agency have enabled us to build up an excellent network of contacts, thus making us an ideal partner for the booking of a suitable hotel for your group, the selection of expert guides and couriers for guided tours and excursions and the organisation of tickets for first-class events during your city tour.

In addition to consultation and the organisation of your dream tour, our services also include the compilation of comprehensive travel documents for your courier, for example city maps and brochures with details on destinations and excursions. It would be our pleasure to draw up a quote tailored to your precise requirements. We look forward to your enquiry!

The range of tours and services provided by AugustusTours has grown considerably over the last few years, so we’d like to use this edition of our newsletter to re-mind you of our core areas of expertise.

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OPERA AND MUSICAL TOURS

Music-themed tours make up a large proportion of our product portfolio, and we delight in giving our guests the chance to gain fascinating insights into famous German composers and their musical careers. From Bach, Beethoven and Handel to Schumann, Wagner and many more besides, a whole host of big names have shaped musical history both in Germany and around the globe.

PROVEN SERVICE QUALITY

At AugustusTours, quality is not just a watchword, but one of the fundamental pillars upon which our daily work is founded. We know there are a whole host of different reasons why our guests choose to book with us, but in the end it is often their gut feeling that makes the decision for them. In particular, experience has shown that people who feel they are in good hands with us, also reward us with a repeat booking.

We at AugustusTours have always scrutinised our service quality with the aim of becoming even more customer-friendly. True to our motto of “Anyone who stops getting better has stopped being good”, our service quality has now been subjected to regular audits according to the guidelines set out by the ServiceQualität Deutschland initiative for over 13 years.

Themed tours focusing on the lives of Richard Wagner and Johann Sebastian Bach enjoy enduring popularity. Yet it is not just composers and artists, but also a collection of fine opera houses that attracts visitors to destinations throughout Germany. We recently welcomed Hamburg’s magnificent Elbphilharmonie to the German cultural landscape, and eagerly anticipate the reopening of Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin in October 2017.

There are also a wealth of top-class music festivals to choose from. It would be our pleasure to offer you a tailored tour based around one of a range of highlights including the annual Bach Festival in Leipzig, the Handel festivals in Halle and Göttingen, Munich Opera Festival and the festivals of classical music in Dresden and Schwetzingen.

We have something for music lovers of all tastes, and organ-themed tours are one of our specialities. Saxony boasts a long tradition of organ-building, and fans of this wonderful instrument will already be aware of the Silbermann organs in Freiberg as an example of outstanding workmanship. For experienced organists, we are able to arrange to play one or more of the organs visited.

THEMED AND CULTURAL TOURS

In addition to music, we also cater to a variety of other themes popular with groups. We constantly scour the country for newly announced events, anniversaries and other highlights – often looking a number of years ahead. Once selected, each theme is carefully developed with a keen eye for detail. This involves contacting museums and other partners in order to gather as much information as possible. The final step is the creation of a proposed itinerary which enables our customers to gain an initial impression and plan their journey around the tour.

Our main focus in 2017 is an event of global importance, and one intrinsically linked to Central Germany: Together with a large number of guests, we are celebrating the world-renowned reformer Martin Luther and the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Having begun in 2008, the celebratory Luther Decade reaches its climax in 2017. In order to assist operators of group tours, churches and associations with their preparations, our website features three potential itineraries, bookable hotel dates in towns connected to Luther and a special package for independent travellers. Thanks to this groundwork, we have not only eased the organisational strain on our guests, but also sped up the process of putting together tailored, unique tours.

We also welcome suggestions for new themed tours from our customers. To give an example, our steam locomotive tours are regularly expanded to include offers and destinations which can be booked by both independent travellers and groups, often at the request of our customers themselves. This newsletter gives you further information on the themes and destinations currently included in the AugustusTours portfolio.

20 YEARS OF AUGUSTUSTOURS

CYCLING HOLIDAYS

Specially designed cycling tours inclu-ding luggage transfer services have been part of our tour portfolio since 1998. Our home route is the Elbe Cycle Path. Over the years we have added a range of other great routes to suite a variety of tastes.

Thousands of miles of cycle track have already been travelled by our pedal-happy team. We check our tours on a regular basis and possess a wealth of knowledge on routes following the Elbe River. The hotels we use along each route have been visited by us in person and received a good rating. What is more, we are proud to work with an excellent network of reliable partners. Our fleet of over 90 touring bicycles can be rented in combination with our tours.

Yours Ricarda Mager

(Manager Cycling &

Walking Tours)

Tel. +49 351 56348 23

Demand for tours based around perfor-mances of Wagner’s Ring Cycle is always high, and we are therefore always on the look-out for high-quality productions in a variety of towns and opera houses throughout Germany.

Yours Ulrike Ehlemann

(City & Cultural

Tours for Groups)

Tel. +49 351 56348 15

Semper Opera Dresden © Frank Exß; Statue of Martin Luther © AugustusTours; St. Marienthal Abbey © AugustusTours; Ulrike Ehlemann © Silvia Frenzel; Ricarda Mager © Denise Arlt Photography

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20 YEARS OF AUGUSTUSTOURS

Steam engine enthusiasts, fans of all things nostalgic and guests simply looking for something a bit different have now been enjoying our steam engine tours at destinations throughout Germany for almost a decade. To celebrate our anniversary year, we’ve put together packages based on four special steam engine events. First up is the Dresden Steam Engine Festival in April, a perennial favourite with its own unique atmosphere. The summer then awaits with two further highlights: The Heizhausfest in Chemnitz (August) and Meiningen Steam Locomotive Days (first weekend in September). The events are hosted by probably Europe’s largest working railway maintenance depot for steam locomotives (Chemnitz Railway Museum) and Western Europe’s last major steam locomotive repair shop (Meiningen Steam Locomotive Works).

The breaking of our bookings record for Advent, Christmas and New Year’s tours seems to have become an annual event in recent years – and no trip is complete without a visit to one of Germany’s oldest and most charming Christmas markets!

To whet your appetite:∙ The“Striezelmarkt”inDresden∙ LeipzigChristmasMarket∙ The“Christkindlesmarkt”inNuremberg∙ The“Christkindlmarkt”inMunich

The smaller, alternative Christmas markets now established in many larger towns and cities are also gaining in popularity. When you’re next in Germany for some festive cheer, why not try the romantic Advent market next to Dresden’s famous Frauenkirche or the Mediaeval Christmas Market in Munich.

It’s well worth rounding off your tour with a trip out into the surrounding area. This is especially true in Dresden, where you are just a stone’s throw away from the Ore Mountains – a winter wonderland with a long and proud tradition of hand-made candle holders

(“Schwibbögen”), revolving pyramids and incense smokers (“Räuchermännchen”).

A visit to a gingerbread maker’s in Pulsnitz or a stollen baker’s in Dresden is always a tasty treat. If your journey takes you to Bavaria, why not enjoy its winter landscapes with an excursion to Neuschwanstein Castle or Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Our portfolio also includes tours spread over Christmas and New Year’s Eve, with many hotels offering special packages including a traditional Christmas menu or a gala dinner to see in the New Year. If you would like to take in an opera or a concert during your stay, we recommend Berlin, Dresden, Munich or a combination thereof!

Wherever you choose to go, you won’t want to miss out on a guided tour of the city, either on foot or by coach. A short break will give you the chance to warm up with a mulled wine or a hot chocolate while enjoying regional delicacies, for example stollen cake in Dresden, a “Leipzig Lark” in Leipzig or a hearty bratwurst in Nuremberg.

RIVER CRUISES

It is no coincidence that river cruises are extremely popular! A slower pace of travel, an array of different landscapes and access to a variety of cultural options and fascinating destinations all make for a holiday that is as unforgettable as it is relaxing. Its many and varied riverside pearls make Germany an ideal destination for river cruises to suit all tastes.

Our river cruise services include the organisation of shore excursions, local coach transfers, admission to and tours of museums, tickets for evening events and a smorgasbord of culinary highlights and tastings. Our products currently focus on cruises along the Elbe, the Baltic coast, the Main and the Danube. In 2017 we will be exploring the Rhine and the Moselle on your behalf in preparation for the addition thereof to our list of attractive destinations.

Christmas market in Annaberg © Tourismusverband Erzgebirge e.V.; Weißeritztalbahn © M. Mehner, www.edition99.de; Walkers © AugustusTours; Verena Riedel, Frauke Mollée © Denise Arlt Photography

WALKING HOLIDAYS

Saxon Switzerland is right on our doorstep, so it was an easy decision to add walking tours for individual travellers and groups to our portfolio in 2006. Our tailored walking tours now include routes through Saxon Switzerland and the Harz Mountains.

Our circular walking holiday through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains is just as popular with our guests as our tours following in the footsteps of renowned romantic artists along the Painters’ Path.

We make sure our guests enjoy a carefree walking holiday by arranging for their luggage to be transferred from hotel to hotel.

Yours Verena Riedel

(Cycling &

Walking Tours)

Tel. +49 351 56348 24

A special journey on a historic, steam-pul-led train to Prague will be the jewel in the crown of our anniversary year. Set to take place on the third weekend in Advent, the tour gives you the opportunity to sample the festive season in both Dresden and Prague. An express steam locomotive will take you from the capital of Saxony to the capital of the Czech Republic, where you can explore the city’s narrow, winding streets and sample some Czech delicacies at Prague Christmas Market.

Yours Frauke Mollée

(City & Cultural

Tours for Groups)

Tel. +49 351 56348 13

STEAM TRAIN TOURS

ADVENT, CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S TOURS

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OUR SERVICES

∙Arrangementofhotelaccommodation∙Provisionofexperiencedguidesandtour managers∙Organisationoftaxisand/orcoachrental∙Registrationforguidedtoursofmuseums∙Bookingofspacesonspecialboatand train trips∙Reservationoftablesatsuitablerestaurants∙Sourcingofticketsforeveningevents

CHANGING WITH THE TIMES

Originally a tour operator for Dresden and the surrounding region, AugustusTours has since evolved into an incoming agency for the whole of Germany. Our city and cultural tours are enjoyed by hundreds of groups each year, and now include destinations far beyond our home port of Dresden.

AugustusTours has established itself as a reliable, ambitious partner for national and international travel companies of all sizes.

Whether drawing up a tailored quote including suitable hotel accommodation, creating a personalised itinerary with specially selected themed elements or compiling a set of fail-safe travel documents, AugustusTours always takes care of its customers with expertise, ideas and passion.

We would love to hear from you about not only the German destinations you would be interested in adding to your brochures, but also the themes your customers would like to integrate into their tours. To help us turn your requirements into a winning product, please fill out our current online survey.

NEW DESTINATIONS AT A GLANCE

Whereas demand used to focus on classical sightseeing tours to Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, many guests now wish to adopt special interests such as music, steam engines, art, the Reformation or river cruising into their tour – and it is our pleasure to oblige! We now also offer tours to Berlin, Bavaria and a variety of other German regions.

Baden-Württemberg became part of our Group Tours portfolio in 2016, and is set to be joined by the Rhineland and the Moselle in 2017. Further destinations, for example the Hanseatic cities of Northern Germany, are set to be added between now and the year 2020.

We can’t wait to show you what we have in store!

Dates for your diary 2017 – 20202017 500th anniversary of the Reformation2018 Wagner’s Ring Cycle at the Semper Opera House in Dresden and Plan- dampf steam engine festival in Trier2019 100 years of Bauhaus2020 Oberammergau Passion Play and the major Beethoven anniversary

If you like to receive more information on the subjects mentioned in this newsletter, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Please feel free to visit our website and sign in for our regular email newsletter to get the latest information on our group tours, interesting news from AugustusTours, attractive tour proposals, as well as special offers and insights into our travel destinations.

AugustusTours e.K.Turnerweg 601097 Dresden, GermanyPhone: +49 (0)351 563 48 0 Fax: +49 (0)351 563 48 [email protected] www.augustustours.de

Status 01/2017, subject to alterations

20 YEARS OF AUGUSTUSTOURS

Silhouette of Dresden © Christoph Münch; Heuhüttental in Murgtal Valley © Zweckverband im Tal der Murg; Bauhaus Dessau © AugustusTours; Katja Marquardt © Silvia Frenzel

Our services are determined by:…Expertise We only work with selected reliable and experienced partners who support us in ensuring that your tour is a complete success.

…IdeasAll our offers are tailored to the specific requirements of each group we welcome. Regular training and our longstanding experience enable us to use insider tips to enhance your tour and make your stay an unforgettable experience.

…Passion Whether we are dealing with your initial enquiry or carrying out a post-tour evaluation of your trip, we aim to not only meet, but exceed your expectations.

Our service for groups includes:∙Customisedoffersforeveryrequest∙Attractiveconditionsandcomplimentary seat regulations for groups from 10 people∙Detailedtraveldocumentsincl.citymaps per room and information for the tour leader or coach driver ∙Insidetipsoncityandhighlightsduringyour group’s stay

EQUALS HIGH QUALITY AND PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE IN THE FIELD OF GROUP TRAVEL

Our guests currently have a particularly keen interest in tours based on “Martin Luther and the Reformation” and a va-riety of musical topics. It would be our pleasure to put together a quote tailored to your requirements!

Yours Katja Marquardt

(Manager City & Cultural

Tours for Groups)

Tel. +49 351 56348 18

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