Heidelberg & Schwetzingen - Music & Romance Tosca at the Theater Heidelberg
Discover two of Germany's cultural gems in Heidelberg and Schwetzingen. Stroll through Heidelberg's romantic old town, visit the magnificent Schwetzingen Palace with its extensive gardens and enjoy Puccini's gripping opera «Tosca» at the Theater Heidelberg. An atmospheric boat trip on the Neckar, with superb views of the town, the castle and the charming landscape, completes your journey.
Dates and prices
- 2027
| 02.04. - 05.04.2027 | Fr. - Mo. | from CHF 1'590.- |
Day 1: Switzerland - Heidelberg
Journey by Car Rouge to Heidelberg. On arrival, you will be welcomed at the hotel with a fine lunch plate, dessert and selected drinks. After check-in, a guided city tour takes you through the old town with its winding lanes and historic buildings. The day ends with a stylish dinner at the hotel, accompanied by wine and coffee.
Day 2: Heidelberg & Schwetzingen
The morning is yours to enjoy, ideal for a stroll through the town, a museum visit or a coffee break by the Neckar. In the afternoon, you travel to Schwetzingen, where a guided tour reveals the magnificent palace and its Baroque gardens. You are free to spend the evening in Heidelberg as you please.
Day 3: Neckar Idyll & Opera Evening
Today you enjoy a relaxing boat trip through the picturesque Neckar valley to Neckarsteinach. Afterwards, you visit the famous Heidelberg Castle, which sits majestically above the old town. In the evening, an opera aperitif sets the mood for the musical highlight, before you attend the performance at Theater Heidelberg.
Day 4: Heidelberg - Switzerland
After a leisurely, slightly later breakfast, there is still time to let the morning drift by at a relaxed pace. You then begin the journey back to Switzerland, with lovely memories in your luggage.
CarRouge
The Premium vehicles are state of the art and offer generous space: 3 luxury seats per row, individually adjustable headrests and an interior height of 2.10 m create a unique sense of space.
- 30 wide, luxurious Premium armchairs in a 2+1 seating layout
- Generous seat pitch of 90 cm
- Seat belts at every seat
- Height-adjustable footrest, adjustable backrests and armrests
- A unique sense of space thanks to an interior height of 2.10 metres
- Multichannel sound system at every seat, lane assist and adaptive cruise control
- Free Wi-Fi/internet in Europe
INCLUDED
Journey by Car Rouge, 2+1 seating
Music tour guide from/to Switzerland
3 x B&B (room/breakfast buffet)
1 x lunch on arrival, drinks included
1 x dinner at the hotel, drinks included
1 x opera aperitif
1 x opera ticket, 1st category
All guided tours and admissions as per programme
Car Rouge audio system
Hotels
You will stay at the 4* superior Hotel Hilton Heidelberg, just a few minutes' walk from the historic old town.
About the opera
Giacomo Puccini: "Tosca" – Musical drama in three acts
"Vissi d'arte" – A life devoted to art and love
The libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa is based on the French drama "La Tosca" by Victorien Sardou, set around 1800, which Puccini saw in Milan in the winter of 1890 with Sarah Bernhardt in the title role.
The settings are Rome's Chiesa Sant' Andrea della Valle with the Attavanti chapel, the Palazzo Farnese and the platform of Castel Sant'Angelo.
The musical drama premiered on 14 January 1900 at Rome's Teatro Costanzi.
Cesare Angelotti, former consul of the Roman Republic and brother of the Attavanti, has escaped from Castel Sant'Angelo and, dressed in prisoner's clothing, searches for a key to the Attavanti family chapel. The sacristan prays the "Angelus Domini". The painter Mario Cavaradossi unveils his picture of Mary Magdalene. His model is "la bruna Floria, l'ardente amante mia". In the picture, Tosca recognises the Attavanti and becomes jealous ("Mia gelosa"). Angelotti looks for the women's clothes that his sister has hidden for him under the altar. Cavaradossi shows him an escape route to his villa.
The sacristan announces a celebration at the Palazzo Farnese, where Tosca is to sing a cantata. Baron Scarpia, chief of the secret police, shows Tosca a fan belonging to the Attavanti, like Desdemona's "fazzoletto" in "Otello". He stirs up Tosca's jealousy ("Morde il veleno" – the poison is working). The police agent Spoletta tracks Cavaradossi down at his villa. No confession, so: torture! Tosca is interrogated. He intimidates her with his methods: bound hand and foot, a spiked ring around the temples that draws blood at every denial. Mario screams in the background. Tosca to Scarpia: "Torturate l'anima". The gendarme Sciarrone announces the defeat at Marengo, Bonaparte's victory. Also Cavaradossi's victory. Scarpia demands her love. Tosca: "L'orribil mercato!" "Vile!" (Monster!). Her prayer: "Vissi d'arte". Why God's reward? Spoletta reports that Angelotti has killed himself. Mario is at the gallows. She gives in. He is to be shot – but only for show. She wants to flee with him – to Civitavecchia. Tosca plunges the knife into Scarpia's chest: "Il bacio di Tosca!" "Ti soffoca il sangue?"
On the platform of Castel Sant'Angelo, a shepherd's song "Io de' sospiri" can be heard in the background. Cavaradossi is in his cell. The jailer is to receive his ring if he hands over the letter of love: "E lucevan le stelle". She confesses the murder. Mario is relieved: "O dolci mani mansuete e pure" (O sweet hands, gentle and pure). She tells him of the mock execution. Instruction: fall at the first shot. He falls – convincingly. She throws herself into the depths below Castel Sant'Angelo.
"Tosca" is the cinematically realistic drama with the greatest impact on the opera stage. The audience suffers the slow deaths of Mario and the title heroine.