Every September for over 20 years we have been taking a party to the Festival we helped establish. The Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt is being transformed as the Esterházy family re-establishes its ownership with more of the important baroque and neo-classical palace on view and the gradual restoration of the English garden behind.

We also visit Rohrau where Haydn was born, Vienna where he died, and Eszterháza in Hungary where he worked for much of the1770s and 80s.

EISENSTADT, is the capital of Austria's easternmost and newest province, the Burgenland. It grew up in the shadow of the ESTERHÁZY Palace and was part of Hungary until 1921. It is at the centre of an important wine-producing region, and there is plenty of opportunity to taste (and buy) fine wines, including Ausbruch, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein.

The Festival developed around the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, musicians from the Vienna Philharmonic and the Hungarian State Orchestra, conducted by Adam Fischer. They are the first orchestra in a generation to record all the Haydn Symphonies. Fischer and the orchestra with soloist and chorus will perform Haydn's great oratorio The Seasons. This is a unique opportunity to hear the countryside and hunting sections performed in their authentic setting. We also have a chamber recital in the music room at the Eszterházy summer palace in Hungary.

Accommodation with generous buffet breakfast is at the spacious modern 4* HOTEL BURGENLAND, in the centre of Eisenstadt and a short stroll from the concert venues and museums. The heated indoor swimming pool and sauna are available at no extra cost for the exclusive use of hotel guests. As well as a convenient hotel restaurant, Eisenstadt offers a wide choice of eating places and we have our nightly Stammtisch at a local tavern.

The orchestral concerts are given in the world-famous HAYDNSAAL of the ESTERHÁZY PALACE, which claims to have the best acoustics in Central Europe. Chamber recitals are in the more intimate surroundings of the neo-classical Empiresaal of the Palace.

Richard Wigmore (of Radio 3, Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine, author of new Haydn book) will give introductory talks about the music. Robert Avery accompanies the party. It is possible to fly out earlier or return later at no extra cost, but the holiday starts and ends at Vienna Airport.

Cost : Ł 1,680 To include return scheduled flights - 6 nights bed-and-breakfast accommodation in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities - good tickets for all concerts - transfers and excursions. Single supplement Ł 120 Deposit Ł 300.