Ever since its inauguration over seventy years ago, with a concert conducted by Arturo Toscanini in the grounds of the lakeside house where Wagner had stayed, the Lucerne Festival has been regarded as one of the most prestigious music festivals in Europe.

The event has recently been further enhanced by a brilliant new venue. The Kultur- und Kongresszentrum (KKL) is a giant glass-and-steel arts complex located right on the lake just a few hundred yards from the old town of Lucerne. Designed by Frenchman Jean Nouvel and completed in 2000, this is modern European architecture at its finest. Its colossal cantilevered roof projects over the water’s edge, bringing the changing moods of the lake right into the building, and water channels separate the various wings. The most advanced acoustical science has been lavished on the beautiful Konzertsaal. Four of the seven concerts are here.

And could there be a lovelier city in which to attend a music festival? Lucerne occupies one of the most picturesque settings in Switzerland, divided into two parts by its river, bordering on the dramatic shores of the Vierwaldstätter Lake and overlooked by craggy mountains. Its mediaeval prosperity is still visible in the squares, guildhalls and churches that line its riverbanks. The nineteenth century was a heyday for Lucerne as it led the way in attracting tourism to Switzerland.

As always at Lucerne, the music and the performers this year are of the highest international standards. Among the conductors on our programme are Zubin Mehta, Christian Thielemann, Franz Welser-Möst, Wolfgang Katschner and Vladimir Jurowski.

There will be four walks into the surrounding hills of Lucerne accompanied by a local walking guide. They require good walking experience and equipment and will last three to five hours.