The combination of music-making of the highest quality with a pre-Alpine mountain setting is a heady mix. Devotees of the Schubertiade return year after year; addiction is a distinct possibility. Add a great art collection, guided walks in the hills and top up with relaxation among ravishing upland scenery and this begins to sound like the recipe for the perfect holiday.

The annual Schubertiade in the Vorarlberg, the westernmost province of Austria, is one of the most prestigious and enjoyable music festivals in Europe. It attracts artists of the highest calibre, while the rural setting and the predominance of Schubertian music create an endearing informality and intimacy.

But the festival’s success has not stifled a constant desire for change and experiment, as its periodic peregrinations demonstrate. Having started in the village of Hohenems, it migrated a few years later up the valley to the little town of Feldkirch, which in 2001 it abandoned in favour of mountain villages amidst the beautiful scenery of the Bregenzerwald. The hill village setting recently has been further refined by confining all the concerts to Schwarzenberg, described by Herder as the prettiest village in Europe.

Our tour is based in the neighbouring village of Mellau, seven miles away. It is an excellent base for hill walking, and guided walks are an integral part of the June tour. On the September tour, there is a programme of visits to nearby towns and art galleries. Always there is plenty of time for relaxation between the concerts and excursions or the walks.

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