Recce: Aspern, Wagram and Austerlitz

A 4-day Recce of the 1809 battlefields of Austerlitz, Aspern-Essling and Wagram.

ITINERARY: This 4-day Recce takes on the battlefields of Austerlitz (Dec 1805) in the Moravian hills where Napoleon achieved his greatest victory, at Aspern-Essling (May 1809) the scene of Napoleon’s first defeat since 1799 at Battle of Acre and at Wagram (July 1809) where the largest battle in history, at the time, ended the 1809 campaign. We end the recce with the Battle of Znaim (July 1809) where the Austrians and French fought a futile battle until an armistice was agreed. It was the last action between Austria and France in the War of the Fifth Coalition. The peace treaty was signed in the Schönbrunn Palace in October 1809.

INTENT: The recce aim is to visit the best locations from which to brief the above battlefield sequences, visit places of interest, relevant hotels, restaurants and museums. Graeme Cooper is the lead guide who has visited the area many times and recce manager is myself.

OPTIONS: We have the option on Saturday to visit Vienna’s famous Arsenal Military Museum, the oldest military museum in the world, and the beauty and fascination of the world renowned Schönbrunn Palace where Napoleon stayed in the May of 1809 and where the Treaty of Schönbrunn was signed. I have organised courtesy entry for The Arsenal but not the Schönbrunn Palace which is €32 for an audio Grand tour of the Imperial Rooms. Allow 2-3 hours for the Arsenal and 90mins for the Palace guided tour plus extra time for the gardens if desired.

Please contact the organiser James Davis via the members’ contact list or via the Guild Secretary if you are interested