Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato will each spend a week in Europe this month as part of an effort by the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra to highlight the city's 250th anniversary.

Mr. Onorato's itinerary has him arriving in Barcelona, Spain, on Jan. 24, then moving on to Madrid and Amsterdam before returning Jan. 30.

"It's a pretty compact schedule, lunch and dinner almost every night with business leaders," said his spokesman, Kevin Evanto. "He will be meeting with airlines about direct flights to Europe," he added, declining to name the carriers. He'll also meet with officials from Amsterdam's Schiphol International Airport to see how they've handled airport area development.

Mr. Ravenstahl, accompanied by his wife, Erin, will start in Amsterdam, arriving Jan. 27. He'll leave for Paris and Dunkirk, France, on Jan. 30, for a business development leg sponsored by the state Department of Community and Economic Development, before returning Feb. 3.

Mr. Ravenstahl said he wants to "really tell Pittsburgh's story to that audience," noting that he will give a presentation on the city's green government initiatives. "It is my goal to stimulate more interest in our city, promoting Pittsburgh as a modern region, full of cultural opportunities and dynamic history."

The alliance and the orchestra will detail the trip, dubbed the PSO 250 European Ambassador Tour, at a news conference today at Heinz Hall.

The first performance on the orchestra's tour is Monday. Beginning in Spain, then traveling to the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, it will perform in some of the most prestigious halls in Europe, showing off its artistry and celebrating the city's anniversary.

The alliance will cover travel and lodging costs for Mr. Onorato's trip and the Amsterdam portion of Mr. Ravenstahl's trip.

The alliance sees it as "an opportunity to use the marketing tool that the PSO tour offers -- the PSO has an international reputation -- to open the door for the world-class region the PSO comes from," said Catherine DeLoughry, senior vice president for communications for the alliance. The orchestra helps them to "establish a common ground with business prospects."