Germany, Austria, & Switzerland

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Day 1 – Home to Frankfurt

Our flight to Germany departs today.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy your comfortable jet aircraft as we begin our journey!

Day 2 – Frankfurt to Rothenburg

Welcome to Deutschland!  Our local guide will meet us as we make our way to the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber–for most people the quintessential town of the Romantic Road.  Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a somewhat gem-like medieval town that even Walt Disney might have thought too good to be true, with gingerbread architecture galore and a wealth of fountains and flowers against a backdrop of towers and turrets. Our home for the next two nights will be the charming Hotel Eisenhut, the most celebrated inn on the Romantic Road.  A perfect location in the heart of the village.  Join us this evening for a delightful welcome dinner here in Rothenburg.

Included Meals: Dinner

Hotel: Eisenhut Inn Hotel

Day 3 – Rothenburg

Tour of the charming medieval walled town of Rothenburg.  Protected by its 13th- and 14th-century ramparts, it commands the winding course of the Tauber River and is one of the oldest towns on the Romantic Road.  The paved streets with their old signs wind their way through the medieval houses and fountains and suddenly plunge you into the atmosphere of the 16th century. Visit the St. James Church with its famous 16th-century Reimenschneider altarpiece, known as the Altarpiece of the Holy Blood.  See the Town Hall and visit Kaethe Wohlfahrt’s shop in Herringasse and Weihnachtsdorf, a wonderland of locally-made toys and decorations and, even in summer, there are Christmas trees with brightly painted wood baubles.  The remainder of the day will be at your leisure with dinner on your own to choose from the many charming restaurants of Rothenburg.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 4 – Rothenburg to Munich

Head south along the Romantic Road, past Schillingsfuerst with its former royal palace of the princes of Hohenlohe, and continue to Feuchtwangen, a town with a tranquil and sedate atmosphere – once a headquarter of the Order of Teutonic Knights.  See the baroque Town Hall, spouting fountains and Collegiate Church on the market square.  Pass the town of Dinkelsbuehl with its many towers, town walls, and town moat.  In this medieval town, every night a night watchman still makes his rounds.  Pass Noerdlingen, a town still surveyed by a watchman from the top of the towers, encircling the town along the perfectly-preserved roofed parapet walks.  Visit Augsburg, the oldest city on the Romantic Road, with a history dating back 2000 years. Visit the main street, Maximilianstrasse, with its beautiful Renaissance fountains, monumental Imperial City Town Hall, and the Perlach Tower. Arrive in the heart of Munich for a relaxing two-night stay.  Join us for dinner tonight.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Hotel Maritim Munchen

Day 5 – Munich

Enjoy a sightseeing tour of this charming city with a drive along Leopoldstrasse, the main street, into the Schwabing Quarter.  The many terrace cafes contribute to the excitement that makes this one of the top entertainment centers in Germany.  Later we’ll visit the Nymphenburg Palace, the former summer residence of the Bavarian rulers.  See the magnificent carriages of the Marstall Museum and the Noble Halls.  Continue to the gothic Old Town Hall with its stepped gables crowned by bell turrets.  See the New Town Hall with its famous carillon (Glockenspiel), the largest in Germany.  Lunch and the afternoon will be at your leisure.  Some may want to join an optional tour to Dachau.  In the evening visit Oktoberfest at the Hofbrauhaus, the world’s most famous beer-hall.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6 – Munich to Salzburg

Depart Munich after breakfast and drive southwards for a visit the to legendary Neuschwanstein Castle, an architectural masterpiece, idyllically sets atop a precipice among the Bavarian Alps. Neuschwanstein is one of the fairytale castles built by Mad King Ludwig II and was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle. With its turrets and mock-medievalism, its interior styles ranging from Byzantine through Romanesque to Gothic, the castle is a real fairy-tale fantasy come true. Then we stop in the famous town of Oberammergau the home of the famous Passion Play.  Later we’ll stop in Hohenschwangau for a chance to photograph from a distance Neuschwanstein, the most famous of the castles built by Ludwig II, King of Bavaria.  We’ll arrive in Salzburg, the city of the Sound of Music.  Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart, is situated only a few miles from the German border.  Enjoy a special dinner at the St. Peter’s Stiftkeller, Europe’s oldest restaurant (Charlemagne is said to have dined here in 803).  Celebrate Mozart as we sample specialties from Mozart’s era in the chandeliered Baroque Hall in this former Benedictine Monastery, entertained by musicians in historic costume.  Tonight see Salzburg illumined by night.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Radisson Blu Conference Center

Day 7 – Salzburg

Tour Salzburg with a stop at the Mirabell Gardens, created in the beginning of the 18th Century. Admire the many statues, the pools adorned with sculptures and flowers, and the beautiful rose gardens.  We’ll proceed to the romantic Old Town nestled between the left bank of the Salzach River and the town’s huge Moenchsberg (Monk’s Hill).  We’ll stroll along Getreidegasse and visit Mozart’s house.  Here we will see his original musical instruments and manuscripts.  Continue along picturesque Getreidegasse, with its wrought iron signs, and arrive at the great Festival Hall.  Our next stop will be the Cathedral, with the biggest organ in Austria.  Across Cathedral Square is the Residence, built between 1596 and 1619.  The rest of the day will be free in Salzburg to shop and stroll along the fashionable Getreidegasse, one of the most charming streets in the world. After dinner on your own, take in a (optional) performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute at the renowned Marionettentheatre.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 8 – Salzburg to Lucerne 

Leave Salzburg and drive through scenic Austrian countryside along the peaks of Hahnenkamm and Kitzbuehler Horn.  We’ll make a stop in Wattens for a visit to Swarovsky Crystal Works, which boasts 12 tons of the finest cut crystal, and the world’s largest crystal weighing in at 130 pounds.  This is the largest Crystal Work in the world.  Be dazzled by the new and impressive Swarosky Crystal World Theme Park and visit the factory store to shop for some of the finest crystal products in the world.  Afterwards, we’ll proceed to nearby Innsbruck, capital of Tyrol, in the heart of the Alps.  Innsbruck, the heart of Tyrol, is one of the loveliest of Alpine cities.  In a valley hemmed in by peaks, see the splendid Maria Theresiastrasse, the famous Golden Roof House and the Old Town.  Proceed through glorious alpine scenery continuing on to the small principality of Liechtenstein and continue to wonderful Switzerland.  It soon becomes apparent why everyone loves Switzerland.  Arrive in Luzerne.  Evening entertainment will be traditional Swiss music, alpine horns, and Swiss dinner specialties at the famous Stadtkeller in the heart of the Old Town.  Spend two nights on the lakefront in Lucerne offering lovely views.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Europe Grand Hotel

Day 9 – Lucerne

Our morning tour takes in the Kapell Bridge, the 14th-century wooden bridge, beautifully decorated with murals.  On the riverbanks of the old town, we will see many patrician houses lining cobble-stoned streets and tiny squares with pretty fountains.  Visit the Cathedral and continue to the famous Lion Monument, which commemorates the Swiss Guards of Louis XVI.  The Golden Roundtrip to Mount Pilatus will be another highlight of our trip.  Departing Lucerne in a paddle-wheel steamer, we’ll cross Lake Lucerne to Alpnachstad; then ascend to Pilatus Kulm on the highest cog-wheel railway in Europe.  A clear day atop Mount Pilatus offers sweeping views over the mountains all the way to Italy!  On cloudy days the view is even more dramatic, as mountain peaks protrude from the clouds.  Perhaps have a bite to eat at one of the restaurants before descending by the cable car and gondola to Lucerne.  We’ll enjoy a dinner cruise on board a lake steamer.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Day 10 – Lucerne to Titisee in the Black Forest

Leave Lucerne in the morning and drive along the southern shores of Lake Zurich.  Weave your way through the lovely highlands of the fabled Black Forest before we descend upon a rare jewel nestled among the stunning landscapes, Lake Titisee.  The dark wooded mountains and the tiny lake give the town an air of blissful tranquility.  See typical Black Forest homes with their huge barns completing this romantic picture of charm.   Some time will be given here to enjoy the sights before our enchanted adventure continues to Freiburg, Germany, where we’ll visit a cuckoo clock factory.  This evening we’ll nestled in for a one-night stay on the lake.  Dinner is a special unique restaurant with fun and folkloric entertainment included.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Maritim Titisee Hotel

Day 11 – Titisee/Black Forest to Rudesheim/Darmstadt 

Visit Heidelberg, the oldest university town in Germany and the heart of German Romantic Literature.  Visit the Old Town, see the Student Jail and University Library, the Old Bridge, the castle, and the Church of the Holy Spirit.   Then proceed to Worms, the former Imperial residence on the banks of the town with a legendary past…a town of history and prestige.  Next, we’ll stop to see St. Peter’s Cathedral, completed in 1230. Admire its two apses with the four spiral staircase towers.  A very short distance from the Cathedral, we will see the Luther Monument, which was inaugurated in 1868 and commemorates Luther’s appearance before the Imperial Diety. From Worms we’ll proceed to Darmstadt for check-in for two nights at our hotel.  Dinner will be served at a local favorite restaurant.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Maritim Konferenzhotel Darmstadt

Day 12 – Rudesheim/Darmstadt 

After our drive to nearby St. Goarshausen, be part of the yearly wine festival.  Enjoy the many wine booths and vine dresser alcoves at the tower and on the Marktplatz in St. Goarshausen.  Great foods, music, and dancing throughout the day will appeal to all.  Make sure to try some of the many good wines that the Rhine Region offers. In the evening, we’ll experience the magnificent fireworks “Rhine in flames / Rhine aflame – night of the Lorelei rock” from the Rhine river onboard one of the 70 boats which cruise on the Rhine River.  Of course, entertainment and a delicious dinner will be served during the boat parade cruise.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 13 – Rudesheim/Darmstadt to Home

A walking tour awaits us after our mid-morning drive to Mainz.  As we enter the Old Town with its half-timbered houses, we will arrive at the Cathedral for a tour.  Later, we’ll visit the Gutenberg Museum that charts the life and time of Mainz’s most famous and influential son, Johannes Gutenberg.  It was in Mainz in 1456, that Gutenberg built the first machine that could print from movable type.  The significance of his invention was immense, leading to an explosion in availability of information.  In the museum we will see a large display of books, the printing press, and the Gutenberg Bible (1452), the first Bible ever printed.  Later we make our way to the airport for our flight home.

Included Meals: Breakfast