Itinerary

Day 1:
Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2:
Arrival in Frankfurt, Germany. Time to rest or explore the bustling metropolis on the River Main. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Day 3:
Frankfurt–Remagen–Cologne. A special treat at the very start of your journey through Germany is a RHINE CRUISE along the most scenic section of the Rhine River with castle-crested hills, terraced vineyards, pretty wine towns, and finally the Lorelei Cliff. Disembark and drive to the ruins of the bridge in Remagen, where American troops breached Hitler’s West Wall. Spend the afternoon in Cologne with plenty of time to visit the awesome gothic CATHEDRAL. Its twin 515-foot towers, five naves, splendid stained-glass windows, and the shrine of the Three Holy Kings are eloquent testimony to the quality of medieval engineering and craftsmanship. (BB,D)

Day 4:
Cologne–Berlin. Board the EUROCITY TRAIN and arrive in Berlin. Sightseeing with a Local Guide in the once-divided metropolis includes the elegant Ku’damm, the restored Reichstag, Charlottenburg Palace, monumental Brandenburg Gate, and the 210-foot Victory Column in the vast Tiergarten Park. Visit the KAISER WILHELM MEMORIAL CHURCH with its bomb-damaged tower, drive along Unter den Linden Boulevard, pass the State Opera House, and Checkpoint Charlie. (BB,D)

Day 5:
At Leisure in Berlin. A full day to further explore this fascinating city. Tonight is your chance to sample Berlin’s fine restaurants and nightlife! (BB)

Day 6:
Berlin–Leipzig–Nuremberg. On your way south through what used to be the “other” Germany, visit Leipzig, an important center since the Middle Ages. Visit the THOMASKIRCHE, where J.S. Bach worked, and the Market Square with its fine renaissance buildings. Continue to Nuremberg, the town of children’s toys and gingerbread. It is also the birthplace of painter Albrecht Dürer and poet and meistersinger Hans Sachs. (BB,D)

Day 7:
Nuremberg–Rothenburg–Munich. Admire Nuremberg’s impressive medieval ramparts and walk through the pedestrian area of the charming Old Town. Visit ST. SEBALD CHURCH, painstakingly reconstructed as a monument to peace from the rubble of near-total wartime destruction. Then focus on Germany’s Romantic Road, which leads from the flat country towards the Alps. You’ll love medieval Rothenburg with its ramparts and towers, cobbled lanes, and 16th-century houses. Now head south to the Danube Valley and Munich. How about a stein of beer at the Hofbräuhaus tonight? (BB,D)

Day 8:
Munich–Oberammergau. Sightseeing with a Local Guide of Germany’s “Secret Capital” includes the Olympic Stadium, 1,000-foot-high Television Tower, Nymphenburg Palace, MARIENPLATZ with the Old and New Town Hall, and the Gothic Frauenkirche. In the afternoon leave the big city for the garden-like landscape of the Bavarian Alps. Spend the next two nights in the Passion Play town of Oberammergau. (BB,D)

Day 9:
Oberammergau. Excursion to Neuschwanstein. Highlight today is a visit to King Ludwig’s NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE, one of the most famous German castles. Follow your Local Guide through this fairytale castle on its craggy outcrop high above a sparkling lake. Afternoon and evening at leisure; ask your Tour Director for suggestions. (BB)

Day 10:
Oberammergau–Lindau– Black Forest. A scenic day starts out with a leisurely drive along the panoramic German Alpine Road to the sunny northern shore of Lake Constance, Europe’s largest freshwater reservoir. Stop for lunch in charming Lindau, then continue north and visit the baroque CHURCH at Birnau. On the way to your hotel in the Black Forest. (BB,D)

Day 11:
Black Forest–Heidelberg–Frankfurt. This morning enjoy a WOODCARVING DEMONSTRATION before arriving in Heidelberg, Germany’s oldest university town of Student Prince fame. Time to stroll around and to have lunch in the Old Town, then the highlight of today: visit the red-walled CASTLE where the GREAT VAT, a 49,000- gallon 18th-century wine cask, attracts particular attention. Then back to Frankfurt for a farewell dinner with your companions of a fascinating vacation. (BB,D)

Day 12:
Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB)

Dates & Prices

FRANKFURT
Welcome and farewell dinners

RHINE CRUISE

REMAGEN
Picture stop

COLOGNE
Visit the cathedral

COLOGNE-BERLIN
By Eurocity Train (first-class)

BERLIN
Guided sightseeing, visit Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

LEIPZIG
Orientation including Bach’s Thomaskirche

NUREMBERG
Orientation including the Old Town and St. Sebald Church

ROTHENBURG
Orientation

MUNICH
Guided sightseeing, visit Marienplatz

OBERAMMERGAU
Excursion to Neuschwanstein including a guided visit of King Ludwig’s Castle

LINDAU
Lunch stop

BIRNAU
Visit the baroque church

BLACK FOREST
Woodcarving demonstration

HEIDELBERG
Orientation of the Old Town, visit the castle
 

Itinerary

Day 1:
(Sun.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2:
Arrival in Frankfurt, Germany. (Mon.) Time to rest or to explore the bustling metropolis on the River Main. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Day 3:
Frankfurt–Remagen–Coblenz–Cologne. (Tue.) A special treat at the very start of your journey through Germany is a RHINE CRUISE along the most scenic section of the Rhine River. Next, stop at the ruins of the bridge in Remagen where American troops breached Hitler’s West Wall. Then drive to Coblenz where the Rhine and Moselle Rivers come together. Enjoy time to explore this pretty town or join an optional excursion to an original Rhine castle. Continue to Cologne for your overnight stay. (BB,D)

Day 4:
Cologne–Hamburg. (Wed.) Spend the morning in Cologne and visit the awesome gothic CATHEDRAL with its twin 515-foot towers, five naves, splendid stained-glass windows, and the shrine of the Three Holy Kings. Then board the EUROCITY TRAIN to Hamburg. (BB,D)

Day 5:
Hamburg. (Thu.) A Local Guide explains the sights of Germany’s gateway to the oceans of the world: the beautiful Hanseatic City, romantic Alster Lake, ST. MICHAEL’S CHURCH, and elegant Jungfernstieg. A scenic HARBOR CRUISE is the final touch to your morning sightseeing. Afternoon at leisure. Tonight why not join an optional excursion to the nightlife district of St. Pauli with its brightly illuminated Reeperbahn? (BB)

Day 6:
Hamburg–Celle–Berlin. (Fri.) Leisurely drive through the prettiest part of the Lüneburg Heath to Celle to admire its beautifully preserved, half-timbered houses. Stop at the former East-West border before continuing to Berlin, the capital of reunified Germany. You may wish to join an excursion to explore Berlin’s “hidden past.” (BB,D)

Day 7:
Berlin. (Sat.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide in the once-divided metropolis includes the elegant Ku’damm, the restored Reichstag, Charlottenburg Palace, monumental Brandenburg Gate, and the 210 foot Victory Column in the vast Tiergarten Park. Visit the KAISER WILHELM MEMORIAL CHURCH with its bomb-damaged tower, drive along Unter den Linden Boulevard, pass the State Opera House and Checkpoint Charlie. The afternoon is free, and an optional excursion to historic Potsdam is available. Tonight is your chance to sample Berlin’s fine restaurants and nightlife! (BB)

Day 8:
Berlin–Wittenberg–Leipzig–Dresden. (Sun.) South to Wittenberg, Luther’s city, for a morning stop. Then continue to Leipzig, an important center since the Middle Ages. See the THOMASKIRCHE, where J.S. Bach worked, and the Market Square with its fine renaissance buildings. Overnight in Dresden, the former capital of Saxony on the Elbe River. (BB,D)

Day 9:
Dresden. (Mon.) Badly damaged by Allied bombing in February 1945, the city has since been restored to its baroque splendor. Your Local Guide explains Dresden’s associations with Friedrich Schiller and Richard Wagner and the magnificent architecture of the Semper Opera. Visit ZWINGER PALACE and the GREEN VAULT, August the Strong’s famous treasury. Afternoon and evening at leisure. (BB).

Day 10:
Dresden–Weimar–Erfurt. (Tue.) Morning drive to Weimar for a walking tour with a Local Guide. Hear about the giants of German literature, Schiller and Goethe, and take pictures of their residences. Next is HERDER CHURCH with its wonderful painted sermons. An optional excursion to nearby Buchenwald is available. Then arrive in Erfurt, where the fine gothic and renaissance buildings bring back the days of the Dominican Master Eckhart and Martin Luther, who spent his student days here before embarking on his journey to Wittenberg. Marvel at the medieval Krämer Bridge, on which 33 dwellings are built. (BB,D)

Day 11:
Erfurt–Wartburg–Würzburg. (Wed.) Today’s highlight is a guided visit to the Duke of Saxony’s legendary 900-year-old WARTBURG CASTLE, where Luther translated the New Testament. In the afternoon continue to stately Würzburg, beautifully situated on the vine-clad shores of the River Main. Enjoy a pleasant stroll through the lavish GARDENS of the Residenz. (BB,D)

Day 12:
Würzburg. Excursion to Rothenburg. (Thu.) Morning dedicated to the northernmost and most scenic section of the Romantic Road. Spend enough time in spectacular Rothenburg to appreciate its ramparts and towers, cobbled lanes, and 16th-century houses. Return to Würzburg with time to explore more: ask your Tour Director for suggestions. (BB)

Day 13:
Würzburg–Neuschwanstein–Munich. (Fri.) Along the smooth highway turn south towards the Bavarian Alps. Highlight today is a visit to King Ludwig’s NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE, one of the most famous German castles. Follow your Local Guide through this fairytale castle on its craggy outcrop high above a sparkling lake. Next, continue to Bavaria’s capital, Munich, for your overnight stay. (BB)

Day 14:
Munich (Sat.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide of Germany’s “secret capital” includes the Olympic Stadium, 1,000-foot-high Television Tower, Nymphenburg Palace, MARIENPLATZ with the Old and New Town Hall, and the Gothic Frauenkirche. You may wish to join an optional outing to Linderhof Castle and the Passion Play town of Oberammergau. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner at your hotel. (BB,D)

Day 15:
(Sun.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB)

Dates & Prices

FRANKFURT
Welcome dinner

RHINE CRUISE

REMAGEN
Picture stop

COBLENZ
Afternoon stop

COLOGNE
Visit the gothic cathedral

COLOGNE-HAMBURG
By Eurocity train (first-class)

HAMBURG
Guided sightseeing, visit St. Michael’s Church; harbor cruise

CELLE
Morning stop

BERLIN
Guided sightseeing, visit Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

WITTENBERG
Morning stop

LEIPZIG
Visit Bach’s Thomaskirche

DRESDEN
Guided sightseeing, visit Zwinger Palace and the Green Vault

WEIMAR
Guided sightseeing, visit the Herder Church

ERFURT
Orientation

WARTBURG
Guided visit of Wartburg Castle

WÜRZBURG
Visit the Gardens of the Residenz

ROTHENBURG
Orientation

NEUSCHWANSTEIN
Visit King Ludwig’s Castle

MUNICH
Guided sightseeing, visit Marienplatz; farewell dinner
 

Itinerary

Day 1:
(Sat.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2:
Arrival in Munich, Germany. (Sun.) Time to rest or start exploring the Bavarian capital. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Day 3:
Munich. (Mon.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide of Germany’s “secret capital” includes the Olympic Stadium, 1,000-feet-high Television Tower, MARIENPLATZ with the Old and New Town Hall, and the Gothic Frauenkirche. Balance of the day at leisure. Ask your Tour Director for suggestions. (BB)

Day 4:
Munich—Rothenburg—Bad Windsheim—Nuremberg. (Tue.) A scenic day through the Schwabian Jura and along the Romantic Road to Rothenburg. You’ll love the medieval town of Rothenburg with its ramparts and towers, cobbled lanes, and 16th-century houses. Next, stop in Bad Windsheim to visit the PASTORIUS HAUS, built by the father of the leading founder of Germantown, Pennsylvania. Continue to Nuremberg, the town of children’s toys and gingerbread, and enjoy an orientation walk through the charming Old Town. (BB,D)

Day 5:
Nuremberg—Kleinlosnitz—Dresden. (Wed.) This morning features a special visit to the WAR DOCUMENTATION CENTER and the Party Rally Grounds. Next, stop at the PEASANTS’ MUSEUM in Kleinlosnitz where the original homes of the migrants from the Fichtelgebirge area can be seen. On to Dresden, the capital of Saxony on the Elbe River. (BB,D)

Day 6:
Dresden. (Thu.) Badly damaged by Allied bombing in February 1945, Dresden has since been restored to its baroque splendor. Your Local Guide explains Dresden’s associations with Richard Wagner and the magnificent architecture of the Semper Opera. Visit ZWINGER PALACE and the GREEN VAULT, August the Strong’s famous treasury. Afternoon and evening at leisure. (BB)

Day 7:
Dresden—Radebeul—Weimar—Erfurt. (Fri.) First stop this morning is in Radebeul, near Dresden, to visit the KARL MAY MUSEUM. In Europe, the writer Karl May became famous around the turn of the century for his Winnetou and Old Shatterhand books, describing the friendship of an Apache Indian and a European and their adventures. Although May never set foot in America until 1908, for many Europeans these two fictitious persons became the symbols of the American West. Continue to Weimar for a walking tour with a Local Guide. Hear about the giants of German literature, Schiller and Goethe, and take pictures of their residences. An optional excursion to nearby Buchenwald is available. Then arrive in Erfurt where the fine gothic and renaissance buildings bring back the days of the Dominican Master Eckhart and Martin Luther, who spent his student days here before embarking on his journey to Wittenberg. Marvel at the medieval Krämer Bridge, on which 33 dwellings are built. (BB,D)

Day 8:
Erfurt—Wartburg—Mühlhausen—Hamburg. (Sat.) Today’s highlight is a guided visit to the Duke of Saxony’s legendary 900-year-old WARTBURG CASTLE where Luther translated the New Testament. Next, a lunchtime stop in Mühlhausen, birthplace of August Roebling, the architect of Brooklyn Bridge, before continuing to Hamburg. (BB,D)

Day 9:
Hamburg. Excursion to Stade, Cuxhaven, and Bremerhaven. (Sun.) After a morning stop in picturesque Stade, continue to Cuxhaven. Visit the historical HAPAG TERMINAL and “STEUBENHOEFT” QUAY, where millions of people bid farewell to Germany for a new beginning in America. In Bremerhaven enjoy free time for lunch, followed by a visit to the GERMAN EMIGRATION CENTER, the largest theme museum on emigration in Europe. Return to Hamburg. (BB,D)

Day 10:
Hamburg. (Mon.) A Local Guide explains the sights of Germany’s gateway to the oceans of the world: the beautiful Hanseatic City, romantic Alster Lake, ST. MICHAEL’S CHURCH and elegant Jungfernstieg. A scenic HARBOR CRUISE is the final touch to your morning sightseeing. In the afternoon why not join an exciting optional excursion to Ballinstadt? (BB)

Day 11:
Hamburg—Celle—Berlin. (Tue.) This morning enjoy a leisurely drive through the prettiest part of Lüneburg Heath to Celle to admire its beautifully preserved, half-timbered houses. Stop at the former East-West border, before continuing to Berlin, the capital of reunified Germany. You may wish to join an excursion to explore Berlin’s “hidden past.” (BB)

Day 12:
Berlin. (Wed.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide in the once-divided metropolis includes the elegant Ku-Damm, the restored Reichstag, Charlottenburg Palace, monumental Brandenburg Gate, and the 210-foot Victory Column in the vast Tiergarten Park. Visit the KAISER WILHELM MEMORIAL CHURCH with its bomb-damaged tower, drive along Unter den Linden Boulevard, and pass the State Opera House and Checkpoint Charlie. The afternoon is free and an optional excursion to historic Potsdam is available. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner with your companions of a fascinating vacation. (BB,D)

Day 13:
(Thu.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB)

Dates & Prices

MUNICH
Welcome Dinner; guided sightseeing, visit Marienplatz

ROTHENBURG
Orientation

BAD WINDSHEIM
Visit of the Pastorius Haus

NUREMBERG
Orientation of the Old Town visit the War Documentation Center and the Party Rally Grounds

KLEINLOSNITZ
Visit the Peasants’ Museum

DRESDEN
Guided sightseeing, visit Zwinger Palace and the Green Vault

RADEBEUL
Visit the Karl May Museum

WEIMAR
Guided sightseeing

ERFURT
Orientation

WARTBURG
Guided visit of the castle

MÜHLHAUSEN
Lunchtime stop

HAMBURG
Guided sightseeing, visit St. Michael’s church; harbor cruise

STADE
Morning stop

CUXHAVEN
Visit the Hapag Terminal Exhibition and the “Stoebenhoeft” Quay

BREMERHAVEN
Visit the German Emigration Center

CELLE
Morning stop

BERLIN
Guided sightseeing, visit the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial church
 

Itinerary

Day 1:
(Sat.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2:
Arrival in Munich, Germany. (Sun.) Time to rest or to start exploring the Bavarian capital. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Day 3:
Munich. (Mon.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide of Germany’s “secret capital” includes the Olympic Stadium, 1,000-foot-high Television Tower, MARIENPLATZ with the Old and New Town Hall, and the gothic Frauenkirche. An optional excursion to Linderhof Castle and the Passion Play town of Oberammergau is available. (BB)

Day 4:
Munich–Neuschwanstein–Innsbruck, Austria–Salzburg. (Tue.) Drive into the garden-like landscapes of the Bavarian Alps and visit one of King Ludwig’s magnifice