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10 Day
Austria & Germany Tour
September
15-24, 2010
Day 1: Depart USA
Overnight flight to Europe.
Day 2: Arrive
Vienna
You will be met at the airport and transferred to
your hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore on your own, shop,
relax and prepare for the excitement to follow.
Day 3: Vienna
Our sightseeing today begins with a visit to Hofburg Palace,
residence of the Hapsburgs and home of the famous Spanish Riding
School. We attend a morning training session of the beautiful and
famous white Lippizaner horses. We then continue to Schonbrunn Palace
to see the apartments occupied by emperor Franz -Josef. This afternoon
we continue by viewing some of the most important sights of Vienn via a
panoramic motorcoach tour: the Hofburg, former Imperial winter residence
and scene of the Vienna Congress; the Ringstrasse, with its magnificent
buildings such as the Opera House, National Museums, Parliament, the
Burgtheater, the University and the Votive Church; St. Charles' Church,
Vienna's most beautiful Baroque church; the Musikverein, Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra; and Belvedere Palace, which was built for Prince
Eugene, Commander of the Imperial Army. We return to our hotel where you
are free to explore at your leisure.
Day
4: Vienna to Salzburg
Our destination today is Salzburg, the Baroque city forever associated with
both Mozart and the “Sound of Music.” A jewel in a perfect
mountain setting on both banks of the Salzach River, the city and the
surrounding countryside are dominated by the magnificent Festung
Hohensalzburg, a 12th century fortress 500 feet above the town. We visit
the birthplace of Mozart, now a museum; also the 17th century
Residenzplatz, with its 40-foot high fountain; and the Benedictine Abbey
of St. Peter. The remainder of the day is free with many things to do
and see.
Day 5: Salzburg to Innsbruck
This morning we travel to the nearby Mirabell Gardens, scene of the Sound
of Music, before continuing on to Innsbruck, a
gem in the middle of Alps with wonderful scenery, extensive history and
numerous shops to explore.
Day 6: Innsbruck Walking Tour, Neuschwanstein, Oberammergau
A walking tour today will include the Triumphal Arch commemorating the
wedding of the Duke of Tuscany, Saint Anna’s Column and Swarovski
Kristallwelten, a wonderland of crystal works of art by artists past and
present. This afternoon we stop at the Rococo-style chapel in the Meadow
and Ludwig II’s most luxurious former residence, the Neuschwanstein
Castle. We continue to the charming town of Oberammergau, site of our
Passion Play tomorrow.
Day 7: Passion
Play
Today is dedicated to the Oberammergau, site of the famous Passion Play
and magnificently painted houses with free time in the morning and an
afternoon program. This play, hundreds of years old has
lasted throughout time. We enjoy the world-famous Passion Play, spending the
evening nearby in one of the lovely hotels.
Day 8:
Augsburg,
Wurzburg
This morning, we travel north to the ancient city of Augsburg, the place where the Augsburg Confession was presented. Our morning drive will allow for time to rehearse this important document and digest the tremendous meaning it has as the basis for much of our doctrine today. It
was also here in 1518 at St. Anne's Church that Luther met the papal legate,
Cardinal Cajetan, who demanded that Luther submit to the pope. Augsburg
was also the site of another Imperial Diet (1530). Our lodging and dinner this evening
in Wurzburg.
Day 9: Romantic Road, Rothenburg, Heidelberg, Worms,
Frankfurt
Early
this morning we travel the panoramic "Romantic Road" and visit
the best preserved medieval town in all of Europe, Rothenburg. We
see the quaint Rathaus (town
hall) with its tower, have free time for coffee and shopping in the many delightful shops. You may choose to visit on your own the Kriminal-museum, housing all manner of
Medieval instruments of torture. Next, we travel on to one of the most charming cities in all of
the world - Heidelberg, ancient capital of the Palatinate and home of
Germany's oldest university. But most importantly, it was a stronghold
of German Reformed Protestants beginning in 1560. One of the great
confessional statements of the Reformation, the Heidelberg Catechism was
produced here in 1563. Heidelberg Castle, a most impressive historic
landmark of Germany, stands majestically overlooking the Neckar River.
The structure, now largely in ruins, preserves numerous examples of
Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque German architecture. Our next stop is
in Worms. It was here, during the Imperial Diet in 1521, that Martin Luther challenged the entire Roman Catholic
establishment by his refusal to recant the great doctrines of
Protestantism. It was also here that William Tyndale completed the printing of his English version of the New Testament in
1525 which he had begun in Cologne. After seeing St. Peter's Church and
the symbolic Luther memorial near the town square, we will return to our
lodging for dinner and the evening in Frankfurt.
Day 10: Departure
We transfer to the airport for our flight home.
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Single Supplement - $400 (limited basis at some properties)
Call for availability.
Price Includes:
Tourist class
and moderate first class accommodations, breakfast daily, 5 dinners, Passion Play tickets (Including
play tickets, housing,
breakfast, lunch & dinner, admission ticket to the Oberammergau Museum, playbook),
luggage handling in hotels
(1 piece per person), expert guide throughout,
entrances and transportation as appear on itinerary, modern
transportation.
Not Included:
Gratuities, airfare, meals not listed, optional travel
insurance
Special rates for airfare will be available 10-11 months
prior to departure.
Oberammergau Hotel Choices:
Hotels will be assigned on a space available basis. Special upgrade tickets may be available. Please contact Pilgrim Tours for details.
Schilcherhof, Oberammergau ($130 less)
www.hotel-schilcherhof.de/en/index-en.htm
Dates still available: September 15
(Category
2 Seating)
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