Romantic Castle Tour Germany
Day 1 Overnight flight
Day 2 Frankfurt am Main – Rüdesheim am Rhein
Arrival at Frankfurt am Main Airport. You will be welcomed by your driver and tour leader. You will travel to Mainz, the wine capital of Germany, where a local guide will show you around. See the highlights such as the Old Town, the Mainzer Dome, a majestic Romanesque basilica and the St. Stephens church with only sacred work of art by Marc Chagall in Germany, the stained-glass windows, which is also the last major creation of the famous Jewish artist. Enjoy a delightful journey through the Rhine River Valley. In the afternoon you will arrive in Rüdesheim. Next to its extensive vineyards, the city’s rich cultural and historic background make it one of the most intriguing places to visit in the country. At the heart of this charming village, you can find the charming Drosselgasse, a cobbled street filled with historic buildings, restaurants, bars and shops.
Welcome dinner and overnight in Rüdesheim.
Day 3 Rüdesheim am Rhein
In the morning you will enjoy a Rhine cruise to see the Lorelei Rock where legend says a blonde nymph lured passing sailors into perilous waters and rocks. This river route is laced with lovely villages, beautiful churches, lofty mountainside vineyards and grand, historic castles. You will cruise from Rüdesheim to Bad Salzig. From there the coach will take you in the afternoon to the Moselle river, you will visit Bernkastel-Kues. Bernkastel-Kues is situated in a famous wine crowing area. Apart from the wine, which may be tasted in many specialized cellars, smoked eel from the Moselle is the delicacy of this area. Bernkastel boasts the largest single vineyard in Germany spread over the slopes. The grapes, 95% of the Riesling variety, produce a dry white wine of which the most sought-after is the fruity Bernkasteler Doktor. See the color-washed houses, most of them half-timbered and the St. Michael fountain. You will travel back to Rüdesheim for an evening at leisure. Overnight in Rüdesheim.
Day 4 Rüdesheim am Rhein – Heidelberg – Baden-Baden
After breakfast you will travel along the Hessische Bergstraße past terraced vineyards and ruined castles to Heidelberg, Germany’s oldest university town. During a sightseeing tour, a local guide will show you the Old town and Heidelberg Castle. The Red Castle of Palatine Electors is a combination of several buildings surrounding an inner courtyard. Each building highlights a different period of German architecture. The Castle also houses the Great Vat, a colossal wine barrel with a capacity of 212 liters (56 gallons). In the royal banquet hall, wine can be extracted from the Great Vat using a pump. After the visit you will travel onwards to Baden-Baden, sheltered between the Black Forest and the Baden vineyards. The city has attracted Royalty and the rich and famous for centuries. Follow your local guide and discover the Friedrichsbad, the Kurhaus, the Casino, the Trinkhalle and the numerous architectural splendors and magnificent villas lining the Lichtentaler Allee. Remainder of the afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Baden-Baden.
Day 5 Baden-Baden – Schwetzingen – Bad Rappenau – Rothenburg ob der Tauber
You will mainly travel along the Castle Road today, called Burgenstraße in German. This scenic road is over 1200 kilometers (745 miles) long and starts in Mannheim and leads the way to Prague in the Czech Republic. Over 70 castles, fairytale palaces and stately homes line the Castle Road like a string of pearls, impressive monuments to the past. Your first visit will be to Schwetzingen Palace, just outside Heidelberg. The palace is famous for the beauty and harmony of its gardens. Schwetzingen Palace reached the height of splendor under the Prince Elector Carl Theodor. He instructed the leading landscape architects of the age to design the gardens. The palace’s rooms contain furniture from the 18th and early 19th century. The Rococo theatre in the north wing is a particular highlight. Your next stop will be in Bad Rappenau, one of the largest spa cities of Germany. Enjoy some time at leisure to stroll past the water castle, the lavender labyrinth and through the beautiful Salinenpark, with its Salt Work, an open air inhalatorium where the ambient air is enriched with salt from brine trickling brushwood. Continue your way to Rothenburg. The town overlooks four ox-bow bends in the Tauber river from its rocky hill. As well as being old, the town is both picturesque and unspoiled. Overnight in Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Day 6 Rothenburg ob der Tauber
After breakfast a local guide will take you on a walking tour. Learn about the historic city with its medieval structures as well as evidences of the Renaissance. Marvel the winding streets with half-timbered houses and colorful gardens. You will see the town hall, the old Tauber Bridge, the St. Jakob Church and the Baumeisterhaus, a renaissance house where steps on the gables serve as pedestals for dragon motifs. You will continue to the Herrngasse where you can see the mansions of formally well-known personages line this busy street and you will visit the Burggarten with the chapel, which has been turned into a war memorial. Remainder of the day at leisure in this charming town. Overnight in Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Day 7 Rothenburg ob der Tauber – Donauwörth – Augsburg – Lake Constance
Today we will travel along the Romantic Road Lake Constance. This road winds through the beautiful German countryside, along the river Mainz and past Medieval, walled towns and picturesque villages. The first stop will be in Donauwörth, the old free imperial city. Stroll through the atmospheric streets of the city and see the magnificent sights of one thousand years of town history such as the Town Hall, the Tanzhaus, the Liebfrauenmünster, the Promenade with the Zaubergeigenbrunnen and the Mangoldfelsen, the Holy Cross Monastery with its famous cross particles. Travel onwards to Augsburg, the oldest city in Bavaria and the second oldest in Germany. You will have time at leisure in the old town to have lunch on your own. Make sure you do not miss the 10th-century Perlach Tower, the 14th-century Weberhaus, with beautiful façade painting, the sprawling Renaissance Rathaus and Maximilian Street. Afterwards you will travel to Lindau one of southern Germany’s most picturesque towns with the old town located on an island off the shores of Lake Constance. Overnight in Lindau.
Day 8 Mainau – Meersburg – Lindau
This morning you will visit the Flower Island Mainau with its 45 hectare of impressive gardens. The second largest butterfly house in Germany invites everybody to its tropical world with numberless colorful butterflies and blossoms. Look around in one of the themed gardens including a Rhododendron Slope, Italian Rose Garden, Dahlia Garden and Hydrangea Path or the Herbaceous Garden. On your way back to Lindau, you will stop in Meersburg, one of the prettiest resorts on the shores of Lake Constance. The word “picturesque” has become a travel cliché, but in the case of Meersburg, it’s a legitimate adjective. The Old Castle located on a hill in the old town is said to be Germany’s oldest residential castle, dating back to the 7th Century A.D. Meersburg also has a Baroque “New Castle” which you will visit. The New Palace towers majestically above picturesque vineyards and the impressive blue waters of Lake Constance. Its stately architecture and furnishings are impressive, with arched gables and rich ornaments outside and fantastic stucco and glorious frescoes inside. Remainder of the afternoon and evening at leisure in Lindau to soak up the cosmopolitan and Riviera-like atmosphere. Overnight in Lindau.
Day 9 Lindau – Hohenschwangau – Oberammergau – Munich
Departure from Lake Constance into the Bavarian mountains. Enjoy the scenery as you travel to Hohenschwangau where you will visit Neuschwanstein Castle. The Fairy Tale Castle on which Walt Disney based the castle of the Sleeping Beauty was built by King Ludwig II in 1868, who lived here only for 170 days, as he was dethroned in 1886. In the Castle you will see the influence of the operas of the composer Richard Wagner, which inspired the King. You will see the distinctive rooms, the rich decorated sitting room, the minstrel’s room and many more. Continue your journey to Munich, with an on route stop in Oberammergau. The town is renowned for its production of the Passion Play, which is being performed every ten years. The Play involves over 2000 actors and singers, all local residents. Enjoy a stroll through the village and get acquainted with its murals and wood-carved houses. You will travel onwards to Munich where you will arrive in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight in the Munich area.
Day 10 Munich
After breakfast, meet your local guide for a city tour on foot through Munich’s beautiful old town and take a look into the city’s turbulent 850 years of history. See important sights such as Marienplatz the historic town square, Munich’s oldest church Sankt Peter, the Viktualienmarkt the colourful open-air market, the Bayerische Staatsoper, the Bavarian State Chancellery, the Siegestor the Bavarian Arch of Triumph, the Field Marshall’s Hall, and the beautiful Hofgarten. Afterwards you will visit Nymphenburg Palace, one of the largest royal palaces in Europe. The baroque palace was the summer residence of the Bavarian monarchs and houses several outstanding collections. With its lavishly decorated interior and the famous “Gallery of Beauties” commissioned by Ludwig I, the palace is one of Munich’s favorite attractions. Remainder of the afternoon at leisure for shopping and to explore this interesting city on your own. This evening you will have your farewell dinner at the famous Hofbräuhaus. Overnight in the Munich area.
Day 11 Departure
After breakfast departure to Munich Airport for your flight back home.