bavaria, black forest & austria

Day 1  Overnight flight

Day 2  Munich – Regensburg

Day 3  Regensburg – Kelheim – Regensburg

This morning you will visit Thurn and Taxis Palace, also known as Sankt Emmeram Palace. In the middle of the 18th century, the princess of Thurn and Taxis, founder of the first large-scale postal service in Europe, turned the former monastery into a magnificent castle-residence. The entire palace contains several magnificently furnished chambers. The cloisters in the oldest part of the monastery are of particular interest. Afterwards you will board the Swarovski Chrystal boat for a cruise on the River Danube. On board a 2-course lunch will be served. In the afternoon you will depart for Kelheim to visit Weltenburg Monastery, the visitors center and brew house for a close look at a working brewery. Find your favorite beer during a beer tasting, where you may keep your own original Weltenburg beer glass. Travel back to Regensburg.
Overnight in Regensburg.

Day 4  Nuremberg

After breakfast you will travel to Nuremberg, one of the most beautiful medieval cities in Germany. You will enjoy a guided city tour by coach and on foot. During the tour you will walk through the historic  Old Town with its Frauentor Tower, the Henkersteg (Hangman’s bridge) and the unique Craftsmen Courtyard. Visit the historic St. John`s Cemetery and Kaiserburg Castle the symbol of the city. The castle stands proudly on a sandstone outcrop north of the city. You will see the Palace of Justice, where the Nuremberg Trials were held after World War II. The Dutzendteich Lake and the remains of the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds show a different side of Nuremberg. Remainder of the day at leisure for some shopping and relaxation in the city.
Overnight in Nuremberg.

Day 5  Nuremberg – Bayreuth – Bamberg   

After breakfast and check out you will depart for Bayreuth. Here you will visit the most beautiful preserved Baroque Theatre in Europe and the Margravial Opera House. It is UNESCO World Heritage and build by Richard Wagner. Today, the Festival Hall is used exclusively for the Bayreuth Festival, and only works by Wagner are performed there. You will walk through the historical Hermitage Court Garden with its fairy tale like Orangery, the Sun Temple, the Old and New Palace with the upper and lower grotto and tranquil water features with Baroque fountains. Continue to picturesque Bamberg, the city with the largest historical center in Germany and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A local guide will show you the major sights in the historical city center such as the Cathedral, Old Court, New Residence, Rose Garden, the Old Town Hall and ‘Little Venice’. Dinner tonight will be a typical Franconian dinner. You might want to pair your food with local Bamberger ‘smoked beer’, a type of beer with a distinctive smoke flavor imparted by using malted barley dried over an open flame. Overnight in Bamberg.

Day 6  Bamberg – Würzbug – Rothenburg ob der Tauber

This morning you will travel to Rothenburg ob der Tauber via Würzburg. Here you will visit the majestic Wüzburg Residence, considered one of the most important baroque palaces in Europe and became a part of the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1981. Unlike other buildings, it was built almost within a single generation and incorporates French château architecture, Viennese baroque and secular elements of northern Italy. You will continue your journey along the Romantic Road towards Rothenburg. As well as being old, the town is both picturesque and unspoiled. Remainder of the afternoon at leisure to explore this quaint town yourselves. After dinner at a Medieval Restaurant, you will to take a walk back in time with the Night Watchman of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Learn the fascinating story of one of Germany’s best known and best preserved medieval cities. From its origins as a stronghold at the crossroads of important trade routes, to its time of glory and its downfall during the Thirty Years War.
Overnight in Rothenburg.

Day 7  Rothenburg ob der Tauber – Calw – Breitnau / Titisee

Today you will travel into the Black Forest. Your first stop will be in Calw, nestled in the Nagold valley, is often referred to as the northern gateway to the Black Forest. Almost the entire center of the village is under historic preservation. Over 200 buildings are listed and dating back to the late 17th century. Half-timbered buildings in Southern Germany differ from region to region on account of their great variety of stylistic elements. Stroll through the town and have lunch on your own. Your journey into the Black Forest continues, you will travel past Lake Titisee and will arrive in Breitnau, where you will have time to do some souvenir and cuckoo clock shopping. The clocks from the Black Forest have become a global brand and are beautifully hand-carved. Also the largest cuckoo clock in the entire Black Forest can be seen in Breitnau. You might want to try Kaffee und Schwarzwalder Kuchen (coffee and Black Forest cake).
Overnight in the Titisee area.

Day 8  Breitnau / Titisee – Offenburg – Singen – Mainau – Lake Constance – Breitnau / Titisee

After breakfast you will travel to Offenburg where you will board a train and travel the Black Forest Railway to Singen at Lake Constance. Admire the stunning scenery and pass through a grand total of 37 tunnels along the way. In Singen you will be met by your coach driver and will travel to Mainau for a visit and lunch on your own. The year-round beauty of Flower Island Mainau can be explored on 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. You will travel back to your hotel in the Titisee area. The spectacular Rhine Falls serve as a backdrop for your on route stop in Schaffhausen. Remainder of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Titisee area.

Day 9  Breitnau / Titisee – Hohenschwangau – Oberammergau  

This morning you will leave the Black Forest for the Bavarian Alps. Enjoy the scenery as you travel to Hohenschwangau. After some free time for lunch in Füssen you will visit Neuschwanstein Castle. The Fairy Tale Castle which Walt Disney based his castle of the Sleeping Beauty on. 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. You will travel onwards to 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.
Overnight in Oberammergau.

Day 10 Oberammergau – Garmisch-Partenkirchen – Zugspitze – Oberammergau

Today you will travel to the top of Germany; the Zugspitze. With its 2,962 meters  it is Germany’s highest elevation and home to three glaciers. Board the cog wheel train from Zugspitze station in Garmisch-Partenkirchen to the idyllic Lake Eibsee. The ascent with the new cable car offers spectacular views down to the lake, before new horizons open up with a powerful panorama at the Zugspitze Peak. The Zugspitze Glacier at 2,600 meters is then accessed using the glacier lifts, before the rack and pinion railway comfortably transports you through the Zugspitze Tunnel and back to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Here you will enjoy a typical Bavarian lunch together and have some time to explore the village at your own pace. Return to Oberammergau, evening at leisure.
Overnight in Oberammergau.

Day 11 Oberammergau – Mittenwald – Innsbruck – Wattens – Munich  

A trip to Austria is on the program today. Across the border you will visit Mittenwald, famous for violin-making. Learn all about building a violin at the small museum of the village. Alpine scenery surrounds you during your visit to the famous ski resort of Innsbruck. Enjoy leisurely time in the city also known as the “Jewel of Tyrol”. Stroll through the alleys of the old town and see hidden courtyards and “das Goldenes Dachl” (Golden Roof) a roof of gilded copper shingles and once built in as a royal balcony. After lunch on your own you will continue your way to Munich with an on route stop for a visit to the Swarovksi Crystal Worlds in Wattens. Visit the exposition, the installations, sculptures and paintings by renowned artists such as Brian Eno, Jim Whiting, Keith Haring and Salvador Dalí. You will be led through a sparkling labyrinth where dream and reality seem to merge. At the end there is time to buy a nice souvenir in the shop. You will arrive in Munich in the late afternoon.  Overnight in Munich

Day 12 Munich

After breakfast, meet your local guide for a city tour by coach and 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, Nymphenburg Palace and the beautiful Hofgarten.  Remainder of the afternoon at leisure to explore this interesting city on your own. Munich is the capital of beer – with six breweries, the Hofbräuhaus and the Oktoberfest! Interested in the story of beer? Visiting the Bier- und Oktoberfest museum is a must. Learn more about the history of beer from migration of peoples, the monasteries, the purity law, and the unique quality of Munich’s beer. This evening you will have your farewell dinner at the famous Hofbräuhaus. Overnight in Munich.

Day 13 Departure

After breakfast departure to Munich Airport for your flight back home.