Day 1 ~ Depart USA. Overnight flight to Berlin.

Day 2 ~ Berlin

Arrival in Berlin; you will be transferred to your hotel to relax, settle in, and prepare to explore this dynamic and exciting city, the largest in Europe.

Day 3 ~ Berlin
Today we will start with a visit to the Jewish Museum; the fabulous Picasso Museum; and the Agyptisches Museum (Egyptian Museum). We will stop at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and the modern church next to it with its interior of blue glass; drive by the Berlin Zoo with its two majestic stone elephants guarding the entrance; and stop at the 220 feet high Siegessaul (a huge column surmounted by a statue of Victory). From here, we will walk through the pleasant Tiergarten (Berlin's premier park), passing Schloss Bellevue (the official residence of the President of the Republic); the Kongresshalle (House of Culture); the Reichstag (Parliament); and the 200 year-old Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate).

Day 4 ~ Berlin
Our first stop today will be the Pergamon Museum, famous for its beautifully preserved alter. Almost as impressive is the adjacent Babylonian Processional Street where lions stride along the street's walls to the soaring blue and ochre tiles of the 604-562 Ishtar Gate. We will stop at the German National Gallery with its magnificent paintings and sculpture and the Old Museum with its collection of ancient artifacts, followed by a visit to the Red Town Hall and St. Nichols Church (the oldest in Berlin). Finally we will tour the Opera House, the Library, and Humboldt University, which was attended by Marx and Lenin.

Day 5 ~ Berlin/Potsdam
Today we will visit Potsdam , with its incredible Garten von Schlossen ( Park of Palaces ) and the Schloss Cecilienhof , where the famous Potsdam Treaty was signed in 1945 by Churchill, Truman and Stalin. Frederick II chose Potsdam over Berlin as his permanent residence because he wanted a place where he could escape the pressures of being a ruler and pursue without care his interests in philosophy and the arts. It is a great pleasure to explore this beautiful and thoughtfully designed park, wandering from one palace to the next.  There is the Neues Palais (New Palace) whose grotto is made from shells and semi-precious stones; the Sanssouci Palace with its elaborate rooms decorated in the rococo style; the Orangerie , an enormous building used to grow plants and to house guests in sumptuous apartments; the Grosse Bildergalerie (Art Gallery) , an ornate gallery displaying paintings by Caravaggio, Reni, Rubens, Van Dyck, and others; the Chinesisches Teehaus (Chinese Tea House), a fanciful pavilion with gilded palms for columns and an ornate green-and gold pagoda-style roof; the Neptune's Grottol; the Obelisk Portal, the Trellis Pavilion, the Dragon House, the Sicilian Gardens; the Charlottenhof Palace, and the Temple of Friendship.

Day 6 ~ Meissen/Dresden
En route to Dresden we will visit Meissen. This historic town overlooking the Elbe River is beautiful in its own right, but it is particularly famous for its porcelain, which has been known and loved for generations. (Remember the "Dresden doll"?). We will visit a factory there, where we will view a demonstration of porcelain production, followed by a tour of the museum which contains beautiful examples of this exquisite china. Meissen 's other attractions are a beautiful cathedral; the marktplatz or central plaza with colorful old buildings; and the Albrechtsburg Castle which is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. Our day will be full, so upon arrival in Dresden we will check in at our hotel and have time for a little rest before taking a walk through the old city to get an idea of the charming buildings, gardens, and museums that we will visit tomorrow. Dresden, a city with a great past, is well on its way to a great future. The famous skyline of palace domes and majestic church steeples on a bend of the Elbe River was razed by Allied bombers in 1945, but has since been experiencing a rebirth that you will be able to appreciate in person.

Day 7 ~ Dresden
We will begin our day with a tour of the Catholic cathedral, Hofkirche, whose lacy spire faces Augustusbrucke (the Augustus Bridge ). Next to it is the Bruhlsche Terrace , praised as the "balcony of Europe ". Then we will visit Albertium, with its magnificent 19th & 20th -century paintings, especially the Green vault Collection with its breathtaking precious gems and treasures that belonged to the incredibly rich kings of Saxon. We will walk by the Frauenkirche ( Church of Our Lady ) which is still under repair from World War II bombing; the Furstenzug ( Parade of Princes ), a mural consisting of 24,000 Meissen porcelain tiles; and the beautiful Semperoper ( Semper Opera House), where statues on the facade portray Shakespeare and Sophocles, while those of Goethe and Schiller flank the entrance. Our last stop will be Dresden 's greatest treasure, the Zwinger Palace , with its enormous courtyard surrounded by a lovely garden which contains a mind-boggling assortment of museums such as the Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Gallery). This world-renowned gallery is full of magnificent paintings by Canaletto, Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, and many more famous artists. We will also tour the Rustkammer (armory) , with its display of ancient military hardware; the Porzellensammlung (porcelain collection) ; and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon (Salon of Mathematics and Physics), with its collection of ancient mathematical and measuring instruments.

Day 8 ~ Wiemar
This morning we will travel to Eisenach, the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach, to visit Wartburg, one of Europe's finest Romanesque castles. It was Wartburg that inspired Ludwig II to build his fanciful Bavarian castles and Richard Wagner to write his opera Tannhauser and where Martin Luther translated the Bible from Greek to German in 152. We will also stop at Bach House which is furnished in the same style as it was when Bach was a child. Our second stop will  be Erfurt to visit the extremely colorful historic town with its Dom cathedral and stunning entrance adorned with fine statues and exquisitely detailed stained-glass windows. We will have a pleasant stroll through the old fish market with its picturesque buildings, and cross the Kramerbruche (Kramer Bridge) which is lined with little shops, galleries, and half-timbered buildings so that you don't even realize you are crossing over the river!  Our final destination today is Weimar.

Day 9 ~ Munchen (Munich)

The charming city of Weimar nurtured many artistic talents in the past and is considered German's intellectural and cultural center. Franz Liszt and Johann Sebastian Bach count among its musical protoges, along with Germany's leading writers: Goether, Schiller, Wieland, and Herder. The Bauhaus movement, which founded modern architecture as we know it, flourished here and Weimar remains an important center for architecture. Germany's republican constitution was written here after World War I; and the Goethehaus, where Goethe wrote and eventually died, has been turned into a museum and is an interesting site to visit. Close by is the Schillerhaus, where Schiller wrote "William Tell". The castle (Stadtschloss) where Schiller wrote "William Tell". The castle (Stadtschloss) in Weimar has been restored and has a museum with an important collection of art. On route to Munich today, we will stop in Waldsassen. This city was founded originally as a monastery in 1133, and part of the complex is a magnificent Bibliothek (Library). It was built in the late 1500's and and contains a collection beautiful antique books, but its most interesting feature are the unique wooden carvings. These lifesize figures seem to support the gallery and all ten depict various fools, or vices of mankind, such as anger, vanity, and arrogance. The ceiling is covered with beautiful murals and gold stucco. The breathtaking Basilica Basilica (church) with its baroque architecture, also contains superb frescoes and woodcarvings. We will continue on to Munich to spend the night.

Day 10 ~ Munchen (Munich)
Munich , the "gateway of Bavaria ", stars as one of Europe 's most beautiful cities. Locals refer to Munich as "the village" because it is compact and easily explored on foot. Munich is a wonderful beer-drinking, music-loving city which rivals Paris and London with its excellent shopping, museums, cultural events, and a plethora of things to see and do. We will walk in the pedestrian zone of the old city, which is alive with fountains, fruit stands, ballad singers and lay preachers; visiting the Alte Pinakothek with its incredible collection of works; the Frauenkirche (cathedral) and St. Michael, with its Renaissance facade, which are unique symbols of Munich. The Marienplatz is a beautiful square that serves as the heart of Munich and nearby is the Neues Rathaus. When the town clock strikes at 11:00 am and 5:00 pm and colorful figures emerge. Nearby is the 11th century St. Peter Church, from where we will have a panoramic view of the city; the famous Hofbrauhaus; and the colorful Victualiermarkt.

 

Day 11 ~ Berchtesgaden
Today we leave Munich , headed for the famous King Ludwig's Schloss Herrenchiemsee on Herreninsel before Berchtesgaden . We will drive to Prien on Chiemsee, where we will take a 20 minute ferry ride to Herreninsel. Herrenchiemsee was King Ludwig's  recreation of Versailles , complete with a magnificent hall of mirrors. While Louise XIV used Versailles to dazzle the world, Ludwig used his version of Versailles as the backdrop for his exuberant fantasy. During his numerous visits he ordered thousand of candles to be lit at night and he wandered the decadent rooms enacting his vision of absolute monarchy, secluded from the real world on his private isolated island. This palace was one of his (many) that were never totally completed, and there is a kind of melancholy beauty to the unfinished parts. You can use your imagination to picture how they would appear in all their intended glory. We will return to the ferry, boarding this time for Fraueninsel, a magnificent island with beautiful homes and gardens. After a walk around the island, we will head to Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart. Salzburg has many magnificent sites to offer, such as Salzburg Cathedral, Hohensalzburg Fortress, and Mozart's Museum.

 

Day 12 ~ Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden, an ancient market town, is magnificently set in a crescent of towering mountains, and offers a variety of enchanting sites. We will first explore the Schlossplatz (the picturesque castle square) with its ancient granary, accounting house, and Residenz. The latter was transformed from an Augustinian monastery and is now an interesting museum full of weapons, tapestries, paintings and porcelain. We will visit (weather permitting) Kehlstein (the Eagle's Nest) with its incredible view over the Alps , Salzburg and many other wonderful small towns, as well as Salzbergwek (salt mines), where we will sit astride a mining wagon and travel through tunnels of gleaming salt crystal. We will complete our day by touring Konigsee, (Kings Lake) whose beauty is comparable to some of the world's most magnificent fjords.

 

Day 13 ~ Garmisch-Patenkirchen
Today's drive will be on the Alpenstrasse (Alpine Road) which is one of the most scenic roads in Baveria. A drive by Ramsau, the world famous ' Ramsau Church " with its towering Alpine peaks in the distance brings us to a small Alpine lake, the Hintersee, whose crystal-clear waters reflect the hotels on its far shore. We descend to Unterjettenberg, a cluster of houses in a green meadow with high Alpine peaks in the background. The Alpine Road takes us through woodlands and climbs the pass high above the village of Ruhpolding. After passing through high Alpine lakes, isolated farms, clusters of chalets, hiking trails and breathtaking vistas, we will arrive in the attractive village of Reit im Winkel. A perfect excuse to stop to explore and enjoy the incredible scenery here! We will continue our drive, passing Walchsee, a small lake with a beautiful setting where the pastures rise steeply from the lake to forests and craggy gray mountains. Next we pass through the towns of Durchholzen, Oberaudorf and the little village of Wall which clings to the hillside with spectacular, rolling valley vistas below and the rocky, snow-covered peaks above. Our route through Bayrischzell, Schliersee, Tengersee, and Wallgau brings us to our final destination of Garmisch- Pat enkirchen to spend the night.

 

Day 14 ~ Garmisch-Patenkirchen
Our day will start with a visit to Linderhof , the smallest and most homey of Ludwig II's palaces. The tour leads us from one outrageous room to another, including the decadent state room and the dining room. Here Ludwig ate solitary meals at a table which was lowered, like a dumb waiter, below the floor so that meals were served without Ludwig being disturbed by servants. We will also visit the Venus Grotto and the Moorish Kiosk where Ludwig dressed up as a Turkish sultan and smoked his hookah surrounded by young boys dressed up as palace eunuchs.

In the afternoon we will visit the towns of Grainau, Garmisch and Patenkirchen, followed by the little town of Ettal.This village is overshadowed by the Klosterkirche (monastery) where Benedictine monks distill their well-known liqueur, although we will see neither monks nor any sign of their commercial operation. The church is an exquisite baroque riot of colorful paintings and gilded woodwork. Then we will head to another church in Wies to view the Wieskirche, built in 1730, with its exquisitely beautiful rococo interior. Our next stop will be the famous village of Oberammergau where many of the homes have fabulous ornate murals and seemingly all the shops sell very expensive carvings. Every ten years the Passion Spiel (Passion Play, a religious production) takes place here, which celebrates the end of the misery caused by the Black Plague. It seems almost every resident of the town is involved in some aspect of the performance. (Sorry, the last one took place in the millenium, so the next play will be in 2010! ) but we will take a tour through the Passionspielhaus (Passion Play House) to learn about the history of the play. If the weather is good we will travel to the Zugspitze (optional), Germany's highest mountain at 9,000 feet. The incredible view overlooks Austria on one side and Germany on the other, as well as the stunning Eibsee Lake.

Day 15 ~ Meersburg
We continue on to Fussen where we will visit the most popular Ludwig's Palace, Neuschwanstein, located high above the valley atop a rocky ledge. This castle was considered the inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disneyland. We will appreciate the effort that went into building this castle as we walk up the steep path to the fortress high above. The castle's fancaiful interior, designed by a theater-set designer and an eccentric king, is a aromantic flight of fancy whose rooms afford spectacular views of Alpine lakes and snowy peaks. Ludwig greatly admired Richard Wagner and scenes from his operas are found throughout the decor. At the end of the castle tour we will be rewarded with a spectacular Alpine view. Neuschwanstein also has a Musical Theater, with a majestic setting right on the edge of Lake Forggen, surrounded by the Alps. Here the legend of Mad King Ludwig and his fantasy-filled life is presented in the muscal production Ludwig II. A remarkable tribuute to Bavaria's king, the production is as opulent as Ludwig's own life, with a revolving stage, sleighs pulled by real horses prancing through a dramatic snowfall, and a grand finale when the king walks on the lake and the goldlen fountain, a replica of the one at Linderhof, rises up from the depths of the water. An enchanting performance! Our final destination today is Meersburg on Bodensee (Lake Constance) which takes us through another romantic and scenic parat of Bavaria including Wertach, Oberjoch, Hindelang, Sonthofen, Immenstadt, and Oberstaufen. Our route also takes us to the beautiful island of Lindau with its lovely old houses. The Altes Rathaus (old town hall) on Bismarkplatz dates from the 15th century and is famous for the brightly colored frescoes that decorate its facade; the harbor which is guarded by the Lion of Bavaria; and the Mangturm, a atower that was once part of the town's medieval ramparts.

Day 16 ~ Meersburg

Meersburg is an adorable little medieval town with narrow, cobbled streets lined with half-timbered houses. Atop a rocky promontory overlooking the lake, the Altes Schloss (old castle) dates back to 628 when a longhouse and a tower fortress were built by King Dagobert along with a New Schloss.   We will wander the upper city with its colorful buildings and marketplace, and the lower city with its shops and pedestrian walk along the water. We will visit the Pfahlbauten, a prehistoric lake-dweller's village that has been reconstructed, and the church of Birnau, beautifully located overlooking Lake Constance and surrounded by vineyards. The church, built in 1749, is famous for its celebrated Rococo staute known as the honey-sucker. If the weather permits there might be still time to take a two hour ferry on beautiful Lake Constance to enjoy and appreciate the enchanting small towns and villages.

 

Day 17 ~ Freiburg~Staufen

Leaving Meersburg, we will enter the famous Black Forest. We will stop first in the charming town of Engen, and then pause in Titisee, which is a lakeside health and sports resort in a beautiful mountain setting, before continuing to the summit of the old Schauinsland (mountain) to admire the view of Freiburg below. From here we descend with a  breathtaking drive to the village of Munstertall. Our route continues along a beautiful road that winds through the lush region of the Black Forest before arriving in Staufen. Small pedestrian bridges cross the narrow waterways that trickle through the heart of Staufen. Crowned by the ruins of its castle, Staufen is a charming village whose pedestrian streets are lined with richly colored old houses.

Day 18 ~ Freiburg~Staufen

Today we will visit Freiburg, the capital of the Schwarzwald (Black Forests). The dark-green forests come right down within a block or two of this large city. Full of character, the pedestrian-only old center was founded in 1120 and is lined with numerous quaint buildings. On Munsterplatz (main square) you find the beautiful Munster Unserer Lieben Frau (cathedral) whose tall spires crest all vistas. Three very attractive buildings are found on the Munsterplatz: the Kaufhaus with its steep roof and pointed turrets; the barouqe Erzbischofliches Palais (Archbishop's Palace); and the Haus zum Schonen Eck, which now houses the music academy. Little streams run down each street between the cathedral and the Swabian gate: known as Bachle, these waterways are the city's trademark. We will stroll through the narrow streets going by the City Hall, the Martin City Gate, and the Schwaben City Gate and end up at the Augustinermuseum which has a mixed collection of statues, paintings, and some great examples of wood carving from the Black Forest region.

 

Day 19 ~ Gengenbach~Oberwlfach

We will spend today visiting some magnificent sites surrounding Freiburg and beyond. We will travel through a broad green valley with a sky-wide landscape of rolling hills, speckled with farms and patchworked with dark-green woodland.  Heading towards Waldkirch, the road twists and climbs to the summit of the Kandal, at whose top you are offered a view of the surrounding countryside. Traveling through thick forest, the road twists and turns down to the small non-touristy towns of Waldkirch, Glotheral, and to the much prettier village of Simonswald. The road winds up the narrow valley to Obersimonswald and onto Furtwangen where we will visit the famous Deutsches Uhrenmuseum (German Clock Museum) which presents the history of timekeeping. Then we will drive on to the attractive town of Triberg, whose one main street is lined with dozens of clock shops. Triberg is also known for its Schwarzwaldmuseum (Black Forest Museum). The nearby city of Gutach is home to the famous Schwarzwalder Freilichtermuseum (Black Forest Open Air Museum).

 

Day 20 - Heidelberg

This morning we will stop in the village of Wolfach, known for its glass blowing workshop. Then on to Gengenbach which has often been compared to the more touristy Rothenburg, but has actually remained unspoiled.  We will stroll its narrow lanes, past imposing  half-timbered houses bright with window boxes, to the Stadtkirche with its lovely  baroque tower. In the central marketplace, we will see a fountain with a night statue, a symbol of the village's medieval status as a "free imperial city". Masks and costumes worn during the local version of Carnival, called Fasend, can be admired on the seven floors of the Narrenmuseum.  Beginning our tour through the wine country of Baden, we will follow the Badische Weinstarsse (wine street of Baden), passing through the wine growing region with its small towns full of houses decorated with paintings and magnificent flowers.  We will follow the aroma up to the Schloss Staufenberg, the crown of one of the wine hills, to taste their wines before we reach the Schwarzwald Hochstraasse (Black Forest road) with its magnificent vista to Baden  Baden.  Baden-Baden was the playground of Europe 's rich and famous in the middle of the 19th century. The highlight in Baden-Baden is taking a walking tour through the pleasant gardens and along the river to see the Theater, the Kurhaus complex with its famous casino and concert halls, the Trinkhalle, the Opera House, the Friedrichsbad (Roman-Irish Bath). This two-hour ritual involves a complex routine. The adjacent Caracalla Therme, nestled below the collegiate church in Baden-Baden's old town, is a wonderful place for shopping.

Day 21 ~ Bad Margentheim
Our drive today will take us to Heidelberg where we will spend some time exploring this dynamic city with its beautiful pedestrian walkway surrounded by the towns' most impressive buildings. Above the town looms the ruins of the postcard-pretty pink sandstone Heidelberg Schloss (castle) from where there is a spectacular view of Heidelberg and the river. We will walk down to the market place, and cross the old bridge over the Neckar River for a breathtaking view over the old city and the Castle. Then we will drive along the Neckar River with its beautiful little towns and impressive castles along the Romantic Road to Tauberbischofsheim, a very appealing small medieval town lying amid vineyards in the Tauber Valley. A beautiful Marktplatz, which houses the Rathaus and the Baroque church of St. Lioba, is surrounded with numerous well-restored half-timbered houses and the 14-16th century Schlossplatz. Then we will continue on to Bad Margentheim.

Day 22 ~ Bad Margentheim

The old order of the Teutonic Knights left Prussia to reside here in the castle in 1525 and remained until they were disbanded in 1809. Their Deutschordensschloss now houses a museum that traces the knight's history from the battles of the Crusades to becoming a charitable institution. Bad Margentheim is a very charming little town, with an attractive marktplatz and old houses. We will spend today enjoying the quaint little towns and villages that line the Romantic Road . Our first stop will be the village of Weikersheim with its charming Marktplatz and outstanding Schloss Weikersheim (castle) which is filled with its original furniture, tapestries, porcelain, and gloomy family portraits. The magnificent garden with its statues and view of the Tauber valley is admirable. From here we will drive to Creglingen to visit the Herrgottskirche, a quiet little church on the edge of town. Of the five altars in the church , the masterpiece, the Assumption of Mary (1505-1510) by Tilman Riemenschneider, is the reason for visiting. We will study the different expressions on the faces of the disciples surrounding Mary. On the altar base Riemenschneider carved himself as the second of the three scribes. Our last visit will be the famous and romantic Rothenburg which is truly one of Europe 's most enchanting towns. Rothenburg's old houses, towers, and gateways have withstood the ravages of the centuries and are fascinating to explore.

Day 23 ~ Rudesheim
Today we will drive on to Wurzburg which was described by 12th-century diplomat Gottfried von Viterbo as "lovely, like a rose set in deep-green foliage; sculpted into the valley like an earathly paradise". It is still a lovely city with outstanding sightseeing venues; the very pleasant downtown with Marktplatz surrounded by attractive, colorful old buildings; the Episcopal Prince's Residenz, one of the finest baroque palaces in Europe; and Festung Marienberg (Marienberg Fortress) overlooking the town.  We will also visit the Mainnfrankisches Museum of regional art and its collection of beloved exhibits of the sculptures of Tilman Riemenschneider before bidding farewell to the Romantic Road and heading to Rudesheim, where the wine country of the Rhein/Mosel rivers begins.

 

Day 24 ~ Koblenz
This morning we will explore the most famous wine town of this region, Rudesheim. On the charming, narrow, cobbled Drosselgrasse (reputed to be the jolliest street in the world), one wine tavern props up another and, even if you do not partake of wine, it is fun to wander along this festive street. There is the Wein Museum Bromserburg, which displays over 2,000 years of viticultural history, and the Niederwald with its huge statue of Germania , erected to celebrate victory over the French in 1871. In the afternoon we will take a ferry on the Rhein, which is the best way to appreciate the beauties along the river. This is one of the highlights of our trip, with its dramatic and challenging landscape covered with wine grapes and magnificently crowned with castles popping up where ever you look. We will end our ferry trip in Koblenz

 

Day 25 ~ Koblenz
Koblenz is one of Germany 's oldest cities, established around 10 BC by the Romans. They named it Confluentes for its location at the confluence of the Mosel and Rhein rivers. Today's Koblenz is a modern city that blends sophistication with Rhein/Mosel romantism. This morning we will take another ferry, this time on the Mosel. Compared with the Rhein, the Mosel is narrower and slower-moving. It loops gracefully back and forth, and its much steeper banks are uniformly covered with vines. This is wine country and every little village, with its terraced vineyards rising steeply up the hills behind it, is involved in the production of wine. The ferry will

pass many glorious castles and charming villages on its way to Moselkern where we will leave the ferry to visit Burg Elzt, one of the loveliest castles in Europe. Built between the 12th and 16th centuries high upon a rocky outcrop encircled by woodland, the picturesque Burg Eltz is a fairy-tale castle of turrets and towers piled one on top of the other.  Then we drive on to Cochem, which is an attractive small town overshadowed by the majestic Reichsburg Cochem (Cochem Palace). Here we will leave the ferry and drive to Beilstein for a graceful stroll around this little picture-postcard village which hugs the riverbank below the vineyards.

Day 26 ~ This morning we will be transferred to Frankfurt for our flight to the USA.