Imperial Cities

 

September 13-23, 2010

$4839 from Washington

 

DAY 1, MON, SEP 13 - USA/VIENNA
Departure from the USA on our transatlantic jet. (meals aloft)

DAY 2, TUE, SEP 14 - ARRIVAL VIENNA
We arrive today in Vienna and travel into the heart of the city for a visit to intricately carved St. Stephen's Spire. We enjoy a walking tour along fashionable Kartnerstrasse, strolling past the Kapuziner Church (final resting place for members of the Hapsburg Royal dynasty) and Albertina Palace (now a modern art gallery). Pause to discover a Viennese institution - coffee shops with the world's richest pastries. This afternoon we check into our hotel and have the afternoon at leisure. Perhaps you would like to shop for gorgeous 19th-century antique clocks, crystal, embroidery and Bohemian jewelry. Mingle with the Viennese in cozy cafes, listen to Strauss waltzes in Danube Park, or seek the lights of Prater amusement park. This evening we are treated to a special Heurigen welcome dinner. Overnight at our centrally-located hotel. (meals aloft, D)

 

DAY 3, WED, SEP 15 - VIENNA
Baroque grandeur unfolds as our intriguing morning tour includes monuments to the great musicians. Other sites we will see on our panoramic touring include the Imperial Hofburg Palace, Opera House and the National Museums. Then a visit to the treasures of enormous Schoenbrunn Palace highlights our sightseeing. The Palace, set in an exquisite French park, has 1400 elaborately decorated rooms. Leisure time this afternoon to explore the Vienna Woods, munch creamy pastries, shop for delicate Rosenthal porcelain or stroll lofty Belvedere Palace gardens. (B,D)

DAY 4, THU, SEP 16 - VIENNA/SALZBURG
We depart Vienna this morning and have a picturesque drive through the beautiful Austrian countryside to Salzburg, in the heart of Sound of Music country. Upon arrival we tour Salzburg, including Mozart's birthplace, the Cathedral, Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mirabell Palace and the Old City's baroque churches as well as the Getreidegasse pedestrian shopping street, where you will want to shop for Austrian souvenirs. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. (B,D)

 

DAY 5, FRI, SEP 17 - SALZBURG/OBERAMMERGAU
We depart Salzburg and cross the border into Germany, continuing through pristine Bavarian countryside and quaint villages to the Oberammergau area. Following lunch, take your seat for the memorable opening act of the Passion Play, being performed for the 41st time in 2010. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant during a break between acts, and then return to the theater for the Play's thrilling conclusion this evening. Overnight in the Oberammergau area. (B,L,D)

 

DAY 6, SAT, SEP 18 - OBERAMMERGAU/MUNICH
Today we drive a short distance to the Bavarian capital of Munich. A city of culture, it has 41 theaters and 44 museums & collections. It spans the worlds of old and new, displaying rich royal history and Old World charm alongside modern buildings and international businesses. Here your touring features sites such as the Marienplatz, the Glockenspiel, and the Olympic Park. We also visit the Nymphenburg Palace, once the summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria. Admire the ceiling frescoes and baroque-style furnishings inside the palace, then explore the spacious esplanades and picturesque fountains of the extensive gardens outside. (B,D)

 

DAY 7, SUN, SEP 19 - MUNICH/CESKY KRUMLOV/PRAGUE
Today we depart Munich and travel across the border into the Czech Republic and on to Cesky Krumlov, a medieval town laid out around a little square with a Renaissance town hall. A 300-room moated castle looms high above. We have a walking tour of the town and then visit the castle before continuing north to Prague, often referred to as the “Golden City of a Hundred Spires.” Like Rome, Prague is built on seven hills, which slope gently or tilt precipitously down to the Vltava (Moldau) River. The riverside location, enhanced by a series of graceful bridges, makes a great setting for two of the city’s most notable features: its extravagant, fairy-tale architecture and its memorable music. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. (B,D)

 

DAY 8, MON, SEP 20 - PRAGUE
This morning we enjoy a sightseeing tour of Prague followed by a walking tour to the significant sites in Old Town. We visit Hradcany, the quarter of Prague founded by Slav princes in the 9th century. Here we find Prague Castle, recognized as the largest ancient castle in the world, and gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, seat of the Archbishop of Prague. Other notable sites include the Loretto, Old Royal Palace, St. George’s Basilica, Powder Tower, and Golden Lane. (B,D)

 

DAY 9, TUE, SEP 21 - PRAGUE/TEREZIN/DRESDEN/WITTENBERG
We depart Prague this morning and drive to Terezin for a sobering visit to this concentration camp, where nearly 80,000 Czech Jews were killed during World War II. We continue to Dresden, known as "Florence of the Elbe" because of its Baroque-style architecture and numerous world-renowned museums and art collections. Following a stop for lunch, we travel on to Wittenberg, birthplace of the Reformation and city of Frederick the Wise who was patron and protector of Martin Luther. Luther lived here from 1508 until his death. We visit the historic All Saints Castle Church and its famous door where he nailed his 95 Theses and which contains the graves of Luther and Melanchton. We see the University and visit Luther House, which is the largest and greatest museum of Reformation history in the world. (B,D)

 

DAY 10, WED, SEP 22 - WITTENBERG/BERLIN
We depart Wittenberg this morning and travel to Berlin. Germany’s capital is a multicultural metropolis, a city of approximately 3.5 million people living in an area roughly the size of New York City. It was in Berlin that the historic “fall of the wall” took place on November 9, 1989. Our full day of touring here features a photo stop at Checkpoint Charlie, a crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. On our panoramic tour we also see Brandenburg Gate, the State Opera House, the Reichstag, and Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. We visit the Pergamon Museum, which contains the spectacular Pergamon Altar and Ishtar Gate of Ancient Babylon. We proceed to the house where theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer stayed and studied while in Berlin and which today contains a permanent exhibition detailing his life and work. (B,D)

 

DAY 11, THU, SEP 23 - BERLIN/USA
Morning transfer to the airport for our return flight to the USA.

(B,meals aloft)