13 days (RMGJ)

Itinerary

Day 1

(Sat.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2Arrival in Munich, Germany

(Sun.) Time to rest or start exploring the Bavarian capital. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Day 3Munich

(Mon.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide of Germany’s “secret capital” includes the Olympic Stadium, 1,000-feet-high Television Tower, MARIENPLATZ with the Old and New Town Hall, and the Gothic Frauenkirche. Balance of the day at leisure. Ask your Tour Director for suggestions. (BB)

Day 4Munich—Rothenburg—Bad Windsheim—Nuremberg

(Tue.) A scenic day through the Schwabian Jura and along the Romantic Road to Rothenburg. You’ll love the medieval town of Rothenburg with its ramparts and towers, cobbled lanes, and 16th-century houses. Next, stop in Bad Windsheim to visit the PASTORIUS HAUS, built by the father of the leading founder of Germantown, Pennsylvania. Continue to Nuremberg, the town of children’s toys and gingerbread, and enjoy an orientation walk through the charming Old Town. (BB,D)

Day 5Nuremberg—Kleinlosnitz—Dresden

(Wed.) This morning features a special visit to the WAR DOCUMENTATION CENTER and the Party Rally Grounds. Next, stop at the PEASANTS’ MUSEUM in Kleinlosnitz where the original homes of the migrants from the Fichtelgebirge area can be seen. On to Dresden, the capital of Saxony on the Elbe River. (BB,D)

Day 6Dresden

(Thu.) Badly damaged by Allied bombing in February 1945, Dresden has since been restored to its baroque splendor. Your Local Guide explains Dresden’s associations with Richard Wagner and the magnificent architecture of the Semper Opera. Visit ZWINGER PALACE and the GREEN VAULT, August the Strong’s famous treasury. Afternoon and evening at leisure. (BB)

Day 7Dresden—Radebeul—Weimar—Erfurt

(Fri.) First stop this morning is in Radebeul, near Dresden, to visit the KARL MAY MUSEUM. In Europe, the writer Karl May became famous around the turn of the century for his Winnetou and Old Shatterhand books, describing the friendship of an Apache Indian and a European and their adventures. Although May never set foot in America until 1908, for many Europeans these two fictitious persons became the symbols of the American West. Continue to Weimar for a walking tour with a Local Guide. Hear about the giants of German literature, Schiller and Goethe, and take pictures of their residences. An optional excursion to nearby Buchenwald is available. Then arrive in Erfurt where the fine gothic and renaissance buildings bring back the days of the Dominican Master Eckhart and Martin Luther, who spent his student days here before embarking on his journey to Wittenberg. Marvel at the medieval Krämer Bridge, on which 33 dwellings are built. (BB,D)

Day 8Erfurt—Wartburg—Mühlhausen—Hamburg

(Sat.) Today’s highlight is a guided visit to the Duke of Saxony’s legendary 900-year-old WARTBURG CASTLE where Luther translated the New Testament. Next, a lunchtime stop in Mühlhausen, birthplace of August Roebling, the architect of Brooklyn Bridge, before continuing to Hamburg. (BB,D)

Day 9Hamburg. Excursion to Stade, Cuxhaven, and Bremerhaven

(Sun.) After a morning stop in picturesque Stade, continue to Cuxhaven. Visit the historical HAPAG TERMINAL and “STEUBENHOEFT” QUAY, where millions of people bid farewell to Germany for a new beginning in America. In Bremerhaven enjoy free time for lunch, followed by a visit to the GERMAN EMIGRATION CENTER, the largest theme museum on emigration in Europe. Return to Hamburg. (BB,D)

Day 10Hamburg

(Mon.) A Local Guide explains the sights of Germany’s gateway to the oceans of the world: the beautiful Hanseatic City, romantic Alster Lake, ST. MICHAEL’S CHURCH and elegant Jungfernstieg. A scenic HARBOR CRUISE is the final touch to your morning sightseeing. In the afternoon why not join an exciting optional excursion to Ballinstadt? (BB)

Day 11Hamburg—Celle—Berlin

(Tue.) This morning enjoy a leisurely drive through the prettiest part of Lüneburg Heath to Celle to admire its beautifully preserved, half-timbered houses. Stop at the former East-West border, before continuing to Berlin, the capital of reunified Germany. You may wish to join an excursion to explore Berlin’s “hidden past.” (BB)

Day 12Berlin

(Wed.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide in the once-divided metropolis includes the elegant Ku-Damm, the restored Reichstag, Charlottenburg Palace, monumental Brandenburg Gate, and the 210-foot Victory Column in the vast Tiergarten Park. Visit the KAISER WILHELM MEMORIAL CHURCH with its bomb-damaged tower, drive along Unter den Linden Boulevard, and pass the State Opera House and Checkpoint Charlie. The afternoon is free and an optional excursion to historic Potsdam is available. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner with your companions of a fascinating vacation. (BB,D)

Day 13

(Thu.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB)