15 days incl. air, or 14 days Frankfurt/Munich (ZEGJ)

Itinerary

Day 1

(Sun.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2Arrival in Frankfurt, Germany

(Mon.) Time to rest or to explore the bustling metropolis on the River Main. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Day 3Frankfurt–Remagen–Coblenz–Cologne

(Tue.) A special treat at the very start of your journey through Germany is a RHINE CRUISE along the most scenic section of the Rhine River. Next, stop at the ruins of the bridge in Remagen where American troops breached Hitler’s West Wall. Then drive to Coblenz where the Rhine and Moselle Rivers come together. Enjoy time to explore this pretty town or join an optional excursion to an original Rhine castle. Continue to Cologne for your overnight stay. (BB,D)

Day 4Cologne–Hamburg

(Wed.) Spend the morning in Cologne and visit the awesome gothic CATHEDRAL with its twin 515-foot towers, five naves, splendid stained-glass windows, and the shrine of the Three Holy Kings. Then board the EUROCITY TRAIN to Hamburg. (BB,D)

Day 5Hamburg

(Thu.) 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. Afternoon at leisure. Tonight why not join an optional excursion to the nightlife district of St. Pauli with its brightly illuminated Reeperbahn? (BB)

Day 6Hamburg–Celle–Berlin

(Fri.) Leisurely drive through the prettiest part of the 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,D)

Day 7Berlin

(Sat.) 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, pass the State Opera House and Checkpoint Charlie. The afternoon is free, and an optional excursion to historic Potsdam is available. Tonight is your chance to sample Berlin’s fine restaurants and nightlife! (BB)

Day 8Berlin–Wittenberg–Leipzig–Dresden

(Sun.) South to Wittenberg, Luther’s city, for a morning stop. Then continue to Leipzig, an important center since the Middle Ages. See the THOMASKIRCHE, where J.S. Bach worked, and the Market Square with its fine renaissance buildings. Overnight in Dresden, the former capital of Saxony on the Elbe River. (BB,D)

Day 9Dresden

(Mon.) Badly damaged by Allied bombing in February 1945, the city has since been restored to its baroque splendor. Your Local Guide explains Dresden’s associations with Friedrich Schiller and 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 10Dresden–Weimar–Erfurt

(Tue.) Morning drive 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. Next is HERDER CHURCH with its wonderful painted sermons. 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 11Erfurt–Wartburg–Würzburg

(Wed.) 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. In the afternoon continue to stately Würzburg, beautifully situated on the vine-clad shores of the River Main. Enjoy a pleasant stroll through the lavish GARDENS of the Residenz. (BB,D)

Day 12Würzburg. Excursion to Rothenburg

(Thu.) Morning dedicated to the northernmost and most scenic section of the Romantic Road. Spend enough time in spectacular Rothenburg to appreciate its ramparts and towers, cobbled lanes, and 16th-century houses. Return to Würzburg with time to explore more: ask your Tour Director for suggestions. (BB)

Day 13Würzburg–Neuschwanstein–Munich

(Fri.) Along the smooth highway turn south towards the Bavarian Alps. Highlight today is a visit to King Ludwig’s NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE one of the most famous German castles. Follow your Local Guide through this fairytale castle on its craggy outcrop high above a sparkling lake. Next, continue to Bavaria’s capital, Munich, for your overnight stay. (BB)

Day 14Munich

(Sat.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide of Germany’s “secret capital” includes the Olympic Stadium, 1,000-foot-high Television Tower, Nymphenburg Palace, MARIENPLATZ with the Old and New Town Hall, and the Gothic Frauenkirche. You may wish to join an optional outing to Linderhof Castle and the Passion Play town of Oberammergau. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner at your hotel. (BB,D)
Day 15

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