Oberammergau 2010
Pre-arranged Itineraries

Depart the United States aboard your overnight trans--Atlantic flight to Europe.  The night will pass quickly, and you will soon be landing in Frankfurt.

DAY 2
ARRIVE FRANKFURT

Welcome to Frankfurt! After passing through necessary customs formalities, you will be met by your Tour Director and transferred to your hotel, with the remainder of the day at leisure to begin exploring on your own.

DAY 3
FRANKFURT – RHINE CRUISE - HEIDELBERG

Breakfast at your hotel.  Your day begins with a cruise on the Rhine River. Leaving Frankfurt this morning, your coach takes you along the beautiful Rhine River where you soon board the Rhine steamer for an unforgettable cruise through the Rhine River Valley, which has been the inspiration of songs, stories and paintings. 

Millions of people have been thrilled by its romantic castles, villages and taverns amid the vineyards.  But these things form only part of what is worth visiting along the Rhine and the verdant landscape through which it winds.  All of it together contains an abundance of varied scenery, distinct local cultures and ethnic ways of feeling and thinking -- joy and seriousness, romanticism and realism appears in close proximity.

Disembarking, your coach will meet you as you continue to Heidelberg.  World famous for its university, the oldest in Germany, Heidelberg is also known for its historic stone bridge (Alte Bruecke) and Heidelberger Schloss, the 13th--century castle which is perched on a hill overlooking the city.  The university was the setting for "The Student Prince".  The Hauptstrasse (Main Street) is where you will find the shops, restaurants, bars, and discos, but it is also just a nice street to stroll along because it is off limits to all traffic.

Upon arrival, sightseeing of Heidelberg will show you the most interesting sights such as the University, the Heidelberg Castle and the Old Bridge, which was completely destroyed during World War II.  Dinner and overnight in Heidelberg.

DAY 4
HEIDELBERG – LUCERNE

Following an early breakfast, you will board your motorcoach for the drive south to Lucerne, capital of its canton and one of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland, is extremely popular as a lake resort.  It is at the foot of Lake Lucerne or the Vierwaldstaettersee, in the cradle of historic Switzerland.  The city's medieval heritage is evident in the fortifying walls and towers, the old churches and quaint houses and the unusual covered bridges that span the Reuss River.  Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

DAY 5
LUCERNE

Breakfast at your hotel.  Imagine the ideal Swiss town and you've imagined Lucerne.  Medieval walls, a covered wooden bridge, and the Lion Monument are on the agenda of your morning sightseeing tour of this quaint city.

The remainder of the day is then free for personal activities. You might like to take an excursion to Mount Pilatus.  The perfect, unforgettable Mountain Circular tour by aerial cablecar and cogwheel railway, this excursion offers a superb view of Lucerne, its lake and the majestic panorama of surrounding Swiss Peaks.  Or you may wish to stroll along beautiful Lake Lucerne or the city's parks which are like gardens.  For the shoppers, browse along the streets to see chocolates and pastries arrayed as if they were jewels.  Good buys are of course watches, handcrafts, toys, cameras and chocolates.  Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

DAY 6
LUCERNE – OBERAMMERGAU

Breakfast at your hotel.  Today you will continue on to Oberammergau.  It is in the Bavarian Alps, and is known throughout the world for the Passion Play presented here every 10 years.  The advent of Hitler interrupted the performances, but they were resumed in 1950. The natives of the town are skilled wood carvers, and a school is maintained here for instruction in the art.  Upon arrival, time is free for you to take a leisurely stroll about the town. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

DAY 7
OBERAMMERGAU

Breakfast at your hotel.  Today you will have the exciting opportunity to see the 41st production of the Passion Play.

For the 41st time since 1634 Oberammergau is preparing to keep the solemn promise of their forefathers to reincarnate the life and bitter suffering of Our Lord.  A village in Ammertal is once again being dominated by its great play:  The Passion.  The pious and faithful loyalty to its tradition gives the village the strength to demonstrate once again that the play still has the same validity as 356 years ago and that it has become a unique event in Germany, not only of cultural significance.

In the year 1633 when the Black Plague stopped short of the little mountain village, the inhabitants took an oath that they would stage a performance of the Passion of Christ every ten years.  And the story goes that from that moment on, the village was spared from the black death.

Already in 1634 the inhabitants of Ammergau fulfilled their oath.  They kept their promise and performed the Passion Play every ten years right up to the present.  The Play depicts the story of Christ's Passion beginning with entry into Jerusalem and ending with the resurrection and transfiguration.

The performance will last an entire day.  It begins at 2:30 in the afternoon and will end at 10:30PM.  The evening dinner break lasts three hours from 5:00PM until 8:00PM.

The text for the Passion Play was written between 1850 and 1860 by the parish priest Alois Daisenberger from Oberammergau.  The Daisenberger version is the fourth largest text period in the 356 year history of the play.

The music for the Passion Play was written in 1815 by the Oberammergau school teacher Rochus Dedler.  Employing a large choir and orchestra, his compositions still compass the entire play today.

DAY 8
OBERAMMERGAU –  INNSBRUCK - VILLACH

Breakfast at your hotel.  Your first stop today is Innsbruck where you will be given a brief sightseeing tour before continuing on a beautiful drive through the Austrian countryside to Villach.  Villach is surrounded by the mountains of the Alps which are used for skiing in winter and hiking in summer.  Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

DAY 9
VILLACH – VIENNA

Breakfast at your hotel.  Another beautiful drive awaits you as you board your motorcoach for the drive to Vienna.  As capital of the small but prosperous and forward--looking Austrian Republic, its people and its ways have been changed but Vienna still retains its imperial monuments.  Vienna's charm consists of many elements.  This metropolis on the Danube has lovely green parks, fine shops, hotels and restaurants.  It also has some of the most incredibly beautiful Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo buildings in the world.  Upon arrival you are free to start enjoying this city of the waltz.

DAY 10
VIENNA

Breakfast at your hotel.  On your sightseeing tour today you will stop to view St. Stephen's Cathedral, an impressive Gothic structure, consecrated in 1147, it has a 448 foot spire and contains many art treasures.  You will also see the Ringstrasse and Town Hall and the elaborate Summer Palace of Schonbrunn.  This 1441 room palace in the suburbs of Vienna has little changed since the time of Maria Theresa.  The furnishings of the 40 rooms on view, the fountains, parks, and formal terraces make up a picture of unsurpassed elegance.

DAY 11
VIENNA – SALZBURG

Following breakfast you will board you coach for the drive to Salzburg.  An indefinable charm makes Salzburg one of the most beautiful cities of Europe.  A soft light bathes the shapes of its towers and churches in a wonderful setting.  It has the prestige of the Festival which draws lovers of classical music and above all, admirers of Mozart each year.  Its picturesque streets, with their wrought iron signs, its buildings inspired by bishops with a passion for construction, leave memories which linger for years.

Above the salt mines of Salzburg stand some of Austria's grandest treasures -- this is a city of art, music, folklore and culture.  You'll drive to Mozart's birthplace, then past the Cathedral and the Glockenspiel and finally visit the baroque Castle of Hellbrunn, once the country center for the Prince--Bishops of Salzburg.  The lovely grounds, noted for a stone theater and clever fountains, also contain a zoo. Dinner and overnight in Salzburg.

DAY 12
SALZBURG – MUNICH

Breakfast at your hotel.  Leaving Salzburg behind today, you travel to Munich, the city of the 1972 Summer Olympics.  The oldest name for this town is Munchen, meaning home of the monks.  Munich was, in fact, founded as a Benedictine monastery, but quickly developed into a center of trade in the 12th century.  Today Munich is important in industry, commerce, finance and the arts. Overnight in Munich

DAY 13
MUNICH

Breakfast at your hotel.  Munich froths with good German beer and Bavarian friendliness.  To capture that mood you'll start the day with a morning sightseeing tour -- a drive to Koenigsplatz, a view of the University, Odeons Square, and the Marienplatz with its neo--Gothic City Hall, boasting the famed glockenspiel.

DAY 14
MUNICH – U.S.A.

Breakfast at your hotel.  It is time to bid farewell to Munich and be transferred to the Munich Airport for your return flight home.

DON'T WAIT ANOTHER 10 YEARS!