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Day 2 • Cologne
Day 4 •Rhine
Day 6 •Tüebingen
Day 8 • Mozart
Day 11 • Vienna
Day 1 • Departure from the USA
We start our journey to Europe with a flight to Frankfurt, Germany.
Day 2 • Frankfurt/Cologne
Upon arrival to Cologne, we are met by our friendly Signature Tours International Manager who takes us on a panoramic city tour en route to our hotel. We see such sites as the Cologne Dom, which took more than 600 years to complete. We also view Historisches Rathaus, the Historic town hall dating back to 1407. We have time at leisure before dinner and overnight in Cologne.
Day 3 • Cologne Cathedral
Day 5 • Heidelberg Castle
Day 3 • Cologne/Bonn/Cologne
We begin our day with a guided sightseeing tour of Cologne, including entrance to the Cologne Cathedral. The Cathedral is home to the relics of the Magi, a gift given to the city of Cologne by Frederick Barbarossa in 1164. There is free time for lunch on our own before an afternoon excursion to Bonn where we see Bonn University. Pope Benedict XVI was a professor here from 1959 to1963. We also visit the birth home of Ludwig Von Beethoven. Born in 1770, he grew up in Bonn in the area around the church of St. Remigius. At age 13, he was already an accomplished musician, playing violin, viola and harpsichord. We transfer back to Cologne for dinner and the night.
Day 4 • Cologne/Ruedesheim/Heidelberg
Today we transfer to St. Goar where we board a Rhine River Cruise to Ruedesheim. Lunch is served en route. Upon arrival in Ruedesheim, we board our motor coach for the ride to Heidelberg. We notice upon arrival that Heidelberg is the most beautiful town in Germany, rich in history and German culture, with an international outlook and a warm welcome. Dinner and the night are in Heidelberg.
Day 5 • Heidelberg
Our day begins with a sightseeing tour of Heidelberg, including entrance to the Heidelberg Castle. The Heidelberg Castle is one of Germany’s most romantic locations, with a long and turbulent history. First constructed in the early 15th century as a residence for the Palatine princes, it was destroyed twice during war times and was once struck by lightening. Stones have even been removed to construct other buildings, thus it has a variety of architectural styles. There is free time for lunch and an afternoon at leisure to experience Heidelberg on your own. Take a walk down the Hauptstrausse and enjoy the shopping or crepes!! We have dinner and stay the night in Heidelberg.
Day 6 • Heidelberg/Tuebingen/Oberammergau
Departing Heidelberg, we travel to Tüebingen where we stop at the University. Pope Benedict XVI was a professor at the University in Tüebingen from 1966 to 1969. There is free time for lunch before we transfer to Oberammergau for the highlight of our trip. Dinner and the night are in Oberammergau.
Day 7 • Passion Play
Day 7 • Oberammergau/PASSION PLAY
Today is the day we have all been waiting for! This small town of peasants and craftsmen, encircled by the wooded foothills of the Ammergau, owes its fame to the internationally renowned Passion Play. Performed only once every ten years, and involving 1,100 amateur actors from the local population, this play, re-enacting the final days of Christ, lasts an entire summer’s day. This is sure to be a day we will never forget. Dinner and the night are spent in Oberammergau
Day 8 • Oberammergau/Salzburg
After an unforgettable day in Oberammergau, we board our motor coach for Salzburg, where upon arrival we have a guided sightseeing tour, including entrance to Mozart’s Birthplace. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756. By 1770, at the age of 14, Mozart already had behind him a career and volumes of music that more than one composer might envy. Mozart died on December 6, 1791 at the age of 35. Dinner and the night are in Salzburg.
Day 9 •Shrine of Altoetting
Day 9 • Salzburg/Marktl Am Inn/Altoetting/Salzburg
Today we have a full-day excursion to Marktl am Inn, the birthplace of Pope Benedict XVI. While in Marktl am Inn we visit the Shrine of Altoetting. Pope Benedict XVI was born in Marktl on April 16th, 1927 and baptized the same day. The baptismal font is located in the town's small museum. The Shrine of Altoetting depicts the Virgin Mother and the Christ Child. According to history, the Shrine has the power to heal. We have free time for lunch before a late afternoon transfer back to Salzburg for dinner and the night.
Day 10 • Salzburg/Mariazell
Boarding our motor coach, we transfer to Mariazell, where we visit the Shrine of Mariazell. The story of the shrine begins in 1157, when a Benedictine monk left his abbey to retire in the wilderness, taking a statue of the Virgin and Child with him. The story states that he could no longer walk because the forest was too thick. He prayed to the Virgin for help, and soon after that, the bush and the rocks opened up to make way for him. Written records of pilgrimages dating back to the fifteenth century mention that people saw the statue’s face, eyes and lips moving as if it were alive. There is free time for lunch and an afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight are in Mariazell
Day 12 • St. Stephen's Cathedral
Day 11 • Mariazell/Vienna
Today we travel to Vienna, which, since ancient times, has been a crossroads of European significance and is known to have been a city of choice for many famous musicians. We enjoy free time for lunch and an afternoon at leisure to explore Vienna. We then have dinner and spend the night in Vienna.
Day 12 • Vienna
The day begins with a sightseeing tour including a visit to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, with origins dating back to the middle of the 12th century. We also tour Schönbrunn Palace, built by Emperor Leopold I for his son, Josef I. Marie-Antoinette spent her childhood here. It was in the concert room that Mozart, at the age of 6, astonished the empress and her courtiers with his amazing talents. Later, in the castle’s little theater, the prodigy directed his opera Der Schauspieldirecktor in 1786. In 1805 and 1809, Napoleon I set up his headquarters in Schönbrunn. There is free time for lunch and an afternoon at leisure for more individual exploration. Tonight we gather for a Farewell Dinner and our final night in Vienna.
Day 13 • Vienna/Hometown, U.S.A.
We transfer to Vienna Airport for our return flight to the U.S., taking with us many fun memories to share with friends and family back at home!!