Tour: ZF - 2012 (ZF) - 2012 / 2013

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Itinerary

DAY 1Arrive in Frankfurt, Germany

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

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DAY 2Frankfurt–Rothenburg–Munich

Focus on Germany’s Romantic Road leading to the Alps. Walk through medieval Rothenburg with its ramparts and towers, and continue to Munich. (Breakfast)

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Watch Tower along the Romantic Road

"Roses and candlelight dinners weren’t top-of-mind when the German tourism experts invented the Romantic Road, a route through western Bavaria starting in baroque Würzburg in the north and ending in Füssen near the Austrian border. The name came from the German Romantics, who formed an early 19th century school of philosophy, literature and art that prized beauty and the emotions over the rationalist thinking of the Enlightenment. For the visitor to the Romantic Road, that means sitting back and simply enjoying the beauty of the dozen medieval and baroque towns along the route."

"Munich, Germany's Secret Capital"

"Munich is the only German metropolis that seems to have everything – wealth, beauty, prominence, fame. Some even call it Germany’s “secret capital.” Unlike Berlin, which some dub “architecturally challenged,” Munich bursts with historical buildings reconstructed after the devastation of World War II. Its grand Residenz, the former home of Bavarian kings, dominates the city center, which also boasts the flamboyant, gilded Cuvillié Theater. Nearby, the neo-gothic Neues Rathaus gives a medieval touch to the Marienplatz, the heart of Munich. "

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DAY 3Munich

Sightseeing with a Local Guide in Germany’s “Secret Capital” includes the Olympic Stadium, 1,000-foot-high Television Tower, Nymphenburg Palace, MARIENPLATZ with the Old and the New Town Halls, and the gothic Frauenkirche. Afternoon at leisure. An optional excursion to Linderhof Castle and the Passion Play village of Oberammergau is available. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Nymphenburg Palace in Munich was the summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria

Oberammergau

"Promises to God are notoriously hard to keep. The townspeople of Oberammergau in the Bavarian Alps have not only kept their renaissance promise, they’ve turned it into euros and cents. Flashback to 1633. Oberammergau was a stop on the market road between Augsburg and Venice. When the plague hit, the town elders swore to heaven: Protect us and we’ll do a play about Jesus’ crucifixion every ten years. The first began in 1634. Today the village of Oberammergau lives because of theater. Half of the 5,400 residents break a leg in the Passionsspiel, performed in years ending in zero from May to October."

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DAY 4Munich–Salzburg, Austria–Vienna

Through southern Bavaria to the Austrian border and on to Salzburg. Your walking tour with a Local Guide features the historic center of Mozart’s hometown, exquisite MIRABELL GARDENS, the Great Festival Hall, ST. PETER’S CHURCHYARD, and the monumental Domplatz. Evening arrival in Vienna, once the center of the mighty Habsburg Empire. Tonight, you may wish to try out local specialties and Viennese entertainment. (Breakfast)

Vienna, once the center of the mighty Habsburg Empire

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DAY 5Vienna

Start your guided sightseeing with a visit to magnificent SCHÖNBRUNN PALACE. Next, enjoy vistas of Prater Park with its giant Ferris wheel, and the United Nations City on the banks of the Danube River. Then, drive along Ring Boulevard, pass the State Opera House, the Jewish quarter, and stop at the Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Austrian Imperial family. Marvel at the impressive courtyards, famous Heldenplatz, and awesome St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Afternoon at leisure. Optional excursions are available. (Breakfast)

Visit Viennas famous ferris wheel, also known as the Riesenrad

View the Romanesque and Gothic architecture of St. Stephen’s Cathedral

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DAY 6Vienna–Villach

Drive south across scenic Semmering Pass and through peaceful crossroad towns in Styria to the popular resorts of Carinthia. Overnight in Villach. (Breakfast, Dinner)

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DAY 7Villach–Italian Dolomites–Innsbruck, Austria

Drive via Iselsberg Pass to the Italian border and to Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Olympic skiing resort in the Dolomites. Then, via Tre Croci Pass and Lake Misurina to Brunico and across Brenner Pass to Innsbruck in the Tyrolean Alps. Stroll through its medieval lanes to Emperor Maximilian’s GOLDEN ROOF. Why not join an optional Tyrolean song-and-dance show? (Breakfast, Dinner)

Enjoy some time exploring the beautiful Innsbruck

A majestic view of the famous Italian Dolomites

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DAY 8Innsbruck–St. Moritz, Switzerland

Into the Swiss Engadine. See deep-blue lakes, airy larch forests, mountain peaks exceeding 12,000 feet, and quaint villages with massive white stone houses in the characteristic Grisons style. Afternoon free in ritzy St. Moritz. (Breakfast, Dinner)

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DAY 9St. Moritz–Lugano

Descend towards the Italian Lake Como and continue on to the southern tip of Switzerland to the resort town of Lugano, with time for an espresso on Piazza Riforma and a refreshing walk in the shade of Parco Ciani’s magnificent old trees. (Breakfast)

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Lake Como in Lombardy is the third largest lake in Italy

"Lake Como has been drawing celebrities since the early 1800s such Romantic poets and bohemian high-flyers Caroline of Brunswick, who built the sumptuous Villa d’Este in 1815 – now a five-star hotel. Even before that, Italian nobles built splendid estates here as their summer homes; many are now tourist attractions, such as the Villa Carlotta and the Villa del Balbianello. The latter was featured in [episode two of Star Wars, Attack of the Clones]. The fascist dictator Mussolini summered in Lake Como for years, and retreated here when World War II was going badly, hoping to escape to Switzerland. In the end, he failed and was executed by Italian partisans."

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DAY 10Lugano–Lake Maggiore, Italy–Zermatt, Switzerland

From Lake Lugano to Lake Maggiore for a break in elegant Stresa. An optional boat ride to the enchanting Isola Bella can be arranged. On over lofty Simplon Pass into the Swiss Valais, an area renowned for its great mountain resorts. In Täsch, board a MOUNTAIN TRAIN to climb the last few miles up to Zermatt, a picturesque cluster of rustic chalets beneath the Matterhorn. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Isola Bella

"Isola Bella. Beautiful Island. Rising out of the waters of Lake Maggiore in Northern Italy, a gardener’s paradise awaits. When Count Carlo Borromeo decided to give his wife, Isabella, a gift back in 1632, he was thinking big. The expansive island villa and garden he planned for her are considered the epitome of Baroque-style architecture and garden design. With terraces built straight to the water’s edge, the island appears as if it is a floating flowering ship. Many of the rooms are of notable historical interest, like the Music Room, where Mussolini hosted the Stresa Conference in 1935 that should have ensured peace in Europe, and Napoleon’s Room, where he often stayed in the company of Giuseppina Beauharnais."

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DAY 11At Leisure in Zermatt

A day to relax or you may wish to ride Europe’s highest rack-railway to 10,272-foot Gornergrat. (Breakfast)

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DAY 12Zermatt–Berne–Interlaken–Lucerne

Through the vineyards and apricot groves of the lower Rhône Valley to Lake Geneva and via the dairy country of Gruyère to the Swiss capital, Berne. See the monumental Federal Palace during your orientation and stop at the BEAR PARK before continuing via Interlaken, a Bernese Oberland resort beneath the towering Jungfrau, and across Brünig Pass to Lucerne. Tonight, you may wish to sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing. (Breakfast)

Enjoy the beautiful scenery while visiting Berne, Switzerland

The Chapel Bridge in Lucerne, Switzerland

Lake Geneva

Stretching along Switzerland’s southern border with France, Lake Geneva (also called Lac Leman by the Swiss) is the largest lake in Europe. It’s pristine shores support a strong fresh water fishing industry. Some would argue that it offers the most beautiful views of any waterway. They are jaw-droppingly amazing; especially the snow capped Jura Alps across the lake from Montreux and Vevey. The temperatures are moderate along the lake in winter; most of the weather takes place in the mountains. In summer numerous music festivals and artistic events are held in towns along the lake, especially Lausanne, the third most popular city for travelers in Switzerland, next to Zurich and Geneva. It is a sophisticated artist’s haven and the city where T.S. Eliot lived when he wrote “The Wasteland.”

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DAY 13Lucerne

On your walking tour, admire Thorwaldsen’s LION MONUMENT and ornate patrician houses of the walled Old Town, then cross the famous CHAPEL BRIDGE to the Jesuit church. Afterwards, shop for Swiss watches and choose from our optional activities: climb a mountain by cable car or take a cruise on the fjord-like lake. (Breakfast, Dinner)

The iconic Chapel Bridge in Lucerne is the oldest wooden bridge in Europe

Lion Monument

“The Lion of Lucerne” (Lowendenkmal) is a compelling statue in the north section of Old Town dedicated to the 42 members of the Swiss Guard who were assigned to protect Louis the XVI, Maria Antoinette and their family at the Royal Palace. When the Tuileries was stormed on August 10, 1792 by rioting Parisians at the start of the French Revolution, the king ordered the soldiers to lay down their arms. They were subsequently slaughtered by the crowd and the royal family was captured. Louis had made a big mistake. In 1821 Danish sculpture Berthel Thorwaldsen finished the sculpture, a 30-foot likeness of a wounded and dying lion with a broken lance in its heart and his paw resting atop the fleur-de-lys shield of the Bourbon king. The Latin inscription translated “To the bravery and fidelity of the Swiss.”

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DAY 14Lucerne–Heidelberg, Germany–Frankfurt

On the way back to Germany, visit the thundering RHINE FALLS at Schaffhausen. Enter the pine-clad hills of the Black Forest, and enjoy a WOODCARVING DEMONSTRATION on your way to Heidelberg, well known for its red-walled castle. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner to celebrate the success of your vacation. (Breakfast, Dinner)

The Black Forest in southwestern Germany

Mark Twain's Heidelberg

"“One thinks Heidelberg by day – with its surroundings – is the last possibility of the beautiful; but when he sees Heidelberg by night, a fallen Milky Way, with that glittering railway constellation pinned to the border, he requires time to consider upon the verdict.” Mark Twain wrote this ode to Heidelberg in his humorous travel book, “A Tramp Abroad” (1880). During the three months that Twain spent in the city in 1878, many of his recorded experiences aren’t entirely dissimilar from activities that travelers and residents still enjoy today. He gazed out over the Nektar River; strolled across the Old Bridge; and watched university students dueling in a tavern."

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DAY 15Frankfurt

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (Breakfast)

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