Alpine Countries (ZF) - 2013

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15 days from Frankfurt to Frankfurt

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Visit the iconic Matterhorn in the heart of the Swiss Alps

Vacation Overview

Be prepared for one breathtaking view after another. This journey starts in Frankfurt and travels via medieval Rothenburg and Munich, where you will visit the Marienplatz, to Austria, where you have sightseeing tours with Local Guides in Salzburg and Vienna. Drive over Semmering Pass into the popular mountain resorts of Carinthia and enjoy an overnight stay in pretty Villach. A highlight is a visit to the world-famous Lipizzaner Stallion Stud Farm. The Dolomites, Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy, and Brenner Pass to Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol are scenic highlights. St. Moritz, Lake Como, and Lake Lugano are next. Enjoy a boat cruise across sparkling Lake Lugano and dinner with wine in a traditional “grotto” restaurant. Proceed to Lake Maggiore, Stresa, and then head over Simplon Pass to return to Switzerland, where you board a mountain train to Zermatt at the foot of the world-famous Matterhorn for your two-night stay. Via the Rhône Valley, Lake Geneva, Berne, Interlaken, and Brunig Pass, arrive in Lucerne for a relaxing two-night stay in this picturesque town. Your vacation is topped off by visits to the Rhine Falls, the Black Forest, and Heidelberg, Germany. Back in Frankfurt, a farewell dinner at a local restaurant celebrates the success of your vacation.

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Save $100 per person on select 2013 popular European departures.*

Receive a $200 per couple air credit on all 2013 Globus air-inclusive Europe vacations.*

*Book a 2013 Globus air-inclusive Europe (excluding Jordan) vacation to receive the $100 per person air credit. Must be booked, under deposit and discount applied between January 9 and June 25, 2013 for travel between January 9 and December 31, 2013. Not applicable on instant purchase air. Applies to coach class only. Air must be purchased through Globus in conjunction with a Europe tour. Air credit will apply to the per person air price and is non-transferable. Offers not valid with any other offer except Journeys Club Repeat Traveler benefit. Applies to new 2013 bookings only, and offer will not be applied to pre-existing bookings. An additional $300 non-refundable deposit is required for air booked in conjunction with a land vacation. Once airfare is confirmed and Globus has received your full air and land deposit, your air-inclusive price is guaranteed. Globus reserves the right to ticket passengers upon receipt of full land and air deposit; Any subsequent changes and/or revisions to airline reservations at your request after receipt of full land deposit are subject to revision fees and/or airline-imposed change or cancellation fees. These fees are a minimum of $300, and in some instances may be up to 100% of the ticket price. In addition, promotional discounts do not carry forward on changed air bookings. However, promotions in effect at the time of the change will apply. Total air price includes all government-imposed taxes and fees applicable at the time of booking. Air price, air tax and security fees are non-commissionable. Additional airline fees for baggage may apply. For the most current airline-imposed baggage fees, please check the following website, www.iflybags.com. Offer reliant on space availability. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.

FRANKFURT
Welcome dinner and a special farewell dinner with wine at a local restaurant

ROTHENBURG
Walking tour of the medieval city

MUNICH
Guided sightseeing, Marienplatz

SALZBURG
Guided walking tour, visit Mirabell Gardens and St. Peter’s Churchyard

VIENNA
Guided sightseeing, visit Schönbrunn Palace

PIBER
Visit the original Lipizzaner stallion stud farm

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO
Visit the Olympic skiing resort

INNSBRUCK
Walk through the Old Town to the Golden Roof

LUGANO
Boat cruise and dinner with wine in a grotto

LAKE MAGGIORE
Stop in the town of Stresa

TÄSCH–ZERMATT–TÄSCH
By mountain train

BERNE
Orientation, stop at the Bear Park

INTERLAKEN
Visit the Bernese Oberland resort

LUCERNE
Walking tour including the Lion Monument and the Chapel Bridge

SCHAFFHAUSEN
Visit the Rhine Falls

BLACK FOREST
Woodcarving demonstration

HEIDELBERG
Take pictures of the castle

Headsets throughout the tour

DAY 1Arrive in Frankfurt, Germany

Welcome to Frankfurt! 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

Drive along the Romantic Road to medieval Rothenburg—a picturesque, medieval walled town that is famous for Christmas ornaments. Continue to Munich, Bavaria’s proud capital. (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. An optional excursion to romantic Linderhof Castle, built by King Ludwig II, and the famous 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

Arrive in The Sound of Music 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. Then, continue through the scenic Salzkammergut Lakeland and along the Danube River to Vienna, once the center of the mighty Habsburg Empire. Tonight, you may wish to try out local specialties and Viennese entertainment. (Breakfast)

The Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg are considered to be one of the most beautiful Baroque gardens of Europe

The Belvedere gardens in Vienna, Austria

The Museum of Natural History in Vienna is one of the important museums of the world

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DAY 5Vienna

Your guided sightseeing of this impressive city features vistas of Prater Park with its giant Ferris wheel, and a drive along the Ringstrasse. 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 is at leisure. You can choose from exciting optional excursions. (Breakfast)

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

Visit Viennas famous ferris wheel, also known as the Riesenrad

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DAY 6Vienna–Villach

Start this morning with a visit to magnificent SCHÖNBRUNN PALACE, modeled after France’s Palace of Versailles. Enter Styria and enjoy a special visit to the world-famous LIPIZZANER STALLION STUD FARM in Piber, the place where these magnificent horses are bred and raised before they go to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Stay overnight in Villach. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Vienna, once the center of the mighty Habsburg Empire

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DAY 7Villach–Italian Dolomites–Innsbruck, Austria

Cross the Italian border and arrive in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Olympic skiing resort in the Dolomites, the Italian “Rocky Mountains.” 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)

A majestic view of the famous Italian Dolomites

Enjoy some time exploring the beautiful Innsbruck

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DAY 8Innsbruck–St. Moritz, Switzerland

Today’s focus is 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 is 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. Tonight, a special treat: enjoy a BOAT CRUISE across the sparkling lake and dinner with wine in a traditional “grotto” restaurant. (Breakfast, Dinner)

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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 enchanting Isola Bella can be arranged. Across 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)

View Switzerlands most famous landmark, the majestic Matterhorn

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

Today is your chance to enjoy an exciting optional ride on Europe’s highest rack railway to 10,272-foot Gornergrat Mountain for a spectacular view of the Matterhorn and the surrounding Alps. (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, an optional Swiss Dinner Party with yodeling and alphorn blowing is available. (Breakfast)

Enjoy the beautiful scenery while visiting Berne, Switzerland

The Lion Monument or the Lion of Lucerne, is a sculpture in Lucerne, 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 impressive 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, renowned for its cuckoo clocks, and enjoy a WOODCARVING DEMONSTRATION on your way to Heidelberg, well known for its red-walled castle. Tonight, a special farewell dinner with wine at a local restaurant awaits you 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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Transportation

Motorcoach with free Wi-Fi; boat cruise; mountain train

FRANKFURT Sheraton Congress (F)
MUNICH Holiday Inn Munich City Centre (F)
VIENNA Mercure Grand Hotel Biedermeier (F)
VILLACH Holiday Inn (F)
INNSBRUCK Maximilian Stadthaus Penz (F)
ST. MORITZ Laudinella (F)
LUGANO Novotel Lugano Paradiso (F)
ZERMATT Pollux (F)
LUCERNE Grand Hotel Europe (F)

Full buffet breakfast daily; 9 three-course dinners, including a welcome dinner in Frankfurt and special dinners with wine in Lugano and Frankfurt

Four Ways Globus Eliminates the Hassles

VIP Access
Skip the lines and get special treatment at the must-see attractions.

Perfect Hotels
We’ve done the work to find just the right hotels in just the right locations.

Tour Directors
Take your heads out of the guidebook and let expert guides make every destination fascinating.

Transportation
Leave the navigating to us – and just sit back and enjoy the ride.

View Offer

Save $100 per person on select 2013 popular European departures.*

Receive a $200 per couple air credit on all 2013 Globus air-inclusive Europe vacations.*

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The following UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be seen or visited on the Alpine Countries:

Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg
Historic Centre of Vienna
Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn
The Dolomites
Old City of Berne

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