Southern Germany, The Austrian Lake District, The Alps, and Northern Italy
Topic: Tour CalendarSeptember 10 to 20, 2007
Featuring highlights from The Sound of Music and visits to Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Verona, and Milan.
Day 1 ~ Monday, September 10 - Departure
The big day has arrived at last! Check in at your airport for the overnight flight across the Atlantic and on to Germany!
Day 2 ~ Tuesday, September 11 - Munich, Erding
Guten Tag! We've just touched down at Munich's Franz Josef Strauss Airport. Our Charlotte travelers are scheduled to arrive a couple of hours ahead of the Washington D.C. contingent. Each group will be met at the Arrivals Hall. When we're all together, we'll transfer into the city. The capital of Bavaria, Munich took a severe beating in World War II. Many of its buildings have been restored and today is considered one of the most photogenic cities in Europe. We'll have a get-acquainted tour followed by free time for lunch and independent exploration. In the middle of the afternoon, we'll transfer to the nearby town of Erding for an overnight stay. There will be time to get settled and rest before dinner is served.
Day 3 ~ Wednesday, September 12 - Chiemsee, Herreninsel, St. Leonhard
After breakfast, travel south and east to Chiemsee, the largest lake in Bavaria. A boat ride takes us from Prien out to the island of Herreninsel where we'll find Herrenchiemsee, one of the castles built by "Mad King Ludwig." After a tour of the opulent castle and time for lunch, we'll return to the mainland and travel into Austria. We'll check in at the hotel in St. Leonhard for dinner and a three-night stay.
Day 4 ~ Thursday, September 13 - Salzburg, St. Leonhard
Rise and shine! We're off on a full-day excursion to nearby Salzburg, known the world over not only for its connections with Mozart, but also for the hugely popular Sound of Music. En route into the city, we'll stop for views of Leopoldskorn—a combination of this mansion and Schloss Frohnberg (now the Mozarteum Music Academy) was used as the Von Trapp family home in the classic 1965 film. On our walking tour, we'll visit Mirabell Gardens—the setting for "Do-Re-Mi," and we'll also walk into St. Peter's Churchyard, a replica of which was used in the cemetery scene. After that, we'll have some free time to explore other landmarks of Salzburg, such as the Hohensalzburg Fortress and Mozart's Birthplace—and we'll do some shopping. On our way back to St. Leonhard, we'll stop to tour Hellbrunn Castle and its lovely gardens.
Day 5 ~ Friday, September 14 - Austrian Lake District, St. Leonhard
Surrounded by the spectacular scenery that served as a backdrop for The Sound of Music, we'll travel into the Salzkammergut—the Austrian Lake District. Our first stop is Mondsee, site of Nonberg Abbey, where Maria was a novice and where she and Baron Von Trapp were married. Then we'll continue to Hallstatt, thought to be the oldest village in Austria. We'll have time to wander through the narrow streets with their charming jumble of old buildings, shop for Austrian handcrafts, or visit St. Michaelskapelle with its creepy charnel house. Before heading home to St. Leonhard, we'll tour the breathtaking Dachstein Giant Ice Caves.
Day 6 ~ Saturday, September 15 - Rattenberg, Wattens, Innsbruck
Travel into the Austrian Tyrol to visit the little medieval town of Rattenberg. We'll have time to browse in the shops specializing in leaded glass. After our stop, we'll continue to Wattens to visit the Swarovski Crystal Factory. For over a hundred years this location has been producing some of the world's most celebrated crystal sculptures, jewelry, and other fine pieces. Our home for the night will be in the handsome provincial capital, Innsbruck. Upon arrival, we'll check in at our hotel and have dinner.
Day 7 ~ Sunday, September 16 - Verona
After time for devotions at the hotel, we'll travel south over the Brenner Pass and into the Italian Dolomites. Continue via Bolzano and Trento to Verona of Romeo and Juliet fame. Verona was also the birthplace of the Roman poet Catullus and the town takes pride in the preservation of a splendid Roman amphitheater still used for summer concerts. We'll check in at a local hotel for a three-night stay in this ancient town. Dinner will be served at a restaurant near the hotel this evening.
Day 8 ~ Monday, September 17 - Venice, Verona
Another beautiful day in Europe is ahead of us! A morning drive takes us to the Tronchetto where we'll board a vaporetto—a water taxi—to Venice. Built on 117 islands, intertwined with 150 canals, and linked with 400 bridges, Venice is a truly magical place. After a get-acquainted briefing, we'll have a break for independent exploration and lunch. Then we'll pick up a local guide for a walking tour including visits to the Doges' Palace and St. Mark's Basilica. After our tour, arrangements will be made—and a price negotiated—for those who would like to take a gondola cruise. In the late afternoon, we'll return to Verona.
Day 9 ~ Tuesday, September 18 - Sirmione, Lake Garda, Verona
Verona is best known as the setting of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." We'll visit Juliet's Balcony on our walking tour this morning. We'll also visit the Arena, among the largest in the Roman world. An afternoon excursion is planned to Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. We'll also visit the charming resort of Sirmione, home to famous sulfer springs, rumored to have healing powers for certain conditions. Back in Verona for the evening, we'll dine in a restaurant near our hotel.
Day 10 ~ Wednesday, September 19 - Milan
Our last full day in Europe, and it's going to be a great one! A morning drive takes us via Brescia and into Milan. If reservations can be made, we'll visit Santa Maria delle Grazie to see Leonardo DaVinci's The Last Supper. Then we'll transfer to the Piazza Duomo for our lunch break. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, on the north side of the Piazza Duomo, may be the world's oldest covered shopping mall. In the afternoon, we'll visit the Duomo and the famed La Scala opera house. Following check-in at our hotel, we'll enjoy a festive farewell dinner.
Day 11 ~ Thursday, September 20 - Return
All too soon, it's time to head for home! After breakfast, we'll transfer to Milan's Malpensa Airport to board our planes for the trip back to the US. Washington, D.C. passengers will connect through Frankfurt while those returning to Charlotte will change planes in Munich. We hope your tour has been everything you imagined—and much, much more!
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