"I would like to commend you for the driver (Rhine) and guide (Ellen). They went out of their way to accommodate the group. Their actions made the trip outstanding. Thank you."
Bobbie Slusher, Southern Germany, the Austrian Lake District, the Alps, and Northern Italy Tour
"We were very pleased with the services we received from Witte Travel. They were very helpful in making our special arrangements, giving us suggestions, and making all the arrangements so we could go on our vacation ‘worry free’."
Joan Konyndyk, Lucas Family Vacation
Bobbie Slusher, Southern Germany, the Austrian Lake District, the Alps, and Northern Italy Tour
"We were very pleased with the services we received from Witte Travel. They were very helpful in making our special arrangements, giving us suggestions, and making all the arrangements so we could go on our vacation ‘worry free’."
Joan Konyndyk, Lucas Family Vacation
West Michigan Christian Chorale
Topic: Tour Calendar June 12 to 22, 2008
Join choir students, choir alumni, parents, and friends of the West Michigan Christian school community in an amazing European performance tour! The tour will be led by four Grand Rapids area Christian high school choir directors from Calvin Christian High School, Grand Rapids Christian High School, South Christian High School, and Unity Christian High School, and it is open to anyone interested in coming along as a singer or a non-singer. The Chorale will visit Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, and Austria, performing five concerts along the way.
June 2008
Day 1 ~ 12, Thursday - Departure
The day of departure has arrived! We’ll travel by motorcoach from Grand Rapids to Detroit’s Metropolitan Airport where we’ll check in for our overnight flight across the Atlantic. We’re on our way to Europe!Day 2 ~ 13, Friday - Frankfurt, Maastricht (the Netherlands)
Good morning! We have just touched down at Rhein-Main Airport, located near Frankfurt, Germany. Following customs formalities, we’ll meet our tour manager. On board our motorcoach, we’ll travel north and west via Limburg towards Cologne. We’ll be returning to this majestic Rhineland capital on Sunday. For now, we’ll drive around the city and on to the Netherlands. Soon we’ll be in Maastricht, the oldest fortified city in the Netherlands and the cosmopolitan capital of the province of Limburg. Upon arrival, we’ll meet our host families and transfer to their homes for dinner and a two-night stay.Day 3 ~ 14, Saturday - Margraten, Maastricht
After a good night’s sleep, we’re ready to do some exploring. We’ll visit the nearby Netherlands American Cemetery at Margraten this morning, where rows and rows of white crosses mark the graves of soldiers who lost their lives in WWII. This afternoon we’ll return to Maastricht. Our walking tour includes views of the Vrijthof, St. Servatius’ Basilica and Treasury, and Grote Looiersstraat. Following some free time to look around, we’ll have an early dinner. This evening we’ll give our first concert performance at a church in the Maastricht area.Day 4 ~ 15, Sunday - Cologne, Aachen, Rhine River, Ladenburg (Germany)
Bid farewell to our host families as we depart the Netherlands and cross the German border. We’ll participate in a morning worship service at a church in Aachen or nearby. Our travels will then take us to Cologne to see its massive, twin-towered Cathedral. Also see the Old Town Hall, the Jewish Quarter, the Neumarkt, and St. Maria im Kapitol. This afternoon we’ll embark on a relaxing Rhine River cruise, enjoying views of vineyards and ancient castle ruins as we float along. End the day in Ladenburg, a suburb of Heidelberg.Day 5 ~ 16, Monday - Heidelberg, Strasbourg (France)
This morning we’ll visit Heidelberg, the seat of Germany’s most famous university since 1386. Here we’ll tour Heidelberg Castle and enjoy a lovely view over the old city and the Neckar River. In town we’ll see the Church of the Holy Spirit, the Knight’s House, and Heidelberg University. We’ll also perform a midday concert. Our travels will then take us across the French border to Strasbourg, located in the area known as the Alsace. The culture of this region is a unique blending of French and Germanic influences. We’ll have a sightseeing tour of Strasbourg that includes a visit to the impressive cathedral, followed by time to explore the Old Town and have independent dinner.Day 6 ~ 17, Tuesday - Colmar, Seelisberg (Switzerland)
Today we’ll visit Colmar, the capital of Upper Alsace. Here we’ll visit the “Little Venice” district with its half-timbered houses that overlook flower-lined canals and visit the Unterlinden Museum, which houses Mathias Grunewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece and is the most visited museum in France after the Louvre. Also visit the Bartholodi Museum, honoring the native son who created the Statue of Liberty. This afternoon we’ll cross the Swiss border to reach Seelisberg near Lucerne.Day 7 ~ 18, Wednesday - Mount Pilatus, Lucerne, Seelisberg
An excursion to Mount Pilatus awaits today! We’ll ascend this magnificent mountain, a major attraction in the Swiss Alps, via the world’s steepest cogwheel railway to experience breathtaking views. Our return trip will be by cable car and we’ll spend the rest of the afternoon in the charming city of Lucerne. Here we’ll see the Old Town Hall, the Lion’s Monument, and the attractive covered bridge called the Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), followed by time to look around and have independent dinner. Return to Seelisberg for the night.Day 8 ~ 19, Thursday - Bregenz (Austria), Oberammergau (Germany)
Travel across the Austrian border and make a stop in Bregenz, which is situated on the lovely Lake Constance (Bodensee). Continue to Germany where our destination is Oberammergau, a delightful village known for its Passion Play that is performed every ten years and draws spectators from around the world. We’ll have a chance to see intricate murals painted on buildings and browse the many woodcarving shops before checking in at the hotel. Perform a concert in one of Oberammergau’s concert halls this evening.Day 9 ~ 20, Friday - Ettal, Innsbruck, St. Leonhard (Austria)
Today we’ll travel to nearby Ettal to visit Linderhof Castle, one of King Ludwig’s creations. With its beautifully manicured grounds, it is a delight for visitors. We’ll make a stop in the Austrian city of Innsbruck, the capital and heart of the province of Tyrol, and continue to our hotel in St. Leonhard near Salzburg. Following hotel check-in and dinner, we’ll transfer to Salzburg for an evening walking tour. This musical city always enchants visitors with its picturesque setting.Day 10 ~ 21, Saturday - Salzburg, Munich (Germany)
Our morning sightseeing tour of Salzburg’s Old Town includes St. Peter’s Church and churchyard, a beautiful cemetery at the base of the rock wall of the Mönchsberg, and a visit to Mozart’s Birthplace, which houses mementos of the great composer’s life. We’ll perform an informal midday concert in Salzburg. This afternoon we’ll travel to Munich where we’ll walk through the Old Town and see its famous Glockenspiel. Our overnight stay will be in a small town near Munich and we’ll have a farewell dinner at the hotel.Day 11 ~ 22, Sunday - Return
After breakfast, we’ll transfer to the Munich Airport to check in for our flight back to Detroit. After clearing customs, we’ll be motorcoached back to Grand Rapids. We hope the Western Michigan Christian Chorale’s 2008 European Concert Tour has been all that you imagined—and more!| CONTACT US: for more information regarding this tour or to have the brochure mailed to you |
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