Grand Europe - Highlights of 6 countries - 21 days

Transcription

1 Grand Europe - Highlights of 6 countries - 21 days the tour includes: Beautiful Dresden, Wroclaw, Prague, Venice, Vienna, Zurich Top of Europe Day 1: Arrival Frankfurt - A The skyline, the modern landmark of this business metropolis, welcomes you upon arrival. In the city center there are located in a very narrow space the so called Roemer (town hall), the cathedral, St. Paul's Church and Goethe House. All within sight of the modern banking district. On the other riverside there popular museums string together. While strolling through the city's shopping centers, you should visit one of the many outdoor cafes that make up the charm of the city. Day 2: Guided tour Frankfurt - F This morning, you will go on a city tour in Frankfurt. The tour guide presents you the modern city at first on your own coach, passing all major sights (financial district, fair, Palm Garden, Stock Market, Zeil, former guardhouse, Alt-Sachsenhausen, Main station, Old Opera) and during a 20 min. walking tour in the Old Town. The modern buildings contrast very attractively with historical sights. Day 3: Frankfurt - Eisenach - F/A World-famous and easily to be reached from all directions, Eisenach marks Germany's center. Everybody has Wartburg Castle in mind first while thinking about Eisenach. But the city has much more to offer, e.g. the domain of Saint Elizabeth. In the south of Eisenach, there are villa colonies that originated at the end of the 19th century and give the city a special charm. Day 4: Wartburg Castle and guided tour Eisenach - F The nearly one thousand year old castle and magnificent residence is not only a fortified fortress, but above all a witness of German history. Whether the life and work of St. Elizabeth or Martin Luther's translation of the New Testament, all this and more gives Wartburg Castle its special attraction. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since In the city center, important personalities have left their footprint: In 1498 Martin Luther visited the local Latin school to perfect his latin language, as well as his singing voice. The Lutherhaus is a multimedia museum with a parsonage archive and a bible café. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach. In the Bach house you get insights into the life and work of the great musician. Goethe - Fährüberfahrten: - 90 min. Small cruise on lake Zurich - 14 x Overnights incl. buffet breakfast - 6 x Overnights incl. half board - Half board as 3-course dinner or buffet - SRG-Premium Category and Superior SRG-Premium Category Hotels - Rooms with shower or bathtub/wc - 1 x 2 hrs guided city tour Frankfurt on your coach incl. walk to Romer - 1 x Admission and 1 hr visit Wartburg Castle incl. photo permission - 1 x 3,5 hrs guided city tour Eisenach - 1 x Admission Bach house Eisenach - 1 x Admission permanent exhibition Luther house, Eisenach - 1 x 4 hrs guided city tour Berlin - 1 x Berlin speciality Currywurst (curry sausage) with bread after the city tour - 1 x 2 hrs guided city tour Dresden - 1 x 3 hrs guided city tour Prague - 1 x 1 hr cruise on Moldau river incl. refreshing drink - 1 x Half day excursion from/to Prague - 1 x Admission Melnik Castle incl. tasting of 4 wines - 1 x 2 hrs guided city tour Wroclaw - 1 x Admission Wroclaw Cathedral incl. audio system - 1 x 3 hrs guided tour concentration camp memorial Auschwitz - 1 x 2 hrs guided city tour Krakow - 1 x Admission Punkva caves incl. visit and boat ride - 1 x Tourist train ride to the Punkva caves - 1 x 6 hrs guided city tour Vienna - 1 x Admission Schoenbrunn Palace 44 rooms - 1 x Boat shuttle guests and 1 luggage pc each Tronchetto-Hotel Venice - 1 x 4 hrs guided city tour Venice - 1 x Boat shuttle guests and 1 luggage pc each Hotel Venice-Tronchetto - 1 x Mountain railway ride Grindelwald Grund Jungfraujoch - Lauterbrunnen - 1 x 3 hrs guided city tour Zurich (combination walking and on your coach) - 1 x Admission Black Forest Open Air Museum Vogtsbauernhof - 1 x 1 hr guided tour Black Forest Open Air Museum Vogtsbauernhof - 1 x Visit Eble Clock Park with Biggest Cuckoo Clock of the World - City tax - Coach hire excluded

2 visited Eisenach several times, as well. Day 5: Eisenach - Berlin - F Welcome to the German capital! Berlin, as the cultural, political and historical center of Germany, is one of the most prestigious travel destinations among the world's metropolises. It's not just history to touch, countless shopping opportunities for trendsetters can be found in Berlin, as well. The vibrant city offers something for everybody's taste! Lots of cultural highlights are also waiting for you. Day 6: Guided tour Berlin - F Today you will get to know Berlin during a city tour. The metropolis has changed rapidly in the years after reunification. So it is difficult to even find remnants of the divided city, today. The wall can be seen in a few places in the city, only. The old quarters, such as Prenzlauer Berg and Mitte, have already partially been beautifully restored. A lively nightlife has arrived here. Many people from all parts of the republic live here, now. But also the new Berlin is something special. There are the new embassies, the ministries, the redesign of the Potsdamer Platz and Pariser Platz at Brandenburg Gate, the new Friedrichstrasse and the changed design of the Gendarmenmarkt with many new restaurants and shops. Last but not least, the Reichstag and the new Federal Chancellery are eye-catchers of a special kind. Day 7: Berlin - Dresden - F In the early afternoon you will arrive in Dresden. There your guide is waiting for a city tour in beautyful "Florence on the Elbe river". You will see the City museum, Elbe Palaces, Theatre Square, courtyard of Zwinger Palace and much more. Day 8: Dresden - Prague - F/A After arriving in Prague, you will attend to the local sights. Starting with a small tour on your coach, you will stroll through the narrow picturesque streets of the old town, then. Your route will take you past the Old Town Hall with the astronomical clock to Charles Bridge with a short stop at the popular statue of John of Nepomuk, where you can make a wish that will hopefully come true. Your tour finally ends at Wenceslas Square, which forms the center of the new town. Day 9: Excursion to Melnik - F From Prague, today's excursion will take you to beautiful Melnik. The charming town lies at the confluence of the Moldau and Elbe rivers and is known for its wine growing. Here you can now look back on more than 1000 years old wine tradition. The landmark of Melnik is the imposing castle in Renaissance style. Once, the site was considered the widow's seat of Bohemian queens. After the visit, a

3 wine tasting awaits you in the castle cellar. Day 10: Prague - Wroclaw - F Today you will get to know the "Pearl of Silesia" on a city tour. After Venice and St. Petersburg, Wroclaw follows as the city with the third largest number of bridges in Europe. For over two centuries Wroclaw belonged to the Habsburgs. The many history-charged buildings on the sand and cathedral island testify to the the rich past. The marketplace is the jewel, which is adorned with beautiful town houses and restaurants. At the central ring there stands the well-known gothic town hall with its splendid façade. On all sides of the large square you can discover over 50 colorful town houses. Your guide will also show you the building of the university and the monuments on the sand island, such as Wroclaw Cathedral. Its towers are almost 100 meters high and thus the tallest church towers in the city. The cathedral is also the symbol of Wroclaw. Day 11: Wroclaw - Auschwitz - Krakow - F At the gates of Krakow you will visit the largest extermination camp of the Nazis, built on the site of a former barracks and old factory. The Auschwitz and Birkenau camps (approached by bus separately during the tour) bear witness to the loss of all human values in a totalitarian system. The visit lasts at least 3 hours. After an archive film presentation of Auschwitz, we continue our journey to Krakow. Krakow is the old capital of Poland and still today the cultural-historical center and the most beautiful city of the country. Day 12: Krakow - F In Krakow you will find a wonderful mixture of history and modernity. For centuries, the Polish kings resided here. The city has been a magnet for many artists and academics from all over the world, which is why Krakow also has many art treasures that represent the most important epochs and trends in European art history. Among Krakow's attractions there are Gothic St. Mary's Church, the Royal Castle, which towers on the Wawel Hill and the Cloth Hall with the associated historic trade booths. Because of its unique cityscape, Krakow is a popular tourist destination. Day 13: Krakow - Punkva caves - Vienna - F/A On the way to Vienna you stop for a visit of the Punkva caves. They are the longest Czech cave system and impress by wonderful dripstone formations. A boat tour on the longest underground river Punkva is extra exciting. Following you ahead to Austrias capital. Look forward to Vienna - the city of cafés and royal and imperial cosiness. Day 14: City tour Vienna - F During today's city tour you will see among other things the

4 magnificent buildings of the Ringstrasse - State Opera, Castle Theatre, Hofburg, Parliament, University. Belvedere - baroque summer residence of Prince Eugen - visit to the gardens, St. Stephen's Cathedral, the buildings of Friedensreich Hundertwasser, past the Prater, UNO-City, congress center. Afterwards you will visit Schoenbrunn Palace. This world heritage site entices guests with its gardens into a sumptuous total work of art of Baroque culture. During the tour you will learn all sorts of interesting facts about the last imperial family of the Austrian monarchy. Day 15: Vienna - Venice - F Continuation to Venice. The unique lagoon city awaits you with flying lions, parading pigeons and an artistic and architectural heritage whose wonders and treasures rise up along the labyrinth of small and large canals. Enjoy the unique flair of this fascinating city! Day 16: City tour Venice - F You will discover Venice on foot. Cross numerous bridges and stroll through alleys, past large and small squares, beautiful churches and impressive palaces to the center of Venice, St. Mark's Square. Here you will meet your city guide, who will take you on a classic tour around St. Mark's Square. You will visit St. Mark's Church and one of the most important works of goldsmithing: the Parla d Oro. The tour ends with a walk through the Mercerie, the famous shopping street of Venice, on the Rialto Bridge. Then you have free time to make your own discoveries in the city. You should not miss to stop by in a Bacaro, Venetian pub, in the late afternoon, for a snack with typical Venetian dishes. The Bacari are the eldest and most beautiful venues in Venice, where the spirit of the lagoon city has been preserved, where the Venetians drink their wine from morning to night, where delicious, rare dishes can be discovered. Day 17: Venice - Lucerne area / Sachseln - F/A Lucerne is picturesquely situated at the northern end of Lake Lucerne, surrounded by the Pilatus mountain and the peaks of the Rigi. The city extends on both banks of the Reuss river, the old town is on the right bank. It is bounded on the north by the old city fortification, of which seven mighty square towers are still preserved. Picturesque squares, idyllic lanes, arcades, modern shops, the well-known Kapellbrücke and the lakeside promenade invite you to stroll. Day 18: Top of Europe - F The Jungfrau Railway is a cogwheel railway that leads from Kleine Scheidegg through the Eiger and Mönch to the Jungfraujoch. It overcomes a length of about 9 kilometers, almost 1400 vertical meters. Just over 7 kilometers of the track are in a tunnel. The Jungfrau Railway travels to Europe's highest railway station on the

5 Jungfraujoch (3454m). Grindelwald at the foot of the mountain giants Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, is the most important glacier village in Bernese Oberland. From here you start with the Jungfrau Railway from Grindelwald Grund to Kleine Scheidegg (about 1/2 hour). After leaving Kleine Scheidegg, you have a unique view to the Jungfrau mountain group. The train goes through the mountain and at the intermediate stations Eigerwand and Eismeer you have impressive views to the mountains through the windows in the rock. On top of the Jungfraujoch, the track has climbed almost 1,400 vertical meters with a gradient of up to 25%. You can expect a glacier restaurant, souvenir shops, cold showers in the Ice Palace and an exhibition of the Meteorological Research Institute. You leave the plateau and take the train via Kleine Scheidegg to Lauterbrunnen. The place is known for its impressive waterfalls. Day 19: Sachseln - Zurich - Winterthur - F On the way to Winterthur, you stop for a city tour in Zurich. Here you can see a part of the old town, the well-known Chagall windows, the historic Limmat quarter, the business center and the university quarter. Afterwards you will have the opportunity to take a boat trip on Lake Zurich. The Clock Museum is located on the famous shopping street in the middle of Zurich. The museum presents timekeepers from different eras. Winterthur, the sixth largest city in Switzerland, boasts the largest contiguous pedestrian zone in Europe. The medieval heart of the city pulsates at all times of the day. Shops, restaurants, markets and festivals enliven the historic walls. The diverse cultural offer, from experimental theater to the internationally famous museum, attracts culture lovers. Day 20: Winterthur - Black Forest Open Air Museum Frankfurt - F/A In the morning you will reach the beautiful Black Forest, one of the largest uplands in Germany. Here, you will do a guided tour at the open air museum in Gutach. Explore the traditional governor farms typical of the Black Forest and discover how people had resided, lived and worked in the last 400 years in the Black Forest. You can experience culture and history up close: in the black kitchens you can still smell the smoke of the last fire. In the barn there are old domestic farm animal breeds, on the pastures there you can find sheep, goats and chickens. Handcrafted implements and numerous tools, which are still used in many demonstrations and action days, testify to the hard daily work of the residents. Continue and overnight in Frankfurt. Day 21: Homeward journey - F After eventful three weeks in six European countries, you will start

6 your journey home today. This exciting tour takes you to places steeped in history, such as Eisenach with Wartburg Castle or Imperial Vienna, as well as beautiful pearls such as Dresden, Prague or Venice. Culture to the power of 6. But what would a European tour with stops in Switzerland be without a mountain railway ride? Of course, you will also visit Europe's highest railway station Top of Europe. Powered by TCPDF (