Germany Tour Spring 2019 Rush Select Girls Soccer Itinerary March (24) 25 April 1, 2019 (9 Days) Sun 24, Mar 2019: USA DEPARTURE DAY Flight Departure from USA for Cologne, Germany Mon 25, Mar 2019: GERMANY ARRIVAL DAY Arrival at Cologne Airport. Meet with your tour guide and bus transfer to comfort hotel in wider Cologne area. Afternoon: Check-in at hotel. Parents explore former West German capital and ancient Roman founding Bonn. Visit Castle Drachenburg (Dragon s Fortress) on the Drachenfels (Dragon s Rock) on the hill shores of the River Rhine. Evening: Training. Dinner Tue 26, Mar 2019: Morning: Breakfast. Visit one of Germany s major cities Cologne. Afternoon: Take a look inside Germany s biggest cathedral and UNESCO world heritage Kölner Dom. Ascend the huge steeple and take a view over the city on both sides of the Rhine. Taste the typical and unique city beer called Kölsch while strolling through the most historical town parts. Evening: Play Game 1. (Possibly American-German social team evening). Dinner Wed 27, Mar 2019: Morning: Breakfast. Transfer to wider Frankfurt area. Check-in at new hotel. Drive through the breathtaking UNESCO world heritage region Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a famous whine region with the biggest concentration of medieval fortresses in the world. Enter the region at the city Koblenz with its many historical sites. Afternoon: Voluntary Boat Cruise on the Rhine leading through that jewel of landscape with its endless vineyard terraces. Evening: Play Game 2. (Possibly American-German social team evening). Dinner
Thu 28, Mar 2019: Morning: Breakfast. Transfer to German region Franconia. Check-in at new hotel. Afternoon: Visit the city Würzburg, one of the most beautiful in Germany. Tour the Residence Palace, built by Europe s greatest baroque-age architect, Balthasar Neumann, and enter the fortress Marienberg. Stroll through this neat little university town full of students and situated at the river Main. Evening: Play Game 3. (Possibly American-German social team evening). Dinner Fri 29, Mar 2019: Morning: Breakfast. Transfer to wider Munich area. Afternoon: Underway step into a bygone age of fairytales in one of a kind medieval town Rothenburg with its picturesque houses, town gates, towers and surrounding battlements. Possibly Watch Pro Game or enjoy a fun activity like Tobogganing (good weather). Evening: Check-in at new hotel. Dinner. Sat 30, Mar 2019: Morning: Breakfast. Get a feel for Germany s black World War history and visit Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. Afternoon: Guided tour at FC Bayern Munich s stadium Allianz Arena. Enjoy the fan store. Go shopping in Munich s pedestrian zone and take a deep breath in Munich s leisure paradise, the biggest urban park in the world, the English Garden. Evening: Dinner. Sun 31, Mar 2019: Morning: Breakfast. Play Mini Tournament (resp. Game 4). Afternoon: German-American friendship celebration. Evening: Dinner. Fun evening. Mon 1, Apr 2019: Breakfast. Transfer to Munich Airport and Flight Departure for USA. The Itinerary is a tentative proposal, changes (e.g. time, day) are still possible/likely.
Tourist Guide Bonn: The Federal City of Bonn is situated 24 kilometers south-southeast of Cologne on the banks of the river Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and has a population of over 300,000. Founded in the 1st century BC as a Roman settlement, Bonn is one of Germany's oldest cities. From 1597 to 1794, Bonn was the capital of the Electorate of Cologne, and residence of the Archbishops and Princeelectors of Cologne. Composer Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1770. From 1949 to 1990, Bonn was the provisional capital of West Germany, and Germany's present constitution, the Basic Law, was declared in the city in 1949. From 1990 to 1999, Bonn served as the seat of government but no longer capital of reunited Germany.
Cologne: Cologne is the largest city in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the fourth most populated city in Germany. The metropolitan area of the Cologne-Bonn Region is home to 3,573,500 inhabitants. It is part of the polycentric megacity region Rhine-Ruhr with a population of over 11,000,000 people. Cologne is also one of the oldest German cities, the Romans founded the Ubii village in 50 AD and named it "Colonia". Cologne is located on both sides of the river Rhine, near Germany's borders with Belgium and the Netherlands. The city's famous Cologne Cathedral (in German called Kölner Dom ) is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. Built between 1248 and 1880, Cologne Cathedral is regarded as a masterwork of medieval Gothic architecture. It is one of the finest ecclesiastical edifices in the world. A particular highlight in the annual calendar is the Cologne Carnival, held in February or March and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people every year. Cologne was one of the most heavily bombed cities in Germany during World War II, with the Royal Air Force (RAF) dropping 34,711 long tons (35,268 tonnes) of bombs on the city. The bombing reduced the population by 95%, mainly due to evacuation, and destroyed almost the entire city. With the intention of restoring as many historic buildings as possible, the successful postwar rebuilding has resulted in a very mixed and unique cityscape.
Upper Middle Rhine Valley: Between Bingen and Bonn the river Rhine flows as the Middle Rhine through the Rhine Gorge. This gorge is quite deep, about 130 metres (430 ft) from the top of the rocks down to the average water-line. The "Middle Rhine" is one of four sections (High Rhine, Upper Rhine, Middle Rhine, Lower Rhine) of the river between Lake Constance and the North Sea. The upper half of the Middle Rhine from Bingen to Koblenz is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2002). As a transport route, the Rhine has served as a trade route between the southern and northern halves of Europe since prehistoric times. This led to the establishment of about sixty small towns and wine-villages within the extensive terraced vineyards of this region. The strategic location of this dramatic 65km stretch becomes apparent in more than 40 castles and fortresses from the Middle Ages (erected over a period of around 1,000 years) that once defended this trade route. It is intimately associated with history and legend and for centuries has exercised a powerful influence on writers, artists and composers.
Würzburg: Würzburg is the capital of Bavaria s administrative region of Lower Franconia by the river Main and is certainly one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. You will find here the UNESCO World Heritage Site the Residence Palace, the medieval fortress Marienberg, the historic town hall building or the Romanesque cathedral St. Kilian. From the old bridge Alte Mainbrücke, you will enjoy fantastic views of the fortress Marienberg, the pilgrimage church Käppele and the famous vineyards. Europe s greatest baroque-age architect, Balthasar Neumann, built the Residence Palace. The former home of Würzburg s prince bishops is nicknamed the castle above all castles. The Residence Palace is said to have the most beautiful staircase of any building in the world. The fortress Marienberg is the most dominating feature of the city. It towers above it all.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber: The unforgettable skyline of the Franconian and former Free Imperial City rises high over the steeply sided Tauber Valley at the intersection of the Romantic Road and the Castle Road. Passing through its town gates, many people feel they have been transported into a bygone age of fairytales. A complete medieval town enclosed by massive fortifications with battlements that can be traversed for a length of about 2.5 km. The splendid renaissance facades, narrow alleys and hidden corners with more than a thousand-year-old history are now even more fascinating than ever. Rothenburg thus is a unique architectural and historical jewel. Munich: Munich is the capital of the German federal state of Bavaria. It is the third biggest city in Germany (1.5 million inhabitants) and certainly one of the most fascinating. In Munich you can find an abundance of great architecture, e.g. the famous city hall at the Marienplatz. You can stroll through the biggest inner city park of the world the English Garden, and you can find the headquarters of world famous companies like BMW or Siemens. Munich can be regarded as the German beer capital, being home to the biggest beer festival in the world the Oktoberfest. The Munich citizens are especially fond of the numerous beergardens in which people enjoy their leisure time with traditional beer and food. Munich has hosted the Olympic Summer Games in 1972 and has been host to the FIFA World Cup even twice, in 1974 and in 2006. Munich is also the home city of two of the most popular pro soccer clubs in Germany: European Powerhouse FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 Munich who both play in one of the most fantastic state-of-the-art soccer stadiums of the world the Allianz Arena.