Imperial Cities with Oberammergau Passion Play (11 Days, Standard)

Sightseeing Highlights

Budapest
This city on the Danube is actually two cities: Buda and Pest, divided by the river. In its history, it has been Celtic, Roman, invaded by Mongols and Turks, second capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and now the capital Hungary, with about 1.8 million people. Its varied architecture from so many cultures helped make Budapest a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it is known for its coffee houses, traditional Hungarian restaurants and working Turkish baths from the 16th century.

Matthias Church
The original church was built in the early 11th century in the Buda section of Budapest near the Buda Castle. It was reconstructed in the 14th century in Gothic style and was named for King Matthias of Hungary. When the Ottoman Turks occupied Buda in the 16th century it became the main mosque of the city, and at that time many of the frescos inside were destroyed. Most were restored in the 19th century. It was used as a camp by Soviet and German soldiers during the Soviet occupation of Budapest in late WWII.

Fisherman's Bastion
This is a terrace overlooking the Danube on the Buda side of the river near the Buda Castle and Matthias Church. It was built in the early 20th century and honors the fisherman 's guild which defended the city walls in this part of Buda. The towers represent the 7 Magyar (Hungarian) tribes who settled here and there is a statue of King Stephen I of Hungary between the Bastion and Matthias Church.

Bratislava
This is the capital of Slovakia, and it is located on the Danube, close to the Hungarian and Austrian borders. It was once the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary when that country was part of the Hapsburg Empire, and became Slovakia 's capital when that country split from Czechoslovakia in 1993. Its most important attractions are the 13th-century Bratislava Castle, the Old Town, Michael 's Gate and St. Martin 's Cathedral.

Vienna
This is the capital city of Austria, located on the Danube, with a population of over 2 million in the metro area. It is known as the “City of Music” because of the numerous famous composers who have lived and worked here, such as Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms, and also as the “City of Dreams” as it was home to Sigmund Freud. Some of its primary sights are Schonbrunn Palace, Hofburg Palace, Opera House, Belvedere and St. Stephen 's Cathedral. Vienna is also known for its coffee houses and restaurants.

Schönbrunn Palace
This Vienna palace was a summer residence of the Holy Roman Emperors beginning in the 17th century, and is the most-visited site in Austria. Emperor Maximillian II bought the property for a hunting preserve, and it was remodeled by Empress Maria Theresa in the mid 18th century. On the grounds are an orangerie, a palm house, a French garden designed by a student of the designer of the gardens at Versailles in France, an English garden and a large park. Concerts are often held here with music of Mozart and others.

Cesky Krumlov
This is a small city on the Vltava River south of Prague and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was once an important trade route through Bohemia, and is home to the Cesky Krumlov Castle, the second-largest in Czech Republic. The town was founded in the 13th century, and most of the old city buildings date from the 14th century. Cesky Krumlov is home to several important arts festivals every year, including candlelight operas in the 16th-century theater in the castle.

Prague
Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and of the state of Bohemia, with a population of about 2 million in the metro area. Because it received very little damage in WWII, it is has many beautifully preserved sights from several eras and its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was capital of the Holy Roman Empire and a center of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and it was the site of the Velvet Revolution in 1989 when citizens peacefully took Czechoslovakia back from the Communists. It is known for music (composers Dvorak, Smetana and Mozart lived here), literature (Franz Kafka) and for having almost as many kinds of Pilsner beer as it has bars and restaurants.

Hradcany Castle
Prague Castle, in the Hradcany district, is the largest ancient castle in the world. It began as the Church of the Virgin Mary in 870 A.D., and soon was surrounded by a convent, a basilica, St. Vitus Cathedral and a 12th-century palace, finally with defensive walls and turrets and enlarged royal quarters and government offices. It has been used continuously as a seat of government longer than any other place in the world. One interesting section of the castle is Golden Lane, made up of tiny attached houses which housed alchemists in the 16th century, whose task was to try to find ways to turn ordinary materials to gold.

Oberammergau
Travel to the picturesque Bavarian hamlet of Oberammergau and witness a performance of the epic Passion Play. This legendary play is only performed every ten years, and has been performed every ten years since the Black Plague ended in 1634.

Munich
This is the 3rd largest city in Germany and capital of Bavaria, population about 1.5 million in the city itself. It began as the site of a Benedictine monastery where the old city is today, and the name of the city comes from the word “monk”. It is famous today as the home of Oktoberfest and the Hofbrauhaus, the Glockenspiel clock in the Old Town Hall, its Christmas Market and the headquarters of BMW and Siemens. There are several universities there and it was the site of the 1972 Summer Olympics.

What's Included

• 16 meals
• Centrally-located hotels provide a home away from home
• Hotel-to-hotel baggage handling
• A professional tour manager accompanies you throughout your trip
• Expert local guides provide insightful, personalized tours
• Unparalleled sightseeing includes all of the "must-sees"
• Enriching cultural experiences bring the destination to life
• Private climate-controlled motorcoach enhances your tour
• Free round trip sedan service that takes you from your home to the airport when you purchase an air-inclusive Collette tour (within 50 miles of nearest airport gateway)

Dates & Prices

Note: Rows highlighted in green below are guaranteed departures