Alpine Countries Oberammergau (13 Days, Standard)

Sightseeing Highlights

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.

Danube Cruise
The cruise travels through the Wachau Valley, a UNESCO site running 25 miles from Melk to Krems in Lower Austria. The valley has been inhabited since prehistoric times and is a famous wine region. There are no bridges across the Danube in the valley, so ferries are the only way to cross, and the area has kept its character thanks to that. The town of Durnstein in the valley is where Duke Leopold held King Richard Lionheart of England captive.

Salzburg
The name of this city means “Salt Fortress” and it comes from the custom of taxing salt shipments down the Salzach River. It is the 4th largest city in Austria, and the capital of the state of Salzburg. The baroque Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the city sits in a valley surrounded by the Alps. Mozart was born here in the 18th century, and the city was the setting for “The Sound of Music”. Salzburg became part of Austria in the early 19th century, given by Bavaria. Some of the important sights are the Salzburg Castle, Salzburg Cathedral, Mirabell Gardens, the birthplace of Mozart and sites associated with “The Sound of Music”.

Mozart Dinner Concert at St. Peter's Stiftskeller
This magical evening takes place in the elegant Baroque hall of the centuries old St. Peter 's Restaurant. The hall is part of the famous Benedictine Monastery of St. Peter and is one of the few remaining concert venues that is still permitted to use real candle light to enhance the experience. Enjoy a special three course dinner prepared from authentic 18th century recipes.

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.

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.

Black Forest
This is a heavily forested mountain range in southwest Germany that lies east of the Rhine River and borders France on its west and Switzerland in the south. The highest peak in the 150 km-long (93 miles) region is about 1500 meters/4,900 feet, and there are several beautiful glacial lakes within the forest, such as Titisee and Feldsee. The famous spa town of Baden-Baden is in the northern part of the forest, and there are numerous hiking trails and driving circuits to visit the traditional villages. The Black Forest is known for wood-carving, especially in the manufacture of cuckoo clocks, and for foods like Black Forest ham and Black Forest Cherry cake.

Chateau de Chillon
This castle is located in southwest Switzerland on an island in the eastern end of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva), and it dates from the early 11th century. It was made famous by Lord Byron in his poem “The Prisoner of Chillon”; Byron even carved his name on a pillar in the dungeon. It was home to the Counts of Savoy, including Peter II, who was uncle to one of Henry VIII 's wives, Eleanor of Provence. Today 's castle began as about 100 smaller buildings that were gradually connected to form what we see now.

Zermatt
This town is located in southwest Switzerland in the canton of Valais, and is best known by the nearby 14,000ft (4267m) Matterhorn. The town began as an agricultural area and in the 19th century became famous as a ski and mountaineering resort. Most of the town now depends on tourism, and in ski season the town of 5,000 swells several times over. To keep the air clean, all vehicles are now electric and mostly silent, with only emergency access by gas-powered vehicles such as firetrucks. The famous Glacier Express train which begins in far eastern Switzerland near St. Moritz ends in Zermatt.

Lucerne
This city of 80,000 people is in north-central Switzerland in the canton of Lucerne and sits on the shores of Lake Lucerne. The town began with a Benedictine monastery in the 8th century and gained importance from its location on trade routes. The most famous sights in Lucerne are the wooden Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge) across the Reuss River, the Hofkirche (Church of St. Leodegar) and the Swiss Museum of Transport. The city celebrates Carnival every year beginning the Thursday before Ash Wednesday. Mt Pilatus, with the world 's steepest cog railway, is visible from Lucerne.

What's Included

Hotel Details:

• Intercontinental Hotel Wien - Vienna, Austria
• Arcotel Castellani - Salzburg, Austria
• Oberammergau region hotel - Oberammergau, Germany
• Hofgut Sternen, Titisee - Black Forest, Germany
• Hotel Alex - Zermatt, Switzerland
• Radisson Blu Hotel - Lucerne, Switzerland

Dates & Prices

Note: Rows highlighted in green below are guaranteed departures