Featuring: The Passion Play

Performance at Oberammergau, Upper Bavaria

NOW BOOKING September 3rd to 16th, 2010

Visiting Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Liechtenstein

Directed by Chris and Carol MacAleese

 

Day 1-  Friday, September 3rd

Transatlantic flight from Montreal to Zurich via Paris.  Meals served in-flight

Day 2- Friday, September 3rd

Arrival before noon at Zurich Airport.  Annerose, our Guide for the next two weeks will be awaiting our arrival just outside the customs area.  After boarding our Deluxe Motorcoach, you will be given a comprehensive orientation of Zurich with a few stops.  In the old town we’ll visit the Wemen’s Church with the Marc Chagall stained glass windows.  We will then take a relaxing, panoramic drive to Central Switzerland. In Altdorf, we’ll meet Wilhelm Tell himself and he will tell us about his unfortunate story with the apple….then it is off to our hotel in Lucerne, the Swiss capital of tourism.  The rest of the day is yours to do as you wish. 

Day 3 - Saturday, September 4th

After a healthy breakfast we will have a stroll through the old city of Lucerne.  Today is the day you will see the wooden chapel Bridge and the Lion’s Memorial.  Mark Twain dubbed it the “saddest piece of stone on earth” and we will learn all about its great history.  We’ll then embark on an almost two hour cruise aboard a hundred year old paddle steamer on the most beautiful part of Lake Lucerne.  This peaceful and nostalgic first class ride will be unforgettable.  Our Swiss Folklore dinner tonight includes music, jodeling, flagthrowing and alphorn blowing at the Stadtkeller.    B/D

Day 4- Sunday, September 5th

After crossing the Brunig Pass we have our first stop in the Bernese Oberland at the woodcarving factory; woodcarving has been a Swiss traditions for centuries.  Then, taking the panoramic road along Lake Brienz we arrive in Interlaken, a large tourist centre.  You may take beautiful photos of the Jungfrau Group and admire the venerable hotels along the promenade, once reserved for the British Earls and Lords.  We then continue to Bern, the political capital of Switzerland.  This UNESCO site is no doubt the most precious town in this country. A guided city stroll is next with Annerose and includes visits to the Astronomical Clock and the door to Munster (main Church).  Lunch time will be later at the Bear Pit; just as in Canada, the bears like tourists…..

The next stop is at Gruyeres, the Swiss capital of cheese!  This adorable little village is perhaps the most attractive small town on the planet; a place you would NOT want to miss!  Our  motorcoach is then directed to Montreux.
Dinner will be held in a festive hall within our hotel, “Belle Epoque”.  This elegant resort on lake Leman has to be discovered after dinner with a nice walk on the Lake Promenade.  Half way we’ll  sit down and have an ice cream cone, watching the “Celebrities” go by.                                    B/D

Day 5 - Monday, September 6th

A short bus drive will bring us to one of the mightiest castles in Switzerland, Chateau de Chillon.  You will enjoy a tour and learn about the Savoy Family who built it and about life in the Middle Ages.  Apart from the rich history, you’ll learn that one of the Dukes of Savoy became Pope Felix V. 

After seeing this exciting landmark we have another lovely cruise along the magnificent Lavaux region, probably the most beautiful wine district in Switzerland.  After landing you walk across the street to the Olympic Museum.  Visit the fabulous gardens and exhibitions. At the end…use the Olympic toilets!  We drive back to our hotel through the vineyards of the Lavaux.  You will also see the headquarters of Nestle in Vevey.
Our last stop is at the lakefront in Vevey for a photo opportunity with Charlie Chaplin himself!      B

Day 6- Tuesday, September 7th

Get ready for a lovely drive through the Valais, up to Tasch, the terminal for your coach.  We board the cog-railway for Zermatt, the trendy mountain resort with views of the awesome Matterhorn.

We’ll do a village stroll and learn about alpinism in its early days.  With good weather you will surely want to join the excursion (optional) to the Gornergrat.  There you enter another world of high peaks and glaciers; surely one of the main highlights of your tour.  Tonight we have a nice dinner awaiting us at our hotel.                                                                                                                     B/D

Day 7- Wednesday, September 8th

If you like spectacular scenery, this will be your favourite day on the tour!  This morning we’ll have an impressive drive in the Central Swiss Alps; you cross the Furka and the Oberalp; also see the Devil’s Bridge in the Schollenen Gorge!  Then we’ll take a short but exciting train ride on the Glacier Express through the “Swiss Grand Canyon”.  Our lunch stop will be in “Heidland”.                    

The next stop is in Vaduz, the Capital of the tiny Principality of Liechtenstein.  For a nominal fee you can have your passports stamped as a souvenir of your visit.

Next we enter Austria and cross the Arlberg region and towards the evening we’ll drive into Germany.  To be completely precise, we get into Bavaria, once a proud Kingdom.  Have you ever heard about “mad” King Ludwig?  Ludwig was not mad at all…if you want to know where his problems began, watch Lucchino Visont’s film “Ludwig II”, perhaps shocking, but undoubtedly one of the most beautiful pictures ever made, apart from being a superb history lesson…..see it before your tour!  The days finishes in Mittenwald, a charming Market-city in Upper Bavaria.               B/D

Day 8- Thursday, September 9th

We drive to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and have a short look at the Winter Olympic Grounds 1936.
In Ettal we’ll visit a Benedictine Monastery with 800 years of history; this grandiose Abbey sports an impressive Baroque Architecture.  Then we visit one of Ludwig II castles, the Linderhof, which was his smallest, but his favourite residence. 
After all this we drive to Oberammergau, the darling Passion Play village with its quaint painted houses.  Here we’ll enjoy reserved first class seats for the “top” highlight of your tour…“The Passion Play”.  It is staged only once every ten years and is a once in a lifetime experience not to be missed.
This dramatic performance takes place in the afternoon and evening, while in the intermission you can shop and relax.  After the performance our coach takes us back to Mittenwald.                          B

Day 9- Friday, September 10th

In the morning we follow the panoramic road in the rolling hills of Bavaria and finish at “Wies”, a darling Pilgrimage Church that has housed a statue of the flagellated Christ for many centuries.  Many miracles are said to have occurred here and prayers are more than welcomed.  250 years ago the church was rebuilt in Baroque-rococo style, so incredibly precious, that it was put on UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage List.  When we continue you will gaze, way up high, at Neuschwanstein Castle, another folly of King Ludwig II.  With local buses we’ll ascend the mountain and have a panoramic walk to a vantage point where you will have splendid views of “Cinderella’s Castle”.  After you enjoy an inside visit, you leisurely walk back down.  Now that we have seen some of the best of Bavaria, we’ll drive to your next highlight destination, to Tirol….more precisely, to Innsbruck.  On arrival you stop shortly at the Bergisl; have you ever tried ski-jumping?  Never mind, enjoy the view.

Day 10- Saturday, September 11th

Around 1500, Innsbruck was the capital of the world!  So history will be important this morning. Let’s go sightseeing with an open mind.  Your local guide will show you great things, but the top CULTURAL highlight of this tour will be our visit to the most impressive Imperial tomb in the West!
Before lunch we’ll take a unique train and an aerial cable car to Seegrube, from where we have fabulous views over Innsbruck.  Lunch stop!  Besides history, Innsbruck is also a charming and intimate town with plenty of cosy corners, excellent shopping and lovely sightseeing…and we are going to enjoy it all!
If you want more sightseeing, use your Innsbruck Card-giving you free access to virtually every attraction in town.  Tonight have a great time enjoying dinner on your own in the old town.  When we meet again, we will watch a real Tirolean Folklore Show with lots of Um-pa-pa music.  Great fun indeed!                                                                                                                                                   B

Day 11- Sunday, September 12th

We take the panoramic route through Tirol and enjoy the pristine meadows and captivating villages.  In Berchtesgaden you drive to Obersalzberg and take a local bus to the Kehlstein, also known as the Eagle’s Nest.  You also visit the remains of Hitler’s Private Bunker.
We then drive to our hotel in Salzburg.  After a relaxing pause, Annerose will guide the group to town and have an unforgettable evening.  You’ll ride public transport buses to the old city gate.  You’ll cross the adorable old town on foot, then you’ll take the steep funicular up to the impressive Fortification Hohensalzburg, the largest defense system in Europe.  The view from up there is simply breathtaking!  After descending, you are free to have dinner anywhere in the old town.
If, by chance, you cannot sleep right away tonight, you may perhaps realize what an exciting holiday you have been having!                                                                                                                          B

Day 12- Monday, September 13th

This morning we have sightseeing with a local guide and learn all about the history and art of this sublime town.  Salzburg is the “Sound of Music” land, so you will do some sightseeing in the Lake District.  Lunch is at a panoramic place over the Mondsee, and after that, we’ll visit some  places that you might remember from the film.  The rest of the day is yours to do as you please. 

Since you were probably window shopping the night before, you now know that shopping is heavenly in Salzburg.  Also, relaxing in a nice street café, having a nice thick piece of cake (with almost no calories, of course) is quite enjoyable.  There is no better place  to be a tourist than in Salzburg.  We are in the City of Music, so tonight you ought to attend a Chamber Music Concert, or a classical concert of some type. Your Guide and Tour Directors will help…for these possible optionals.  But before this, a beautiful farewell dinner will be enjoyed by everyone in Salzburg.                                B/D
Day 13- Tuesday, September 14th

Today we drive back to Bavaria to discover its thrilling Capital. You will do a nice city sightseeing tour with your local guide, part by bus, part on foot.  Munich is historically and culturally stimulating with magnificent music, arts and architecture.  It’s museums are remarkably first rate.  More amazing than all of this is its spirit and quality of life.  Is beer a guilty pleasure?  Well perhaps you should have dinner in one of the eight beer gardens, of course with Um-Pa-Pa  music accompaniment.  Munich is truly sensational.                                                                    B

Day 14-  Wednesday, September 15th

Early this morning you can still visit the Viktualienmarkt, the enchanting food market in the town center, albeit shortly, because we will be transferred to Munich Airport for our flights home to Canada.

So here, with your hearts filled with unforgettable memories, you will realize that you have seen, but above all UNDERSTOOD what is perhaps the loveliest part of Europe with its beautiful mountains, crystalline lakes, friendly people and a great variety of culinary culture.                                                                             B

Inclusions:

• Transfers from Cornwall to Montreal Trudeau airport and return
• Transatlantic flights Montreal-Zurich, Munich to Montreal
• All taxes and gratuities on inclusions
• Local Jolly Tours Directors
• Paddles Steamer 1st Class Lake Lucerne
• Folklore Shows in Luzerne & Tirol
• Chillon Castle Entrance fee with guides
• Cruise on Lake Leman Chillon-Lausanne
• Cog-Train Tasch-Zermatt return
• Train “Swiss Grand Canyon”
• Entrance to Linderhoff and fees
• Ticket to Passion Play 2010 Category 1
• Neuschwanstein Castle entrance and fees
• Buses to Castle (and return for those who need it)
• Innsbruck Card for all fees in Innsbruck
• Locally guided tours of Innsbruck, Salzburg and Munich
• Tirolean evening
• Bus to Kehlstein House
• Entrance to the Turken Bunker (Eagle’s Nest)
• City Bus in Salzburg
• Funicular to the Fortress Hohensalzburg
• Breakfast daily, 1 lunch, 4 dinners
• Farewell Dinner in Salzburg 

COST per person: Double $4795 CAD.
Deposit: $500 upon registration
Balance due: June 25th, 2010

 

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