GERMANY AND AUSTRIA-TYPICAL "ROMANTIC ROAD" ITINERARY

ARRIVE IN FRANKFURT, PICK UP CAR, DRIVE SOUTH SOUTHEAST THROUGH WURZBURG, THEN SOUTH TO ROTHENBURG.

ROTHENBURG, AN ANCIENT IMPERIAL CITY, IS PICTURESQUELY SITUATED IN THE STEEP BANK OF THE TAUBER RIVER. WITH ITS SURROUNDING WALLS AND TOWERS, ALMOST UNTOUCHED SINCE THE MIDDLE AGES, IT IS OF UNIQUE CHARM AND INTEREST AS A COMPLETELY PRESERVED LITTLE MEDIEVAL TOWN.

THIS  WALLED TOWN,  WITH ITS ANCIENT TOWER AND RAMPARTS INTACT, ITS OLD FOUNTAINS ALIGHT WITH SCARLET GERANIUMS, IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A FAIRYTALE CITY.  THE FESTIVAL OF THE "MIGHTY DRAUGHT" IS HELD IN HONOR OF THE OLD MAYOR WHO, IN ORDER TO SAVE THE TOWN FROM RUIN, IS REPUTED TO HAVE QUAFFED, IN ONE DRAUGHT, A THREE LITER MUG OF WINE. VISIT ST JAMES CHURCH WITH ITS MANY TREASURES, INCLUDING 14TH CENTURY STAINED GLASS WINDOWS. SEE DER MEISTERTRUNK (MECHANICAL CLOCK) WHICH PERFORMS EVERY HOUR FROM 12 NOON TO 2PM.

DEPART SOUTH ALONG THE ROMANTIK ROAD TO AUGSBURG.

DINKELSBUHL IS A BEAUTIFULLY PRESERVED MEDIEVAL CITY, COMPLETE WITH SURROUNDING RAMPARTS AND WATCH TOWERS, ALL MIRRORED DREAMILY IN THE GREEN WATERS OF THE TOWN MOAT. THIS IS A SLEEPY 16TH CENTURY TOWN, EXCEPT DURING A WEEK LONG FESTIVAL IN MID-JULY, KNOWN AS CHILDREN’S TREAT (KINDERZECHE). THE FESTIVAL CELEBRATES THE CHILDREN OF THE TOWN, WHO DURING THE THIRTY YEARS WAR INDUCED THE SWEDISH INVADERS TO SPARE THE TOWN FROM DESTRUCTION.

THE FORTIFIED TOWN OF NORDLINGEN HAS RETAINED NOT ONLY ITS ANCIENT BUILDINGS AND CITY WALLS, MEDIEVAL CUSTOMS AND COSTUMES AS WELL. IN THE RUBENMARKT, IN THE CENTER OF TOWN, LOCAL PEASANTS STILL WEAR TRADITIONAL DRESS ON MARKET DAYS. THE TOWN IS COMPLETELY ENCIRCLED BY ROOFED PARAPET WALKS WHICH PASS THE TOWN’S MANY TOWERS AND GATES. A WATCHMAN STILL SURVEYS THE TOWN, CALLING OUT AT NIGHT FROM THE TOP OF THE TOWER OF THE LATE GOTHIC CHURCH OF ST GEORGE.

AUGSBURG DATES BACK 2000 YEARS. BOTH HOLBEINS WERE BORN HERE AS WELL AS MOZART’S FATHER. THIS RENAISSANCE CITY IS AS PROUD OF ITS CONTRIBUTION TO CULTURE AS IT IS OF ITS ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE. IT IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE DIESEL ENGINE, AND FOR 500 YEARS HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST TEXTILE CENTER

IN SOUTHERN GERMANY. MAKE SURE YOU SEE THE CATHEDRAL, BEGUN 995; WHICH HAS THE WORLD’S OLDEST STAINED GLASS WINDOW (11TH CENTURY); HOLBEIN PAINTINGS; AN ANCIENT BRONZE DOOR; AND A CRYPT DATING FROM 800.

FROM AUGSBURG, CONTINUE SOUTH TO MUNICH.

MUNICH

MUNICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE 9TH CENTURY NEAR BENEDICTINE ABBEY, AND TOOK ITS NAME FORM THE MONKS- GERMAN "MONCHE", HIGH GERMAN MUNICHEN. FOR THIS REASON THE TOWN’S EMBLEM IS A LITTLE MONK (MUNCHNER KINDL).

ONE OF THE MAIN SIGHTS IN MUNICH IS THE MARIENPLATZ, THE CROSSROADS WHERE THE LIFE OF THE TOWN IS CONCENTRATED. ON THIS SQUARE IS THE NEW TOWN HALL WITH THE FAMOUS GLOCKENSPIEL- CLOCK TOWER WITH ITS PERFORMING FIGURES. OTHER SIGHTS INCLUDE THE NYMPHENBURG CASTLE WITH THE BOTANICAL GARDENS; ALTE PINAKOTHEK MUSEUM WITH ITS WORLD FAMOUS PAINTINGS OF DURER; FRAUENKIRCHE, MUNICH’S LANDMARK; THE IMPERIAL RESIDENCE WHICH HOUSES THE CUVILLIES THEATER; THE BAVARIAN MUSEUM; AND THE ASAM CHURCH. MUNICH BEER IS DRUNK IN THE GEAT BEER HALL (HOFBRAU, LOWENBRAU, SPATENBRAU, HACKENBRAU). A TRIP TO MUNICH IS NOT COMPLETE WITHOUT A VISIT TO ONE OF THE GREAT BEER HALLS OF WHICH THE HOFBRAUHAUS IS THE MOST FAMOUS.

A MUST STOP IS THE DEUTCHES MUSEUM. THE LARGEST TECHNOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD. THE MUSEUM IS VERY POPULAR WITH KIDS, AS THERE ARE PLENTY OF HANDS ON EXHIBITS- HUNDREDS OF BUTTONS TO PUSH, LEVERS TO CRANK, AND GEARS TO TURN.

DRIVE EAST TO SALZBURG.

BEFORE CROSSING INTO AUSTRIA, STOP AT THE FAMED BERCHTESGADEN AND HITLER’S EAGLE’S NEST.

SALZBURG

SALZBURG IS NESTLED IN A GENTLE VALLEY 1400 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. PLACES OF INTEREST ARE: THE OLD MARKET PLACE, THE MOZARTEUM, MOZART’S BIRTHPLACE, CABLE CAR UP TO UNTERSBERG, AND HOHENSALZBURG FORTRESS.

DRIVE WEST TO GARMISCH.

GARMISCH PARTENKIRCHEN

MAD KING LUDWIG HAD LINDERHOF BUILT BETWEEN 1874 AND 1879. INSIDE THE CASTLE IS A STATE BEDCHAMBER SURPASSING THE LUXURY OF EVEN THOSE OF VERSAILLES. THE PARK AT LINDERHOF IS IMPRESSIVE, WITH ITS POOLS, CASCADES AND TERRACED GARDENS LAID OUT IN ITALIAN STYLE. AS YOU WALK THROUGH THE PARK, YOU’LL PASS THE TEMPLE OF VENUS, AND THE MOORISH PAVILLION, AND THE GROTTO, A REPLICA OF THE FAMOUS BLUE GROTTO AT CAPRI. ON THE LAKE OF THE GROTTO IS A BOAT SHAPED LIKE A HUGE CONCH SHELL, DEPICTING THE VENUSBERG EPISODE IN WAGNER’S OPERA, TANNHAUSER.

OBERAMMERGAU IS THE SITE OF THE FAMOUS "PASSION PLAY" WHICH IS HELD EVERY 10 YEARS AND BEGINS IN LATE MAY. WOODCARVING HAS BEEN PRACTICED HERE SINCE THE 17TH CENTURY AND THE PASSION PLAY DATES FROM THAT TIME. IT WAS FIRST PERFORMED IN 1634 FOLLOWING A VOW TAKEN BY THE PEOPLE DURING AN OUTBREAK OF THE PLAGUE IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE ATTRACTIVE HOUSES IN THE TOWN ARE OFTEN DECORATED WITH 18TH CENTURY FRESCO PAINTINGS AND THE BAROQUE PARISH CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 1736-42.

HOHENSCHWANGAU AND NEUSCHWANSTEIN

CONTINUE TO SCHWANGAU

LOCATED HERE ARE THE "FAIRY TALE" CASTLES OF HOHENSCHWANGAU AND NEUSCHWANSTEIN BUILT BY "MAD" LKING LUDWIG IN THE 19TH CENTURY. THE CASTLE OF HOHENSCHWANGAU WAS LIVED IN BY THE ROYAL FAMILY. ON THE SECOND FLOOR, THE OLD MUSIC ROOM CONTAINS MOVING EXAMPLES OF THE KING’S ADMIRATION FOR RICHARD WAGNER, INCLUDING LETTERS AND THE PAINO WHICH BOTH PLAYED. NEUSCHWANSTEIN RISES AS A FORMIDABLE MASS OF GRAY GRANITE, BRISTLUING WITH TOWERS AND PINACLES FROM A STEEP ROCKY SPUR AT THE EDGE OF THE POLLAT GORGE.

DRIVE THROUGH THE BLACK FOREST TO BADEN BADEN

BADEN-BADEN

ORIGINALLY FOUNDED BY THE ROMANS, THE EMPORER CARCALLA HOPED THE FAMOUS SPAS COULD CURE HIS RHEUMATISM. A VISIT TO THE CASINO IS A MUST.

CONTINUE NORTH ALONG THE RHINE TO HEIDELBERG

FAMOUS WORLDWIDE AS A SYMBOL OF GERMAN ROMANTICISM, THIS OLD UNIVERSITY TOWN IS NESTLED IN THE NARROW NECKAR VALLEY. HIGH ABOVE THE CITY STAND THE RUINS OF A GREAT CASTLE WHICH ONCE BELONGED TO THE ELECTORS OF THE PALATINATE.

DRIVE NORTH TO FRANKFURT

GERMANY’S LARGEST CITY WELCOMES YOU IN A COSMOPOLITAN WAY WITH THE LARGE BOULEVARD, THE KURFURSTENDAMM. THIS IS ALSO THE MAGNIFICANT, HISTORIC AVENUE "UNTER DEN LINDEN", WHICH IS LINED BY WORLD FAMOUS MUSEUMS AND BUILDINGS DATING FROM THE ROYAL PRUSSIAN PAST. AN ABUNDANCE OF CULTURAL EVENTS AWAITS THE VISITOR IN OPERA HOUSES, THEATERS, CONCERT HALLS AND GALLERIES.