European Tours

11 Day Eastern Europe Highlights

With Optional 4 Day Alpine Extension

Your Eastern Europe Itinerary
via Lufthansa Airlines, Continental Airlines, or Swiss Air

DAY 1 – DEPART USA
Tour members depart from U.S.A. to Berlin by air. After take-off, enroute to Europe, we will be served dinner.

DAY 2 – BERLIN
Upon arrival at Berlin Airport, we are met by our tour escort and motorcoach and transferred to our hotel, where the balance of the day is at leisure. Dinner is on our own, overnight at our hotel. Berlin is a world capital with a population of nearly 4 million; it is also one of the greenest – more than one third of its territory is forests, lakes and parks. Even as Berlin remakes itself, vestiges of the Cold War remain, allowing visitors to relive history.

DAY 3 – BERLIN
Our morning city sight-seeing tour will show us the last remains of the infamous wall that became such an unfortunate symbol of the repression's of the Eastern regime, built in 1962 to stem the tide of skilled workers from the east to the west. We will also see the Reichstag, Kaiser-Willhelm Memorial Church, "Unter den Linden" and visit Pergamon Museum containing the spectacular Pergamon Altar from Turkey and the Ishtar Gate of Ancient Babylon. The afternoon is at leisure for independent activities; dinner and overnight at our hotel.

DAY 4 – BERLIN / WITTENBERG / DRESDEN & PRAGUE
Leaving Berlin this morning, we drive to Wittenberg, a town little changed from the time of Martin Luther. We visit the City Church where Luther regularly preached and the Castle Church where Luther posted his 95 Theses in 1517, thus unwittingly setting the stage for the Reformation. Continue to the artistic and cultural gem of Dresden, situation in the wide basin of the Elbe Valley. Ruins abound, but the grace and elegance of this city have been lovingly restored. Nearby we visit the renowned Staatliche Porzellan in Meissen (if open), before driving southward, crossing the border into the Czech Republic and continuing to its capital city of Prague for dinner and overnight.

DAY 5 – PRAGUE
Morning sightseeing of this beautiful city will show us the unique charm of Prague. Untouched by war, the city abounds in centuries-old architecture dating from the time of Charles IV when it was the capital of the 14th century Holy Roman Empire. Jan Hus, an early pre-Luther reformer preached here at Bethlehem Chapel from 1402 until his death at the stake in Contstance. We will visit the imposing Hradcany Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral, the most intricate Gothic structure in Central Europe. We will also see the Powder Tower, the Loreto, famous Charles Bridge, Wenceslas Square, the Jewish Quarter and Old Town dominated by the Town Hall and famous clock of the Twelve Apostles. The afternoon is at leisure for independent activities. Tonight we will enjoy a special Czech dinner with regional specialties. Overnight at our hotel.

DAY 6 – PRAGUE / BRNO & BRATISLAVA
Our journey today takes us across rich Moravia to Brno, the second largest city in the Republic. It is the metropolis of trade fairs and exhibitions, the city of Janacek's music; we will see some if it's unique historical sights in the Old Town before continuing southward to Bratislava which, after Buda fell to the Turks in the 16th century, became the capital of Hungary. We will tour this splendid city, full of Baroque flourishes; the Franciscan Church is an amazing hybrid of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

DAY 7 – BRATISLAVA & BUDAPEST
We relive the glory of the Austro-Hungairan Empire as we travel the Danube to Budapest, an amazing city that equals any European capital for historical, cultural and culinary interest. Although subjected to intense pressures from both east and west, Hungary maintains much of its Magyar autonomy. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

DAY 8 – BUDAPEST
The enchanting medieval city of Budapest lies at the very heart of Europe, Buda on the Right Bank and Pest on the left bank of the River Danube – eight bridges join the older Buda to the newer Pest. Our morning sight-seeing tour of the bustling city will show us the spellbinding polychromatic Matthias Church, uniquely Hungarian with its Gothic exterior and oriental interior. We walk the Old Town and have a spectacular view of the city from the Gllert Hill. The afternoon is at leisure for independent activities. Tonight we will enjoy a special Hungarian Gypsy dinner, complete with Gypsy music. Overnight at our hotel.

DAY 9 – BUDAPEST & VIENNA
This morning we journey through the Hungarian countryside to Burgenland in Austria for a visit to the Esterhazy Palace where Haydn served as court composer; see his mausoleum in the Bergkirche. We travel on our way to Vienna, Austria's crown jewel, where east meets west in a fascinating intermingling of cultures. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

DAY 10 – VIENNA
Morning sight-seeing in this, one of the world's most beautiful cities, will include a stop at the Belvedere Place for a view of the inner city; we ride the Ringstrasse, one of the most beautiful boulevards, viewing the Hofburg, State Opera House and various monuments, before attending a practice session of the Spanish Riding School. A highlight will be a visit to impressive Schoenbrunn Palace and its glorious French Park, the Hapsburg "summer home."

DAY 11 – VIENNA & USA
This morning we transfer to Vienna Airport for the return flight to the United States.

OPTIONAL 4-NIGHT, 4-DAY ALPINE EXTENSION

DAY 11 – VIENNA / SALZBURG
The remainder of our party continue past Melk where we pause to admire its impressive Abbey and then journey through the Austrian Salzkammergut, a beautiful are of lake and picturesque villages. We will visit the sites made famous by "The Sound of Music" before continuing on our way to the charming city of Salzburg, festival centre and birth place of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for dinner and overnight.

DAY 12 – SALZBURG / INNSBRUCK
Our sightseeing this morning of the "Sound of Music City" will include seeing the Cathedral, Bishops Palace and Festival Hall, Hohensalzburg medieval Fortress, the Getreldegasse pedestrian shopping street and a visit to Mozart's birthplace. We then continue through spectacular alpine scenery on our way to the Olympic City of Innsbruck, the Rococo capital of the Austrian Tyrol, for dinner and overnight.

DAY 13 – INNSBRUCK / LAKE LUCERNE
We will see the principal sites of interest in Innsbruch this morning including Maria Theresia Strasse and the Emperor Maximilian's famous "Golden Roof" as well as visiting the famous Rococo Wilten Basilica. We then enjoy another enchanting journey as we continue via the Arlberg Pass with spectacularly breathtaking mountain scenery all around us on our way to Feldkirch. On to the tiny principality of Liechtenstein where we pause to view might Vaduz castle, home of the Royal Family, and then on into Switzerland where the clock ticks on time, cities sparkle and little villages delight the senses with geranium-filled window boxes and umbrella-festooned cafes. Soon we are on the shores of Lake Lucerne, for dinner and overnight at our hotel with splendid view of both the lake and the mountains.

DAY 14 – LAKE LUCERNE / LUCERNE
Drive this morning into Lucerne, a beautiful picturesque medieval town set at ht head of the lake of the same name. Our orientation tour will show us the famous covered bridges, the Lion Monument and the beautiful flower decked lakeside promenades. The balance of the day is at leisure for independent activities. Dinner and overnight again at our lakeside hotel.

DAY 15 – LAKE LUCERNE / ZURICH / USA
This morning we transfer to Zurich Airport for our return flight to the United States. We arrive home the same day. The close of an unforgettable tour, we bring with us lasting memories and new found friends.

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