Tour Dates: 1 - 13 May 2010
This tour offers an ideal combination of culture and landscape. We travel through four countries; Austria, Germany, Switzerland and France.
DAY 1 Arrival in Vienna.
Transfer from airport to Springer Schlossl Hotel in Vienna. Depending on the time of arrival a city sightseeing tour can be organized, since guests may only check into the hotel from 14h00.
If your guests are arriving early, we can arrange the sightseeing tour for the first day.
DAY 2 Vienna
Today we visit the famed Viennese forest. We travel through the romantic Helenic Valley to the Mayerling Hunting Castle. In the Cistine Holy Cross Foundation we view a medieval monastery, built 1133AD. We visit Baden, the city of Roman and thermal spa baths and at Modling we take a boat trip on the largest underground lake in Europe.
DAY 3 Vienna – Salzburg
On our journey from Vienna to Salzburg we travel into Wachau. We visit the Benedictine foundation “Melk”, the largest Baroque organization of central Europe, before proceeding to Salzburg.
When hearing the name of Salzburg one pictures festival goers in precious evening gowns, shop window exhibits of marzipan and chocolate pralines, and the birth place of the great composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
In the old town centre, the Salzach River flows through neat Patrician buildings, numerous galleries and traditional cafes. On a city tour we get to know the most significant sights of Salzburg, including the Mirabell Castle, Mozart’s home, the Baroque old town architecture, the cathedral and Leopoldskron Castle. Every corner seems to reveal another view of the city which emerges like a well-composed painting.
Overnight Hotel Austrotel, Salzburg.
DAY 4 Salzburg – Munich
After breakfast we leave Salzburg. Short excursion to the Chiemsee. Some of the most picturesque countryside of the Alps lays sprawled around this Bavarian lake.
Arriving in Munich, a brief city tour will give us a good overview of the city’s noteworthy sights, for example the classical Konigsplatz, well-known galleries and historic art-quarter, Schwabing, the beautiful Ludwig Street and Prince-Regent Street with its architecture and museums. The elegant Maximillian Street takes us to the heart of the city, where we’ll see the Bavarian capital buildings, the German museum, residence and national theater. In the old town quarter we’ll experience a Bavarian evening at the famous Hofbrauhaus, with Bavarian music, dinner and a complimentary drink. Afterwards we will drive through Schwabing to the Olympic tower, from where we’ll have a lovely view over the sea of the city lights. To round off the evening we will enjoy a cocktail and live music in one of Munich’s many night cafés (duration 4,5hrs, start 19h30).
Overnight Derag Hotel Max Emanuel.
DAY 5 Munich – Fussen
After a hearty breakfast we leave Munich and travel to Schwangau near Fussen in the lovely Allgau province. After seeing the Ettal monastery we reach one of the highlights of the tour when we visit the castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, both built by the “Fairy tale king”, Ludwig XIV.
The mystery which surrounds parts of the king’s life and death contributes to the fascination which continues to bring thousands of visitors every year to admire the castles that he built.
Neuschwanstein is the castle used in Walt Disney fairytales, recognizable on countless pictures, postcards and puzzles all over the world.
Upon request we can include a visit to Fussen, which is Bavaria’s highest laying town at 800-1200m above sea level. It has a remarkably historical old town.
Overnight in the country hotel Guglhupf.
DAY 6 Fussen – Bodensee, Rhine Falls
Today we drive into the Black Forest, where we visit the Bodensee lake, the romantic wine- and castle town of Meersburg with its half-timbered “Fachwerk” houses and bay windows, towers and the oldest inhabited castle in Germany.
The Rhine waterfall at Schaffhausen is a spectacular sight and a must for every Bodensee visitor. With an average of 700 cubic metres of water per second crashing down the 23m high, 150m wide chasm, it is Europe’s largest waterfall.
Overnight Garten Hotel, Feldeck.
DAY 7 Excursion to Switzerland
Zurich is young and dynamic. It offers a rich cultural package, among others 150 museums and galleries, a pulsating city with a cosmopolitan atmosphere and opportunities for window-shopping on the exclusive Bahnhofstrasse, characteristic street trams, an historic old town and pedestrian zone leading to the Zurich lake with its inspiring natural setting.
Clean air, precision Swiss watches, expensive boutiques and decadently delicious chocolate all epitomize the spirit of the Swiss, reflected in the moods and flavours of Zurich.
DAY 8 Black Forest
Today we spend a little time exploring the southern part of the Black Forest and its natural beauty. We travel to Feldberg, the highest point in the Black Forest, as well as the well-known Tittisee lake and Freiburg, the Black Forest capital.
DAY 9 Lauchringen – Elsass (France)
Today our journey takes us to Colmar, a city of art and history also known for its good life and fine gastronomy. This regional capital of the Alsatian wine region is also the birth place of Bartholdi, sculptor of the American Statue of Liberty.
We will be enchanted by the wonders of the Rhine art area, among which the famous Unterlinden Museum, the buildings which have been declared national monuments and the picturesque town squares.
We will also have an opportunity to experience the French provincial charm and hospitality in the towns of Ribeauville and Riquewihr.
Overnight in the Colmar area.
DAY 10 Colmar – Zeltingen
Our journey takes us through Strassburg and Trier to Zeltingen on the Moselle River. In Strassburg we embark on a short sightseeing tour and visit the Strassburger Diocese church. With a similar city orienteering tour in Trier we discover part of its 2000-year history, before driving further along the Moselle to Zeltingen.
Overnight Weinhotel St. Stephanus.
DAY 11 Moselle tour
Today we pay a visit to the well-known towns on the Moselle River, for example Cochem, Bernkastel-Keuss, Traben Trabach.
The region is characterized by vineyards on the steep slopes leading down to the river and little quaint towns of which the church steeples are visible from afar.
Overnight Weinhotel St. Stephanus.
DAY 12 Zeltingen – Coblenz
After breakfast we leave the banks of the Moselle and cross over to the Rhine River. We visit Rudesheim and spend a little time on its atmospheric “Drosselgasse” trail. We stop to view the Loreley statue situated in the Rhine River. This legendary maiden is reputed to have distracted sailors while singing and combing her hair, causing ships to crash into the embankments of the river. This is the folklore explanation of the high number of ship wrecks found in the area.
Proceeding along the Rhine, one frequently spots castles atop the hills overlooking the river, each with another interesting story rooted in its history.
Finally we reach Coblenz, one of the prettiest and oldest cities in Germany, at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers, called the “Deutsches Eck” (the “German Corner”).
Four low mountain ranges, green forests and expanses of water frame the setting for this city, where we visit the Ehrenbreitstein fortress guarding over the city like an ancient sentry.
Churches, castles, the courts of aristocratic families and residences of nobility stand as witnesses to a history exceeding 2000 years. Narrow passages, little romantic corners and inviting town squares contribute to the magic that charms visitors from around the world.
Coblenz is the economic and cultural hub of the central Rhine, and therefore also the axle of international tourism and industrial traffic.
We take a city tour to be able to soak up the cultural and historic significance of the city.
DAY 13 Return.
Unfortunately our lovely tour has reached its end. We take you from Coblenz to Frankfurt airport and wish you a pleasant homeward journey.
The End
Our journey may well end here, but this unique tour will undoubtedly have a special place in everyone’s heart …
@ JJ Du Preez/Pumba Tours
Destination RSA(Pty) Ltd trading as Pumba Tours
PO Box 101016
Meerensee
Richards Bay 3901
Tel: 035 753 3677/753 3962
Fax: 035 753 5875
e-mail: pumbatrs@iafrica.com
Price:
The full price for the 10 day tour amounts to R23 650 per person sharing. There will be a single levy of R1,800 per single person not sharing accommodation.
The price includes the following.
- Cost of return Flight from South Africa as well as the internal flight
- All traveling costs
- All accommodation
- All meals as per itinerary (Two meals per day plus other meals as per the itinerary)
- All gate and entrance fees to sites as set out in the itinerary
- Transport in luxury Coach
- On board refreshments in the form of mineral water
- Public liability insurance amounting to R10 million
- Passenger liability insurance amounting to R10 million
- Colour photo’s of the entire tour on compact disc (CD)
- Complimentary DVD of the entire tour
