Christmas Markets of Germany & Austria

Upon arriving at the Frankfurt International Airport, we meet our driver and board our touring coach for the short drive to Rüdesheim. (For those arranging their own airfare or arriving early, it is a short train ride from the Frankfurt airport to Rüdesheim.) Upon arrival in the quaint village of Rüdesheim we have time to rest from our long flight and then explore this small village on the Rhein all decorated in Christmas style. The Christmas market is charming and found in the old part city center along the famous Drosselgasse, on the market square, and on the river front (open until 8pm tonight). For those who are adventurous, you may wish to take a ride with the cable car, up to the famous monument, even when it is cold, the ride is so nice and a very magnificent view. Upon arrival at the Niederwald Denkmal, there is a small, tiny house in a Bavarian style where you get mulled wine and nice snacks to eat. This evening we enjoy a wine tasting as part of our welcome dinner! Ringhotel Central or similar

After breakfast this morning it is about two-and-a-half-hour drive to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This famous medieval city is one of only a few in Germany that still has its entire medieval defensive wall intact. Long ago the city was declared a national treasure, and laws prohibited changing the appearance of the original city inside the wall in any way. For us, that means a chance to step back centuries in time in one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Rothenburg also has a Christmas market, which we will have time to enjoy. While the market is a bit smaller in Rothenburg, they have a special Christmas attraction of their own. We will want to stop to visit Käthe Wohlfahrt's Christkindlmarkt, an enormous Christmas shop which is open year-round, and which has to actually charge admission for entrance during the holiday season due to its popularity. The entrance cost can be applied to any purchase. Dinner will be at our hotel followed by a tour with the night watchman! Akzent Schranne or similar

In the past century, Nürnberg had dark ties to the Nazi party, and was the scene of the war trials held by allied forces. We make a brief for a tour of some of the sites of the World War II times. In more modern times, it has a much brighter reputation as the site of the best Christmas market in Germany. Dozens and dozens of stands which are decorated for the season, are set in the city center square, with craftsmen that have hand made a large variety of goods to sell. Some stands are cooking sausages on outdoor grills and others are warming Glühwein, a mix of red wine and spices. The scenes and smells combine to create a picture of Christmas from days gone by, and bring a warmth inside, even for those that don't try the Glühwein. We return to Rothenburg for overnight. Akzent Schranne or similar

We drive to Munich this morning through the beautiful Bavarian countryside. En route we stop in Ulm to visit the Ulm Minster (Cathedral) currently the tallest church in the world. We will have a brief organ recital and then explore the local Christmas markets. After about 3 hours in Ulm, we continue on to Munich. If the day is clear, we begin to see the outlines of the Alps in the distance. As we approach Munich, the Olympic facilities come into sight. Tonight, we enjoy dinner and a folklore at the Augustiner Keller. Maritim Munich or similar

We start the day with a local guide and spend a short time learning about the history and highlights of the city. We have the afternoon to enjoy the market, and perhaps have a lunch at a sausage stand or at the restaurant under the New City Hall. There will be ample time to explore the pedestrian zone. There are several nice Bavarian restaurants close to our hotel which you can explore and enjoy the Gemütlichkeit with the locals. Dinner is on our own tonight. Perhaps you will want to venture into the famous Hofbräuhaus! Maritim Munich or similar

We continue on our journey today, driving south today with a slight detour to Oberndorf to view the Silent Night Chapel which stands in the place of the former St. Nicholas Church (St. Nikola), in which the Christmas carol was performed for the first time on December 24, 1818. It was in this village the song was written and first sung. “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht. Alles schläft; einsam wacht.” A local expert will join us to tell us the story of this famous Christmas Carol. Afterwards, it is a short time, 30 minutes, before we arrive in Salzburg, the city of Mozart, and The Sound of Music. A local guide takes us on a short walking tour of the city. This will get us oriented to our home for the next two days. We walk through Mirabel Gardens (The Sound of Music setting for the song Do Re Mi), and down the streets of the famous Getreidegasse (the traditional cobblestoned shopping street in the old part of the city). On our tour, we will go into the home where Mozart was born and walk through the city's grand cathedral. This evening we will have dinner at the Peters Keller, the oldest restaurant in Europe, having been documented as early as the year 803. Hotel am Mirabellplatz or similar

Today we don our mining garb and slide deep into the earth to learn about the important medieval industry of salt mining, which made this area prosper. We enjoy lunch as a group either en route or on arrival back in Salzburg. The remainder of the day is free to roam the markets. Hotel am Mirabellplatz or similar

We drive across Austria to Vienna. Our first stop is Gut-Aiderbichl, just a short distance from our hotel, where we visit an internationally known special Christmas Market. It started with a farm nursing many types of animals back to strength and added a market. We continue on to Vienna, with a lunch stop at a small town en route for lunch on our own. Vienna, Vienna Woods, Vienna waltzes, Vienna concert halls - there are so many joyful sensory associations with this glittering capital of the mighty Hapsburg Empire...of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn, Brahms, and Strauss...the center of European commerce and culture. Today, the legacy lives on. We enter Innere Stadt, the old city, where the attractions include St. Stephen's Cathedral with its skyscraping bell tower, and the Hofburg Palace. The Opera and the Philharmonic embody the unique musical heritage that is both the social fabric and the artistic expression of Vienna, and the city's world-class museums hold a bounty of treasures, from Rembrandts and Rubens to Rococo furniture and rare Stone-Age artifacts. We enjoy a short introductory walking tour before relaxing in our hotel near the city center. Dinner is at our hotel tonight. ArtHotel ANA Gala or similar

After a relaxing breakfast, we walk to the St. Stephens Cathedral, for an inside visit. We see more of the city center and then meet other travelers at the Café Sacher, in the hotel with the same name. Here we are treated to a slice of the famous Sacher Torte, a scrumptious chocolate cake, accompanied by a hot beverage of our choice. The afternoon and evening are on your own. ArtHotel ANA Gala or similar

Today we begin with a driving tour of outer Vienna. We return to our hotel around lunch time. Some may wish to rest, and others get some last-minute shopping done. We enjoy a late afternoon tour of Schönbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the Hapsburgs. Tonight, we enjoy dinner and a concert listening to Mozart or Beethoven, also at Schönbrunn. ArtHotel ANA Gala or similar

This morning we say Auf Wiederseh'n to Germany and Austria, and the new friends we have met along the way, as we drive the short distance to the Vienna airport for our return flights to the USA.