Castles and Dreams of Germany and Austria

We arrive at the Frankfurt airport and meet our guide, driver
and tour leader Ken Normann. We learn of the history of Frankfurt, as we leave behind the hustle and bustle of the city for the relaxed atmosphere of the Mosel Valley and Lorelei.
We travel to Burg Eltz to view one of the “smaller” castles in Germany, before heading to the small town of Cochem, where
we have dinner and our first overnight.

We start our day at the imposing Cochem Imperial Castle overlooking the Mosel River. This is both the largest and highest castle on the river and offers stunning views of the
entire valley. Then we head to Trier, the oldest town in Germany. We visit important historic sites dating all the way back to Roman times. Later, we head east to Kaiserslautern, a
scenic location that has been a royal estate since the days of Charlemagne. We enjoy an overnight stay in this bucolic setting.

We travel to Heidelberg this morning, one of the most
romantic cities in Germany. We see the beautiful old bridges,
castle ruins and picturesque river views that attract visitors
from around the world. We learn about the history of this
University town and have some free time to explore before we
proceed to Stuttgart for the evening.

Our first stop today is the Mercedes-Benz Museum, which is
a showcase for the company’s 130 years of iconic luxury
vehicles and an informative stroll through Germany history.
We continue to Hohenzollern Castle on a mountaintop
overlooking the town of Hechingen. Among the effects on
display, we see is a letter from George Washington thanking
Baron von Stuben for his service during the Revolutionary
War. Then, we head to the flower island of Mainau, which is
known for its unusual sub-tropic climate. After exploring
some of the gardens, we drive along the shores of the
Bodensee to Friedrichshaffen where we spend the evening.
You might want to stroll along the lake this evening to look
for the distant lights of Italy or Switzerland.

We continue our journey to the area of Füssen, home to the
fanciful palaces of King Ludwig II. Neuschwanstein graces
the covers of many guidebooks and was the inspiration for
Walt Disney’s theme park castles. Ludwig actually lived in
Hohenschwangau, and we see his mark on every corner of the
ornate castle. From here, we cross into Austria and visit
Salzburg, an Alpine city famous as the birthplace of Mozart
and the setting for the film “Sound of Music.”

We spend our day in the UNESCO World Heritage city of
Salzburg, a culturally rich city dotted with baroque and
medieval structures. This is the home of Wolfgang Mozart
and we visit his residence, as well as a small museum with
musical instruments dating back over 400 years. We see the
Cochem Imperial Castle Insel Mainau
Burg Eltz castle
Hohenzollern Castle
Schloss Mirabell, with gardens where parts of Julie Andrew’s
‘Sound of Music’ was filmed. We stop at a children’s toy
museum and visit Hohensalzburg Fortress. As late afternoon
approaches, we head to Vienna where we spend the next three
nights.

Vienna – a city filled with dreams, music and memories. We
make our own memories as we journey to the historic glory of
this refined city. We are pulled through the streets on “fiaker”
horse drawn carriages that evoke a vision of days long past.
We visit St. Stephan’s Cathedral and the Hofburg Palace,
which gives us a glimpse of noble life in an era long past. The
Imperial Treasury is part of the Hofburg Palace and perhaps
one of the most impressive in the world. We also visit the
busy open-air market Naschmarkt, where you are impressed
with the choice and variety of items for sale. We have some
time to explore the other interesting shops and attractions of
this area with some free time on our own. Our other stops
include the Belvedere Palace and the Schönbrunn Palace with
their breathtaking architecture and beautiful gardens.

Our last
evening in Vienna closes with a memorable farewell dinner.

From “The Sound of Music”:
“So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight.”
We board our coach one last time for our transfer to the
airport and our return home. We leave with hearts filled with
memories and suitcases full of lovely gifts to share with our
loved ones at home.