Selected departures from August and September 2012
Many people think they know Germany but on a closer examination are delightfully surprised by its iconic historic cities, expansive rolling countryside, fairy-tale castles and magnificent buildings, delightful and perfectly preserved medieval villages plus the warmth and vivacity of the local people. On this tour we explore one its most fascinating provinces which displays these qualities in abundance. Bavaria is surrounded by two of the continent’s most stunningly beautiful rivers - the Main and Danube - and punctuated by several of its most astonishing cultural gems.
Much of what we will see is loosely called the ‘Romantic Road’ which is more of a collective description rather than an exact route and so described because of its near-perfect blend of the already mentioned attributes. The true wonders here are the extraordinarily preserved medieval town of Rothenburg and the great cities of Wurzburg, Bamberg, Regensburg and Munich, interspaced by wonderfully unspoilt countryside studded with sleepy medieval villages and dominated by half-ruined castles seemingly atop every hillside
This was the very heart of Europe throughout the Middle Ages from Charlemagne’s time and the Holy Roman Empire when the legendary chivalric order of the Teutonic Knights held sway, through the great Baroque movement of the 17th century and on into the modern era. You’ll marvel at the wealth of magnificent religious edifices, from the wonderful Gothic cathedrals of Bamberg and Regensburg to the simple beauty of Munich’s Fraunkirche with its famous twin onion-like, domed towers. The cultural crescendo is reached when you gaze in awe at the sumptuous glory of the wonderfully restored Residenz Palace in Wurzburg, built to rival Versailles with its opulence and fine art. We also visit Regensburg, acknowledged as Germany’s finest medieval town with a staggering 1,300 buildings of outstanding historical interest, and recently coming to prominence as the home town of the present Pope, Benedict.
Probably the finest of them all though is Rothenburg You will just love exploring the hidden corners and cobbled streets lined with overhanging half-timbered, almost doll-like houses of the old medieval quarters, surrounded by the atmospheric ramparts and turrets of this astoundingly preserved medieval town. You will be amazed by this corner of Germany and its truly fascinating places to see, in an area still yet to be discovered by the majority.Fully escorted tour price includes:
- Return flights
- Six nights four-star accommodation with dinner and breakfast
- Tour of the Romantic Road, its bucolic scenery plus picturesque and beautiful 16th century Rothenburg
- Tour of the Residenze in Wurzburg, one of Europe’s most richly decorated 18th century palaces and city of the Prince Bishops
- Guided tour of Bamberg, one of Europe’s most beautiful small cities
- Visit and tour of Munich, capital of Bavaria
- Tour of Regensburg, former frontier town of the Roman Empire, now one of Europe’s finest medieval cities, nestling on the river Danube and home of the present Pope Benedict
- Escorted by experienced tour manager
4* Soreda Hotel Break - Malta
Four-star All-Inclusive Crete
The Eternal City of Rome
Dubrovnik & the Dalmatian Coast
Krakow (Belfast)
Vietnam and Cambodia
Prague
Berlin Break
Boutique Istanbul
