DAY 1, Thu, Jul 24 - USA/VIENNA
We depart the USA for our flight to Vienna. (meals aloft)
DAY 2, Fri, Jul 25 - VIENNA
We arrive in Vienna, transfer to our hotel, and have the remainder of the afternoon at leisure. Vienna, also described as Europe’s cultural capital, is a metropolis with unique charm, vibrancy and flair. On the banks of the Danube, Vienna boasts palaces, theaters, outstanding musical heritage, world-famous art, and renowned coffee houses. Dinner is provided either at the hotel or a nearby restaurant this evening. (D)
DAY 3, Sat, Jul 26 - VIENNA
Baroque grandeur unfolds as our intriguing morning tour includes monuments to the great musicians and intricately carved St. Stephen’s Spire. A visit to the treasures of enormous Schoenbrunn Palace highlights our morning sightseeing. The Palace, set in an exquisite French park, has 1400 elaborately decorated rooms. You have leisure time this afternoon to explore the Vienna Woods, sample the famed sachertorte at Hotel Sacher, shop for delicate Rosenthal porcelain or stroll lofty Belvedere Palace gardens. Or, visit other famous sites in Vienna such as the Imperial Hofburg Palace, Opera House and the National Museums. (B,D)
DAY 4, Sun, Jul 27 - VIENNA/SALZBURG
After breakfast we journey through the beautiful Austrian countryside to Salzburg, in the heart of “Sound of Music” country. Located at the northern boundary of the Alps, Salzburg is the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. With mountains to the south and rolling plains to the north, the impressive sites here include the Cathedral, Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mirabell Palace and the Old City’s baroque churches as well as the Getreidegasse pedestrian shopping street, where you will want to shop for Austrian souvenirs. The highlight of our walking tour this afternoon in Salzburg is a visit to Mozart’s birthplace. We have dinner and overnight in the Salzburg area. (B,D)
DAY 5, Mon, Jul 28 - SALZBURG/NEUSCHWANSTEIN/FUSSEN
This morning we are treated to a “Sound of Music” tour in and around Salzburg. This afternoon we enjoy the beauty of Bavarian countryside and quaint villages as we travel to Hohenschwangau to tour Neuschwanstein. This widely-recognized castle is the one that Walt Disney used as the model for his Disneyland castle. You have to see it to believe it, and then you may wonder if this pinnacled castle perched on a mountain peak is real or a dream. It was a dream, of mad King Ludwig II of Bavaria, brought to life in the 19th century. We continue to our hotel in nearby Fussen for dinner and overnight. (B,D)
DAY 6, Tue, Jul 29 - DACHAU/MUNICH
This morning we drive to Munich. A city of culture, it has 41 theaters and 44 museums & collections. It spans the worlds of old and new, displaying rich royal history and Old World charm alongside modern buildings and international businesses. This afternoon we pay a sobering visit to Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp in Germany, opened in 1933. Dachau served as the model for other concentration camps that followed. It is estimated that over 30,000 people died at Dachau, with countless others transported to extermination camps in Poland for execution. We return to Munich this evening for dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at our hotel. (B,D)
DAY 7, Wed, Jul 30 - MUNICH/LEIPZIG
We depart Munich this morning and travel on to Leipzig, where we check into our hotel and begin our participation in the Baptist Youth World Conference.(B)
DAY 8, Thu, Jul 31 - LEIPZIG
Leipzig has been an important influence in European commercial and intellectual life for centuries, and its sights are all part of the Leipzig experience. Historical shopping arcades, lovingly restored, are typical of the architecture in the city centre with its great shops and vibrant cultural scene. For these few days, it hosts thousands of young people and youth workers from around the world as we Dive Deeper at the 15th Baptist Youth World Conference. (B)
DAY 9, Fri, Aug 1 - LEIPZIG
Today we continue with conference activities in Leipzig. (B)
DAY 10, Sat, Aug 2 - LEIPZIG/WITTENBERG
As conference activities continue in Leipzig, we depart for Wittenberg, birthplace of the Reformation and city of Frederick the Wise who was patron and protector of Martin Luther. Luther lived here from 1508 until his death. We see the historic All Saints Castle Church and its famous door where he nailed his 95 Theses and which contains the graves of Luther and Melanchton. We visit the Luther House, which is the largest and greatest museum of Reformation history in the world. From Wittenberg, we return to Leipzig. (B)
DAY 11, Sun, Aug 3 - LEIPZIG/BERLIN
The conference concludes today. Following the closing ceremonies, we depart Leipzig and travel to Berlin. Germany’s capital is a multicultural metropolis, a city of approximately 3.5 million people living in an area roughly the size of New York City. It was in Berlin that the historic “fall of the wall” took place on November 9, 1989. During our afternoon of touring in this once-divided city, we see the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Tiergarten Park and the Olympic Stadium, the Reichstag, and the Brandenburg Gate, and we visit the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. Dinner and overnight in Berlin. (B,D)
DAY 12, Mon, Aug 4 - BERLIN/USA
Today we board our flight for the return journey back to the USA. (B, meals aloft) |
