Pearls
of the South West

Germany, 8 Days

Day 1 Travel Day
Meet your group and take the flight to Germany.

Day 2 Arrival in Germany, visit Frankfurt
After arrival at Frankfurt airport you will be met by your tour escort and be lead to the coach. Now you will discover Frankfurt, the banking metropolis of Germany. First you will do a “history of crime”-tour. Doing so, you will have a look at the legal history of the city. You will hear about famous cases and forgotten stories from the Middle Ages to the 1950s and visit the locations involved in Frankfurt’s most memorable crime stories. Your way will lead you through the old city passing for example St. Paul’s Church, Katharinenpforte, Hauptwache, Roßmarkt, Eschenheimer Turm and Stiftstraße, the former residence of murdered Rosemarie Nitribitt, Germany’s best-known
prostitute. Following this you will visit the Museum of Crime, where historic police equipment is exhibited. Being well-known for its skyline you will tour Frankfurt’s skyscraper area by bus and you will learn about interesting and curious anecdotes. The crowning highlight of the tour will be the way up to the viewing platform of the Main Tower where you can enjoy a fabulous view over this fantastic city. Depending on your arrival time you will have the opportunity to enjoy the city on your own after the tour. In the evening the group will come together for a welcome dinner in the hotel. Overnight in Frankfurt.

Day 3 Düsseldorf, Cologne
After an early breakfast you will start to Düsseldorf. The old town of Düsseldorf is full of legends and enchanting tales. Whether “Mother Ey”, the artists’ patroness, or the electoral prince Jan Wellem – a lot of personalities left their trace and you will follow them throughout the city. Besides you will discover the most fascinating places of this town. Then you will drive to Cologne where you also will do a very special tour (to be chosen by the group leader with booking the tour).
Option A: You will plunge into the world of fragrance and learn something about the history of Cologne Water. In the Farina Fragrance Museum and the world’s oldest factory-rooms of perfumes “John Maria Farina opposite the Jülichs Place”, you will spy the secrets of the famous, worldwide known perfume.
Option B: Let yourself surrender by the time of dark magic, the coven, the torment and burning of witches. The tour “The witches of Cologne” will tell you what happened there in this period and why
the free imperial city Cologne had a special role in this time. You will visit all important places concerning this topic.
Option C: The “Tour d’Amour” will lead you to all romantic places in Cologne. You will hear about famous, curious and secret love-stories which took place in Cologne. On top of this you will learn a lot about wedding-rituals and marital-traditions of Germany.
No matter which tour you will follow: on your way you will pass the picturesque houses and narrow alleys of the old town and get a feeling for life in Cologne. But before you will start one of the historical tours, you will discover the Cologne Cathedral, one of the world’s most famous buildings, including the visit of the treasury. In the early evening you will have time for shopping or just drinking a good Kölsch (typical beer of cologne) in the old city. Then you will proceed to
Bonn for dinner and overnight.

Day 4 Bonn, Koblenz, Loreley boat cruise
In the morning you will trail Beethoven’s life in Bonn. Did Beethoven really live only for the music? What did he like when he was a child? What about the time as teenager? Today you will find out all about his family, his friends and his everyday life. In connection with this tour you will visit the museum in the Beethoven-Birthhouse and the Digital Beethoven-House. Then you will drive to Koblenz. After time for a quick lunch, the “Old Town Express” will be waiting for you. The mini-train-trip will lead you to the main sights of Koblenz, for example the St. Kastor Church, the Emperor William Monument at the “German Corner”, the oldest pub of the city, the castle and the famous Deinhard-Winery. Afterwards your coach will bring you to St. Goar, where you will take the boat to Rüdesheim. By boat you will discover a part of the Rhine Valley. First you will have a view on the lovely Loreley. Both banks of the Rhine are dominated by an impressive nature. You will be excited by watching the picturesque landscape, old castles and ruines, bold cliffs covered with vineyards and quaint small towns on the Rhine while following this majestic waterway by boat or on the road by coach. (Travel-time for the boat tour: April – October, November – March the route will be done by coach.) Dinner and overnight in Rüdesheim.

Day 5 Rüdesheim, Mainz, Heidelberg
Today, your first action will be a short tour around Rüdesheim, one of the loveliest small towns on the Rhine. Then you will continue to Mainz. After an overview of the city-highlights you will visit the Gutenberg Museum, the birthplace of printing. Johannes Gutenberg developed the process of moveable type that allowed printing to be done on a production scale. The museum presents all important details of print-business including a demonstration. Heart of the exhibition are two copies of the world-famous 42-line Gutenberg Bible that can be admired in the strongroom. Your next station will be Heidelberg, being one of Germany’s oldest cities with the oldest university of the country. A local guide will show you all important corners of the historic city, before you take the Heidelberg Mountain Railway to reach the Castle of Heidelberg. After arrival you will go around to see the inner yard, the palace garden, the fabulous barrel and the German Pharmacy Museum. For dinner and overnight you will go on to Ulm.

Day 6 Neuschwanstein Castle, Hohenschwangau Castle, Museum of the Bavarian Kings
After breakfast you will depart to Hohenschwangau, Bavaria. Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle are located there, as well as the Museum of the Bavarian Kings. This day is dedicated to discover the castles and to visit the museum. A local guide will escort you in the castles; the museum you will explore on your own. In the evening you will drive to Munich. Before arriving there you will have a photo-stop in Starnberg in order to get an impression of the Lake of Starnberg. Dinner and overnight in Munich.

Day 7 Munich
You will spend the last day of your trip in Munich, Bavaria’s capitol. A local guide will show you the secret corners as well as the “must have-seen”-sights. Your way will lead you from the Town Hall to the Nymphenburg Palace. Around noon you will take part in a very special tour around the Viktualienmarkt, where you will have the possibility to taste four different local specialties. At least you will have the afternoon off having the possibility to stroll through the city on your own or to go shopping. Or perhaps you want to discover the English Garden? Take your time to finish your holiday in a very relaxing way. For farewell dinner you will meet the group in the Hofbräuhaus.
Overnight in Munich.