ITINERARY 2009 Tour - Holland, Luxemburg, Germany

May 14, Thursday—6:40 p.m. departure from Newark with Continental Airlines.

May 15, Friday—8:15 a.m. arrive in Amsterdam.  Following customs formalities, meet your tour manager and transfer to the waiting motorcoach.  Drive into the city for a canal boat ride and a visit to the Rijksmuseum.  After a break for lunch, continue to the hotel in Leiden to check in for a three-night stay.  There will be time to settle in and rest followed by late afternoon and/or evening rehearsal session.  Dinner is served at the hotel.

May 16, Saturday and 17, Sunday—Sightseeing and excursions will be planned around concert performances.  Transfers to and from concert performances will be provided as needed.

May 18, Monday—Depart early this morning to visit the world-famous Aalsmeer Flower Auction.  We’ll have time to see the acres of fresh flowers and plants being readied for shipment to all parts of the globe and to observe the unique Dutch auction system.  Then we’ll travel to the Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage site where we’ll see several working windmills in a lovely pastoral setting.  Continue from here into the little kingdom of Belgium and on to Bastogne, the scene of the World War II Battle of the Bulge.  We’ll see the gigantic Mardasson Monument honoring the American soldiers who gave their lives here.  We will also visit the impressive Bastogne Historical Center.  Then we’ll check in at the nearby hotel for dinner and overnight.

May 19, Tuesday—Travel into the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to visit Clervaux in its remarkable setting on the River Clerve.  We’ll have a break of about an hour and a half to explore independently or visit the Chateau, a 12^th-century fortress that was renovated in the 17^th century.  Then we’ll continue into Germany and on to Trier,.  the oldest city in Germany, Trier is known for its Roman artifacts and its picturesque location on the Moselle River.  After time for lunch, we’ll take a walking tour in Trier’s historic core where we’ll see the fine old square called the Hauptmarkt and the Porta Nigra. This four-story town gate was erected by the Romans in the 2^nd century.  We’ll have some free to shop and then we’ll check in at our hotel for dinner and overnight.

May 20, Wednesday—A morning drive takes us through the Moselle Valley where we’ll enjoy views of vineyards, charming little towns and castle ruins.  At Cochem, we’ll stop to visit the Reichsburg, one of the most celebrated sites in the Rhineland.  From there we’ll join the autobahn for the drive to the majestic city of Cologne.  Check in at the hotel for dinner and a two-night stay.

May 21, Thursday—Plans for today will be built around the concert performance.  Transfers to and from the performance site will be provided.

May 22, Friday—Travel to Boppard this morning and embark for a cruise on the most scenic part of the legendary Rhine River.  We’ll leave the steamer at Bacharach.  After time to explore this delightful little city, do some shopping, and have lunch, we’ll continue to Mainz.  A visit to the Mainzer Dom is followed by hotel check-in and dinner.  

May 23, Saturday—The morning is at leisure in Mainz to visit the Gutenberg-Museum or shop.  Rendezvous back at the hotel for lunch at midday.  After time to freshen up, we’ll transfer to Kaiserslautern.  A break for dinner is followed by an evening concert performance.  Return to the hotel in Mainz for overnight.

May 24, Sunday—Based on current flight schedules, a departure from the hotel is planned at 7:00 a.m. for the drive to Frankfurt’s Rhein-Main Airport.  Due to the early departure, it’s likely that the hotel will only be able to furnish a light breakfast of coffee, juice and rolls.  Departure from Frankfurt is currently scheduled at 11:20 a.m. with arrival back in Newark at 2:05 p.m.

Those who wish to arrange their own flights will receive a credit of approximately $1,045 per person.

BAVARIAN HOLIDAY EXTENSION

May 24, Sunday— After breakfast, we'll say good-bye to our traveling companions who are returning to the U. S. today. Then we'll board our motorcoach and head south and east. To make the best use of our time, we'll stick to the autobahn. Passing by Karlsruhe and Stuttgart, we'll reach Ulm at midday. Let's take our lunch break here, Ulm, a thriving commercial city, the birthplace of Albert Einstein. It is also home to the Ulm Munster, a Lutheran cathedral whose spire - at 528 feet - is the tallest in the world. If you're feeling ambitious, you can climb the 768 steps of the spire for a wonderful view of the town, the Danube, and the Alps. Then we'll continue our drive via Memmingen and Kempten to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. This renowned Bavarian resort is popular the year around - and it's our home for the next two nights. A late afternoon arrival will give us an opportunity to look around before dinner is served at the hotel.

May 25, Monday— The entire day is yours to do just as you please in Garmisch. The premiere attraction is, of course, the Zugspitze. At 9,724 feet, the Zugspitze is the highest peak on German territory and one of the most beautiful sights in Bavaria. The ascent up from Garmisch is via rack-railway and cable car and takes about an hour and 15 minutes. At the summit, a marvelous panorama of mountain peaks, lakes, and valleys awaits. Those who prefer to stay closer to earth today will have a terrific time exploring the shops in Garmisch, visiting the lovely old parish church and strolling on the Philosophers' Way, which affords fine views of the surrounding mountains, including the Zugspitze.

Note - Prior to departure, Witte Travel will advise the cost to ascend the Zugspitze and ask if you're interested in joining your tour manager on this optional excursion.

May 26, Tuesday— This morning we're going to visit the Neuschwanstein, one of the castles built by "mad" King Ludwig. Bristling with towers and turrets, this castle was the inspiration for Disney's Fantasyland Castle. Be sure to wear your sturdiest shoes  - it's quite a trek up to the castle. Those who would rather not walk up can hire a carriage or stay below to browse in the gift shop and get a cup of coffee. At lunchtime, we'll transfer to nearby Oberammergau, scene of the world-famous decennial Passion Play, which will again be offered in 2010. Oberammergau is also known for its woodcarvers and our stop here will give us a chance to visit some of their shops. Then we'll head for Munich. We're going to spend our last two nights in this great Bavarian carnival city. En route to the hotel, our tour manager will give us a briefing on the layout of the city and make suggestions for dinner tonight and our free day tomorrow.

 May 27, Wednesnday— At breakfast this morning, we'll see our tour manager and motorcoach driver off as they head home to the Netherlands today. Then, the entire day is yours to do just as you please. Among the many options you might want to consider is a visit to the colossal Alte Pinakothek. One of the foremost art museums iln the world, the Alte Pinakothek houses an impressive collection of 14th to 18th century European paintings. The Deutsches Museum, which traces the history of science and techonoloty from the beginning of time to the present day, is also well worth a visit. Shoppers will enjoy browsing in the extensive pedestrians-only areas running off the Marienplatz. The principal shopping streets are Kaufingerstrasse and Neuhauserstrasse. For a unique experience, wander over to the Vikualienmarkt-Vistuals Market-at lunch time. Along with the stalls of fresh fruits and vegetables, you'll find Bavarian specialties, cheeses and freshly-prepared fruit and vegetable drinks. For those who are interested, it's fairly easy to get to Dachau via public transportation to tour the site of the former concentration camp. Whatever you decide to do with your day, be sure to leave some time for a visit to the Marienplatz, the crossroads at the heart of Munich. The north side of the square is occupied by the New Town Hall whose carillon, the Glockenspiel, plays at 11:00 a.m., 12:00 noon and 5:00 p.m. Get to the square early so you'll have a good spot from which to see and hear this charming mechanical clock. this evening, we'll gather at the Hofbrauhaus, the best known of Munich's many beer halls, for a festive farewell dinner.

May 28, Thursday— We've been in Europe for almost two weeks. With suitcases full of souvenirs - and hearts and minds full of all that we've seen and done, we'll transfer to Munich's Strauss Airport to check in for the return flight to Newark. After clearing customs, we'll connect with our onward flights back to our home towns.