9-Day Bavaria, Innsbruck & Lake Constance Rail Tour (9R07)

By High-Speed train (ICE) you will be traveling from Frankfurt Int. Airport directly to Wurzburg, the gateway to the Romantic Road. Your hotel is located in walking distance from Wurzburg Central Station. Visit the Old Town in Wurzburg as well as the Residence admission included), where you can join a free English-speaking tour at 3 pm each day. From mid-March to October you may also want to visit Fortress Marienberg which is towering above the scenic Old Town of the “Historic Highlights of Germany” city of Wurzburg (closed on Mondays, admission included).

It only takes about an hour by regional train from Wurzburg Central station you will get to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The charming medieval town, towering above the “Tauber” river, is located at the cross-way of the Romantic Road (running from Wurzburg to Fussen/Alp Mountains) and the Castle Road (running from Mannheim/Heidelberg to Prague). Enjoy visiting the Old Town with the historic City wall (can be walked on). A highlight for many is “Kaethe Wohlfahrt Christmas Wonderland which is open all year. Adjected to the store is the Christmas Museum which is worth visiting if you are interested in the history of Christmas and Christmas decorations. At your convenience take the train from medieval Rothenburg ob der Tauber back to Wurzburg Central Station, where your hotel is located.

High-Speed “ICE” rail will take you from Wurzburg Central Station to Nuremberg Central Station. Travel time is only about an hour. Your hotel is located in walking distance from Nuremberg Central Station (which is located just outside the Old City Wall surrounding Nuremberg Old Town and the Imperial Castle). Nuremberg’s history reaches back to the year 1050, its name “nourenberc” translates into “rocky hill”. Nuremberg’s famous landmark, the “Kaiserburg” (Imperial Castle), towers above the Old town, which is protected by the five kilometers long city wall, many towers and gates can still be visited. The medieval Castle is one of the most important imperial palaces dating from the middle ages from the 11th century (admission included).

When exploring the beauty of Nuremberg’s medieval Old Town you may want to start right at the Koenigstor (“Kingsgate”) which is the gate right across from Nuremberg Central Station. From where the timber-framed buildings, the Gothic Church of St.Lawrence and the Church of St.Sebaldus can be easily reached by foot. Right next to the Koenigstor is the Handwerkerhof (craft center), here you will feel like you are back in the medieval times, there are craft workshops like they used to have a long time ago as well as a gingerbread bakery. Make sure to enjoy a Nuremberg Bratwurst along with a beer or a glass of “Frankenwein” (Franconian wine).

In the Third Reich Adolf Hitlers´Nazi Party had chosen Nuremberg for their Nazi Rallies and if you are interested in that part of history you may want to visit the Documentation Center Nazi Rally Grounds which are located just south of the Old Town.

DAY 4 Munich

Munich, the Capital of Bavaria, is your next destination. Munich Central Station is more than 100 miles from Nuremberg Central Station but by high-speed ICE rail it only takes about an hour to get there. Munich is famous throughout the world for the Oktoberfest but also for its location, close to scenic lakes and to the Alp Mountains. Your hotel is located in walking distance to Munich Central Station.

Where to begin when one wants to name places to see and things to do in this extraordinary city … which like few others combines modern life with lively history? There is Munich’s old town where 850 years of history are showing off, there is the Marienplatz (Marien Square) where three times each day thousands of people are spellbound when the world famous Glockenspiel (carillon) starts its beautiful song. Visit and marvel at the Frauenkirche, the town’s landmark; do not miss the Hofbrauhaus and find out why the Munchner (inhabitants of Munich) don’t want to miss out on their “Brotzeit” (a meal or snack consisting of bread, cold cuts, cheese and so on, usually enjoyed between breakfast and lunch). Visit the Residence, Nymphenburg Palace and Park, Hall of Fame and all the other sights in Munich which are included in your comprehensive sightseeing package. Many guests ask us about the option to visit Dachau Memorial Site which is located just outside of Munich. This can also be arranged for that day if you contact is in advance and let us know.

DAY 5 Escorted Coach tour to Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Palace

Your all-day, escorted coach tour will first take you to Oberammergau for a photo stop. The coach will then take you to Linderhof Palace, the “Royal Villa” of Ludwig II. Visit this beautifully-furnished castle and the park. Admission to Linderhof Palace and Neuschwanstein Castle is included in the price of the tour. The picture of Neuschwanstein is probably present in everybody’s mind but certainly for those traveling along the Romantic Road. Be prepared that reality will surpass all pictures and imaginations. Neuschwanstein seems to be taken out of a fairytale! Seeing the castle from the outside is unforgettable, a tour of the interior, which was originally built for one famous inhabitant, will make the picture perfect! But make sure to take some time to explore the castle grounds. The view of Neuschwanstein from the bridge behind the Castle is like no other! PLEASE NOTE: if you have been on the escorted coach tour to the Royal Castles before it is also possible to change this to a different tour from Munich.

Speed rail will take you in a little less than two hours from Munich Central Station to Innsbruck in Austria – Capital of Tyrol. You will be able to enjoy a very scenic train ride since the train will take you right through the Alp Mountains – passing Rosenheim and Kufstein. Innsbruck is known as the “Capital of the Alps“. From Innsbruck Central Station it is just about a 10 minute walk to the Old Town where you find one of the highlights of Innsbruck: the “Goldenes Dachl“ (golden roof). Most of the sights are on the right bank of the River Inn, from which the town takes its name. Innsbruck’s boulevard and central pedestrian area is “Maria-Theresien-Strasse” which offers a nice street view with the mountains seen in the back. The oldest part of town, the Altstadt, is a small area between the river and the semi-circle of road known as the Graben (now a street, but once the route of the old moat that surrounded this part of town). Delivery vehicles are allowed down the cobbled streets at certain times of day, but otherwise pedestrians can wander around uninterrupted. A good orientation point is the Sprungstadion ski jump – built in 1964 for the winter Olympics – that sticks up rather incongruously on the southern side of town.

Another scenic ride on the speed train will take you from Innsbruck Central Station through the Alps – leaving Tyrol and passing Vorarlberg – back into Lindau, located just across the Austrian border. The Old Town of Lindau is located on an island which is also called Lindau. It is located in the North-East of Lake Constance. Lindau’s harbour with the lion looking over the lake and the historic lighthouse was built 1856 and it is a “must see“. You should also not miss the old town hall which was erected between 1422 and 1436 in Gothic style. Later, between 1536 and 1578, it was modified in the style of the Renaissance. The ground floor houses the Free Town library, which dates back several centuries, and the town archive. The paintings in the oriel represent the Ten Commandments. The magnificent works show scenes from the German Imperial Diet, or parliament, from the year 1496. The Peterskirche is the oldest church in Lindau. Built around the year 1000 AD, it was the town’s parish church until 1180. It has been a war memorial since 1928. An important work of art inside the building are the frescos on the north wall, created by Hans Holbein the Elder towards the end of the 15th century. From Lindau, it is possible to take a cruise on Lake Constance along the German, Swiss and Austrian borders.

You have the morning for more sightseeing in Lindau before around noon the Speed train will take you directly from Lindau/Lake Constance to Heidelberg. Travel time from Lindau to Heidelberg is a little less than 3 hours. Heidelberg Central Station is outside of the Old Town and the price of your tour includes a taxi transfer to your hotel. Heidelberg is a beautiful historic town located along the banks of the Neckar River and the most significant sight is certainly the ruin of Heidelberg Castle, which is towering above the city. Since your hotel is located right inside of the Old Town of Heidelberg it is easy to explore historic Heidelberg by foot. Your tour package will include walking tour suggestions for the Old Town. Along the walking tour, you will see the Old Bridge from where you have a nice view of the Old Town and the Castle ruins above. You will also pass by the “Marktplatz” (marketplace) which is the main square of Heidelberg, the “Peterskirche” (St. Peter´s Church) and the historic University of Heidelberg. Heidelberg´s University was founded 1386 and it is the oldest University in Germany and with more than 30.000 students it is still one of the most important universities in Germany today. If you want to enjoy a view over Heidelberg and the Neckar River you may want to walk up to the grounds of the castle ruins or – for a small fee, take  the historic funicular up and down Heidelberg Castle.

At your convenience, take the taxi transfer (voucher included) to Heidelberg Station and the Speed-train to Frankfurt where your tour ends. If you fly out from Frankfurt Airport the same day, travel time from Frankfurt Main Station to Frankfurt Airport is just 11 minutes by commuter train (“S-Bahn”). A post-tour night in Frankfurt can, of course, be added.