Bavaria
Vienna, Salzburg, Lake District, Neuschwanstein, Lauterbrunnen
Day 1: Arrive in Vienna and after dropping off your luggage at your hotel, visit Schönbrunn Palace. The palace was once the imperial summer residence for the Habsburgs. Make sure to tour both the stunningly decorated rooms and the well-kept grounds around the palace. In the evening, attend a concert of your choice in this musical city before going back to your hotel. Day 2: After breakfast, visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral, then walk to Hofburg Palace. Schönbrunn was the summer residence, and Hofburg Palace was the traditional winter residence for the royal family. Make sure to visit the Imperial Treasury and Apartments within the palace. In the evening, consider attending another concert before heading back to your hotel for the night. Day 3: Drive a couple of hours to Mauthausen Concentration Camp. Mauthausen was one of the toughest and most notorious concentration camps used by the Nazis during World War II. There is a museum on the grounds detailing the tragic and gruesome history of the camp. After touring the camp, drive to Salzburg, Austria—birthplace and hometown of Mozart. Stroll the old town and fortress before retiring to your hotel. Day 4: Drive to the nearby region known as the Lake District, and be sure to visit the beautifully picturesque lakeside town of Hallstatt, walk through the otherworldly Dachstein Ice Caves, and tour one of the salt mines in the area. After a full day of intriguing sites, return to Salzburg for the night. Day 5: Travel to the German-Austrian border to the small town of Reutte and climb up the nearby hill to see the ruins of Ehrenberg Castle. If you’re lucky, no one else will be there, and you’ll have the former castle to yourself. Then head over to the much more popular Neuschwanstein Castle, which was the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty’s castle at Disneyland. Because of the castle’s immense size, the best pictures of it are taken on the bridge before you actually arrive at the castle. Now that you’ve had your fill of history, find the Biberwier Sommerrodelbahn luge and enjoy the long ride down. Return to Reutte for the night. Day 6: Drive to Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, and take in the sights of this delightful alpine valley town nestled between towering mountains with over seventy waterfalls. Some of the waterfalls are so powerful that they have cut into the side of the mountain and can no longer be seen from the outside. Taking a tour Trummelbach Falls will allow you to see these hidden waterfalls. Stay the night in cozy, little Lauterbrunnen. Day 7: Wake up and ride the gondola up the mountain to Gimmelwald, a small, traditional town above the valley. Continue walking towards Mürren and Grütschalp for some fantastic views. Take the funicular in Grütschalp back down to Lauterbrunnen for the night. Day 8: Today's hike will take you through several towns, on a clear day you will have amazing views of the three peaks referred to as the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau (ogre, monk, and maiden). It is said that the monk is in the middle to protect the maiden from the ogre. For the hike, take the funicular from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen. Then walk through town and ride the cable car to Männlichen. Hike from Männlichen to Wengernalp and from there, take the funicular back down to Lauterbrunnen. Day 9: Return home. |