12 Days/11 Nights

Oberammergau’s Passion Play

Experience the world-renowned Passion Play at Oberammergau! Performed each decade for the last 376 years, this moving reenactment of the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Christ will be an unforgettable spiritual experience. You’ll also visit cosmopolitan cities, tour opulent castles and cathedrals and stroll charming medieval villages on this extraordinary 12-day trip through the Alps of Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Germany. Don’t miss this inspirational journey through some of Europe’s most magnificent mountain vistas.

 

Tour Highlights

• Experience Oberammergau’s world-famous Passion Play, produced every decade since 1634.
• Enjoy the breathtaking Alpine vistas of Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Germany.
• Cruise Italy’s gorgeous Lake Maggiore, including a visit to the unforgettable Borromean Islands.
• Wander the awe-inspiring terraced gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle.
• Tour medieval castles and cathedrals, stroll cobblestone streets and enjoy charming, fairy-tale villages.

Itinerary

Days 1-2—Chicago/Zurich/Lake Geneva Area: Upon arrival at Zurich Airport, you’ll be met by your local tour guide and travel to your scenic mountain resort in the Swiss province of Valais, near beautiful Lake Geneva.

Get to know your traveling companions over a delicious dinner before retiring for the night. Meals included: D.

Day 3—Chateau Chillon/Montreux/Gruyeres: This morning you’ll travel to Lake Geneva, the largest of Switzerland’s 600 lakes. You’ll pay a visit to Chateau Chillon on the east end of the lake. Built in the 12th Century on a rocky peninsula, the castle’s location was strategic in controlling the passage between northern and southern Europe. Enjoy a guided tour to learn about the castle’s colorful history and inhabitants.

A spectacular cruise on Lake Geneva takes you to the resort city of Montreux, site of the renowned International Jazz Festival. Your guided walking tour will reveal this cosmopolitan city’s remarkable history.

See the walled city of Gruyeres, perched on a hilltop surrounded by snowy mountain peaks and fertile fields. With cobblestone streets, impressive castle and centuries-old houses, Gruyeres is filled with magical medieval charm. And no visit to Switzerland would be complete without a tour of a cheese factory! At the famous Maison du Gruyere discover the secrets to making delicious and distinctive Gruyere cheese. This demonstration will be a true feast for the senses!

You’ll have time to explore this charming city on your own before we return to our hotel for the night. Meals included: B, D.

Day 4—Zermatt/Lake Maggiore: Begin the day with a short, scenic drive to the village of Tasch, where you will catch the Glacier Express. This famed Alpine railway provides a stunning view of the surrounding mountains on your way to the village of Zermatt. Home to only 5,500 residents—and not a single car—this tiny haven is filled with historic wooden houses, beautiful fountains, elegant shops and charming cafes. Enjoy a relaxing ride in a horse-drawn carriage, walk to the nearby lake and be sure to snap a few pictures of the imposing Matterhorn, one of the highest peaks in the Alps and Switzerland’s most famous landmark.

Later, you will ride over the Simplon Pass into Italy. You’ll continue to the city of Domodossola and then magnificent Lake Maggiore, our lakeside resort home for the night. Meals included: B, D.

Day 5—Lake Maggiore/Borromean Islands: Enjoy a cruise on beautiful Lake Maggiore to Isola Bella and Isola Pescatori, two of Italy’s picturesque Borromean Islands. You’ll marvel at Isola Bella’s extraordinary, Baroque-style terraced gardens with their lovely fountains, statues and foliage. A guided tour of the island’s opulent 17th-Century palace will reveal Flemish tapestries, fine paintings and remarkable grottoes.

Next, you’ll take a short ferry ride to Isola Pescatori, “The Fishermen’s Island.” You’ll have free time to visit the quaint fishing village and enjoy lunch on your own before taking a relaxing cruise around Isola Madre, the third Borromean Island, and back to Stresa.

You’ll want to take time this evening to shop Stresa’s markets, stroll its tree-lined streets and enjoy the spectacular views, or just relax in your lakeside resort. Meals included: B, D.

Day 6—Lake Garda/South Tyrol: Head east to magnificent Lake Garda, the largest of the Upper Italian Lakes, and the ancient city of Sirmione. This popular tourist destination is dominated by two architectural marvels: 13th-Century Scaliger Castle, a prime example of a medieval fort, and the ruins of the Grotto of Catullus, a private Roman structure discovered in Northern Italy.

You’ll continue north into the beautiful landscape on the sunny side of the Alps, where you will check into your South Tyrol hotel. Meals included: B, D.

Day 7—Merano/Bolzano/South Tyrol: Visit Merano, a unique, garden-like community located in a lush valley surrounded by snow-capped peaks. Meander through the fascinating old town, an internationally-known spa resort, where palm trees wave in the balmy breeze – and glaciers glisten in the distance.

On the outskirts of Merano, visit Trauttmansdorff Castle, home to 80 lush gardens filled with an astonishing variety of local flora and exotic plants from all over the world. Walking paths wind through water gardens, terraced gardens, a Japanese garden, cacti, olive trees and grapevines. With vegetation that thrives in the valley’s mild climate, the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle are some of the most beautiful in all of Europe.

After a relaxing morning in the gardens, you’ll travel the South Tyrolean road for a winery tour, then on to the city of Bolzano. Just south of the Austrian border, Bolzano owes its unique character, from the narrow cobblestone streets to the signs in both Italian and German, to its proximity to Austria. Your guided walking tour will include a visit to the local food market, a stroll through the main street arcades and the city’s famous Cathedral. Meals included: B, D.

Day 8—South Tyrol/Innsbruck/Oberammergau: Before crossing into Austria, you’ll venture into Italy’s Dolomite mountains for memorable sightseeing among jagged, shimmering peaks, flowering meadows and wooded valleys. Your route takes you through the gorgeous Sella Pass and into the Val Gardena, a natural paradise known for its traditional wood carvings. You’ll continue through Brenner Pass and over the Europe Bridge into Austria.

Upon arriving in Innsbruck, take a leisurely guided walk through the Old Town, including Hofburg Imperial Palace gardens, the Cathedral and the impressive Golden Roof, a gift from Archduke Friedrich IV to Emperor Maximilian I in the early 16th Century.

On your way to Oberammergau, you’ll stop to visit the Baroque Basilica of Wilton, Tyrol’s splendid house of worship. Meals included: B, D.

Day 9—Oberammergau Passion Play 2010: Today you will experience the unforgettable and legendary Passion Play at Oberammergau. The play’s fascinating history begins in 1633, when the town’s residents swore an oath to perform the “play of the suffering, death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ” every decade if their town was spared by the Plague. The play was first performed in 1634 and has been faithfully reenacted every decade since. Today, some 2,000 residents of Oberammergau—actors, singers, musicians and technicians—rehearse for ten months in order to bring the five-hour production to life.

From your reserved seats in the impressive outdoor theater, you will enjoy a prime view of the moving and inspiring production. Meals: B, L, D.

Day 10—Neuschwanstein/Kitzbuhel Alps: After breakfast, travel to Steingaden to see Wies Church, an 18th-Century oval Rococo church nestled in the foothills of the Alps and a prime example of the period’s ornate stucco work. It is now a popular pilgrimage destination and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You’ll continue on to Schwangau and Neuschwanstein, the fairy-tale castle of mad King Ludwig, one of Germany’s most popular destinations. During a guided tour, you will explore the castle’s opulent rooms and ornate decorations.

Next, you’ll travel over the Fernpass back into the Tyrol region to a charming resort village in the Kitzbuhel Alps, your home for the night. Meals included: B, D.

Day 11—Berchtesgaden/“Eagle’s Nest”:The attractive Bavarian resort of Berchtesgaden, a small town nestled among mountains, awaits you today. This well-known town is the starting point for exploring some of Germany’s most gorgeous Alpine scenery. Adolf Hitler built his holiday home, the “Eagle’s Nest,” here in the 1930s. The U.S. military set up a resort facility for service members in Berchtesgaden after World War II and returned the area, including the Eagle’s Nest, to Germany in the 1990s.

A lift will carry you up through 393 feet of solid rock to Obersalzberg. Then you’ll board a bus and a second lift to the Eagle’s Nest, some 5,000 feet high, where you will enjoy a panorama view of the surrounding mountains.

You’ll have time in Berchtesgaden to explore on your own. Meals included: B, D.

Day 12—Munich/Chicago: Your wonderful and inspiring vacation concludes today as you arrive at the Munich Airport. As you fly back to the United States, you’ll cherish the vivid and moving memories of this fascinating and beautiful Alpine vacation and Passion Play. Meals included: B.

Accommodations

• Day 1: en route to Zurich
• Days 2 & 3: Le Bristol Hotel, Villars sur Ollon
• Days 4 & 5: Astoria Hotel, Stresa
• Days 6 & 7: Garden Premstaller Hotel, Bolzano
• Days 8 & 9: TBD, Oberammergau Area, Germany
• Days 10 & 11: Alpin Hotel, Scheffau
• Pre/Post-tour: Courtyard by Marriott O’Hare Airport, Chicago, IL