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Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary:
Day 1 - USA - Vienna
Depart USA for your overnight flight(s) to Frankfurt. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.
Day 2, Arrive Vienna
Upon arrival at Vienna Airport, you will be met by your Guide and Driver who will transfer you to the hotel for check-in, dinner, and overnight.
Day 3: Vienna
After breakfast, we will begin to tour the most important historical sights of Vienna. Begin our day with a visit to St. Stephen’s Cathedral for visit and Mass. Then, we pass by the Hofburg Palace (the winter residence of the Habsburg emperors), the Capuchin Church (which contains the imperial vaults), St. Charles' Church (a splendid example of late Baroque architecture), and the Belvedere Palace (former residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy.) Drive around the Ring, one of the most magnificent boulevards in the world, passing the Vienna Opera, Museums, House of Parliament, City Hall, and the Burgtheater. You will have some free time for lunch at your own leisure. Later in the afternoon, we will experience an extended tour of the Schönbrunn Palace. Dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Vienna - Melk Abbey – Lake District - Salzburg
After buffet breakfast this morning, we will drive through the magnificent scenery along the Danube, known as the Wachau, a region that is the pride of the historic preservation movement in Austria. We will stop for a visit in Melk, with its Abbey crowning the rocky hill overlooking the Danube. It is the best sample of Baroque architecture in Austria. Visit the Benedictine Abbey, which was founded in 1702. Its library contains over 80,000 books, and 2,000 manuscripts - all on religious subjects. Celebrate Mass, and then have time to grab lunch at your own leisure. After lunch, we drive along the Austrian Lake District, with marvelous views of the Salzkammergut region to Leopoldskron. This afternoon, we will arrive at the Baroque city of Salzburg, a jewel set on the beautiful banks of the Salzach River.
Check-in at your hotel in Salzburg, in time for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Salzburg
Buffet breakfast at your hotel. This morning, you will be transferred to the Shrine of Maria Plain in Salzburg, where we will celebrate Mass at the Shrine. Continue on a guided tour of Salzburg’s sights starting at Mirable Gardens, then along Getreidegasse, the city’s pedestrian street, lined with authentic 17th and 18th century buildings including the house where Mozart was born. View Monchsberg with the fortress “Hohensalzburg” which overlooks the city. See Residenzplatz, the center square of Salzburg, dominated by the dynamic sculpture of the Residenzbrunnen, the largest baroque fountain north of the Alps. The Residenz building, built in 1596, was once the palace of the Bishops. Nearby stands the Cathedral dating from 1614. Next, visit St. Peter's Abbey, next to the cemetery where the escape was filmed in "Sound of Music" and where most of Mozart's religious works were premiered. You will have time for lunch on your own, and then the remainder of the day free to spend at your own leisure. Return to our Hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 6,: Excursion to Bavaria: Silent night Chapel - Marktl am Inn – Altotting
After breakfast, we will begin the day with a visit to the Silent night Chapel where the famous Christmas Carol was written. Then we drive north to the Austrian and Germany boarder, along the River Inn to the little town of Marktl am Inn home town of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI where we visit the local church where the Pope was Baptised at and his birth palce now functioning as a Museum. We depart for Altotting, with time to grab lunch on your own.
Altotting hosts one of Germany's most celebrated Shrines, the Chapel of Mercy. Altotting is Germany's Lourdes, with the Chapel's 13th century statue of the Blessed Virgin credited with numerous miracles. Altotting has been a place of pilgrimage in Germany for over 500 years. At the Shrine we visit the 750 year-old Black Madonna. We will celebrate Mass, and then return to Salzburg. Dinner and overnight at hotel in Salzburg.
Day 7: Altotting – Ettal - Oberammergau
Start the morning with breakfast, then depart for Bavaria to explore King Ludwig's majestic castle, the Cinderella-style Neuschwanstein, and the King's former residence. Lunch on own before we visit the Monastery of Ettal, almost 2700 feet above sea level, located in a narrow mountain valley of the Western Alpine foothills. Celebrate Mass at the Monastery, and then continue on our transfer where we will arrive in the late afternoonn in Oberammergau, home of the famous Passion Play. The little village of Oberammergau, is home of the famous Passion Play of the life of Christ. The play dates back to 1633 when the Plague, the "Black Death", took a severe toll of lives in the small village. In their distress, the inhabitants turned to God and vowed that if the pestilence was taken from them, they would perform a play every ten years, depicting the suffering and death of the Savior. Their plea was heard and there were no further plague victims in Oberammergau. The first performance of the Passion play took place in 1634 in the village cemetery. Dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Oberammergau – Passion Play: Performance Day
Celebrate Mass at local church. Enjoy some time to explore Oberammergau’s colorful frescos known as "Luftlmalereien" on house facades and to visit wood carving shops with amazing array of nativity scenesand religious figures. Following lunch, we will make our way to the world famous theatre to attend the performance of a lifetime, the 42nd Oberammergau Passion Play. The sleepy village springs to life every ten years to put on a play that draws the world upon it! We, too, will become part of mission of the Passion of Christ, the greatest story ever told. We all share His message of faith and love! The Oberammergau Passion Play tells the story of the Passion of Christ, beginning with His entry into Jerusalem, followed by His trial, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. The play is held in a beautiful open air theatre that is praised for its superb acoustics. There are 2,000 actors (and live animals), they include local wood carvers, hotel owners, students, teachers, children, all of them interrupt their schedules to become actors, singers, orchestra members and stagehands. Requirements are strict: all actors must be born in Oberammergau, or have lived there 20 years, or be married to a villager and a resident for 10 years. All natural makeup, such as men let their hair and beards grow a year before the play. Female roles are limited to single women under age 35.
Act I will begin at 2:30 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.
(Intermission: From 5:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M., you will have dinner at a restaurant that is walking distance from the theatre)
Act II will begin at 7:00 P.M., and conclude at 9:30 P.M.
What makes this performance so extraordinary is how the Stage truly comes alive! Not only in the decoration of the Set and the performance of the Actors, but with real animals and birds playing under the open sky. There are thirty-six (36) main actors who are dressed in white costumes, with their supporting cast dressed in greyish blue. The actors do not wear makeup, as that is their natural hair. Every scene is real, and live, so for example: the actor who is tied to the cross has to stay in that position for more than one (1) hour In between each scene, there are “Living Tableaus”, where the live actors perform intricate sets of the Old Testament. You can never describe the feeling you get, as you see these stories being performed right in front of you.
Day 9: Oberammergau - Munich
After buffet breakfast, we leave Oberammergau and drive north to Munich (city of the monks). This is the capital of Bavaria, and the second largest city in Germany. Upon arrival, your local guide will take you on a half-day tour of the city. Visit the Marienplatz and the world famous “Glockenspiel,” the twin-towered Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), and most familiar landmark of old Munich. Continue on to see the town hall, and the magnificent boulevard Feldherrenhalle Ludwigsstrasse Siegestor, created by King Ludwig I in the middle of the 19th century. Pass by the Residenz, the palace of the kings of Bavaria, and the Hofgarten. Celebrate Mass at Fraunekirche, and then have time to get lunch on yoru own. Check-in at your hotel and have the remainder of the day to spend at your own leisure. We will conclude the day with a Farewell Dinner at a local Brauhaus restaurant, or Hotel.
Day 10 – End of Pilgrimage
Stop for breakfast, and then board the bus that will bring the group to Munich Airport for the return flights home. You will bid farewell toy our new friends by fondly saying, Guten Tag Germany, and to a Pilgrimage which will be in your memories and hearts for a long time to come.
Dates & Prices Coming Soon
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Pilgrimage Options:
† Private Room (Single Supplement): $TBA
† Business Class Trans-Atlantic Upgrade (One-Way): $1,750
† Business Class Trans-Atlantic Upgrade (Round-Trip): $3,500
† First Class: available upon request
† Children Discount (under 12): available upon request
† Special Clergy Discount
*All Upgrades & Options will be available to you after you press the  button above.
Would you like to arrive earlier or stay later?
Let us know at the time of registration if you would like to arrive earlier, or stay later, than the scheduled tour dates, and pending availability, we will book your airline reservations accordingly, at no additional cost. Pre- and/or post-stays at the hotel will cost an additional fee. These options should be available to you when registering online, or simply contact us at: 800-206-TOUR (8687) or sales@206tours.com
Additional Information & Travel Tips:
What to Know Before You Go to Germany
What to Know Before You Go to Austria
Terms & Conditions
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Oberammergau Passion Play, Germany |
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Strauss Statute, Stadt Park, Vienna, Austria |
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Passion Play Theatre, Oberammergau, Germany |
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St. Benedicts Triumphal Ascent to Heaven, Melk Abbey, Austria |
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Oberammergau Passion Play, Germany |
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Lake District, Austria |
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Passion Play Theatre, Oberammergau, Germany |
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Salzburg, Austria |
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Bavaria, Germany |
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Passion Play Theatre, Oberammergau, Germany |
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Nymphenburg Palace, Munich, Germany |
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Mozart Birthplace, Salzburg, Austria
