Conservative Tours: ACCOMPANYING THIS TOUR IS SACRAMENTO MEDIA PERSONALITY PAT WALSH
Explore Germany’s most beautiful city: Munich and the most German of German cities: Nuremberg, along with a visit to The Alps at Zugspitze, The Mad King Ludwig’s masterpiece, Neuschwanstein Castle, Dachau Concentration Camp, Mozart’s Salzburg, Berchtesgaden and the Eagle’s Nest, Frankfurt, Rothenburg, The Rise and Fall of Adolph Hitler and the Third Reich. Visit the land that precipitated D-Day and The Battle of the Bulge.
DEPART: AUG 31, 2022 – RETURN: SEP 11, 2022
To all those who’ve journeyed with Conservative Tours to the D-Day Beaches you understand how we craft an event like this. Our goal is to savoir the beauty and exquisite culture of three European countries while also plunging into the not-so-distant history of a movement and an ideology that almost succeeded in conquering Europe, including Great Britain & Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union.
This tour adventure has been several years in the making and as with our similar events to Asia and Europe, it will be substantive historically and satisfyingly pleasurable, with great cities big and small, fine dining and elegant hotel properties for your lodging comfort and pleasure.
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DAY 1: MUNICH
WILLKOMMEN IN MÜNCHEN
Welcome to Munich, Germany’s “secret capital.” With its exuberant atmosphere and vitality, Munich is one of Europe’s great cultural centers and is considered Germany’s most enjoyable big city. Moreover, all the elegance and style that made Munich so lovely before the war are what make Munich so beautiful today as all the destruction via Allied bombing has been meticulously restored!
Generations of serious drinkers rent lockers for their personal beer tankards at the Hofbräuhaus in Munich
Your guide from Conservative Tours will meet your group at the airport and after a short panoramic tour of beautiful Munich you arrive at your hotel in the heart of the city.
In the evening you’ll enjoy a hearty welcome dinner at the famous Hofbräuhaus in Munich accompanied by live Bavarian music…..as only the locals can do it!!
DAY 2: MUNICH
FULL DAY MUNICH: THIRD REICH + NYMPHENBURG PALACE
In the morning you discover the highlights of Munich and at the same time follow the traces of the Third Reich, one of the darkest moments in the city’s history. Learn more about the emergence of Nazism, Hitler’s rise and the infamous Third Reich. Follow the rise of Nazism from the first mass meeting at the Hofbräuhaus to the unsuccessful attempt to seize power in the Feldherrenhalle. Among other things walk to the scene of party meetings at Königsplatz and stop in the Hofgarten to talk about the White Rose resistance group.
After a lunch break you will discover the beautiful historic side of Munich during a visit of Nymphenburg Palace. To celebrate the birth of their son and heir, Elector Ferdinand Maria and his consort Henriette Adelaide of Savoy built a beautiful summer residence west of Munich. The tour includes a guided visit of Nymphenburg Palace with the massive great hall decorated in Rococo style and the famous “Gallery of Beauties” painted for King Ludwig I situated in the extended English landscape garden surroundings of Nymphenburg.
DAY 3
FULL DAY EXCURSION TO NEUSCHWANSTEIN & LINDERHOF
Today discover the palaces of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof, two of the most opulent castles, built by Ludwig II, the fairy-tale King of Bavaria. The excursion into the so-called “cleric” Pfaffenwinkel region includes a stop at Wieskirche, an amazing realisation of Bavarian Rococo art, and an extensive guided tour of the fairy-tale castle Neuschwanstein built by King Ludwig II , perched on an imposing rock, artfully secluded in the mountains.
Close by are the old castle of Hohenschwangau and the crystal clear Alpsee Lake. Lunch stop will be in Oberammergau, famous for its woodcarvers and home to the famous passion play, held every 10 years for centuries. Oberammergau is noted for its attractive and beautifully decorated painted residences, typical of Upper Bavaria. After lunch a guided tour invites you to discover Linderhof castle, the king’s favorite; and you’ll savour the castle’s beautiful gardens.
DAY 4
HALF-DAY EXCURSION TO DACHAU MEMORIAL SITE
Dachau was Germany’s first concentration camp – a few weeks after Adolf Hitler had been appointed Reich Chancellor, a concentration camp for political prisoners was set up in Dachau. It served as a model for all later concentration camps and as a “school of violence” for the SS men under whose rule it stood. In the twelve years of its existence, over 200,000 people from all over Europe were imprisoned here and in numerous sub-camps. 41,500 were murdered. On April 29, 1945, American troops liberated the survivors. Explore the remaining buildings and reconstructions and learn more about the biographies of former prisoners. Maintained as a memorial, this visit at Dachau will provide insight into one of the darkest chapters in the history of man.
Afternoon free to explore beautiful Munich!
In the evening enjoy a dinner in one of the many brewery restaurants in Munich.
DAY 5
FULL DAY EXCURSION TO GARMISCH & ZUGSPITZE MOUNTAIN
Today you travel directly into the foothills of the Alps and its green valleys. Discover the pittoresque town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen on a walk through the streets and alleys from Richard-Strauss-Platz, the pedestrian zone, through historical streets full of charm and beauty, meticulously hand-painted “Lüftmalerei” houses, beautiful squares, and a prominent green oasis in the heart of the village.
To the top of the German Alps
Continue to the valley station of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain (2963m). With the new cable car you can reach the top of the mountain in a few minutes from where you can enjoy a spectacular 4-country view to the two and three thousand metre peaks (and the only four thousand metre peak) of the Eastern Alps. The spacious terrace allows views of the Großglockner, the Piz Bernina or the television tower in Munich. Since December 2017, the ultra-modern Zugspitze cable car has been opening up the country’s highest mountain with maximum comfort for the passengers. The two large-capacity cabins with floor-to-ceiling windows each offer space for up to 120 people and can transport up to 580 people per hour to the summit without waiting. The descent takes place with the historic rack railway……itself a traditional Alpine treat, German style!
DAY 6
BERCHTESGADEN (THE EAGLE’S NEST) & SALZBURG
Today you leave Munich and travel along the German Alpine Road through impressive valleys to Berchtesgaden, a typical traditional Alpine village at the foot of Mount Watzmann. Berchtesgaden National Park, created in 1978, is the only national alpine park in Germany. The region’s attractions include the salt mines, Lake Königssee and Obersalzberg with the Eagle’s Nest, once the site of Hitler’s mountain retreat. A special bus and tunnel lift will take you to the Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle’s Nest). After a visit to the infamous Eagle’s Nest (depending on the weather conditions) and the NS Documentation Centre at the Obersalzberg you will enjoy a break at lake Königssee. Then we’ll meander onto neighboring Salzburg in Austria, birthplace of the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, where the tour ends for today.
DAY 7
FULL DAY SALZBURG, INCLUDING FORTRESS & MOZART HOUSE
After breakfast start your day by diving into the medieval world of impressive Hohensalzburg Fortress, visit the Gothic princely rooms and enjoy the fantastic view onto Salzburg. Afterwards you’ll discover the enchanting Old Town. Here you can find everything your heart desires, from shopping in noble boutiques and culinary delights to art and culture. During a city walk enjoy the highlights of Salzburg such as the cathedral and the monastery of St. Peter, the residence, the festival houses, the oldest pharmacy and the oldest coffee house, river Salzach and the city mountains. In “Old Europe” local color is exactly what we enjoy as visitors, and Salzburg is bursting at the seams with charm and color all its own!
Another highlight certainly is the interior visit of Mozart’s birth house which is particularly interesting. In the evening enjoy Austrian specialties in a typical local restaurant.
DAY 8
SALZBURG – NÜRNBERG INCLUDING SIGHTSEEING & BEER TASTING
Today you leave Salzburg and continue on a leisurely drive to Nürnberg, a typical medieval town where visitors will find many remnants of its 950 year history at every turn. In the afternoon you visit Nuremberg’s historic city center and learn more about its impressive history with a tour of the well-preserved Kaiserburg Castle, the house of Albrecht Dürer, Gothic churches, romantic houses and peaceful squares. During the walking tour you are invited to taste 2 types of beer from 2 different local breweries.
Dinner takes place at a typical Frankonian Bratwurst restaurant where you can enjoy grilled sausages, a typical Frankonian specialty.
DAY 9
NÜRNBERG NAZI PARTY RALLY GROUNDS
After breakfast you visit the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Ground. Still today, the gigantic remains of buildings in the southern districts of Nuremberg are a reminder of the megalomania of the National Socialist regime, and in particular Adolph Hitler. Across eleven square kilometers, a monumental backdrop was to be created for the self-promotion of the Nazi Party. Today the unfinished Congress Hall houses the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds.
Enjoy a free afternoon at leisure for your own activities in beautiful center city Nürnberg.
DAY 10
NÜRNBERG – ROTHENBURG – HEIDELBERG – FRANKFURT
In the morning we head towards Rothenburg ob der Tauber, one of the oldest and most pittoresque cities in Romantic Germany. If you’ve never heard of Rothenburg you’ll understand why we make a point of coming here every time!!!! Discover the typical and well preserved medieval old town of Rothenburg during a guided walking tour.
After a lunch break you travel to Heidelberg, Germany’s oldest university town and one of the most popular destinations of the country. Heidelberg is also known for its famous castle, majestically enthroned above the roofs of the old town. Your guide shows you around and you will enjoy the ambiance of this romantic town which is considered one of the most beautiful locales in the country. Not surprisingly, the locals are very proud of their hometown!
Enjoy a hearty farewell dinner in one of Heidelberg’s traditional restaurants before you travel on to your final destination of Frankfurt; where we will overnight before our flight home the next day to America.
DAY 11
DEPARTURE DAY
After breakfast we will have to say auf wiedersehen as you head back to home sweet home.