Take your time on this easy-going escorted tour of Germany
Castles, Country Inns and Historic Guesthouses of Germany
Micro-Group Tour
No more than five persons
Day 1: Arrival at Frankfurt Intl. Airport. We drive an hour to the riverside small town of Miltenberg am Main, where guests stay the night in Germany’s oldest inn. Lunch at a beer garden (of course, we’re in Bavaria!) and then free time until dinner at a brewery with excellent and typical German dishes. (Historic Guesthouse)
Day 2: A meandering drive down the Romantic Road to Rothenburg ob der Tauber for a two-night stay in Germany’s best-preserved ancient town. Yes, the tourists will be here, but Rothenburg is well worth the stop. Lunch along the way in the pretty town of Weikersheim and a visit to the town castle and gardens, laid out to imitate the French style of Versailles. (Castle, Historic Guesthouse)
Day 3: Free time to explore Rothenburg, shop and visit one or more of the excellent museums. Dinner tonight in a country inn with fabulous (and very large) schnitzels. Tour the town with the Nightwatchman tonight, a fascinating look at the unique history of this walled town, you’ll learn the secret behind its amazing preservation.
Day 4: A meandering drive down the Romantic Road with an overnight in Ulm. We stop and visit Nordlingen along the way. This town was built in the middle of an ancient crater caused by a meteor slamming into the earth millions of years ago.
Day 5: We drive east to the prettiest corner of Germany, Berchtesgaden, for a two-night stay at a luxurious country inn with both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, fitness room, spa and much more. The views are heavenly. (Country inn)
Day 6: Salzburg, Austria sightseeing and time for shopping.
Day 7: Beautiful alpine drive over to Schwangau, Germany via Innsbruck. We stay the night in the shadow of King Ludwig’s Neuschwanstein.
(Country Inn)
Day 8: To a town not many Americans know – Meersburg, located on the shores of the crystal-clear Bodensee. We stay in an inn built in 1605 and enjoy a self-guided tour of Germany’s oldest castle. (Historic Guesthouse, Castle)
Day 9: Across the Black Forest we drive and up to the hamlet of Gleiszellen for two nights at a small inn featuring fantastic food and local wines. We’re surrounded by vineyards here, and our innkeepers are winemakers as well as excellent cooks and hosts.
Day 10: Heidelberg daytrip and back to Gleiszellen for the night. Heidelberg is a lovely small city, full of picturesque lanes and squares and with an historic university going back to the middle of the 14th century. Oh and lest we forget, there’s also a hulking castle ruin! (No, we’re not going to drag you into every single castle we see)
Day 11: To the majestic Rhein River Valley for a two-night stay in Bacharach. Guests will enjoy watching village life from their private balconies at a grand old hotel we’ve been using for more than a dozen years. On the menu, sauerbraten! Yum! (Castle, Historic Guesthouse)
A recent guest - she's on her balcony at upper right - taking in the view of the marketplace of Bacharach
Day 12: Exploring the nearby Mosel River Valley including Beilstein where we have lunch with a view. A highlight of the day will be our guided tour of medieval Burg Eltz, the best-preserved castle in this region and one of the few from the 14th century to have never been sacked or destroyed.
Day 13: Home from Frankfurt Intl. Airport.
Minimum number of guests: 2
Max: 5
Trip openings for August. Price supplied on request.