Rhine Valley & Castles (8 days)12th - 19th September 2010
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Day 1 - Sunday 12.09.2010 - Arrival in the Rhine-Area
Optional: Transfers by car or train from Airport Frankfurt
In the evening we meet for a welcome-dinner in a restaurant with your guide.
Day 2 - Monday 13.09.2010 - Koblenz Ehrenbreitstein Fortress - Bonn
First stop of the day is in Koblenz at Festung Ehrenbreitstein which is a fortress on the same-named mountain on the right side of the Rhine opposite to the town of Koblenz in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Enjoy this amazing fortress and the amazing view of Koblenz from high above the city.
Enjoy a ride with the brand new areal cable car in Koblenz. There will be one cabin with a glass bottom, that makes you feel like flying over the river.
We will take a bus tour of Bonn, the former capital of Germany, and all its sights.
After the tour we will take a closer look at the Münster Basilica which is Bonn´s largest church. The square in front of this church also features a statue honouring famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven. We will stroll to the city to the birth place and house of Ludwig van Beethoven. This sight features a little museum and gift shop. Afterwards there is ample time to walk the streets.
In the afternoon we will visit Pützchens Market, the biggest funfair in Germany's Rhineland region. Roller coasters, carousels and fairground attractions enthuse young and old.In addition to many rides and attractions, there are plenty of delicious specialities to try.
Day 3 - Tuesday 14.09.2010 - Cologne, Brühl and Aachen
After breakfast we will get on the bus and head towards Cologne to visit one of the best known architectural monuments in Germany and the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. Colognes most famous landmark is described by UNESCO as an "exceptional work of human creative genius" and certified a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After a guided tour through the famous cathedral you will the opportunity to climb the spiral staircase with 509 steps up the tower and enjoy the fascinating view above the roofs of Cologne.
For lunch we will visit one of the breweries, where you can taste a beer (or an other drink as well) The beer is called “Kölsch” and the person that serves it is called “Köbes”.
Afterwards we will take the bus to Brühl. Brühl is primarily famous because of Augustusburg and Falkenlust Palaces which are counted among the symbols of this city and which were included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1984, jointly with the baroque garden park facilities.
We continue to Aachen and visit the Aachen Cathedral - a Roman Catholic church often referred to as the "Imperial Cathedral". It is the oldest church in northern Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The chapel was the place of coronation for 30 German kings and 12 queens. The Old Town has flair – let yourself be guided through narrow alleys and across historic squares through the almost 2000 year-old history of Aachen.
Aachen is well know for its “Printen”, a healthy christmas pastry, that one can taste in Aachen the whole year.
Return by coach in the evening.
Day 4 - Wednesday 15.09.2010 - Rüdesheim - Loreley and the Dragon´s Rock
After breakfast we will get on the road to St. Goarshausen where we will board a ship to cruise to Rüdesheim. On the way you will enjoy amazing views of the Rhine and the surroundings like the famous „Loreley“.
Rüdesheim, which is a winemaking town in the Rhine Gorge and thereby part of the UNESCO World Heritage, belongs to the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region and is one of Germany´s biggest tourist attraction. Making the town worth seeing is, not only the excellent wine - the Rüdesheimer Berg is among Germany´s best winegrowing areas - or even the Old Town itself, but also the picturesque Rheingau landscape together with the Romantic Rhine.
In the afternoon we will return from Rüdesheim and continue with a visit of Dragon´Rock and an experience on the oldest cog railway in Germany.
Day 5 - Thursday 16.09.2010 - Essen - European Capital of Culture 2010
In the morning we will depart to Essen - the European capital of Culture 2010 and visit the Zollverein World Heritage Site, a place formerly known as the "most beautiful coal mine in the world". Now it is the best-known industrial monument and center of creative economy in the Ruhr area. Follow the path of the coal amongst gigantic machines and learn more about the impressive architecture while listening to a former coal miner.
At midday we will take a lunch break in Oberhausen. You will have the chance to refresh yourselves in Europe´s biggest shopping and leisure center called CENTRO.
In the afternoon we will discover the industrial monument called Gasometer. It was built in late 1920´s as Europe´s biggest disc-type gas holder. And nowadays it is an impressive reminder of the heavy industry character of the Ruhr area. Get an impression of great engineering skill reflected in its construction and follow the exhibition "Out of this World - Wonders of the Solar System", that is a project by the European Capital of Culture 2010.
Next to the Gasometer there is the tree2tree-climbing park with different parcours for skills starting for childs (at least 5 years and 1,1 meters size) up to experts with extreme-climing experience.
Day 6 - Friday 17.09.2010 - Marksburg (UNESCO) - Burg Eltz
Today we will take the trip to the Marksburg castle. It is the only hill castle on the Rhine that has never been destroyed. It has been lived in for over 700 years and is a great representation of an ever-changing and developing castle that grew into its shape over the course of centuries.
Burg Eltz is a medieval castle nestled in the hills above the Moselle River between Koblenz and Trier, Germany. It is still owned by a branch of the same family that lived there in the 12th century, 33 generations ago. The Rübenach and Rodendorf families´ homes in the castle are open to the public, while the Kempenich branch of the family uses the other third of the castle. We will have an English-speaking guided tour of this castle.
Afterwards we continue to the Bridge at Remagen, located in a small German town on the Rhine river, it had operational significance during the First World War, but it was during World War II when the bridge truly became well-known. The story of the Remagen Bridge is on one hand, the story of the fight to capture it as well as to defend or destroy it. On the other hand, the episode marks the beginning of the end of World War II in the west of the German Reich. The action at the bridge is a moving human story and a brilliant stroke of military daring.
We continue to the Documentation Site Government Bunker in Ahrweiler. 17,5 kilometre long were the paths inside the bunker, top secret and shielded from the public, the German Government was to find here protection from atom bombs. We will visit parts of the bunker.
Return by coach in the evening.
Day 7 - Saturday 18.09.2010 - Rhine in Flames "The Night of the Loreley" in St. Goar / St. Goarshausen
The whole day we will spent at the rhine river area where the "Rhine in Flames" celebration takes place today. It is a German tradition where huge fireworks and colorful programs take place in both the river Rhine and the Moselle regions.
The "Night of the Loreley" presents extraordinary fireworks - besides the eye catching fireworks with illuminated ships, burning medieval castles, Bengal town lightning and light-reflection in the flowing waters of the Rhine river, breath-taking acoustics make the visitor tremble when the rolling thunder of firecrackers and their echoes break at the mountain side. There is also a kaleidoscopic programme of entertainment and other events. The absolute highlight is "Rhine River in flames" at the Loreley Rock on Saturday evening from 9 - 10pm. Come along and experience the spectacle for yourself!
After the fireworks we will return by coach.
Day 8 - Sunday 19.09.2010
Departure.
Optional:
In Munich the octoberfest, also called Wiesn, is starting now ... Year after year the Oktoberfest attracts millions of visitors from all over the world to the Theresienwiese. Beer tents and fairground rides as far as the eye can see guarantee an exuberant atmosphere. Experience the real Germany of traditional music and costumes, wurst, pretzels, and an inexhaustible supply of the finest beer in the world.
We are delighted to organise an extension of the tour to the Octoberfest in Munich.
Included:
- 7 x Hotel accommodation
- 7 x Breakfast buffets
- Transportation by modern vehicle according to group size
- Entrance fees (Ehrenbreitstein, Sightseeing Tour of Bonn, Birth House of Beethoven, guided tour Cologne Cathedral and Aachen, castles in Brühl, River cruise St. Goarshausen - Rüdesheim, Gasometer Oberhausen, Zeche Zollverein Essen, castle Eltz, Marksburg, Bridge of Remagen museum, Documentation Site Government Bunker Ahrweiler)
Information:
All services are subject to availability at the time of booking.
Prices vary according to the length of stay, the desired category of the hotel, the size of the group and your choice of additional services.
Contact us today for more information and a quote!
Sources of Pictures/Editorial:
Festung Ehrenbreitstein CCBY el tommo-at-flickr
Aaachen and Cologne Cathedral CCBY huehnerauge_and_RonDeColonia-at-flickr
Rüdesheim Vineyards CCBY curran.kelleher-at-flickr
Burg Eltz CCBY stofoto-at-flickr
Rhine in Flames CCBY Andy_Macht-at-flickr
Schloss Ausgustburg Brühl CCBY rykerstribe-at-flickr
Pützchens Markt Bonn CCBY dev_null-at-flickr
Highlights
- Cologne and Aachen Cathedrals
- UNESCO Castles in the Rhine Valley
- Essen - European Capital of Culture 2010
- Bonn - Beethoven´s hometown
- Culture & Tradition in Germany
- Folk festivals Pützchens Market, city festival Bad Godesberg, Rhine in Flames "Loreleys Night")
- Bridge of Remagen, Documentation Site Government Bunker Ahrweiler
