DAY 1 / THURSDAY / MAY 28
DEPART USA
Our Best of the Alps tour begins with the flight from your
home city to Atlanta on Delta Air Lines.
Delta #130 flies to Munich at 4:25 pm.
DAY 2 / FRIDAY / MAY 29
ARRIVE MUNICH
OVERNIGHT IN SALZBURG
Arrive in Munich airport at 8:40 am.
After
changing money
at the airport, we drive south to on the autobahn to the Chiemsee
(Chiem Lake, pronounced Keemzay in German.)
Known as the "Bavarian Sea," Chiemsee is the largest of the Bavarian lakes at
32 square miles. On the island of Herrenchiemsee, King Ludwig II built his copy
of the palace at
Versailles, with its awesome Hall of Mirrors.
Cross the border into Austria and the province of Salzburgerland, about twice the
size of Rhode Island with a population of about 500,000.
We proceed to the heart of Salzburg. The luxurious Hotel Bristol is conveniently
located directly in front of the house (now a museum) where Salzburg's most famous
native son, the musician/composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, grew up.
Christopher Plummer and the cast of The Sound of Music called the Hotel Bristol
home during filming.
DAY 3 / SATURDAY / MAY 30
SALZBURG WALKING TOUR
OVERNIGHT IN SALZBURG
Meet in the lobby at 9:30 am for our Salzburg walking tour.
Our local Salzburg guide will educate you about this charming city.
Probably the highlight of the tour is the beautiful Garden of
Mirabell Palace, with its spectacular rose garden, ornate flower beds,
fountain and statues, cared for by 14 full-time gardeners.
You will see the locations where scenes from
The Sound of Music were filmed.
Among the other sights:
(1) the house where Salzburg's most famous native son,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was born on January 27, 1756
(2) the theatre where the annual Music Festival is held
(3) the Residenz of the Bishops who ruled Salzburg
(4) the Dom (Cathedral)
(5) the ancient catacombs of St. Peter's Monastery built into Mönchsberg,
a massive rock which dominates the city
(6) the statue of
St. Rupert , bishop of Salzburg from 696 to 718.
Our guided tour ends near good restaurants for lunch and the cable car to
Hohensalzburg Fortress, which offers an
awesome view of the city of Salzburg.
We end our walking tour in front of
Cafe Konditorei Fürst, founded in 1884, original makers
of the Mozartkugeln, delicious balls of chocolate with marzipan.
The chocolatiers also make delights named for the composer Johann Sabastian
Bach and Archibishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau.
Children at the Window
Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller
The Residenz, built by
Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau
in the 16th century,
is one of the most significant buildings in Salzburg's historic center, with more than
180 rooms and halls.
The Residenz was used by the princes for entertainment purposes for centuries.
Today the 15 State Rooms on the second floor
are used by the state government on formal occasions.
The Residenz Galerie, also on the second floor, displays works by Rembrandt, Rubens and
Brueghel, as well as Austrian 19th masters like
Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller
and Hans Makart.
The Marble Hall
Mirabell Palace
You may want to attend a Palace Concert this evening in the Marble Hall at Mirabell Palace,
what was once the archbishop's music room, where Mozart performed.
This series of chamber music performances, founded 35 years ago, is now one of
the most important in the musical world and enjoys international acclaim.
Photos of Salzburg