Your private driver guide will pick you up in Frankfurt and take you on a one and a half hour drive to Würzburg. The city is located in Northern Bavaria on the River Main, the seat of a catholic Archbishop and known for its lavish baroque and Rococo architecture, with the 18th-century Residenz Palace being a highlight of this period. The city is within the heartlands of the Franconian wine country, with vineyards on both sides of the River Main that add a particular flavour to the scenery. Many wineries produce the distinctive Bocksbeutel (bottles with flattened, round shapes). Würzburg is a small city and its centre best explored by foot. This afternoon your guide will take you on a leisurely walking tour in the heart of town including a visit of the cathedral (Dom) and the Marienkapelle (Chapel of Our Virgin Mary), a highlight of the gothic sacral architecture of the 14th/15th century. Allowing time left, you will visit the Würzburg Residenz in the late afternoon and participate in a live guided tour in English. The former residence of the Würzburg prince-bishops is one of the most important Baroque palaces in Europe and was built by the then unknown architect Balthasar Neumann in the 18th century. You will marvel at the impressive Imperial staircase, decorated by fresco paintings by the Venetian artist Tiepolo.

Guide: Included for the day

Accommodation:

• High-end Accommodation: 4* Hotel

There are various options for your programme today. To give you some ideas, please find our suggestions both for experiences in terms of culture and nature below. Culture: The Rococo garden in Veitshöchheim is considered as one of the most attractive of its kind in Europe. Situated at a short distance from Würzburg it is worth an excursion not only for garden enthusiasts and, by the way, easily accessible by boat from Würzburg! The gardens are decorated by numerous sandstone sculptures, artificial ruins, the Grottenhäuschen (cave house). Have a stroll through the garden, as the prince-bishops did in past times, through the shady arbours and to the exotic pavilions. The Fortress Marienberg is seen from almost everywhere in Würzburg. Originally, there was a Celtic palisade castle at this site. 704 AD, the first Würzburg church was erected here. Why don't you just walk up there with your guide, join a tour and learn about its history from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period covering the Scherenberg gate, the Marienkirche, one of the oldest round churches in Germany, the temple above the deep well from the Renaissance period, the dungeon of Tilman Riemenschneider, and the Fürstengarten with its magnificent views of the city? Nature: We will be happy to arrange for an E-bike-tour. It's the perfect way to explore the city of Würzburg and the rural surroundings, with its charming wine growing areas in the countryside. There are various options for your programme today. To give you some ideas, please find our suggestions both for experiences in terms of culture and nature below. Culture The Rococo garden in Veitshöchheim is considered as one of the most attractive of its kind in Europe. Situated at a short distance from Würzburg it is worth an excursion not only for garden enthusiasts and, by the way, easily accessible by boat from Würzburg! The gardens are decorated by numerous sandstone sculptures, artific

Guide: Included for the day

Accommodation:

• High-end Accommodation: 4* Hotel

This morning after breakfast it is time to bid farewell from Würzburg to set out for the Romantic Road that runs from the River Main to the Alps, from the city of Würzburg to Füssen. It is one of Germany’s popular tourist routes. The name Romantic Road expresses what both domestic and international travellers feel on seeing Medieval towns or the fairy tale castle at Neuschwanstein: fascination and the sense of being transported back in time. Strolling about Rothenburg ob der Tauber is like a journey through a thousand years of history that seems to be passing by at the very moment. During your leisurely walking tour with your guide you will discover a very well-preserved old town with its ramparts, fountains and gables, a city gate and the impressive townhall building in the half-timbered architectural style. One of the highlights is the altar in the church St. Peter and Paul, a masterpiece of the sculptor Tilman Riemen- schneider. Following dinner, we recommend you to join a night Watchman’s tour through the streets, narrow gateways and lanes of this town.

Guide: Included for the day

Accommodation:

• High-end Accommodation: 4* Hotel

This morning we will continue South along scenic stretches of the Romantic Road, will briefly pop into the medieval small towns of Dinkelsbühl or Nördlingen the latter of which sits within a crater, created by a half-mile-wide meteorite that hit the Earth, the site of Nördlingen today about 15 million years ago.

Guide: Included for the day

Accommodation:

• High-end Accommodation: 4* Hotel

Today you will be travelling further South along the Romantic Road through the beautiful Upper Bavarian landscapes, offering you a great many impressions of the marvellous Alpine scenery on your way to the “Royal countryside”. Find out about the myth of King Ludwig II, the most enigmatic of the Bavarian Kings. Known for his affinity with extravagance and fine arts, he was called “The Fairy Tale King”. Herrenchiemsee and Linderhof castles are considered as his top architectural achievements. Neuschwanstein is the best known and, regarding its setting, most spectacular of the royal Bavarian castles. It served as inspiration for Walt Disney's fairy tale castle. Following your live guided tour of Neuschwanstein Castle, we recommend having a late lunch in Füssen, a pictoresque town just north of the Austrian border. The town was located on a Medieval trade route, its former historical importance shows in its Gothic castle Hohes Schloss that houses a regional art museum. The museum of St. Mang's Abbey showcases the history of the violin-and lute-making industry that Füssen once was famous of. Tegelberg in the vicinity of Hohenschwangau is very popular with paragliders. An option for an activity in the late afternoon or in the following morning is a ride with the cable car to the mountain top. 1 night in Schwangau or Füssen.

Guide: Included for the day

Accommodation:

• High-end Accommodation: 4* Hotel

This morning, your guide will take you to the Wieskirche. Through many centuries this church has been an important pilgrimage destination in Southern Germany, and today is regarded as one of the top achieve- ments of Bavarian Baroque architecture. We continue to Oberammergau, the village famous for its Passion Play. You will see a lot of houses whose walls are painted in the style of the so called “Lüftmalerei” depicting religious motifs as well as scenes from every-day-life. From Oberammergau it is a short drive to Linderhof, the most intimate of Ludwig's castles. Option of a guided tour of the castle and/or in the gardens. In the late afternoon you will arrive at Garmisch Partenkirchen, one of Germany's famous winter sports resorts, site of the 1936 Olympic winter games. 1 night in Garmisch Partenkirchen.

Guide: Included for the day

Accommodation:

• High-end Accommodation: 4* Hotel

Our sightseeing programme this morning includes the ski stadium and a leisurely walk through the picturesque village of Partenkirchen. At nearby Eibsee we will board the brand new Zugspitzbahn (the cable ca opened on December 22nd, 2017!) to the summit of Zugspitze (2.961 m), covering a difference in altitude of 1,945 meters, a world record! Option in case of unfavourable weather conditions for a visit to Zugspitze. Following our sightseeing programme in Garmisch- Partenkirchen we will proceed to nearby Ettal with the optional visit of the monumental Benedictine monastery dating back centuries. What about sampling some different kind of cheeses in the Ettal dairy factory? You will finally arrive in Munich in the early evening. Munich - one of the top European travel and business destinations, Munich's Italianate architectural splendor and old-world charm adds a Southern European touch to the city. The Bavarian capital with more than 100 theaters and museums and a multi-ethnic community offers a very vivid cultural life. The annual Oktoberfest with more than six million visitors during sixteen days has turned into a global trademark. The city is home of BMW, MAN and Siemens and many high-tech and IT-companies. And it's just a stone's throw away from the beautiful Bavarian Alpine scenery Exploring Munich – A city tour: Major sights include the Königsplatz with its Greek and Roman inspired architectural setting, Odeonsplatz, Ludwigstraße and the university quarter of Schwabing. Interesting is to visit the BMW-World next to the Olympic Park and a photo stop at Nymphenburg Castle, once the summer residence of the Bavarian kings.

Guide: Included for the day