Your tour begins in Munich, where you have the opportunity to stay in a 500 hundred-year-old hotel in the old city center just blocks from the Marienplatz. Explore the medieval center of Munich on foot. Visit the Holocaust museum at Dachau en route to Nuremberg, one of the cultural centers of Europe. At Nuremberg, don’t miss the gingerbread and sausages at Hauptmarkt, the Schöner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain), or the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, which houses fascinating antiquities from the entire German speaking world. Bamberg consists of over 1,000 buildings that have been extensively preserved in their original form. A walking tour of Bamberg’s Old Town* includes the magnificent cathedral and the old bishop’s palace on the Domplatz, one of the most beautiful squares in Germany. Visit the 17th-century Neue Residenz, with richly decorated apartments and spectacular frescoes, paintings, and statues; and the 12th-century Karmeliterkloster with its massive basilica.

Your journey on the world famous Romantic Road begins at the Würzburg Residenz* with its famous Baroque staircase, Kaisersaal (emperor’s chamber) and Venetian Room, with a fabulous tapestry depicting the Venice carnival. While in Würzburg also see Dom St. Kilian, the picturesque Rathaus (13th-century town hall), the Marienberg Fortress, and other medieval sites. A costumed town crier leads a walking tour of the 12th-century walled city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which has changed little since being captured by the Emperor’s army in the Thirty Years' War. In Rothenburg, "don’t miss" visits include the cathedral with its wood carved altarpiece, the musical clock on the town square with animated dancing characters, the puppet show, Christmas shop, and a walk on the fortififications.

Visit picturesque Dinkelsbühl en route to the Autobahn, which quickly whisks you to the Stuttgart area and your hotel in Tübingen. Depart Tübingen early next morning for Maulbronn Monastery Complex*. One of Europe’s medieval treasures, its principal features are the 10th-century Klosterkirche, the Brunnenkapelle, the Mourning (a 12th-century Gothic altar relief), and the Chapter House. Return from Maulbronn to Tübingen through the northern Black Forest, stopping to explore Baden-Baden, which has been a spa town since Roman times and is widely regarded to be Europe’s summer capital. Explore the southern Black Forest on your drive from Tübingen to Lindau. Visit the Clock Museum in Furtwangen (shop for your perfect cuckoo clock in Furtwangen) and don’t miss Triberg Falls. If time permits, ride the scenic Black Forest Railway from Triberg or St. Georgen to Hausach.

While in the Bodensee town of Lindau, explore the Monastic Island of Reichenau*, touring the famous Benedictine abbey with a beautiful Romanesque Gothic church and enchanting herb garden. Visit the exquisite center of Meersburg, home of the Baroque Neues Schloss and the Altes Schloss, containing an old Carolingian palace. You can cruise the Bodensee or take an excursion to the tiny country of Lichtenstein or the Swiss Alps.

Spend the last two nights in Hohenschwangau at the base of a mountain road that leads to one of King Ludwig II’s castles, Neuschwanstein, the inspiration for the Disney castles. An excursion to the Pilgrimage Church of Wies* introduces you to a colorful and joyful masterpiece of Bavarian rococo. Enjoy a day exploring the delightful mountain villages of Bavaria. A side trip to the gorgeous village of Mittenwald is over some of the most beautiful mountain roads in Bavaria.

Choose our charming boutique hotel option and immerse yourself in a culture that has developed over two millennia.