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Best
of Austria & Switzerland by Globus from
$1979
For
those with a bit more time this 13-day journey covers all the highlights
of two of Europe's most scenic countries: Austria and Switzerland.
Enjoy two-night stays in most cities and a three-night stay in romantic
Vienna. This pace allows for many special included visits and enough
free time to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery in this part
of Europe, including leisure time in posh St. Moritz. The Danube
cruise, the Sound of Music's lake country, Mozart's birthplace in
Salzburg, quaint Innsbruck, Zermatt's mountain train, and an unforgettable
ride on the famous Glacier Express make this one of Globus' most
scenic vacations.
MEALS: 11 buffet
breakfasts (BB); 6 three-course dinners (D), including a welcome
dinner in Vienna and a farewell dinner in Lucerne
Detailed
Itinerary
Day
1:
Board your overnight transatlantic flight.
Day
2 Arrival in Vienna, Austria:
Time to rest or start exploring the Viennese capital. At 6 p.m.
meet your tour director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner
at your hotel. (D)
Day
3 Vienna:
Start your sightseeing with vistas of the Prater amusement park
with its giant Ferris wheel, and the ultra-modern United Nations
City on the banks of the Danube River. Then drive along Ring Boulevard,
pass the State Opera House and stop at famous HELDENPLATZ for a
picture of the Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Austrian
Imperial Family. During your walking tour of the Old Town, see the
synagogue and visit ST. STEPHEN’S CATHEDRAL. Afterwards time
to watch the famous midday parade of historical figures at the musical
Anker Clock. Afternoon at leisure. Optional excursions to Schönbrunn
Palace and the wine village of Grinzing are available. (BB)
Day
4 Vienna:
A full day to explore Vienna independently. Visit the imposing Hofburg
Palace with the precious Hapsburg dynasty treasures, the imperial
apartments and the magnificent porcelain and silver collection.
If you are interested in great paintings, do not miss the Museum
of Fine Arts, with works by Jan Van Eyck, Rubens, Rembrandt, Raphael,
and more. Later you may want to join your tour director for an optional
excursion to the Vienna Woods. (BB)
Day
5 Vienna - Danube Cruise - Salzburg:
A scenic day! At Krems board a Danube steamer for a leisurely river
cruise to Weissenkirchen. From here follow the Danube Valley to
historic Melk for pictures of the Melk Abbey. No landscape is more
typically Austrian than the Salzkammergut lakeland. A picture stop
at the Parish Church in Mondsee, which was used for the wedding
scenes of The Sound of Music, then continue via Fuschlsee to Salzburg.
(BB,D)
Day
6 Salzburg:
A pleasant stroll with a local expert takes you through the historic
center. Admire exquisite MIRABELL GARDENS, the Great Festival Hall,
ST. PETER’S CHURCHYARD, and the monumental Domplatz. Also visit
MOZART’S BIRTHPLACE in the charming Getreidegasse. Afternoon
at leisure with optional possibilities offered by your tour director.
(BB)
Day
7 Salzburg - Innsbruck - St. Moritz:
Morning visit to Innsbruck in the Tyrolean mountains. Enjoy a pleasant
walk through its quaint medieval lanes to Emperor Maximilian’s
Golden Roof. Next enter the Swiss Engadine, considered by many as
the most beautiful mountain area in the world with its deep-blue
lakes, airy larch forests that turn golden in the fall, mountain
peaks exceeding 12,000 feet and quaint villages with massive white
stone houses in the characteristic Grisons style. The rest of the
day is at leisure in ritzy St. Moritz. (BB,D)
Day
8 St. Moritz - Disentis - Zermatt:
In the late morning drive through an exhilarating Alpine scenery.
At Disentis board the first-class panoramic coach of the world-renowned
GLACIER EXPRESS TRAIN. Admire thundering waterfalls, impressive
peaks, glacial ice fields, and tiny villages as you pass through
the Valais, a region known for its great mountain resorts and excellent
wines. This afternoon you are in Zermatt, a picturesque cluster
of rustic chalets beneath the majestic Matterhorn. (BB,D)
Day
9 Zermatt:
An entire day at leisure to breathe the fresh mountain air and to
catch up on your postcards. A suggestion for those with strong hearts:
ride Europe’s highest rack-railway to 10,272-foot Gornergrat
for a breathtaking panoramic view of the Alps. (BB)
Day
10 Zermatt - Berne:
Motor through the vineyards and apricot groves of the lower Rhône
Valley to the shores of Lake Geneva. Here a highlight visit to CHILLON
CASTLE, the 12th-century water fortress immortalized by the poet
Lord Byron. Then take a cruise on enchanting Lake Geneva. Evening
arrival in Berne. (BB,D)
Day
11 Berne - Lucerne:
Sightseeing with a local expert of the Swiss Capital of Berne starts
at the popular BEAR PIT and then focuses on the monumental Federal
Palace and the beautifully preserved medieval Old Town. Witness
the hourly parade of painted figures at the Clock Tower and take
your pictures of ornate, flower-adorned fountains. Leisurely lunch
break in Interlaken, beautifully situated beneath the towering Jungfrau.
Over Brünig Pass to Hergiswil for a visit to the small Swiss
Glasi GLASS FACTORY. Also visit its interactive museum, or follow
the story of its fascinating history, and gain insight into past
and present life of the region. Mid-afternoon arrival in picture-book
Lucerne. (BB,D)
Day
12 Lucerne:
Medieval heritage every step of the way as you discover the charm
of this city on a walking tour with your tour director. Admire Thorwaldsen’s
LION MONUMENT, the ornate patrician houses of the walled Old Town,
and cross the famous covered WOODEN BRIDGE to the Jesuit church.
Afterwards shop for watches and choose from our optional activities:
climb a mountain by cable car; take a cruise on the fjord-like lake;
sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing for
a first-hand impression of Alpine merrymaking and a fitting goodbye
to Switzerland. (BB)
Day
13 Lucerne - Zurich, Homebound Flight:
Morning transfer to Zurich Airport in time for homebound flights
leaving no earlier than 10 a.m. For land-only tour members, extra
nights are available in Zurich, not Lucerne. (BB)
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