ESTIMATED TOUR PRICE from Chicago O’Hare Airport:
$5,350 based on double occupancy
* Single Room Supplement: $350
Optional Group Insurance: $325
The tour price is based on estimated rates and fares for
2010 and is subject to change. All efforts have been made to
offer realistic pricing.
* Single rooms for the two nights in Oberammergau are
available on a limited basis and cannot be guaranteed. If a
single room is not available, you may be required to share
a room for these two nights or pay an additional supplement.
TOUR PRICE INCLUDES:
- Round-trip air fare from an East Coast airport
- Airline taxes and fuel surcharges (subject to change)
- Accommodations in hotels listed in itinerary, or similar
- Breakfast and dinner daily, as indicated by B=Breakfast,
L=Lunch and D=Dinner.
- Oberammergau Passion Play ticket package, including free
admission to the Oberammergau museum and English program
textbook, lunch and hotel in Oberammergau
- Professional English-speaking Tour Director throughout, and
local guides
- Transportation in deluxe, air-conditioned motor coaches
- Sightseeing and entrance fees
- Hotel service charges, local taxes and porterage
- Tips to guides, drivers and hotel staff
ITINERARY:
Wednesday, July 28
Departure
Depart from the East Coast on a transatlantic flight to Prague.
Thursday, July 29
Prague, Czech Republic
Arrive in Prague, the millennium old
capital of Bohemia and home to
early Reformer Jan Hus. Miraculously
spared by the war, no other city in Europe
enjoys such a wealth of historic
monuments blending so well into beautiful,
natural surroundings. Since the
Velvet Revolution in 1989, Prague has
recaptured its old vibrancy, combining
ancient and modern. Visit the Old
Town, including the fascinating Astronomical
Clock, the Charles Bridge, Our
Lady Before Tyn and the Monument
of
Jan Hus. Dinner and overnight in
Prague at the Astoria Hotel. (D)
Friday, July 30
Prague
Explore Prague today, including
the area of the Prague Castle, St.
Vitus Cathedral, St. George’s Basilica,
Mala Strana, St. Nicholas the lesser,
and Bethlehem Chapel where Jan Hus
would have preached. Walk through the
Jewish Quarter including the synagogue
& ghetto area, as well as the 350-yearold
Jewish cemetery, containing 20,000
graves in layers twelve deep. End the
tour with a visit to the art exhibition in
the Sternberg Palace, with European art
from the Classical Era to the end of the
Baroque era, with emphasis on the 14th
to 18th centuries. Dinner and overnight
in Prague. (B, D)
Saturday, July 31
Prague – Dresden, Germany
Depart from Prague
for Dresden, situated
on the Elbe River. Stroll
across the Theaterplatz
through the Zwinger
Courtyard, the Procession
of Princes, Bruehl
Terrace and the Semper
Opera House; a building
that exemplifies neorenaissance
architecture. Destroyed by fire in 1869 and 1945,
it was rebuilt; and the building that stands
there today is an
exact replica. Hear the story of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our
Blessed Lady). Built from 1726-1743, it burned and collapsed in
1945 from aerial bombardment, was rebuilt after the Iron Curtain
fell in 1989, and consecrated in October 2005. A tour of this
famous church has been arranged, along with a meeting with the
Pastor, if he is available. Visit the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister
that offers the works of well-known artists such as Raphael,
Rembrandt, Vermeer, Rubens and Van Dyck. A special dinner
is planned for tonight at Sophienkeller. Dinner and overnight at
Hotel Amadeus. (B, D)
Sunday, August 1
Dresden – Rothenburg
This morning drive to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, an old
Franconian city with well-preserved walls and towers, founded
in 5 B.C. This town has kept a typical 16th century look through
strict preservation orders since the 19th century. After a visit to
St. Jacob’s Church with its Holy Blood Altar by Tilman Riemenschneider,
there will be free time to walk the 13th and 14th
century ramparts surrounding the town, visit the Medieval Crime
Musem, the Toy and Doll Museum, or browse in one of the many
quaint shops, such at the well-known Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas
store. This evening accompany the Night Watchman from the
Middle Ages for a lantern walking tour of this fascinating town,
which will introduce you to the Town Hall, and Market Square.
Dinner and overnight in Rothenburg at Gasthof Rappen.(B,D)
Monday, August 2
Rothenburg – Innsbruck, Austria
Depart Rothenburg
early this morning, driving
along the Romantic Road,
which meanders through
countryside with a rich
cultural inheritance and
small villages with names
such as Dinkelsbühl and
Nördlingen. Visit Neuschwanstein
Castle, built in the
seclusion of the mountains
by King Ludwig II and well-known by Americans as Sleeping
Beauty’s fairytale castle at Disneyland. Continue to Innsbruck,
Austria, for a tour of this home to the 1964 and 1976 Winter
Olympics. A walking tour of Innsbruck will include the old quarter
built under Maximilian I, with its Golden Roof, and the Imperial
Palace of Maria Theresia. Innsbruck is rich in history dating back
to the reign of the Hapsburgs in the 12th century. Dinner and
overnight in Innsbruck at the Austrotel Hotel. (B, D)
Tuesday, August 3
Innsbruck – Salzburg
Begin the day at Swarovski Crystal World (Kristallwelten),
built in 1995 to enable people to experience the phenomenon of
crystal, including the subterranean Chambers of Wonder. Drive
to Salzburg, the City of Music, for a walking tour, including sights
such as the Horsepond, the Festival Houses, the Monastery
of St. Peter, Kapital Square at the foot of the Hohensalzburg
Fortress, the Old Market, and Mozart’s birthplace. Dinner and
overnight Salzburg at the Cordial Theaterhotel. (B, D)
Wednesday, August 4
Salzburg – Oberammergau, Germany
A Sound of Music tour is
scheduled this morning, offering a
wonderful ride with breathtaking views
of
the landscape where the opening
scenes of the famous musical were
filmed. See the highlights of the fi lm,
both in the city of Salzburg and the
surrounding area. Learn the facts,
fiction and trivia about the story of the
Von Trapp family. Drive into Germany
to visit the well-known rococo
Wieskirche, honoring the Scourged
Savior. Continue to Oberammergau
for
dinner and overnight at Hotel Wittelsbach,
located in the center of Oberammergau, within walking
distance of the Passion Play Theatre. (B, D)
Thursday, August 5
Oberammergau Passion Play
The history of the Passion
Play at Oberammergau goes back
to 1634, when the quaint alpine
village of Oberammergau was
threatened by the deadly disease
known as the Black Plague that
scourged Europe, killing two-thirds
of the population of Germany. The
people of Oberammergau pledged
to perform the Passion Play as a
sign of their repentance and
remorse over the suffering and
death of Jesus Christ. The chronicles
relate that from the day the
people gathered around the cross
to swear their sacred vow, no further person died of the plague.
Since that date, the play has been performed every ten years.
Spend a free morning in Oberammergau, enjoying the many
houses that are beautifully painted with fairytale scenes and
visiting the shops of its excellent woodcarvers. After lunch, take
your seats in the theater to attend the performance of the worldfamous
Passion Play. This Play is performed by local villagers
with roles often handed down within families from generation to
generation. Dinner is included during a three-hour break in the
late afternoon. The performance lasts until 10:30 pm, return to
Hotel Wittelsbach for the night. (B, L, D)
Friday, August 6
Oberammergau – Munich
Say farewell to Oberammergau and travel to Munich, the
capital of Bavaria and “City of Monks.” Enjoy a walk through
the
traditional city center
and see the Church of
our Lady (Frauenkirche
Cathedral), Isartor (one
of
the old city gates) and
Marienplatz, center of the
pedestrian district. Watch
the
lively figurines of the
Glockenspiel (carillon)
located on top of the New
Town Hall perform at 11
am
or at noon.
Drive out of Munich to the nearby Nymphenburg Palace,
once the summer residence of the Bavarian electors. With its
lavishly decorated interior and the famous "Gallery of Beauties"
commissioned by Ludwig I, and ceiling frescoes by Johann
Baptist Zimmermann, the palace is one of Munich's favorite
attractions. Return to Munich via the Olympiapark, home to the
1972 Olympic Games where Mark Spitz won seven gold medals
and set seven world records
in swimming events. Visit
the Alte Pinakothek, which
houses more than 800
paintings, including numerous
well-known 14th to 18th
Century European masterpieces.
The remainder
of the day is free to enjoy
Munich on your own. Don’t
miss the wonderful open-air
Viktualienmarkt with stalls
that offer the freshest fruits and vegetables in Munich, along with
traditional Bavarian Schweinshax'n and Speck, seafood, delicious
cheeses, various herbs, and many other foods and crafts.
Enjoy a special farewell dinner at the Ratskeller, a popular traditional
German restaurant located in the basement of the Rathaus
(Town Hall). Overnight in Munich at Hotel Drei Loewen. (B, D)
Saturday, August 7
Munich – USA
After breakfast, transfer from the hotel to the
Munich Airport for departure for the U.S., arriving home
on the same day. Auf wiedersehen! (B)
 Mark and Mary Jo Flory Steury are both ordained
ministers of the Church of the Brethren and share a variety
of life and ministry experience with this tour. They
have two young adult children, Joshua and Jessica.
Mark taught at a sheltered workshop for mentally
handicapped adults, served two years in Brethren Volunteer
Service in Berlin, Germany, served as co-pastor
of the Troy (OH) Church of the Brethren for eight years,
the pastor of the Mack Memorial Church of the Brethren
(OH) for almost seven years, and is currently in his 10th
year as the District Executive Minister for the Church of
the Brethren Southern Ohio District.
Mary Jo taught music at Hillcrest School in Jos,
Nigeria, served as co-pastor of the Troy (OH) Church of
the Brethren for eight years, as pastor of the Prince of
Peace Church of the Brethren in Kettering, OH for almost ten years and is currently serving her
8th year as Executive Director of the Church of the Brethren Office of Ministry.
Mark is a graduate of Manchester College and Bethany Theological Seminary. Mary Jo is
a graduate of Bridgewater College and Bethany Theological Seminary.
Click Here for a Printable Tour Reservation Form
Click Here for an Online Reservation Form
For further information, contact:
Mark and Mary Jo Flory Steury
4017 Wagner Road
Kettering, OH 45440
Tel: 937-293-8585
E-mail:mflorysteu@aol.com
Travel Arrangements by:
124 East Main Street, 4th Floor
Ephrata, PA 17522
Tel: (800) 418-2929, ext. 81307
Fax: (717) 733-1009
E-mail:lindyw@mtstravel.com
Tour Features and Conditions
Responsibility
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CST 2013363-40
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