Day 1 - Thursday, September 24: Zurich to Colmar
The tour starts with a transfer by private coach from Zurich Airport to Colmar, France, upon arrival of the Air Canada flight from Toronto, scheduled at 10:05. Near the city of Basel, we cross into France’s beautiful and historically important province of Alsace and head for the picturesque city of Colmar, where we will stay in the comfortable three-star/superior tourist-class Hotel Ibis Styles, ensconced in a renovated historical building in a very central location. Free time to settle in and short introductory walk to get acquainted with the city before a dinner of Alsatian culinary specialties in a typical restaurant.
Day 2 - Friday, September 25: Colmar
Morning sightseeing, on foot and by little tourist train, of Colmar’s beautiful medieval city centre, crisscrossed by narrow and winding streets and featuring wood-framed houses, impressive old churches, imposing public buildings, and scenic canals of the “Little Venice” district. The highlight will be our visit to the fascinating Unterlinden Museum, whose pride and joy is the great Isenheim Altarpiece, a world-famous early-16th century painting by Nikolaus of Haguenau and Matthias Grünewald. Afternoon free to explore the town on your own. This evening, our dinner in a typical restaurant will feature Flammekueche, the Alsatian equivalent of pizza!
Day 3 - Saturday, September 26: Colmar
After breakfast, visit to the small museum dedicated to the life and work of a local sculptor, Auguste Bartholdi, whose world-famous masterpiece is the Statue of Liberty, given by France to the US in 1876, on the occasion of the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The rest of the day is entirely free for individual exploring, shopping, etc. No group dinner today.
Day 4 - Sunday, September 27: Basel
Full-day excursion, by train, to Basel, Switzerland’s most important city after Zurich and Geneva, for a leisurely exploration of the medieval city centre, with the Cathedral, the market square, a maze of picturesque alleys, and a boat tour on the mighty Rhine. Afterwards there will likely be enough free time for some individual activities, perhaps a visit to one of the city’s many fine museums, e.g. the Museum of Antiquities with its superb collection of Roman, Greek, Egyptian and Mesopotamian artifacts. Return to Colmar in late afternoon. No group dinner today.
Day 5 - Monday, September 28: Strasbourg
Full-day excursion, by train, to Basel, Switzerland’s most important city after Zurich and Geneva, for a leisurely exploration of the medieval city centre, with the Cathedral, the market square, a maze of picturesque alleys, and a boat tour on the mighty Rhine. Afterwards there will likely be enough free time for some individual activities, perhaps a visit to one of the city’s many fine museums, e.g. the Museum of Antiquities with its superb collection of Roman, Greek, Egyptian and Mesopotamian artifacts. Return to Colmar in late afternoon. No group dinner today.
Day 6 - Tuesday, September 29: Lucerne
Full-day excursion, this time by private coach, to Lucerne, one of the prettiest cities in Switzerland and all of Europe. Our walking tour here will include the quaint old town, the famous covered wooden Chapel Bridge, emblem of the city, and the impressive Lion’s Monument, dedicated to the Swiss soldiers who died defending King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. Also free time to enjoy lunch, shop for watches and traditional Swiss army knives, and enjoy an optional boat tour on Lake Lucerne, a vast and magnificent body of deep-blue water, surrounded by towering Alpine peaks and its shores dotted with picturesque villages. Return to our hotel in Colmar in late afternoon or early evening. No group dinner today.
Day 7 - Wednesday, September 30: Kaisersberg and Riquewihr
Excursion by private coach into the wonderful Alsatian countryside, starting with an exploration of the Vosges mountains, following the famous “Route des Crêtes” to the top (well, almost) of the Grand Ballon, the highest mountain of the entire chain with an altitude of 1,424 m. At the Bonhomme Mountain Pass (Col du Bonhomme, alt. 949m), we will be reminded of the Great War of 1914-1918, when this was the scene of heavy fighting! Continue into the Alsatian wine country, situated on the gentle slopes descending towards the banks of Rhine River, for visits to the pretty town of Kaysersberg, birthplace of a famous Alsatian, Dr. Albert Schweitzer, and the medieval jewel of Riquewihr, still surrounded by city walls and arguably one of the prettiest wine villages in the world! During a winery visit and tasting, we will learn about Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewuerztraminer and other typical Alsatian grape varieties. Return to Colmar in late afternoon.
Day 8 - Thursday, October 01: The Black Forest Region
After breakfast, departure from Colmar. We cross the Rhine and enter the beautiful Black Forest region of southwest Germany, inhabited, like Alsace, by people of Alemannic background. Visit to the region’s major urban centre, Freiburg, a vibrant old university town, crisscrossed by small streams coming down from the hills of the Black Forest, focusing on the historical city centre, huddled around the Gothic Cathedral. After our lunch break, we continue via the Feldberg, with an altitude of almost 1,500m the Black Forest’s highest mountain, to the region’s most iconic resort, Titisee, a quaint village nestled on the shore of a beautiful lake of the same name. Then we continue eastward through the bucolic hills and valleys of the central Black Forest to the town of Donaueschingen, where we take a look at the famous sight, the source of the Danube (Donauquelle), which flows from there to the Black Sea, a total length of 2,850 km, crossing no less than ten countries. Accommodation for 4 nights in a traditional Black Forest inn, the Grüner Baum, with dinner in its excellent restaurant. Will this evening’s dessert feature Black Forest cake?
Day 9 - Friday, October 02: Schaffhausen nd Konstanz
Full-day excursion to the nearby town of Schaffhausen, located just cross the Rhine and the Swiss border, for a visit to the Rhine Falls, the most powerful waterfall in Europe. On for lunch to the picture-perfect medieval town of Stein am Rhein. Crossing back into Germany, we visit the historically important as well as impressive city of Konstanz, located on the homonymous big lake, known locally by its German name, Bodensee. Return to Donaueschingen and dinner again in the restaurant of our hotel.
Day 10 - Saturday, October 03: Stuttgart
Excursion to Stuttgart, capital of the German region of Württemberg and home of the world-famous automotive giants Mercedes and Porsche, inhabited mostly by Swabians, that is, Germans belonging to the Alemannic ethnic and linguistic group. Panoramic tour of this very attractive city, surrounded by vineyards and featuring impressive sights old as well as new, such as the baroque Palace Square (Schlossplatz) and the Stuttgart TV Tower. Our program continues with a visit to the fabulous State Gallery, with its superb collection of ancient and modern art, featuring works by ancient and modern masters such as Canaletto, Carracci, Hals, Dalí, Dix, Grosz, Matisse, Miró, Mondrian, Picasso, and Chagall. Afterwards there will hopefully still be time for some shopping, individual exploring, or…a quick visit to the Mercedes or Porsche museums? Return to Donaueschingen in late afternoon. No group dinner this evening.
Day 11 - Sunday, October 04: Triberg and a number of quaint villages
A glorious full-day exploration of the Black Forest, with as highlights the picturesque town of Triberg, the Black Forest Open-Air Museum in Gutach, the idyllic Glottertal Valley, the panoramic road across the Kandel Mountain, and plenty of quaint villages such as St Peter and St Märgen. Return to the hotel in late afternoon and free time until our final group dinner.
Day 12 - Monday, October 05: Return flight to Toronto from Zurich
After breakfast, transfer to Zurich Airport in time for the 1:30 PM departure of our non-stop return flight to Toronto with Air Canada.
