RMC Travel Presents …
A Pre-Christmas Holiday
St. Therese in GERMANY
Friday, December 12 to Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Hosted by Bishop Peter Libasci and Father Charles Ehrhart
GERMANY’S CHRISTMAS FESTIVALS
A great combination of two of Germany’s most popular cities — Munich and Nuremberg. Do your Christmas shopping and enjoy the excitement of the upcoming Christmas holiday.
Munich is one of Europe’s most charming cities — elegant streets including the famed Maximilianstrasse, the Alt Stadt (Old City), wonderful food and Germany's most captivating museum, the Alte Pinkaothek, that houses some of Europe’s finest art treasures. Here in Munich, Bishop Libasci will say a Mass at the famed Peterskirche (Church of St. Peter). Plus, Munich also hosts it Christmas Fair during this time period called “Christkindlmarkt.”
Nuremberg has gained the reputation as “Germany's Number One Christmas City” due to its annual Christmas market. It’s called Christkindlesmarkt. Each year, the city's central marketplace is transformed into a veritable fantasyland of nearly 200 booths and stalls (Germany's largest) selling a variety of Christmas ornaments, toys, carvings, candles, handicrafts and much more.
There will also be an optional tour to the “Sound of Music” City … Salzburg, Austria, one of Europe’s most charming cities.
Our Hotel
The 4* Munich City Centre
Located in the center of Munich’s artistic and nightlife hot spots and opposite the Cultural Centre “Gasteig,” the Holiday Inn Munich - City Centre is part of the new upgrading of Holiday Inn properties. It’s a ten-minute walk from Marienplatz and Viktualienmark, and 5 minutes to the German Museum. All 582 comfortable rooms offer all the amenities you expect from a First Class hotel.
Tour Includes:
•Round-trip Luxury Liner to JFK
•Round-trip jet flights to Munich
•Round-trip transfers between airport and hotels
•Accommodations in the First Class Munich City Centre Hotel
•Airline & hotel taxes
•Service charges at the hotel
•Portage
•Daily breakfast
•Additional meals as indicated
•Sightseeing tour as per itinerary
•Sightseeing entrance fees
Special Features:
•Welcome Dinner
•A day at Nuremberg’s famous Christmas Market
• Special Nuremberg sausages, sauerkraut and potato sales lunch
•Morning Mass at the beautiful Peterskirche (Church of St. Peter).
•An optional tour to the “Sound of Music” city, Salzburg, Austria
•A Special Farewell Dinner in Munich
•Plus a Contribution to the St. Therese Scholarship Fund
Our Itinerary
(B=Breakfast, L=Linch, D=Dinner)
1st Day, Friday, December 12: Montauk to Munich
Depart from Montauk for Munich with our connecting flights.
2nd Day, Saturday, December 13: In Munich (D)
Afternoon arrival in Munich in the heart of Bavaria. After clearing customs, we transfer to our hotel, with time to rest and get accustomed to the time change before having our “Welcome to Germany” Dinner in the evening.
3rd Day, Sunday, December 14: In Munich (B)
We start this morning by going to Peterskirche (Church of St. Peter) which is the oldest parish church in Munich with a remarkable ornate interior decorated with old Masters from six centuries. Here we will attend Mass with Bishop Peter and Father Ehrhart. This will be followed by a city sight seeing tour including the 17th century Nymphenberg Palace, the Royal Palace and the Opera House plus a visit to the Bavarian National Museum, which has the largest crèche collection in Europe, and is something special to see at Christmas time. The balance of the day is to explore the town’s various Christmas markets. Evening on our own.
4th Day, Monday, December 15: Excursion to Nuremberg Christmas Market (B/L)
After breakfast, we leave for Nuremberg and the most famous Christmas Market in Europe. Following the almost total destruction of historic Nuremberg during the Second World War, the City council wisely decided to rebuild the old city to its past charm. Our sightseeing tour will include the Alt Stadt, the Imperial castle also referred to as the fortress, which took centuries to build, as the city's “crowning glory,” the delightful memorial to the Emperor Karl IV — the “Männleinlaufen,” an ornamental clock with an ingenious mechanism where daily, at noon, the figures of the seven Prince Electors rotate around the Emperor. This will be followed by a lunch in a local restaurant famous for its delicious grilled Nuremberg sausages and all the traditional fixings. The afternoon is free to enjoy the Christmas Market. Nuremberg has gained the reputation as “Germany's Number One Christmas City” due to its annual Christmas market. Each year, the city's central market place is transformed into as veritable fantasyland of nearly 200 booths and stalls selling a variety of Christmas ornaments, toys, carvings, candles, handicrafts and much more. Gold foil angels are a popular icon of the Nuremberg market. Numerous booths sell Nuremberg famous “lebkuchen” (gingerbread), fruit cake and other baked goods. What a wonderful time to enjoy the color and excitement of Christmas — German-style. Return to Munich where you have the evening on your own to try some of the wonderful local Brauhauses.
5th day, Tuesday, December 16: In Munich (B/D). Optional tour to Salzburg
Today we have a full day for independent exploring in the city known for master artworks, grand architecture, pretzels and frosted beer steins. Perhaps spend the day at Germany's most captivating museum, the Alte Pinkaothek, which houses some of Europe’s finest art treasures. Or walk among some of the most elegant shops in Europe. Or take an optional tour to Salzburg, the “Sound of Music” city, where you will visit Mozart’s birthplace and museum, the Residenz Palace with its 180 rooms and courtyard (only seeing some of them) and the famous Glockenspiel Tower & Schloss Mirabell, where the “angel staircase” by Raphael Donner is seen. Return to Munich in the late afternoon to relax. In the evening we will have a special “Farewell to Germany” dinner.
6th Day, Wednesday, December 17: To USA (B)
Morning at leisure for independent exploration. Afternoon transfer to the airport for our flight back to New York and then back to Montauk.
Note: Itinerary is correct at time of printing and is subject to changes beyond our control.
