DAY 1: WEDNESDAY 8 JUNE - DEPART USA

Today: Depart for Germany with complimentary meals and beverages served on-board your international flight.

DAY 2 THURSDAY 9 JUNE - VIENNA (D)

Arrival in Vienna where you are greeted by your English-speaking Tour Manager who will be with your group during the entire trip. We are transferred to the center of Vienna for a walking tour of the city. Celebrate Mass at St. Stephen Cathedral and settle into the hotel. Dinner and overnight in Vienna.

DAY 3 FRIDAY 10 JUNE - SCHÖNBRUNN PALACE, EXCURSION TO MELK (B,D) 

This morning we enjoy a guided visit of the Schönbrunn Palace, a magnificent reminder of Imperial Vienna. Following a panoramic city tour we drive to Melk Abbey for a guided visit of the treasury and the library. Mass will be celebrated in the beautiful baroque church. We return to Vienna in the afternoon for some leisure time. Dinner and overnight in Vienna.

DAY 4 SATURDAY 11 JUNE - MARIAZELL, MONDSEE / LAKE DISTRICT, TO SALZBURG (B,D) 

We depart Vienna and drive across the spectacular forested mountains to the pilgrimage center in Austria dedicated to the Blessed Mother. We celebrate Mass at the Shrine of Mariazell which dates to the 14th century. The Chapel of Grace is considered the national shrine of Austria. Miracles are attributed to its statue of the Virgin, giving rise to fame that has spread all over Europe. Following lunch we continue towards Salzburg. Our in-route stop will be in Austria’s Lake District at St. Michael’s Church in Mondsee, where the famous wedding scene in the movie “The Sound of Music” was filmed. Arrive Salzburg for dinner and overnight. 

DAY 5 SUNDAY 12 JUNE - IN SALZBURG (B, D) 

Celebrate Mass at the Shrine of Maria Plain. The 17th century hilltop shrine overlooking Salzburg has a painting of the Virgin Mary that miraculously survived a bakery fire. The shrine became a Minor Basil-ica in 1952 and was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1983. We have a walking tour of the charming city of music and Mozart. We see the Basilica and stroll along the Getreidegasse, to see the house where Mozart was born, and take in many familiar sights from the Sound of Music film. We explore the religious heritage of this town, including Nonnberg, believed to be the oldest nunnery in existence, founded by St. Rupert in the 8th century, plus the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter, also founded by St. Rupert. Tonight we enjoy a festive dinner concert in a baroque festival hall, with classical music from Mozart and his time performed by the Amadeus Consort Orchestra. Dinner and overnight in Salzburg.

DAY 6 MONDAY 13 JUNE - DAY EXCURSION EAGLES NEST, BERCHTESGADEN, LAKE KÖNIGSSEE(B,D)

This morning we make a visit to the hillside town of Berchtesgaden. East of Berchtesgaden is the little village of Obersalzberg, the site of Hitler’s Berghof (mountain retreat). This ‘Eagle’s Nest’ retreat was built as a teahouse and given to Hitler by the NSDAP party as a 50th birthday present. The Eagle’s Nest remained unscathed from the bombing of the Allied Forces during WWII. Since 1952 it has been open to the public as a mountain top restau-rant with a spectacular view. The three-part tour includes the construction and use of the Eagle’s Nest (a unique mountaintop conference center), a driving and educational tour of the Obersalzberg area, and a visit to a portion of the museum known as Dokumentation Obersalzberg, giving us access to the under-ground bunker system. After all that Nazi stuff we relax and enjoy our life on a 2 hour cruise on the Königssee. It’s Germany’s third deepest lake, formed by glaciers, and in midst the most wonderful nature of the Bavarian Alps, on a thin fjord-like lake that hooks itself around the Watzmann, Germany’s second highest mountain. Lake Königssee is known throughout the world for its emerald green water and unique mountain landscape. We’ll cruise silently across the lake on electric-powered boats and hear the famed Königssee echo. We continue on to the peninsula of St. Bartholomew with the unmistakable red onion domes atop its ancient pilgrimage church where we celebrate Mass. Dinner and overnight in Salzburg. 

DAY 7 TUESDAY 14 JUNE - PILGRIMAGE DAY ALTÖTTING AND MARKTL AM INN (B,D)

We continue our pilgrimage with the Passion Play in our hearts as we celebrate the Virgin Mary and the life and ministry of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The Shrine of Our Lady of Altötting has been mentioned in Europe side-by-side with other great places of pilgrimage – such as Lourdes, Fatima and Czestochowa. We celebrate Mass at the Shrine. The ongoing miracles are manifested by countless con-versions and a return to renewed faith of the pilgrims. Over 2000 votive paintings, that cover the outside 

walls of the chapel, speak of the trust in the intercessions of the Black Madonna of Altötting. In November 1980, Saint Pope John Paul II visited the Shrine. Starting at the pilgrimage center of Altötting in the morning, we will first visit the Gnadenkapelle (Chapel of Grace), an octagonal chapel which houses a highly venerated statue of the Virgin Mary. One of the most visited shrines in Germany, it welcomes more than 1 million pilgrims a year. The tradition of Bavaria calls for the heart of the deceased king to be placed in an urn and kept at the chapel at Altötting. The heart of King Ludwig II, the builder of Neuschwanstein and Herrenchiemsee, lies in this chapel, along with those of his grandfathers and father. We continue our pilgrimage to the twin towered Stiftskirche (Abbey church) with its treasury; to the Jerusalem Panorama of Christ’s Crucifixion, the Pilgrimage and Local Heritage Museum as well as a diorama show. In the afternoon we drive to near-by Marktl am Inn (“Little Market on the Inn River”), the birthplace of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. We visit his birth house which now has a little museum and his baptis-tery. Dinner and overnight in Altötting / vicinity.

DAY 8 WEDNESDAY 15 JUNE - SCHWANGAU – ETTAL - OBERAMMERGAU (B,D) 

Following breakfast we will depart to explore King Ludwig II of Bavaria’s majestic castle, Neus-chwanstein Castle. Neuschwanstein is more beautiful than the lower castle of Hohenschwangau, also located in Schwangau. Enjoy lunch on your own before we continue on to the Ettal. When approaching Ettal you will see the majestic dome of the Ettal Basilica. The huge dome is the symbol of the sanctuary of “Our Lady in Charity”. The monastery was built around the church. After Mass we will continue to Oberammergau. The beautiful village of Oberammergau is home of the famous Passion Play of the life of Christ. The play dates back to 1633 when the plague, the “Black Death”, took a severe toll of lives in the small village. In their distress, the inhabitants turned to God and vowed that if the pestilence was taken from them, they would perform a play every year, depicting the suffering and death of our Savior. Their plea was heard and there were no further plague victims in Oberammergau. The first performance of the Passion Play took place in 1634 in the village cemetery. As the Passion Play gained popularity, more performances were implemented. In 1680 the villagers began hosting the Passion Play every 10 years. Dinner and overnight in Oberammergau / vicinity. 

DAY 9 THURSDAY 16 JUNE - OBERAMMERGAU – PASSION PLAY : PERFORMANCE DAY (B,D) 

We celebrate Mass at a local church. Enjoy time to explore Oberammergau’s colorful frescos known as “Luftlmalereien” on house facades and visit wood carving shops with an amazing array of nativ-ity scenes and religious figures. Following lunch, we will make our way to the world famous theatre to attend the performance of a lifetime, the 42nd Oberammergau Passion Play. The sleepy village springs to life every ten years to put on a play that draws the world upon it. We too will become part of the Passion Play, the greatest story ever told. We all share His message of faith and love. The Oberammergau Passion Play tells the story of the Passion of Christ, beginning with His entry into Jerusalem, followed by His trial, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. The play is held in a beautiful open air theatre that is praised for its superb acoustics. There are 2,000 actors (and live animals) that include local wood carvers, hotel owners, students, teachers, children; all of them interrupt their schedules to become actors, singers, orchestra members and stagehands. Requirements are strict: all actors must be born in Oberammergau, or have lived there 20 years, or be married to a villager and a resident for 10 years. Villagers use natural makeup; men let their hair and beards grow a year before the play. Female roles are limited to single women under age 35. The play is approximately five and a half hours long and is performed in two acts. Act I : 2:30pm - 5:00pm Intermission: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm; enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. Act II: 8:00pm - 10:30pm 

Dinner and overnight in Oberammergau / vicinity.

DAY10 FRIDAY 17 JUNE - OBERAMMERGAU - MUNICH (B,D) 

After breakfast, we will leave Oberammergau behind and drive north to Munich (city of the monks), the capital of Bavaria. Upon arrival, your local guide will take you on a guided tour which includes Nymphenburg Palace and the twin towered Frauenkirche where we will celebrate Mass today. The Frauenkirche, the Church of Our Lady, is the most familiar landmark of old Munich. Step foot on Marienplatz with its world famous “Glockenspiel”. Continue on to view the town hall, and the magnifi-cent boulevard Feldherrenhalle Ludwigsstrasse Siegestor, created by King Ludwig I in the middle of the 19th century. Pass by the Residenz, the palace of the kings of Bavaria, and the Hofgarten. Enjoy some free time for lunch, shopping or perhaps enjoy a stein of bier at the famous Munich Hoffbrau. Dinner and overnight in Munich.

DAY11 SATURDAY 18 JUNE - DEPART FOR USA(B)

We are transferred to nearby Munich airport for our homebound flights.

End of Service.