September 1 -15, 2011
Off Beat Tours With Inge Schminke
Off Beat Tours
2996 61st Street Trail
Shellsburg, Iowa 52332
Telephone: 319/436-2503
E-mail: klug.schminke77@fmtcs.com
Day 1 Thursday USA/Austria
We depart from our local airport for the trip of a lifetime for our transatlantic flight to Vienna. In flight meals.
Day 2 Friday Austria
Upon our arrival at the Schwechat Airport we claim our luggage and board our bus to take a sightseeing drive through Vienna, the capital city of Austria and on to Tulln an der Donau for our first European overnight. D
Day 3 Saturday Austria
This morning we will have a walking tour of Tulln and later depart to visit a farm in the Tullnerfeld, the bread basket of Vienna. Later we have an optional tour of a fortress. After an earlier supper we will drive to Vienna for an evening semi-classical concert for those who so desire to participate and viewing the city at night. Overnight at Tulln. B + D
Day 4 Sunday Austria
Today is a day of options-we can have a journey into the past when we board an old-timer train of the famous Mariazellerbahn at St. Poelten and enjoy the ride into the Oetscher mountain massif on to Mariazell, Austria's most famous pilgrimage site since 1157.We can take a side trip on a cable car to the Buergeralpe where we can learn about the life of a lumberjack of days gone by, or we can take an oar boat and paddle out on the Erlaufsee to watch the fish frolic in the crystal clear water. Overnight at Tulln. B + D
Day 5 Monday Austria/Czech Republic
A circular drive will take us to a number of typical Bohemian settlements beginning with Znaimjo. We will explore the underground 4 storey high labyrinth beneath the town along the Thaya before we meander through this southern part of Bohemia. We will return to Tulln via Retz. B + D
Day 6 Tuesday Austria/Germany
We will drive along the Danube west through the famous winegrowing area of the Wachau and at Stift Melk, which crowns a rocky bluff 150 feet above the river join the Autobahn traffic. We drive past Linz and Salzburg to continue into Germany and the Deutsche Dreieck of Bavaria on to Kempten and Sonthofen before we branch off onto a country road to Sibratshofen and Lingenau for our next overnight. B + D
Day 7 Wednesday Austria/Liechtenstein/Switzerland
A circular drive will take us to Feldkirch and into Liechtenstein with a stop at Vaduz, its capital. Later we will cross the not yet so mighty Rhine River and half way across the bridge arrive in Switzerland. For those who wish there is the opportunity for an optional cable car ride up to Mount Saentis, the highest destination in northeastern Helvetia to view some 250 peaks of the Alps, or just take a walk around the mountain meadows and browse through a cheese factory. The tour goes on to Appenzell and Altstaetten past St Margrethen back to Lingenau. B + D .
Day 8 Thursday Austria/Germany
This round-trip excursion takes us past Bregenz, the capital of the province of Voralberg into Germany via Unterhochsteg past Friedrichshafen on to Meersburg There we will have a short walking tour of the town full of historic rarities and detour to Unteruhldinge, just a few miles away to see the lake dwellings displaying life in the Neolithical Stone and Bronze ages. A ferry boat ride will take us across the Bodensee to Constance and on to the Flower Island of Mainau for an optional tour of the tropical flower paradise in the Lake Constance. Our return to Austria is along the Seesattel, the southern shore of the lake. Overnight at Lingenau. B + D
Day 9 Friday Austria
We leave this charming mountain village in the Bregenzer Wald and continue the drive across a number of mountain passes - totally awesome Alpine scenery a picture taking delight. At Innsbruck we will stop at the site of the Winter Olympic Ski jump, before motoring on to Rattenberg am Inn for some serious Austrian crystal shopping in this the smallest city of Austria, a former silver mine town. Our next overnight will be in Kuchl. B + D
Day 10 Saturday Austria/Germany
A short drive will take us to Duernberg for an optional tour of a salt mine and Celtic museum. From there we cross on a narrow border crossing into Germany and continue on the Roszstein Ringstrasse to Jettenberg. Some of us will want to take the special coach up to Hitler's Eagles Nest, while others may want to browse through the warren of the uncovered bunker system of the Fuehrer. Overnight at Kuchl. B + D
Day 11 Sunday Austria
We will try to arrive in the Sound of Music City in time for the church service at the Dom to give those who wish to worship in a German service a chance to do so. Later we will take a walking tour of Salzburg before we meander through the Austrian Lake Region, the Salzkammergut, past Fuschl See to St. Wolfgang. A rack railway can be an optional if we have enough interest up the Schafsberg, or we can just enjoy walking through this old town along the lakes with its many quaint houses and fabulous shops. On our way back to our lodging in Kuchl, we will drive through the Postalm, preserved as an alpine pasture as it was in the old days. B + D
Day 12 Monday Austria
Hopefully the weather is such that we can cross the highest mountain of Austria, the Grossglockner. We will have a driving and nature experience of a special kind on 48 km of high alpine road with 36 bends officially in use since 1935. We will stop at the Pasterzen Glacier and admire the lofty view before descending to Heiligenblut on the southern side of the mountain. Our next overnight is at Berg im Drautal. B + D
Day 13 Tuesday Austria/Italy
A long day is in store for those who wish to see the Sinking City of Italy. We drive on the Italian Autostrada as much as possible to gain time for getting to know Venice. We'll take the local water transportation into the city proper for a day of exploration, walking along the canals and across the many bridges, feed the pigeons on St. Marcus Square, hire a gondola for a romantic ride on the canals, watch the never ending tourists hurrying around. Overnight at Berg. B + D
Day 14 Wednesday Austria
We leave our charming rustic village for our last day's trip in Europe. The green province of Austria, Styria will take up most of our attention. Back to Tulln and packing for the flight back. B + D
Day 15 Thursday Austria/USA
The trip has come to an end and we must fly back across the great water and our home towns. Hopefully with many pleasant memories. B + D
Inge Schminke
2996 61 st Street Trail
Shellsburg, Iowa 52332
Telephone: 319-436-2503
E-mail: klug.schminke77@fmtcs.com
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