PASSION PLAY 2010
AN ECUMENICAL TOUR OF THE GERMAN CHRISTIAN CULTURE
Only 4 spots left - GUARANTEED DEPARTURE
This is an exclusive custom tour created in cooperation with the German Heritage Commission (Fredericksburg, TX). We have created an unique tailor-made Ecumenical Tour to the Passion Play 2010 in Oberammergau, Germany - and to the roots of German Christian Culture. We take you to impressive and inspiring sites of European history and culture - Churches, Monasteries, Castles, Catholic pilgramage sites, Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther sites, UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites, Romanesque Road, historic buildings and much more. You get a great value: Since we did not build in sales commission for external travel agents, all the money you pay is being spent on the tour service for your trip. (UNESCO* - this tour includes 7 UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites) The Passion Play in Oberammergau is performed only once every 10 years! It is the oldest festival in Germany and the most famous passion play that is still performed today. Passion Plays reenact the suffering and Crucifixion of Christ as a form of devotion. The Passion Play depicts the last five days in the life of Jesus Christ, from Palm Sunday to Easter. Oberammergau, a picturesque village in the Bavarian Alps, has faithfully performed its passion play every ten years since 1633 in fulfillment of a vow. During the Thirty Years War, Oberammergau suffered a plague epidemic that killed nearly 100 villagers. The terrified survivors begged God to spare their town from further deaths, vowing to perform a passion play in their village every 10 years. The plague disappeared with no further deaths and the villagers of Oberammergau have faithfully kept their vow to the present day. In keeping with centuries-old tradition, Obergammergau's passion play is an authentical local production. It is performed entirely by amateur actors who are natives or who have been residents of Oberammergau for at least 20 years and who are of good moral standing in the community. The actors begin growing their long hair and beards (no wigs allowed!) beginning on Ash Wednesday the previous year. The world-famous costumes are made locally by residents and the peformance includes live animals. New in 2010, the 5-hour Passion Play performance will have a evening session implementing lighting effects and torches. German Life Magazine - Passion Play article (PDF)
15-day-tour: September 08 - 22, 2010 (Wednesday – Wednesday)
Itinerary based on Passion Play performance date Sep 17th, 2010
Leipzig – Luther town Eisleben - Cistercian Convent St. Mary's of Helfta – Feudal Castle Querfurt - Meissen – Dresden – Fortress Leuchtenburg – Erfurt – Eisenach – Fortress Wartburg – Schmalkalden – Lauscha – Dinkelsbuehl – Munich – Altoetting – Wies Church – Oberammergau with Passion Play performance – castle Neuschwanstein / Murnau – Speyer – Heidelberg – Montabaur (Sister City of Fredericksburg, Texas) – Limburg an der Lahn – Frankfurt
We still have 4 spots available.
First come – First served.
GUARANTEED DEPARTURE.
The small group of max. 16 guests travels in a private bus with an experienced driver and is escorted by a bilingual tour guide throughout.
More information about the Passion Play (PDF)
More information about Martin Luther sites (PDF)
Day 1 – Wed, Sep 08:
- individual departure: flight out of an US airport of your choice
Day 2 – Thu, Sep 09: Leipzig
- arrival airport Leipzig (LEJ) - recently opened: ecumenical chapel
- guided sightseeing bus tour in Leipzig with historic Market Place,
Old Town Hall, St. Nicolas Church, Bach Memorial, St. Thomas Church,
Monument to the Battle of Nations and more ...
- time for guided sightseeing walking tour (optional), individual
activities or time to relax
- welcome dinner party at a historic restaurant in Leipzig
- overnight: Leipzig
Day 3 – Fri, Sep 10: Luther town Eisleben - Cistercian Convent St. Mary's of Helfta - Feudal Castle Querfurt
- buffet breakfast at the hotel in Leipzig
- guided sightseeing walking tour - Luther town Eisleben (UNESCO*)
- guided tour at the Cistercian Convent St. Mary's of Helfta
- visit of one of the oldest and biggest feudal castles in Germany:
Fortress Querfurt
- overnight: Leipzig
Day 4 – Sat, Sep 11: Porcelain Meissen - Dresden
- buffet breakfast at the hotel in Leipzig
- guided tour at the Royal Saxon porcelain manufacturer Meissen
- guided sightseeing bus tour in Dresden with Asisi Panorma
picture “Dresden 1756”, Church Of Our Lady, Cathedral, Palace
Zwinger, Procession of Princess and more...
- scenic Elbe Valley Dresden with famous “Canaletto view”
- time for guided sightseeing walking tour (optional), individual
acticvities or to relax
- overnight: Dresden
Day 5 – Sun, Sep 12: Dresden - Leuchtenburg - Erfurt
- buffet breakfast at the hotel in Dresden
- time for individual church service visit
- guided tour at fortress Leuchtenburg with porcelain museum
- Erfurt - time for individual excursions, activities or to relax
- overnight: Erfurt
Day 6 – Mon, Sep 13: Luther Fortress Wartburg - Schmalkalden
- buffet breakfast at the hotel in Erfurt
- guided tour at the Luther Fortress Wartburg, Eisenach (UNESCO*)
- guided sightseeing walking tour in Schmalkalden with medieval
Castle Wilhelmsburg
- dinner at a historic restaurant in Erfurt with local Thuringian specialties
- overnight: Erfurt
Day 7 – Tue, Sep 14: Erfurt - Glass Blowing Lauscha - Bamberg
- buffet breakfast at the hotel in Erfurt
- guided sightseeing walking tour in Erfurt with Gothic St. Mary's
Cathedral, St. Severus Church, Augustinian Monastery, Merchants'
Bridge, Franciscian Church, Citadel and more...
- guided tour at a glass-blowing manufacturer in Lauscha with
Christmas decoration and glass art
- medieval town of Bamberg (UNESCO*)
- guided sightseeing walking tour (optional) or individual activities
- overnight: Bamberg
Day 8 – Wed, Sep 15: The Romantic Road Dinkelsbuehl - Munich
- buffet breakfast at the hotel in Bamberg
- The Romantic Road: guided sightseeing walking tour in Dinkelsbuehl
- sightseeing bus tour in Munich
- time for individual activities or to relax
- overnight: Munich
Day 9 – Thur, Sep 16: pilgramage site Altoetting - Munich
- buffet breakfast at the hotel in Munich
- Altoetting – pilgramage site and homeland of Pope Benedict XVI.
with guided sightseeing walking tour or individual activities in Munich
- guided sightseeing walking tour in Munich with microbrewery visit
- time for individual activities or to relax
- overnight: Munich
Day 10 – Fri, Sep 17: Oberammergau – Passion Play performance
- buffet breakfast at the hotel
- bus transfer Oberammergau, walking tour, Oberammergau museum
- bus transfer to the hotel (part of Passion Play package)
- lunch or lavish brunch (part of Passion Play package)
- Passion Play performance (part of Passion Play package)
- dinner with several courses during the play interval (part of
Passion Play package)
- shuttle service to the hotel (part of Passion Play package)
- overnight: hotel (part of Passion Play package)
Day 11 – Sat, Sep 18: Wies Church - Neuschwanstein - Murnau
- breakfast at the hotel (part of Passion Play package)
- visit of the pilgramage site Wies Church (UNESCO*)
- guided tour at castle Neuschwanstein or scenic expressionists’
town Murnau in the "Five-Lakes-Region"
- bus transfer to the Hotel Adler in Lichtenstein-Honau
- overnight: Hotel Adler (Lichtenstein-Honau)
Day 12 – Sun, Sep 19: Speyer - Heidelberg
- buffet breakfast at the Hotel Adler
- time for individual church service (subject of availability)
- guided sightseeing walking tour in Speyer (UNESCO*) with Old Gate,
Romanesque Cathedral, Memorial Church, Convent St. Madgalena,
Church St. Ludwig and more...
- time for individual excursions / activities or to relax
- overnight: Heidelberg
Day 13 – Mon, Sep 20: Heidelberg - Montabaur (Sister City of Fredericksburg, Texas)
- buffet breakfast at the hotel in Heidelberg
- guided sightseeing walking tour in Heidelberg with Gothic Church
of the Holy Spirit, Castle Heidelberg, Old Bridge, St. Peter's Church,
Renaissance house Knight St. George and more...
- scenic bus ride along the Rhine Valley (UNESCO*) to Montabaur
with stop
- meet with members of the Montabaur-Fredericksburg
Partnerstadt Verein, Sister City of Fredericksburg, Texas
- farewell dinner party in Montabaur with guests
- overnight: Montabaur (or Limburg an der Lahn)
Day 14 – Tue, Sep 21: Limburg an der Lahn - Frankfurk
- buffet breakfast at the hotel in Montabaur or Limburg a.d. Lahn
- guided sightseeing walking tour in Limburg with seven-towered
St. George Cathedral, medieval town with half-timbered houses,
Old Lahn Bridge and more ...
- bus transfer to Frankfurt am Main
- time for guided sightseeing walking tour (optional),
individual activities or to relax
- overnight: Frankfurt city
Day 15 – Wed, Sep 22:
- buffet breakfast at the hotel in Frankfurt
- bus shuttle to Frankfurt main airport (FRA)
- departure Frankfurt main airport (FRA)
- individual arrival at an US airport of your choice
Itinerary and accommodation are subject to change.
Passion Play packages: no single rooms available (twins only).
This tour includes several sightseeing tours and museum / manufacturer visits on foot. Walks of around 1 hour up to 2 hours (including stops) might be involved at several occasions.
Link to public Google map for Passion Play 2010 trip
Pictures - Beautiful Travel Impressions - East Germany.
In ground package included:
- 13 overnight stays at selected hotels/pensions with buffet breakfast
- Private coach transportation and experienced driver
- bilingual tour guide 24/7 and experienced local city guides
- Entrance fees and expenses for tour related visits and excursions as indicated in itinerary
- Welcome dinner party in Leipzig and Farewell dinner party in Montabaur including beverages
- Additional dinner in Erfurt including beverages
- Passion Play performance September 17th, 2010: ticket, lunch / brunch and dinner, bus shuttle service, Oberammergau museum
SMALL GROUP - Minimum 6 persons / Maximum 16 persons
Travel insurance, airfare, optional or non-tour related activities are not included. We offer individual travel insurance information and assist with the purchase.
Tour price “Passion Play 2010” (cash / check payment)
$2,806 USD per person*
(ground package, double occupancy, air fare not included)
+ $605 USD pp (single supplement)
+ 4% for creditcard payment
Only 4 spots left! GUARANTEED DEPARTURE!
For single travelers we offer the service to connect you with other single travelers who are interested in sharing a twin bed room in order to save single supplements - if it's possible we make it happen.
*USD price is calculated based on currency exchange rate at the due date for final payment invoice (see terms & conditions). The tour price includes an one-night Passion Play package (value of $500).
Please use our tour registration form to secure your spot. Details about booking, payment, flight booking, travel insurance: see registration form and terms & conditions - please contact us! Terms & Conditions “Passion Play 2010” for Download (PDF)
Travel Insurance information for Download (PDF)
Please contact us for further information or booking requests.
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