DAY    3            DAY TRIP TO NEUSCHWANSTEIN, GARMISCH-

                          PARTENKIRCHEN & OBERAMMERGAU
This morning we will take a trip to mad King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein Castle, situated on an outcrop of rock towering over a gorge in the River Pollat.  This is one of Germany’s most famous castles, though the king himself only lived there for 172 days.  Our tour of the castle will be highlighted by the Throne Room, designed in Byzantine style, with gilded mural paintings, mosaics and a huge chandelier.  Later today we will experience the beauty of the Bavarian Alps region.  We begin in Oberammergau, a town that is known for a colorful style of painted houses called Luftmalerei (“air painting”).  After time to explore this quaint town, we continue to the twin villages of Garmisch and Partenkirchen, which make up Germany's top alpine resort.  In spite of their urban flair, the towns maintain the charm of an ancient village, often with local residents in traditional dress.  The town and its environs offer some of the most panoramic views and colorful buildings in Bavaria.
 

· Your First Concert Performance will be today

DAY    4            MUNICH AREA - HERRENCHIEMSEE - SALZBURG AREA (3

                           NIGHTS)
We will visit the Deutsches Museum, one of the most important museums in the world for scientific and technical matters.  During our visit, we will enjoy a series of working models and demonstrations as we trace the history of science and technology from the beginning of time to present day.   We will head east stopping at Herrenchiemsee Castle built on an island in Chiemsee by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. He wanted to build a replica of Versailles and emptied the coffers of 20 million marks to build this palace in which he lived only one week before his death.  We will continue to Salzburg the Baroque city of music associated with Mozart.

DAY    5            SALZBURG
Our Walking Tour will start at the castle of Hohensalzburg Fortress, the former stronghold of the ruling prince-archbishops, which towers 400 feet above the Salzach River on a rocky dolomite ledge.  We continue into the Old City, a maze of meandering lanes, curious steeples, cobbled streets and spacious squares. Here we will visit Mozart's Birthplace, the Old Square, the Cathedral, the Residenz and the Glockenspiel, an early 18th century carillon.

DAY    6            SALZBURG
 We begin this morning with a visit to the Residenz, Salzburg’s opulent palace, which was the seat of the Salzburg prince-archbishops.  The child prodigy Mozart often played in the Conference Room for guests, and in 1867, Emperor Franz Joseph received Napoléon III in the palace.  We will enjoy a tour of the richly decorated State Rooms, and the Residenzgalerie Salzburg, an art gallery that contains European paintings from the 16th to the 19th century, displayed in 15 historic rooms.  We will conclude our afternoon on Salzburg’s most famous street, the Getreidegasse, which is lined with small shops, interesting houses and wrought-iron signs.

DAY    7            SALZBURG AREA - (MELK OR ST. FLORIAN) - VIENNA (3

                           NIGHTS)
Today we head along the Danube Valley to the historic town of Melk where we will visit the Baroque Abbey and Abbey Church which are built on a promontory dominating the town.  Alternately, we can visit the Abbey of St. Florian where Anton Bruckner, recognized as Austria’s greatest composer of church music, worked and is buried. We will then travel east across Austria to Vienna, the capital of Austria and for 600 years the glittering capital of the Hapsburg Empire.  Vienna has an incomparable musical heritage and is the city of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn, Brahms and Johann Strauss.

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DAY    8           VIENNA
We begin with a visit to the State Opera House which was opened in 1869 with a performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.  We will have a guided tour (subject to there being no rehearsals in progress).  This afternoon we will stop just outside the city center for a visit to the 1,441 room Schönbrunn Palace, which was designed for the Habsburgs before becoming the imperial summer palace during Maria Theresa's 40 year reign.  It was the scene of great ceremonial balls, lavish banquets, and fabulous receptions held during the Congress of Vienna, including a performance by a 6 year-old Mozart.  Our tour will include the State Apartments, a stroll through the Imperial Gardens, and a brief visit to the Wagenburg or Carriage Museum, which contains a fine display of imperial coaches from the 17th through the 20th century.

DAY    9            VIENNA
Our Walking Tour will take us to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, scene of the double marriage between the Hapsburg, Bohemian and Hungarian dynasties in 1515 that laid the foundation of the Austrian Empire.  Next we will visit City Park to see the various monuments commemorating the Great Composers of the past.  We continue on to the interactive discovery museum Haus der Musik (House of Music). You can conduct the Vienna Philharmonic from a virtual conductor’s podium, and the musicians on the screen will tell you if you are up to par, journey back in time to see the great classical composers, or compose your own waltz and have it played.  A total of 5,000 square meters has been set aside exclusively for areas dedicated to a wide array of approaches to music, and to the experience of music.

DAY    10            DEPARTURE FROM VIENNA
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as your tour manager/guide accompanies you to the airport for the return flight home.