American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware

Daily Itinerary:
The Oberammergau Passion Play
and the Best of Italy

 

Day 1 - Depart USA
Catch your international flight from NYC to Munich, Germany. 

  

Day 2 - Munich

Arrive in Munich where our local representatives will meet you. Enjoy a tour of historic Munich, including a stop at the Rathaus (Town Hall) to watch the Glockenspiel. This historic clock from 1908 chimes its 43 bells and enchants viewers with its 32 life-size moving figures three times per day. You will also see the Opera House and the Hofbrauhaus. Enjoy some time to shop before transferring to your alpine hotel.

 

Day 3 - Innsbruck, Austria

This morning visit Innsbruck, the capital of Austria’s Tyrol region. Innsbruck is famous as the site of two winter Olympics. Follow your guide through the quaint medieval streets of Old Town to the sparkling Golden Roof. The glittering sloping roof has been an opulent landmark since the 15th-century. You’ll view Maria Theresa’s Imperial Palace, the Triumphal Arch and visit the Hofkirche. Afterwards, you’ll have time to explore the medieval city on your own.

  

Day 4 -Oberammergau & Passion Play
After the Black Plague, that was rampant in Europe, left their small village, the grateful people of Oberammergau promised God that they would show their gratitude by putting on a Passion Play. Over 380 years later you will get to enjoy this one-of-a-kind, six hour musical and dramatic performance. You will have reserved seats, a guided tour of the town and motorcoach transfers to and from the play’s theater. Dinner in Oberammergau is included.

 

Day 5 - Brenner Pass & Dolomites
Depart your Tyrolean Village and begin your journey to Venice. Drive through the Brenner Pass with spectacular views of the Dolomites, a mountain range between Austria & Italy. Check into your hotel in the Venice area for dinner and overnight.

  

Day 6 - Venice
Travel by boat to the magical city of Venice, encompassing 118 islands separated by more than 150 canals. Stand in the Piazza San Marco, bordered on three sides by palatial arcades in two tiers and faced on the other by the Basilica of St. Mark, one of the world’s most magnificent churches. Tour the Basilica with its treasure of marble and gold-background mosaics. From the square, you can see the famous Bell Tower and the Clock Tower, as well as the charming pink and white Doge’s Palace. After seeing the romantic Bridge of Sighs, enjoy free time to explore on your own. You can shop, stroll along the bridges and canals or even indulge in a gondola ride along the Grand Canal. Continue to Florence for dinner and overnight.

  

 
Day 7 - Florence
During your stay in the elegant city of Florence, you’ll enjoy the beautiful gardens and a leisurely stroll through the open-air markets. Every street, square and winding alley of Florence is a showcase for Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance grandeur. Among Florence’s masterpieces you’ll see the Piazza della Signoria with its Neptune Fountain and Vecchio Palace, the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral which houses Michelangelo’s unfinished Pietá, the Baptistry which features Ghiberti’s famous Gates of Paradis, and the Academy where you can view some of Michelangelo’s finished and unfinished works, including the awe-inspiring David.

  

 
Day 8 - Assisi
Your journey continues as you travel to Assisi, the charming medieval town once home to Saint Francis. Just two years after his death, the large Basilica was started in his memory. At one time the land on which the church stands was an execution ground for condemned criminals. In his humility Saint Francis asked to be buried there, and it became known as the Hill of Paradise. Overnight in Rome area.

  

Day 9 - Rome, Catacombs, Basilica of St. Paul’s
This morning visit the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. The present structure stands over the place where Emperor Constantine built the first church over the grave of Paul the Apostle. Step beneath the surface into the Catacombs of Callixtus built along the Appian Way. Explore the romance of Rome as you climb the graceful Spanish Steps and stop at the famous Trevi Fountain.

 

 
Day 10 - Christian Rome
Enjoy a guided tour of the beautiful Vatican’s Museums, which houses a world-renowned collection of art and antiquities. The tour will include the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo painted the ceiling between 1508 and 1512 and later painted The Last Judgment. Then walk through St. Peter’s Basilica, built over the Byzantine and Middle Ages structures that marked the tomb of the Apostle Peter. Finish the day at the Pantheon, built by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (27 BC to 14 AD). Emperor Hadrian rebuilt it around 126 AD.

  

Day 11 - Ancient Rome
Begin today by exploring the many wonders of ancient Rome including the magnificent Colosseum. From the most sacred hill of ancient Rome, Campidoglio, view the Forum. See the Circus Maximus, Arch of Titus, famous Baths of Caracalla and Arch of Constantine as well as the Victor Emanuel Monument and the Monti Region, Rome’s most ancient neighborhood which spreads over three of her seven hills. This afternoon is free to explore on your own or rest for the return flight home.

  

Day 12 - Return to USA
Return home with a lifetime of memories.