Spain and Switzerland with Alsace and Fairy Tale Route end Vienna (2025)

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In the morning, we’ll leave for Aragon, travelling through the lands of Castile. Our first stop will be in Zaragoza to admire the stunning Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar. We’ll then journey to the serene Poblet Abbey, one of the best-preserved medieval monasteries in the world (tickets included). Finally, we’ll head to Barcelona, where we’ll arrive in the evening.

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In the morning, we´ll embark on a tour of the City of Counts. This vibrant city, nestled along the Mediterranean Sea, is famous for Gaudi’s modernist architecture, the bustling Ramblas, and its rich history, highlighted by the Universal Exposition and the Olympics hosted here. Barcelona is renowned as one of the most beautiful and fascinating European capitals. In the evening, we’ll leave Barcelona and travel north into Catalonia. Before settling into our hotel, we’ll take a walk in Girona, exploring its historic center, known for its colorful houses, the old Jewish quarter, and its impressive cathedral.

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We’ll head to France, traveling through the Provence region. Our first stop will be Arles, a small UNESCO World Heritage city known for its connections to Van Gogh. Here, we can visit the Roman theater and quaint Romanesque churches. There will be time to explore and have lunch. Next, we’ll include a visit to Carrières des Lumières, an incredible underground art experience featuring a captivating display of art, images, and sound in an ancient quarry. We’ll arrive in Chambery, the charming capital of Savoy, for the evening, a medieval style city with beautiful historic center and large castle.Note: If tickets for the Carrières des Lumières show are unavailable due to high demand, we will provide an alternative visit to the Pont du Gard, a famous Roman aqueduct

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We’ll journey to Switzerland, arriving in Geneva. With our guide, we’ll go to Palais des Nations (headquarters of the United Nations in Europe), and we’ll see the beautiful English Garden with its flower clock, and admire the Jet d’Eau, the tallest fountain in Europe. Our next stop will be the charming, walled village of Gruyères, world-renowned for its cheese. Nearby, there are some of Switzerland´s major chocolate factories, including Nestlé. Our tour includes admission to the Maison Cailler Chocolate Factory, where you’ll enjoy a sweet tasting experience!We’ll continue our journey along scenic roads, passing through bucolic mountain landscapes and picturesque wooden villages, until we reach Chillon Castle, built on the shores of Lake Geneva (admission included). We’ll arrive in Leysin by mid-afternoon, a charming holiday village with spectacular views of the Rhône Valley and Mont Blanc. Leysin is well-known for its winter sports resort and hiking options. Dinner will be includedNote: Depending on availability, accommodation may sometimes be in another charming Swiss town nestled in the Alps, such as Martigny.

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We’ll experience stunning mountain scenery today, so be sure to pack your winter clothes. We’ll ascend to Glacier 3000 by cable car ride, one of the most spectacular spots in Switzerland featuring ice and snow year-round, and where you can walk on the suspended bridge between two mountain peaks, explore the Ice Cathedral, or enjoy the Fun Park. We’ll stop in Interlaken for lunch before traveling to Lucerne, one of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland. In the evening, we’ll arrive in Zurich, with some time to explore the center before heading to the hotel. Note: Occasionally, due to weather conditions such as rain or strong winds, the cable car to Glacier 3000 may not operate.

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We will leave Zurich to BASEL, an important city on the banks of the Rhine, border with Germany and France. You can walk through its old town, where the town hall square stands out and contemplate its cathedral that dominates the Rhine River. We continue our route to Alsace, a French region contested over the centuries between France and Germany, which maintains a dialect of its own German, "the Alsatian", and an architecture and traditions of great Germanic roots. We will make a stop in COLMAR, city with unique architecture, with colored wooden houses and canals that cross it. It is known for its white wine and its gastronomy. We will have time for lunch and a peaceful walk. In the afternoon we will visit two of the most beautiful villages of Alsace: RIQUEWIHR, medieval town with cobbled streets and colored houses that seem to get out of a fairy tale and that inspired scenes of the movie “the Beauty and the beast”. RIBEAUVILLE, with its historic center and castles in ruins that dominate the town. STRASBOURG, arrival in the evening. We suggest walking through the Cathedral and Petite France area, full of charming places and small restaurants.

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Time in STRASBOURG, the capital of Alsace. The city is the seat of the European Parliament. Its historic center is beautiful, with its picturesque medieval streets, its impressive Gothic cathedral and its canals and flowers. We include a boat trip through the canals of Petite France. After that we go to Germany, admiring beautiful mountain landscapes and towns of the Black Forest. In FREIBURG, we have time to have lunch and walk through this university city with its medieval center and its cathedral. Among wonderful landscapes we will continue to TRIBERG, one of the most picturesque towns in the Black Forest known for its cuckoo clocks. We include the admission to the Triberg Falls, the highest in Germany, which we access through a beautiful path. We continue towards GENGENBACH, a small town with its beautiful central square. Accommodation in BADEN-BADEN, a spa city that attracted nobles and upper bourgeoisie from all over Europe, its casinos, its architecture and its parks remind us of this.

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Some time in Baden-Baden to stroll through its parks before leaving for Rhineland-Palatinate. SPEYER, on the banks of the Rhine River, its great Romanesque cathedral is a World Heritage Site, you can visit it and have a walk through the old quarter, where the Alte Munze tower stands out. We continue our route to HEIDELBERG. We include a cable car to its impressive castle (admission to the castle´s exterior park, wineries and pharmacy museum included), with its great views over the city. After that we will have time for lunch and a walk through the old town and its Markt Platz. In the afternoon we will arrive in FRANKFURT, a large financial city, with its modern skyscrapers, its old town, the views over the Rhine River and its well-known nightlife.

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Today, we’ll explore the Rhine and Moselle Valleys, two rivers full of history and dotted with charming villages. We´ll begin with a short cruise on the Rhine, between the villages of Rüdesheim and Sankt Goar, undoubtedly the most picturesque section of the river. Next, we’ll head to the Moselle River, stopping for lunch in Cochem, a picturesque village on the Rhine riverbank overlooked by its imposing castle, which dates back over a thousand years. Afterward, we’ll travel to Cologne, where you´ll have time to visit its impressive Gothic cathedral. Standing at 154 meters tall, it was the tallest building in the world until the late 19th century. You can also enjoy a walk along the Rhine River and through the lively city center before we continue to our hotel in Dortmund.Note: During fairs or congresses, accommodation may be in a nearby city.

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Today, we’ll embark on a magical journey, reminiscing about our favorite childhood stories and movies as we travel through the towns that inspired the Brothers Grimm, now known as the Fairy Tale Route. Our first stop will be Trendelburg, a picturesque walled village where we’ll visit the large medieval castle and the famous Rapunzel Tower (admission included).We’ll continue along scenic roads, crossing forests that will remind us of the tale of Hansel and Gretel. Our next stop will be Höxter, a vibrant town where we’ll enjoy lunch and visit Corvey Abbey, an ancient 9th-century monastery and World Heritage Site (admission included). We’ll then make a brief stop in Polle to photograph the exterior ruins of Cinderella’s Castle. Our journey will continue to Hamelin, renowned for the tale of “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”. After following the mouse tracks, we’ll proceed to Hanover, where we’ll have time to explore the city center and take a stroll next to the old town hall.Note: During fairs or conferences, accommodation may be arranged in a nearby city.

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TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Visit to the beautiful villages of Goslar and Quedlinburg.After breakfast, we continue the route to GOSLAR; We are in one of the most beautiful villages of Germany, with its wooden architecture, its walls, its squares. Time to walk. We travel to QUEDLINBURG, a city declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO due to its fascinating historic center of more than 2100 half-timbered girder houses that have managed to survive almost unscathed for centuries. It also noteworthy its town hall and castle. Time for lunch. Continuation to BERLIN. Arrival in the afternoon. Free time.

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Immerse yourself in the local culture with a guided panoramic tour of Berlin, the captivating capital of Germany. We’ll see the historic center, Museum Island, the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, the shopping streets and the city’s beautiful parks. Our visit will also include stops at the Holocaust Memorial and the Berlin Wall Memorial Museum. For an optional excursion, you can visit Potsdam and its stunning palaces.

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Today, we’ll go on a sightseeing tour of this impressive city with a local expert. We’ll explore its majestic avenues, palaces, and vibrant city center. Next, we’ll head to Schönbrunn Palace, where visitors can stroll around and enjoy its beautiful gardens. In the evening, we’ll visit the City Hall Square where you can experience the nightlife in the nearby streets and have dinner.

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After breakfast, our journey will come to an end, leaving you with wonderful lasting memories.