Wine and the Romantic Road in Germany

Holiday Itinerary

Day 1 An early morning departure from Chelmsford, depending on your local pick-up point and transfer to Dover for the short crossing to the Continent. We make our way through France to our overnight hotel in Laon.

Day 2 After breakfast we continue through France towards Strasbourg and cross into Germany making our way to Heilbronn and onto our main stay hotel in Schlusselfeld.

Day 3 After breakfast, we drive through the Franconian vineyards to the scenic city of Wurzburg. Our city tour includes the Rococo-style little chapel of Kappele stunning Marienberg Fortress in a magnificent riverside location and St Kilians Cathedral with its intricate sculptures vaulted ceilings and stained-glass windows. In the afternoon, we continue to the beautiful half-timbered town of Tauberbischofsheim for a short-guided tour including the neo-Gothic town hall with a Glockenspiel. For our return journey, we travel via the beautiful Lauda-Konigshofen to Weikersheim with the opportunity to visit the castle and magnificent baroque garden. Afterwards, we return to our hotel for dinner and entertainment.

Day 4 Today we head for Northern Bavaria's old town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber for a fascinating 90-minute guided walking tour to see its medieval architecture, preserved gate houses and the gothic-styled St Jakob's Church. With free time, we may have the opportunity to visit the numerous museums. This afternoon, we travel to Ippesheim the "Franconian Wine Paradise" located in the middle of scenic Franconian wine country. Firstly, we enjoy a guided walking tour through the vineyards including coffee and cake before returning to a traditional vinery in Ippesheim to relax and enjoy a typical Franconian snack with four local wines selected by our hosts. Return to hotel.

Day 5 This morning we have a guided walking tour of one of Germany's smallest towns of Schlusselfeld. The picturesque towns Stadtmuseum is also worth a visit. This afternoon, we visit a typical Franconian family brewery with beer tasting included. Well-known in the area for producing beer, we'll find out about the process and then decide for ourselves which beer we like the best. Return to hotel for dinner and entertainment.

Day 6 We will have a full day trip to the city of Nuremburg with a 90-minute guided walking tour of the town including the towering St Lawrence Church, Gothic Church of our Lady as well as the Imperial Castle. After the tour there will be the opportunity for lunch and exploring the city at leisure.

Day 7 We start our journey home after breakfast making our way back across Germany into Belgium and our overnight hotel in Leuven.

Day 8 Leaving our hotel we head for Calais and our return ferry to Dover and back to Chelmsford.

(This tour is not suitable for those with severe mobility issues or wheelchair users)