The Nutcracker Tour
December 4 - 17, 2008

This is one of our very special tours, no other Christmas Tour offers anything remotely the same as what we offer on this tour. If you want a very special Christmas Tour then join us on the Nutcracker Tour. It is a very unique, leisurely and festive, it is one of our favorite tours that is why we escort it ourselves.

Helga and Jack van Horn

Posh Journeys

ITINERARY

December . 4  - Depart USA for your flight to Munich in Germany.

December 5 - Arrive in Munich to spend the first night in the pretty medieval town of Erding where you will meet your Posh Journeys hosts. After arrival there is time to rest or take a stroll into the old center of Erding. In the evening enjoy a welcome dinner in a wonderful  restaurant in the former watchman's quarter on the tower above the historic town gate is the first special meal of the tour.  D

December 6 - Enjoy an ample breakfast buffet drive to the Castle Hexenagger,  a  luxurious medieval castle which we have to ourselves and around which a romantic Christmas Market is set up will be your abode for two nights . After arrival the  remainder afternoon is yours to explore the market which is set up in the courtyard of the castle and throughout the Renaissance garden. In the evening a wonderful  dinner in the candle-lit dining room is a highlight of your stay at Castle Hexenagger. B D

December 7 - After a leisurely breakfast enjoy embark on a day excursion to Kehlheim on the Danube where you board a river ship to sail through the Danube Gorge, the narrowest and one of the most scenic stretches of the river. The cruise takes about an hour and ends in the Monastery of Weltenburg which was founded in the 7th by Irish and Scottish monks. A quaint little Christmas Market is set up in the abbey courtyard with booth from monasteries in Bavaria, Saxony, Austria and Hungary.  Return to the castle by mid afternoon for a rest or more shopping at the Christmas Market before a dinner of Bratwurst and other Christmas Markets goodies in one of the cozy Christmas Huts at the Market reserved only for us. B D

December 8 - After breakfast we will transfer by private coach to the small town of Roedental at the border of Bavaria and Thuringia.  Here our hotel is a traditional brewery inn,  the Gasthof Grosch, a cozy hotel which has its own brewery attached.  The Gasthof is a place with a reputation for good accommodations, fine food and great beer.  After arrival and getting settled walk the short distance to the Hummel Factory and Museum which is located in Roedental. Later, after a tour of the brewery guided by the owner Herr Pilarzyk, the traditional beer menu of the Gasthof Grosch will be a special treat.  Needless to say the meal will be accompanied by a stein of the brewery=s best offerings.  B D For more information on the  beer culture in the Frankonian region of Germany go to: www.bierland-oberfranken.de

December 9 - Today we embark on a day tour to the nearby town of Lauscha, which is renowned for its fabulous hand-blown Christmas Tree ornaments. In Lauscha you will visit the studio of Michael Haberland  who will demonstrate the art of making hand-blown Christmas ornaments for us such as this beautiful bird show in the picture.  On the way back to Roedental visit the  historic Renaissance town of Coburg whose most famous member is Prince Albert, spouse to England's Queen Victoria. In the evening enjoy the holiday treat of the region, roast goose with all the trimmings. B D

December 10  - This morning we will board our private bus to travel to Seiffen in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) which are the home of the original Nutcracker. In Seiffen, the town where this venerable fellow originated. Here  you will stay for two nights in the best located hotel in Seiffen so desirable a location that we have to make our reservation from year to year.. After arrival  there is time to check out the shops filled to brim with Nutcrackers, smokers, Schwippbogen and many other things unique to the Erzgebirge. In the evening enjoy a dinner of Saxon specialties in the ambience of the hotel's charming restaurant. B D

December 11  - You have the day to go shopping in Seiffen. Since your hotel is located in the very center of town, you can shop to  your hearts content without ever  having to carry a lot of packages with you. By mid-afternoon we board our bus for the ride to a historic stage coach inn where you will enjoy a sleigh-ride (or wagon ride if the snow does not cooperate) through the wintry forest which is followed by a Neinerla, a traditional Christmas dinner of the Erzgebirge mountain regions. B D

December 12 - After breakfast embark on another scenic drive to the Castle Triestewitz, a Saxon country castle which will be your home for three nights. En route visit the pretty Renaissance town of Torgau with its massive Hartenstein Castle.  Torgau was the cradle of the Reformation and the meeting point for the American and Russian Armies after WWII.  After arriving in Triestewitz enjoy a cup of coffee and tea along with a slice of Stollen and meet of Monika and Manfred Pawlik our hosts at the castle.  Dinner this evening is in a nearby local inn. B D

December 13 - A day trip will take you to Leipzig one of Germany’s oldest cities and one of the most dynamic in the former eastern German states. Its Christmas Market is one of the most beautiful in Germany set up in the historic town square with its Renaissance Town Hall and old Patrician houses. In the evening a private Christmas Concert at the Castle Triestewitz  is a special treat. A sumptuous buffet dinner is served during intermission. B D

December 14 - This morning bid Manfred and Monika goodbye to drive to the Czech Republic to  Krasna Lipa, an area which is referred to as the Czech Switzerland. Here you will be the guests of Sylvia Kirby and Tony Azevedo, two Canadians who have bought a country manor which they have made into a beautiful deluxe B&B. Dinner this evening is in a local restaurant in the pretty village near the manor. B D

December 15 - After breakfast continue to Prague where you will stay in a historic hotel in the very center of Prague. After arrival join us on a stroll through the old town to the Christmas Market. Later on a dinner of Bohemian specialties will be in a rustic local restaurant near the hotel. B D

December 16 - We have left the day open to shop  to visit the places that interest you most. Of course you will have us to point you in the right directions and help you with your plans for the day. A special dinner in an old famous restaurant will conclude the day. B D

December 17 - Heavily laden with purchases, you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight to USA. (And no, we did not charter the whole plane for your purchases.) B