Make your way to your hometown airport for your overnight flights to Milan. Meals and beverages are served on board.

Upon our arrival in Milan, Italy, we will stop to visit the Duomo, located in the heart of the city. This gothic cathedral is one of the largest in the world. Construction began in the 14th century and took over 500 years to complete. The 135 spires on its roof make this cathedral a memorable and extraordinary site. Then, we proceed to Santa Maria delle Grazie to see one of the key images of western civilization, Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. Our day concludes as we check in at our hotel for a welcome dinner and overnight.

Following breakfast, we will travel from Milan to Lucerne, Switzerland. Upon our arrival we will enjoy a walking tour to capture some of the spectacular sights. Be sure to bring your camera as we stroll along - you will want to take photos of the spectacular wooden bridges that cross over Lucerne waterways. The city, on the shore of Lake Lucerne, is known for them, especially Chapel Bridge, first built in the 14th century. You will see Mount Pilatus and Rigi in the distance. Next, we stop to visit the Lucerne Jesuit Church, the earliest large-scale baroque church in Switzerland that is north of the Alps. This church was built as a strategic move by the Catholic Church to keep Catholicism in the forefront during the counter-reformation. We complete today's journey as we drive to Zurich, to check in at our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Following breakfast we will spend entire day in Zurich, Switzerland's largest city. We'll enjoy an orientation tour followed by a visit to Grossmunster Church on the Zwingliplatz. Then, we proceed to Fraumunster Church (known locally as Minister of Our Lady Church) which Charlemagne's grandson founded in 853. It was nearly 9 centuries later when the church spire was added and now is the jewel of the Zurich skyline. From there, we enjoy a beautiful stroll along the city's famed-Bahnhofstrasse. We begin at the main station and walk our way toward Lake Zurich. We will view the 16th and 17th- century homes in the Old Town, passing quaint shops and artists and their crafts that adorn both sides of the Lamat River, which splits the town. We have the opportunity to spend some free time exploring on our own or shopping for souvenirs. This evening, enjoy sampling local cuisine at the local restaurant. Overnight in Zurich.

This morning, we travel from Zurich, Switzerland to Innsbruck, Austria. Innsbruck, a two-time host of the Winter Olympics and cultural center 800 years in the making, is home to some of the most spectacular architectural treasures tucked deep within the Alps. Upon our arrival, we take a tour of the magical city of Innsbruck. We view the renowned Golden Roof, a three-tier balcony constructed of gold that decorates the front of the "Neuhof," which means New Court. The historical landmark was built to honor the union of Emperor Maximilian I and his wife Bianca and served as their luxurious royal seat to observe activities and tournaments in the square below. From there, we enjoy a guided tour of the 15th-century Imperial Palace (Hofburg). Next, we tour the medieval, picturesque Maria Theresienstrasse walking route and enjoy a guided tour of Ambras Castle, built in the 16th century by Archduke Ferdinand II. The castle was built in the remains of a medieval fortress. This evening we sample the Tyrolean folklore experience, which includes dinner: traditional dancing, yodeling, and a performance on the alphorn. Overnight in Innsbruck.

From Innsbruck, we travel to Linderhof, Germany to visit King Ludwig II's castle, the smallest of his three palatial visions and the only one he lived long enough to see to completion. From there we check in at our hotel in Oberammergau. There is free time to explore on your own before a group dinner.

Celebrate Mass at local church. Enjoy some time to explore Oberammergau's colorful frescos known as "Luftlmalereien" on house facades and to visit wood carving shops with amazing array of nativity scenes and religious figures. Following lunch, we will make our way to the world famous theatre to attend the performance of a lifetime, the 42nd Oberammergau Passion Play. The sleepy village springs to life every ten years to put on a play that draws the world upon it! We, too, will become part of mission of the Passion of Christ, the greatest story ever told. We all share His message of faith and love! The Oberammergau Passion Play tells the story of the Passion of Christ, beginning with His entry into Jerusalem, followed by His trial, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. The play is held in a beautiful open air theatre that is praised for its superb acoustics. There are 2,000 actors (and live animals), they include local wood carvers, hotel owners, students, teachers, children, all of them interrupt their schedules to become actors, singers, orchestra members and stagehands. Requirements are strict: all actors must be born in Oberammergau, or have lived there 20 years, or be married to a villager and a resident for 10 years. All natural makeup, such as men let their hair and beards grow a year before the play. Female roles are limited to single women under age 35.

The Play is approximately five and a half hours long and is performed in two acts.
Act I : 2:30pm - 5:00pm

Intermission: 5:30pm - 7:30pm; enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
Act II: 8:00pm - 10:30pm

We depart Oberammergau, Germany and make the journey northeast to Altotting, Germany in the heart of Bavaria. The city's purpose of pilgrimage stems from one of Germany's most celebrated shrines. We visit the Chapel of Mary, which houses a 13th-century statue of the Blessed Virgin to which numerous miraculous cures are credited. While there, we have the opportunity to visit the Basilica, the Panorama of the Crucifixion, the Pilgrim Museum, and St. Konrad's Monastery. Then, we check in at our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Following breakfast we leave Altotting, Germany and travel to Salzburg, Austria, a compact city that is best explored on foot. Narrow, winding lanes and secluded passageways are evidence of its medieval roots. We visit the mighty Romanesque Cathedral, the Fortress Hohensalzburg, and a view of the Nonnberg Convent of Benedictine nuns. This evening, we enjoy a Mozart dinner concert, where you will hear the most popular compositions of Mozart by candlelight and the music will be played by Salzburg artists dressed in period costumes. The evening will include a multi-course dinner prepared to the traditional recipes from the 17th and 18th centuries. Overnight in Salzburg.

Before we leave Salzburg, we stop at St. Peter's Monastery and Churchyard. Then, we proceed to Munich, Germany to visit the New Town Hall, built in 1867. Its 260-foot tower with its Glockenspiel (carillon) and the twin towers of the Cathedral are the most distinctive features of the city's skyline. We will enjoy a visit at the Gothic Frauenkirche Cathedral (Church of Our Lady) that has served as the symbol of Munich for centuries. Then, the most impressive of four royal avenues, Ludwigstrasse, is our last stop today. We check in at our hotel for a farewell dinner and overnight.

This morning we transfer to Munich airport for your return flights home to the United States. Our travels offer the mind and soul a new and treasured canvas of memories that is inspired by God's majestic landscape, the holiness of saints, and a world we explore one pilgrimage at a time.