Boulevards to Bavaria

What’s that huge white arch at the end of the Champs-Élysées? It’s the Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 after his victory at Austerlitz. Your licensed local guide will elaborate on this and other Parisian landmarks. See some of the city’s most famous sites, including the ornate 19th-century Opera, the presidential residence, and the Place de la Concorde—where, at the center, you’ll find the Obelisk of Luxor, a gift from Egypt in 1836. Spot chic locals (and plenty of tourists) strolling the Champs-Élysées. Look up at the iron girders of the Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 World's Fair to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution. Visit Les Invalides (a refuge for war-wounded soldiers) and the École Militaire (Napoleon’s alma mater).

The world’s largest art museum, the Louvre, is housed in a former medieval fortress and entered through I.M. Pei’s striking glass pyramid. Inside, discover masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory, along with vast collections of Egyptian antiquities, Greek ceramics, and works spanning seven departments. Please note: The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays.

Line up to climb to the top floor of this iconic landmark for a spectacular birds-eye view of the glittering City of Light.

Welcome to Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace-Lorraine where French and German traditions meet. With a licensed guide, explore Petite France, the city’s medieval quarter of canals and half-timbered houses. Visit Strasbourg Cathedral, a sandstone masterpiece blending Romanesque and Gothic styles, and admire the intricately carved Maison Kammerzell, a reminder of the city’s rich mercantile past.

Join your Tour Director for a sightseeing tour of Heidelberg, a charming city surrounded by mountains, forests, and the Neckar River. Stroll through Market Square for views of Germany’s oldest university, then visit Heidelberg Castle, one of the most important Renaissance landmarks north of the Alps. Learn about its turbulent history from the Thirty Years’ War to a lightning strike in 1764, and explore the castle courtyard to see the world’s largest wine barrel, a symbol of the city’s enduring spirit and charm.

Cruise along the most beautiful stretch of the Rhine River, surrounded by rocky cliffs topped with picturesquely crumbling castles and covered by the country’s most famous vineyards.

Christmas reigns year-round in Rothenburg, a gem of a town on Germany’s picturesque Romantic Road. In addition to its perpetual Christmas markets, the town features one of the most intact medieval city walls in Europe and a unique clock. During the Thirty Years’ War, a former Rothenburg mayor was given the chance to save the city by drinking nearly a gallon of wine. He succeeded (and then slept for three days straight), and his feat is reenacted seven times daily by mechanical figures on the clock in the Marktplatz—putting a fresh spin on the concept of a “cuckoo clock.” The grand Gothic St. Jacob’s Church looks on from across the square.

Meet six influential figures from Germany’s history, then join a lively debate to argue their accomplishments and decide together who deserves the title of greatest German.

Join a licensed guide for a whirlwind look at Munich, from its medieval heart to modern landmarks. Stroll through Marienplatz to see the Neues Rathaus and its famous Glockenspiel, framed by the twin towers of the Frauenkirche. Visit the Residenz, then explore Olympiapark, built for the 1972 Games, and step into BMW Welt to experience innovation and sleek design.

Dachau, the first of Nazi Germany’s concentration camps, became the model for thousands that followed. Now a memorial and museum, it honors the 206,000 prisoners held here from 1933 to 1945 and traces the rise of the Nazi party, pre-1930s anti-Semitism, and the lives of those imprisoned.

Bavarian Dancing Lesson