Day 1 – Washington – Vienna

Depart the U.S.A. for a flight to Vienna, Austria. Once aboard the plane you can dream about the events and places ahead.

Day 2 – Vienna

Transfer to hotel in Vienna, and get a general sightseeing tour by bus to familiarize you with specific landmarks of interest. Then the rest of the day is at your leisure. Create your own program tailored to your individual taste. The options range from numerous historical and cultural sites to modern art exhibitions or simply people watching. You can spend a quiet day in a park, go on a shopping spree or experience the real coffee house culture. Use your imagination and be open to the input of the locals. No matter where you go or what you do, you will always find somebody who is eager to help you find a particular location and may even provide you with some additional advice. We will have a welcome dinner at hotel later this evening.

Day 3 – Vienna

Today we will take a guided tour of Vienna featuring classical as well as modern landmarks including Schoenbrunn Palace, the Hundertwasser Haus, the Church of St. Charles, and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The exercise for the day will be the challenging climb up the South Tower of St. Stephen/s Cathedral (137m/450 ft.)!! The rest of the day will be at your leisure. After dinner at the hotel, you will be "let loose" to apply your "night owl" skills to find the establishment that best fits your personal needs.

Day 4 – Klagenfurt – Maltschacher See

We will depart Vienna for Klagenfurt. Once we reach Klagenfurt, we will visit the Cathedral Church. After a brief tour, you get a rare chance to not only enjoy an exclusive organ recital, but to examine this large instrument from up close. Next, we will stroll through the Europapark and board a ship of the Woerthersee Fleet which brings us to the idyllic Maria Woerth (after which this lake was named). From here, we hike up the Pyramidenkogel and its observation tower to enjoy the picturesque view over Lake Woerth and the Karawanken Massif (mountain range) in the south, which marks the border between Austria and Slovenia. Later, we will take a bus ride to the Maltschacher See – our overnight destination – where we will have dinner and a special evening with local entertainment.

 

Day 5 – Moell Valley – Rafting – Maltschacher See

Today we head toward Obervellach for our morning rafting trip on the Moell River. After the rafting trip, we remain in the area to enjoy an afternoon of local sports and fun including an Austrian "Jause" before returning to the Maltschacher See (Lake Maltschach). The evening at your leisure.

Day 6 – Tscheppa Gorge – Maria Saal – Hochosterwitz

Departure for Ferlach. Today we will be hiking through the Tscheppa Gorge, a wild and romantic area carved over the millennia. Experience the exquisite beauty from many vantage points including several rustic bridges and naturally carved steps. Revel in the thrill of being this close to nature. Lunch on your own at a local inn before leaving for historic Maria Saal, famous for its pilgrimage church and its open-air museum (featuring historic farmhouses which where removed from their original sites all over Carinthia, and rebuilt piece by piece at this location). The overall atmosphere resembles a small village setting. Next, we will be stopping for a quick look at the Herzogstuhl before proceeding towards one of the most spectacular castles in all of Europe. We will then hike up the steep rock of the spectacular 16^th century enchanted castle of Hochosterwitz. On our way up, we will pass through fourteen arches or gates before we reach the actual fortification. After we discover the formidable interior features of this site, we leave for Rohnsdorf and its cozy inn – the Radlwirt. Here we enjoy a special dinner featuring local cuisine and are also entertained by original folk music and dance. You will have another chance to participate in the festive activities as well as mingle with the locals. Finally, we return to the already familiar site at Lake Maltschach.

Day 7 – Grossglockner – Salzburg

Today, we depart Maltschacher See through the Drau Valley on to Heiligenblut. We will have a brief look at the village of Heiligenblut and the 15^th century built Parish church. From here, will be driving through the Hohe Tauern National Park, the largest continuous stretch of unspoiled countryside in all of the nation. We briefly pause at the Edelweissspitze (2,580m/8,455ft) to enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of 37 mountain peaks over 3,000m/9,840ft. We then continue along the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, a steep and windy road leading to the highest pass in Austria, the Hochtor (2,575m/8,446ft), which also marks the border between Carinthia and the province of Salzburg. We will proceed towards the Franz-Josefs Hoehe (2,360m/7,750ft) and venture onto the Pasterze, the largest glacier in Austria for more stupendous views. From here, we also have a great view of the Grossglockner (3,798m/12,457ft), the highest summit in Austria. Being in the fresh outdoors should create a healthy appetite! We will be having dinner in Salzburg at a local restaurant this evening.

Day 8 – Salzburg – St. Wolfgang – Schafbergspitze

Today we will have a guided tour of Salzburg (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's home town). After our tour, we will continue to our next destination Lake St. Wolfgang where we will take a steam driven mountain railway (commissioned in 1893!) to reach the top of the Schafberg mountain, otherwise known as the Schafbergspitze (1,785m/5,850ft). From here we enjoy the breathtaking panorama of the Lake District - a stunning view of 12 lakes. We will be spending the night in the mountain hut at Schafbergspitze. Dinner will be on your own.

 

Day 9 – Saltmines - Dachstein Giant Ice Cave

After we ride our special mountain railway back down the mountain, we head toward Hallstatt to visit one of town’s main attractions, the salt mine. By cable car,we reach the mine's entrance and then take part in a spectacular tour in this subterranean wonderworld. Following a short lunch break, we drive to nearby Obertraun at the southeastern tip of Lake Hallstatt. After taking the local cable car and a short walk, we are ready to encounter another magnificent underworld, the Dachstein Ice Cave in the Dachstein Massif. Once we have checked into the hotel and completed dinner, you can either rest up, or - - if you can handle it, "hit the town" and check out the historic market square. The evening is at your leisure.

 

Day 10 – Hallstatt – Abbey of Melk – Krems

After breakfast head towards Krems with wonderful scenic stops en route. Visit the baroque Abbey of Melk for a guided tour before continuing to Krems. Ride along the Wachau. After checking in at the hotel, we will be participating in a wine tasting tour at the wine growers college at Und Abbey. The hamlet of Und, a former monastery, now houses a winegrower's college with enormous cellars containing the choicest vintages from Austria's wine growing regions. The tour includes wine tasting and the possibility of purchasing any of the sampled wines and liqueurs. The rest of the evening is yours to check out some of the local bars before returning to our hotel.

Day 11 – Cycling the Danube – Boat Ride – Farewell Dinner

After we receive our bicycles from the local train station, we will be taking a guided cycling tour along the Danube bike path to Duernstein. We then will continue our ride passing beautiful castles along the way until we reach Emmersdorf. We will be visiting a medieval castle before continuing on to Spitz where we will board a vessel and cruise the Danube back to Krems. Tonight, we will celebrate our Farewell dinner. Our last Austrian meal for the regular tour will be served in the historical ambient of the Kapuziner Hall of the Abbey.

 

Day 12 – Krems – Vienna – U.S.A.

For those returning home after the regular portion of the tour, there will be an early wake up and transfer to Vienna Airport for flight back to the U.S.A. Those of you continuing on for the tour extension (thrill seekers) will be heading toward Kanzianiberg for the beginning of a exciting and unforgettable rock climbing adventure.

EXTENSION OF TOUR
With Basic Rock Climbing and Hiking

Day 12 – Krems – Villach – Kanzianiberg

After breakfast, we will depart Krems, pass through Villach and continue on to Kanzianiberg where we will take in lectures and basic rockclimbing instruction given by the High Life Crew. The evening will be at your leisure in Villach. Keep in mind that it will be a good idea to get a decent night’s sleep tonight. The next couple of days will be filled with thin air and demanding physical activity.

 

Day 13 – Stou Huette – Klagenfurter Huette

After breakfast, we will be departing for Stou Huette, the starting point of our alpine expedition. We will hike towards the Klagenfurter Huette, an alpine hut surrounded by majestic peaks, (a mountain climber's "El Dorado") - our overnight destination. Enjoy the evening in all its simplicity in a traditional cabin-like setting. Due to this hut's high altitude and its main function as a simple overnight destination, you will not find the convenience and comfort level of a "regular hotel." If you have extensive hiking or rockclimbing experience, this set-up will not surprise you. If you are somewhat new to this environment, it might take a little while until you get used to it. Just relax, enjoy an evening among friends in a mountain hut setting, and get ready for our conquering of an Austrian mountain summit!!

Day 14 – Klagenfurter Huette – Hochstuhl – Graz

Today we leave early to strive for a smooth yet relaxed advancement towards the top of the Hochstuhl mountain (2,237m/7,348ft). With a mixture of hiking and climbing, we reach the peak around midday. Here we break for lunch and have enough time to admire the magnificent view of the surrounding mountain ranges. It is also time to be proud of yourself for the achievement you have just made. You are now part of a select group, entitled to feel a sense of victory over yourself and the mountain. In the midst of these gentle giants, you might also become very aware of the richness and beauty that mother nature has to offer. On the way down the mountain, we once again stop briefly at the Klagenfurter Huette before we continue downwards to the Stou Huette. After your descent, our coach will take us to Graz, the capital of Styria for dinner and overnight.

Day 15 – Graz – Vienna – U.S.A.

Is it over already? Unfortunately, it is. After an early breakfast, we drive to the Vienna International Airport and board our plane back to the U.S.A. The last two weeks with all its events and experiences will be treasured in your hearts forever.

Until we meet again, we say SERVUS FROM AUSTRIA!