Germany Tour – Spring 2019

Rush Select Girls Soccer – Itinerary

March (24) 25 – April 1, 2019 (9 Days)

Sun 24, Mar 2019: USA DEPARTURE DAY

Flight Departure from USA for Cologne, Germany

Mon 25, Mar 2019: GERMANY ARRIVAL DAY

Arrival at Cologne Airport. Meet with your tour guide and bus transfer to comfort hotel in wider Cologne area.

Afternoon: Check-in at hotel. Parents explore former West German capital and ancient Roman founding Bonn.

Visit Castle “Drachenburg” (Dragon’s Fortress) on the “Drachenfels” (Dragon’s Rock) on the hill

shores of the River Rhine.

Evening: Training. Dinner

Tue 26, Mar 2019:

Morning: Breakfast. Visit one of Germany’s major cities Cologne.

Afternoon: Take a look inside Germany’s biggest cathedral and UNESCO world heritage “Kölner Dom”. Ascend

the huge steeple and take a view over the city on both sides of the Rhine. Taste the typical and unique

city beer called “Kölsch” while strolling through the most historical town parts.

Evening: Play Game 1. (Possibly American-German social team evening). Dinner

Wed 27, Mar 2019:

Morning: Breakfast. Transfer to wider Frankfurt area. Check-in at new hotel.

Drive through the breathtaking UNESCO world heritage region “Upper Middle Rhine Valley”, a

famous whine region with the biggest concentration of medieval fortresses in the world. Enter the

region at the city Koblenz with its many historical sites.

Afternoon: Voluntary Boat Cruise on the Rhine leading through that jewel of landscape with its endless vineyard

terraces.

Evening: Play Game 2. (Possibly American-German social team evening). Dinner

The Itinerary is a tentative proposal, changes (e.g. time, day) are still possible/likely.

Thu 28, Mar 2019:

Morning: Breakfast. Transfer to German region Franconia. Check-in at new hotel.

Afternoon: Visit the city Würzburg, one of the most beautiful in Germany. Tour the “Residence Palace”, built by

Europe’s greatest baroque-age architect, Balthasar Neumann, and enter the fortress “Marienberg”.

Stroll through this neat little university town full of students and situated at the river “Main”.

Evening: Play Game 3. (Possibly American-German social team evening). Dinner

Fri 29, Mar 2019:

Morning: Breakfast . Transfer to wider Munich area.

Afternoon: Underway step into a bygone age of fairytales in one of a kind medieval town Rothenburg with its

picturesque houses, town gates, towers and surrounding battlements.

Possibly Watch Pro Game or enjoy a fun activity like “Tobogganing” (good weather).

Evening: Check-in at new hotel. Dinner.

Sat 30, Mar 2019:

Morning: Breakfast. Get a feel for Germany’s black World War history and visit Dachau Concentration Camp

Memorial Site.

Afternoon: Guided tour at FC Bayern Munich’s stadium “Allianz Arena”. Enjoy the fan store.

Go shopping in Munich’s pedestrian zone and take a deep breath in Munich’s leisure paradise, the

biggest urban park in the world, the “English Garden”.

Evening: Dinner.

Sun 31, Mar 2019:

Morning: Breakfast . Play Mini Tournament (resp. Game 4).

Afternoon: German-American friendship celebration.

Evening: Dinner. Fun evening.

Mon 1, Apr 2019:

Breakfast . Transfer to Munich Airport and Flight Departure for USA.

Tourist Guide

Bonn:

The Federal City of Bonn is situated 24 kilometers south-southeast of Cologne on the banks of the river

Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and has a population of over 300,000.

Founded in the 1st century BC as a Roman settlement, Bonn is one of Germany's oldest cities. From 1597 to

1794, Bonn was the capital of the Electorate of Cologne, and residence of the Archbishops and Prince-

electors of Cologne. Composer Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1770. From 1949 to 1990, Bonn

was the provisional capital of West Germany, and Germany's present constitution, the Basic Law, was

declared in the city in 1949. From 1990 to 1999, Bonn served as the seat of government – but no longer

capital – of reunited Germany.

Cologne:

Cologne is the largest city in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the fourth most

populated city in Germany. The metropolitan area of the Cologne-Bonn Region is home to 3,573,500

inhabitants. It is part of the polycentric megacity region Rhine-Ruhr with a population of over 11,000,000

people.

Cologne is also one of the oldest German cities, the Romans founded the Ubii village in 50 AD and named it

"Colonia". Cologne is located on both sides of the river Rhine, near Germany's borders with Belgium and the

Netherlands.

The city's famous Cologne Cathedral (in German called “Kölner Dom”) is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop

of Cologne. Built between 1248 and 1880, Cologne Cathedral is regarded as a masterwork of medieval Gothic

architecture. It is one of the finest ecclesiastical edifices in the world.

A particular highlight in the annual calendar is the Cologne Carnival, held in February or March and enjoyed

by hundreds of thousands of people every year.

Cologne was one of the most heavily bombed cities in Germany during World War II, with the Royal Air Force

(RAF) dropping 34,711 long tons (35,268 tonnes) of bombs on the city. The bombing reduced the population

by 95%, mainly due to evacuation, and destroyed almost the entire city. With the intention of restoring as

many historic buildings as possible, the successful postwar rebuilding has resulted in a very mixed and

unique cityscape.

Upper Middle Rhine Valley:

Between Bingen and Bonn the river Rhine flows as the Middle Rhine through the Rhine Gorge. This gorge is

quite deep, about 130 metres (430 ft) from the top of the rocks down to the average water-line.

The "Middle Rhine" is one of four sections (High Rhine, Upper Rhine, Middle Rhine, Lower Rhine) of the river

between Lake Constance and the North Sea. The upper half of the Middle Rhine from Bingen to Koblenz is a

UNESCO World Heritage Site (2002).

As a transport route, the Rhine has served as a trade route between the southern and northern halves of

Europe since prehistoric times. This led to the establishment of about sixty small towns and wine-villages

within the extensive terraced vineyards of this region. The strategic location of this dramatic 65km stretch

becomes apparent in more than 40 castles and fortresses from the Middle Ages (erected over a period of

around 1,000 years) that once defended this trade route.

It is intimately associated with history and legend and for centuries has exercised a powerful influence on

writers, artists and composers.

Würzburg:

Würzburg is the capital of Bavaria’s administrative region of Lower Franconia by the river “Main” and is

certainly one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. You will find here the UNESCO World Heritage Site “the

Residence Palace”, the medieval fortress Marienberg, the historic town hall building or the Romanesque

cathedral “St. Kilian.” From the old bridge “Alte Mainbrücke”, you will enjoy fantastic views of the fortress

“Marienberg,” the pilgrimage church “Käppele” and the famous vineyards.

Europe’s greatest baroque-age architect, Balthasar Neumann, built the Residence Palace. The former home

of Würzburg’s prince bishops is nicknamed the “castle above all castles.” The Residence Palace is said to

have the most beautiful staircase of any building in the world. The fortress “Marienberg” is the most

dominating feature of the city. It towers above it all.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber:

The unforgettable skyline of the Franconian and former Free Imperial City rises high over the steeply sided

Tauber Valley at the intersection of the Romantic Road and the Castle Road. Passing through its town gates,

many people feel they have been transported into a bygone age of fairytales. A complete medieval town

enclosed by massive fortifications with battlements that can be traversed for a length of about 2.5 km. The

splendid renaissance facades, narrow alleys and hidden corners with more than a thousand-year-old history

are now even more fascinating than ever. Rothenburg thus is a unique architectural and historical jewel.

Munich:

Munich is the capital of the German federal state of Bavaria. It is the third biggest city in Germany (1.5 million

inhabitants) and certainly one of the most fascinating. In Munich you can find an abundance of great

architecture, e.g. the famous city hall at the Marienplatz. You can stroll through the biggest inner city park of

the world – the “English Garden”, and you can find the headquarters of world famous companies like BMW

or Siemens. Munich can be regarded as the German beer capital, being home to the biggest beer festival in

the world – the “Oktoberfest”. The Munich citizens are especially fond of the numerous “beergardens” in

which people enjoy their leisure time with traditional beer and food. Munich has hosted the Olympic Summer

Games in 1972 and has been host to the FIFA World Cup even twice, in 1974 and in 2006. Munich is also the

home city of two of the most popular pro soccer clubs in Germany: European Powerhouse FC Bayern

Munich and TSV 1860 Munich who both play in one of the most fantastic state-of-the-art soccer stadiums of

the world – the “Allianz Arena”.