After a hearty bavarian breakfast, we stroll through the open air market, Viktualienmarkt. This is where the residents of Munich do their daily shopping and it bustles with activity, Just around the corner from there is Munich's Christmas Market at Marienplatz. We'll watch the famous Glockenspiel and visit some of the historical sites in Munich's beautiful old town. We're sure you'll understand quickly why we chose to back Munich our home! 

After breakfast we'll hop on the train and head down to Kloster Andechs, a beneditine monastery . Known to locals as "the Holy Mountain" it offers a beautiful rococo church and the world's best Schweinehaxe and Doppelbock beer. After a hearty lunch,  we head back to Munich for a visit to the Medieval Christmas Market before dinner

Pack your bags and board the train for a two hour ride to Salzburg, Austria, home of Mozart and the "Sound of Music." After dropping our luggage at Hotel Imlauer, we walk past the Mirabell Palace, the "Sound of Music Steps, and across the river into Salzburg's old town. As we make our way to the market, we get to see the many sites in the city of Mozart's birth. Join me at Sporer for some homemade Schnapps, Fürst for the best Mozart Balls, or the Sacher for Torte and Coffee. The Christmas Market is another fabulous one and is set next to the mighty Salzburg Cathedral. For dinner, we'll enjoy a wonderful beer hall, the Augustiner Bräustübl zu Mülln - grab a stein off the shelf, rinse it out yourself and have it filled with fresh beer - an authentic experience! 

This morning you'll have some free time to relax and stroll around Salzburg on your own. But, today's highlight is the Alpine  tradition on the eve of St. Nicolaus Day. Hundreds of “Krampus” and   “Perchten” gather in small alpine villages and run through the village  scaring all the boy and girls. It’s all in good fun, but don’t be surprised  if you get a lashing from one of the Krampus – they know who has been naughty! This event should happen on the evening of the 6th, but it may happen on the 5th so we may have to change our schedule to accommodate. And, the Krampus can’t  always be pinned down to a schedule – we’ll do our best! 

It's a bit of long ride to Rothenburg ob der Tauber today, but we'll bring plenty of snacks and beverages for the train ride.  We'll head directly to our hotel in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the lovely Hotel Glocke, located inside Rothenburg’s town wall.  Located next to the Plönlein Tower, you'll be transported back to the Middle Ages. Join in a fun tour of the city with the Night Watchman after dining on the house specialty: Sauerbraten! 

Sleep in and enjoy a hearty breakfast at the hotel. Following breakfast I'll offer an orientation to this small city. After our tour, you can visit St. Jakob church and its Tilman Riemenschneider Blood Altar, enjoy the small Christmas Market and the famous Christmas store of Käthe Wohlfahrt. Or, opt in for a visit to the Medieval Crime Museum or the Reichsstadt museum. In the evening, we will enjoy another great Franconian meal at Hotel Glocke. After the meal, the hotel proprietor's husband will guide us through his Franconian wine selections. Herr Thürauf makes his own wine from the region's Silvaner grape and has made a name for himself by bring back hertitage grapes varieties. His passion for the craft is contagious and even an expert is sure to learn something new. 

After departing Rothenburg ob der Tauber on the train, it's about an hour ride over to the big city of Nuremburg. This is the largest Christmas Market of them all! After storning our things in lockers at the train station, we'll have planety of time to exlore the city. A little history and plenty of time to exlore th market on your own. Be ready to try the Lebkuchen and Nuremberg Sausages!

In the evening, we'll jump back on the train for the hour ride up to Bamberg. Once there, we walk about 800m to the Fässla Brewery. We won't be staying in a hotel, we'll be sleeping in the brewery! Don't worry though, the rooms are quite comfortable, though basic. 

After a simple breakfast at the brewery, we'll dive in to our exploration of Bamberg.  You'll see the famous Rathause in the middle of the river, the cathedral from 1237, the Rosengarten, and much more! For lunch we'll enjoy the famous Bamberg Stuffed Onion at Schlenkerla. Perfectly paired with the town of Bamberg's pride, Rauchbier (Smoked beer). This may sound unusual, but it's extremely rare that our guests don't thoroughly enjoy this meal! For the Beer aficionados, there is plenty more beer: Klosterbräu, Mahrs, Keesman, and Spezial. Twist Scott's arm and he may go with you!

After breakfast we take the train to Regensburg. You'll enjoy the stories from Roman times as well as from the Middle Ages as we tour this medieval city which survived the war. unscathed. In the evening, we visit the Romatic Christmas Market at Thurn and Taxis palace. The grounds are only open during Christmas time and we think you will agree that the romantic atmosphere here is unmatched. 

After a little free time in Regensburg, we'll take a short ride to Abendsberg. The Kuchlbauer puts on a super Christmas Market, but their excellent Weissbier is somehwat overshadowed by the Hundertwasser Turm. Their brewery is an amazing mash up of Dr. Seuss meets Willy Wonka! Brew Science, Art and whimsy are all on tap.  In the evening we'll head back to Regensburg for our last evening together at the Kneitinger am Arnulfsplatz. 

Everything has an end - only the sausage has two, says the Bavarian. Today is departure day and you'll make your own way to the Munich airport. It's a direct train, and takes about 90 minutes. Starting at 5:28 AM (which gets you to the airport at 06:53), the train go about every 30 minutes. We recommend checking in at Munich airport 2 hours prior to departure. So, be sure to plan your departure flight properly!