Christmas reigns all year round in Rothenburg, a jewel of a town on Germany’s picturesque Romantic Road. Beyond the year-round Christmas markets, the town boasts one of the most intact medieval city walls in Europe and a fairly unique clock. During the Thirty Years’ War, a former Rothenburg mayor was offered the chance to save the city by chugging close to a gallon of wine; he succeeded (and then slept for three days straight), and his accomplishment is reenacted seven times daily by mechanical figures on the clock in the Marktplatz -- adding a new twist to the concept of “cuckoo clock.” The enormous Gothic St. Jacob’s Church watches over the exploits from across the square.

There is no surprise here. The Romantic Road is exactly what it says it is -- a drive down the middle of Western Bavaria’s heartland and a path through the center of your own heart with its romantic picturesque scenery. Between Würzburg and Füssen, the route is strewn with quaint villages, colorful castles, farmhouses, elaborate churches and dense forest.

With its elegant squares and quaint streets, Salzburg is a delightful introduction to the sophisticated world of the classical genius, Mozart.

You’ll visit the salt mines. The area near Salzburg is one of the oldest centers of salt production in the world. You’ll journey back to the time when salt was still considered “white gold”.

Salzburg has never been the same since the 1964 film with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the true story of the von Trapp family. On your guided sightseeing tour you'll see some of the sites shown in the film - although the producers of the film took much artistic license.

Alpine views are around every corner and ski slopes are just a funicular ride from the center of historic Innsbruck. A medieval old town is home to imperial palaces, world-class galleries, and Zaha Hadid's avant-garde designs. Sophisticated, good-looking, and affluent, the Tyrolean capital walks a fine tightrope between the urban and the outdoors, as well as the historic and cutting edge, and pulls it off beautifully.

This elaborate castle was built atop a rock ledge over the Pöllat Gorge in the Bavarian Alps by order of Bavaria's King Ludwig II, referred to as "Mad Ludwig," whose favorite pastime was midnight sleigh rides through the countryside. This stronghold was the crowning jewel of the king’s building spree across Bavaria and was the inspiration for Cinderella’s castle in Disney World. Begun in 1869 and left unfinished at Ludwig's death in 1886, this lavish palace is an eccentric reconstruction of a medieval castle, and it boasts major technological and architectural achievements for the time, including running water, flushing toilets, a hot water system for the kitchen, and bathrooms with warm-air heating systems.

Before a backdrop of snow-capped Alpine mountains and green, cow-filled pastures, join your Tour Director on a trip to Lucerne’s famous sights. Weave your way through a maze of narrow, winding streets until you reach the River Reuss and the Medieval Kapellbrücke Bridge. Stop to marvel at the bridge walls, decorated with murals that recreate the 14th-century originals destroyed in a fire. Journey down the cobblestone streets in the Old Town to see the Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument), the somber sandstone wild cat gazing down into a reflecting pool, and ponder this artfully chiseled statue created to honor the Swiss Guards who died defending the Tuileries in 1792.

One of the city's famous landmarks is Chapel Bridge, or Kapellbrücke, a wooden bridge first built in the 14th century. It has also been voted as the 5th most popular tourism destination in the world.

View the Lion Monument, or Löwendenkmal, created in 1820 in honor of the Swiss Guards who lost their lives in 1792 during the French Revolution.

View the impressive Jesuitenkirche which was the first large baroque church built in Switzerland. The ostentatious baroque style architecture is meant to represent the power and glory of the Catholic tradition.

Stroll through the picturesque medieval Weinmarkt Square and the Kornmarkt Square in the historical heart of Lucerne.

Scale snow-capped Mount Pilatus via the world’s steepest cog railway or cable car. Enjoy a bird’s eye view of Lucerne’s skyline and Alpine panoramas galore. Here’s your chance to snap some of the most frame-worthy photos. Keep your fingers crossed for a clear day when mountain-top views span as far as 200 miles. Or enjoy some free time exploring Lucerne. Stroll the shores of Lake Lucerne. Scour the cozy neighborhoods for frescoed homes with oriel windows. Or just stop and indulge your sweet tooth in some of the creamiest chocolate in the world. If that doesn’t satisfy your craving for adventure, see your Tour Director for more ideas.

Surrounded by mountains, forests, and the Neckar River, Heidelberg showcases a quintessential German landscape. Join your Tour Director as you drive through this granddaddy of all college towns, with its scores of bars, cafés, and shops. Get a beautiful view Germany’s oldest university —founded in 1386—from the Marktplatz, Heidelberg’s main square. Head up to Heidelberg Castle, which is still a little wobbly from its partial destruction during the Thirty Years’ War, a 17th-century attack by the French, and a major lightening hit in 1764. The castle’s courtyard is home to the largest wine barrel in world, the Great Vat, which holds about 50,000 gallons of wine (possibly another contributing factor to the castle’s romantically off-balance appearance).

Head up to Heidelberg Castle, which is still a little wobbly from its partial destruction during the Thirty Years’ War, a 17th-century attack by the French, and a major lightening hit in 1764. The castle is considered to be one of the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps, and the castle’s courtyard is home to the largest wine barrel in world!

Visit the town's historical Marktplatz, the Market Square.

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.