Austria/Germany/France
Castles, Farms & Forests: Walking in Austria, France & Germany
Program No. 20822RJ
Discover the timeless heart of Europe as you trek through scenic landscapes and traditional villages, befriending locals and tasting new cuisines on enchanting alpine excursions.
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12 days
11 nights
22 meals
10B 5L 7D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
7
Freiburg, Badberg Nature Reserve, Türkheim
Turckheim-Colmar
8
WWI Battlefield, Le Linge, Ballons des Voges Nature Park
Turckheim-Colmar
9
Colmar, Bartholdi Museum, Free Time
Turckheim-Colmar
10
Château Haut-Koenigsbourg, Alsace Vineyards & Castles
Turckheim-Colmar
12
Program Concludes
In Flight
At a Glance
To walk along the pathways of Austria, Germany and France is to step into a world where ancient castles, enchanting forests and charming villages are still very much a part of everyday life. With local experts and historians, discover famous roads and lesser-known paths that lead through this beautiful Alpine region. Meet farmers and artisanal cheese makers as you walk the Bregenzerwald Cheese Trail, journey along the trails of Black Forest Nature Park, learn the royal history of Chateau Haut-Koenigsbourg and much, much more.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Walking 3-5 miles daily over varied terrain.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Marvel at the sight of Rhine Falls in the Black Forest, the largest waterfall in Europe.
- Explore the Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg, built in the 12th century, on a guided tour.
- Take an expert-led field trip to the outskirts of one of the last remaining bogs in the Black Forest.
Suggested Reading List
(18 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Castles, Farms & Forests: Walking in Austria, France & Germany
Program Number: 20822
Beneath the Wheel
A short novel, set in a village in the Black Forest not unlike where Hesse was born.
All Along the Rhine
Subtitled "Recipes, Wine and Lore from Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and Holland" this tribute to the Rhine Valley complements its history and culture with 130 recipes.
A Time of Gifts
Fermor effortlessly interweaves anecdote, history and culture in this exuberant account of a walk from Holland, up the Rhine and down the Danube, through Germany, Prague and Austria in 1933. Written not in the moment, but 40 years later, the accumulation of time and experience gives the book particular poignancy.
Alps Map
This regional map (1:500,000), centered on the Alps, includes portions of Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France.
The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages
This pocket-size encyclopedia of the art, architecture and culture of the Middle Ages features hundreds of drawings, color illustrations and a chronology.
The Discovery of France
Winner of the 2008 Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize, Robb's erudite portrait, the result of time both in the library and on his bicycle, marvelously illuminates the rural byways, history and charting of France.
Hero Tales and Legends of the Rhine
These classic tales, first published in 1915, introduce Odin, Brunhild, Lorelei, Siegfried and a host of mythic figures associated with the magic and mystery of the Rhine. Organized by chapter from source to sea, the map, illustrations and introductory chapters on history, geography and people set the stage for a river cruise.
The Road from the Past, Traveling through History in France
Time travel through France by way of its finest castles, chateaux, cathedrals and monasteries. This unusual travelogue is an invaluable companion for traveling in Paris, southern France, the Dordogne and the Loire Valley, combining personal observation with large doses of well-presented history.
The Habsburgs, Embodying Empire
With skillful scholarship and engaging style, Wheatcroft reveals the history of this family of eccentric monarchs.
A Tramp Abroad
Written 11 years after Innocents Abroad, this is Twain's second foray into European travel. Filled with his characteristic wit and humorous observations, it documents his journeys through Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy. Now with an introduction by Dave Eggers.
Wine and War, The French, the Nazis and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure
This thrilling account of how the vintners of France saved their crops -- and their bottles -- as the Nazis approached, focuses on the activities of five winemaking families in Burgundy, Alsace, Champagne, Bordeaux and the Loire Valley.
The Blue Flower
Set in the Age of Goethe, this exquisitely written short novel is a fictional account of the life of the Romantic poet Novalis. It paints a vivid picture of German intellectual and mercantile life in the late 1700s.
Schlepping Through the Alps, My Search for Austria's Jewish Past with Its Last Wandering Shepherd
A hilarious and touching exploration of history, tradition and sheep. This account of travels in Austria with Hans Breuer, a shepherd who sings Yiddish folk songs to his sheep, is admittedly a comic quest, but it also delves into some of the darker corners of Austria's history in World War II.
The Food of France
An evocative and beautifully written survey of French food. First published in 1958 and revised in the mid-1970s, the book covers the important regions of French cuisine by dividing them into domains of Butter (northern France), Fat (Alsace) and Oil (the south).
The Table Comes First: Family, France, and the Meaning of Food
Gopnik's delectable social history traces America's "table ancestry" to 18th-century France, birthplace of modern taste and the restaurant. He also urges us not to forget the deeper value of what goes on around the table.
The Rhine: An Eco-Biography, 1815-2000
A scholarly, well-researched environmental history of the Rhine, particularly its role in European economic and German national history over the past 200 years.
Cuisines of the Alps
Subtitled "Recipes, Drinks, and Lore from France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia," this colorful tour of the region's rustic cuisine offers more than 140 recipes, a section on regional wines and historical information.
The Alps, A Human History from Hannibal to Heidi and Beyond
In an entertaining narrative, O'Shea drives, hikes and climbs through 500 miles of the Alps while musing on the historic personalities who braved the forbidding range, including Napoleon, Hitler and James Bond. A thoughtful introduction to the Alps.
