11 Days Alpine Europe & Passion Play

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Tuesday, June 29 Oberammergau, site of the world famous Passion Play 11 Days Alpine Europe June 21, 2010 - July 1, 2010 Those interested in more information about this tour should call the Alumni Office at 1-866-Go-Tuffy or (419) 289-5082.

Dear Friends,

Ashland University Alumni Association invites alumni and friends of the University to join President Fred and Holly Finks and Professors Don and Jan Rinehart on the 2010 Passion Play Tour in Oberammergau, Germany. The spectacular drama first performed in 1634 and repeated every ten years since is one of life’s greatest experiences. The play reenacts the last week in the life of Christ and includes a cast of 1000, all citizens of Oberammergau. The play was a commitment to God by the citizens of Oberammergau for sparing their community from the Black Plague. This outdoor drama with an incredible cast and symphonic orchestra is unmatched in memorable experiences.

The trip will be limited with reservations accepted on a first come basis. We depart from Cleveland, OH on June 21, 2010 and return July 1. Our trip will take us through Alpine Europe with stops in Frankfurt, Heidelberg, the Rhine Valley, Lucerne, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Munich and the quaint village of Oberammergau.

While 2010 seems a long way off, obtaining tickets to the Passion Play is no easy task. Tickets are linked to the available housing and the most desirable locations in Oberammergau will go quickly. We have been fortunate to reserve a special group of tickets, but must confirm them in order to guarantee our selection.

Fred and Holly and Don and Jan are expert tour hosts. Both couples have hosted tours for over 25 years. More importantly Fred and Holly have hosted previous tours to Oberammergau and the Passion Play and both couples have spent extended time in Germany and the other destinations included in this trip.

Please plan now to join us on the second annual Alumni Tour, it’s an experience you will not want to miss.

Fred and Holly Finks                                                                                       
Don and Jan Rinehart

DEPART CLEVELAND/ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
MON, JUN 21
Depart Cleveland and connect with your overnight transatlantic flight to Frankfurt, arriving the following day.

ARRIVE FRANKFURT/HEIDELBERG/RHINE VALLEY
TUE, JUN 22
Arrive Frankfurt. Drive to Heidelberg, the oldest University town in Germany and home of the "Student Prince." View the medieval Town Hall and the University, founded in 1386. Cross the Neckar River and see the ancient castle high above the city and river. Overnight in the Rhine Valley.

RHINE VALLEY/RHINE FALLS/LAKE LUCERNE
WED, JUN 23
View the magnificent Rhine Falls then drive to Lucerne. Its attractive waterfront, 14th and 15th century covered wood bridges and medieval walls make Lucerne one of Switzerland's prettiest cities. Walk along the quaint, winding streets of the Old Town and see the 14th century wooden Kapell Bridge and the Lion Monument. Free time to stroll along the bridges, relax on the lakeshore or visit the elegant shops. Overnight in the Lake Lucerne area.

LAKE LUCERNE
THU, JUN 24
Tour Switzerland's breathtakingly beautiful Bernese Oberland. Follow the Bruenig Pass road to Interlaken, a popular summer resort dwarfed by the famous snow-covered Alpine peaks of the Eiger and the 13,642-ft. Jungfrau. Proceed to the picturesque villages of Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald, then to your hotel for the night.

LAKE LUCERNE/INNSBRUCK
FRI, JUN 25
Drive to Innsbruck, capital of the Austrian province of Tyrol, set in the heart of the Alps. The 800-year-old city was named for the bridge across the Inn River, first built in the 12th century. On your orientation tour of Innsbruck, view the Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof), a late Gothic oriel with 2,657 gold-plated tiles. It was built under the rule of Emperor Maximilian I as a royal box for spectacles held in the square below. Also see Wilten Basilica, Hofburg Palace and Maria Theresia Avenue.

INNSBRUCK/SALZBURG
SAT, JUN 26
Admire the majestic mountain scenery as you travel east through the Kitzbuheler Alps to Salzburg, one of the world's most beautiful cities. Featured in the movie "The Sound of Music," Salzburg will always be remembered as Mozart's birthplace. On a city tour see the Mozarteum (house where Mozart lived) and visit the Church of the Franciscans and the Altarmarkt in the heart of the Old City.

SALZBURG/MUNICH
SUN, JUN 27
Cross the border into Germany and continue to Munich, capital of Bavaria. Munich was ruled for over 650 years by the Wittelsbacher dukes and kings, who left their mark on the architecture and founded the world famous Munich art collection. On a city tour see Marienplatz, Munich's town square, and view Nymphenburg, the former Royal Residence; Odeon Square with the beautiful Theatiner Church; and the Hall of Generals. Overnight in the Munich area.

MUNICH/NEUSCHWANSTEIN/OBERAMMERGAU
MON, JUN 28
Ascend the Bavarian Alps and view Mad King Ludwig's fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle, one of the most photographed palaces in the world and the model for the castles at the Walt Disney theme parks. Next visit the unusual, oval rococo Wies Church designed in the late 1740s. On to Oberammergau, site of the world famous Passion Play.

THE PASSION PLAY OF OBERAMMERGAU
TUE, JUN 29
The highlight of your trip! In keeping with their 377-year old promise, the villagers of Oberammergau present their Passion Play depicting the last week of the life of Christ. The play's presentation can be traced to 1633 when the Black Plague swept Europe. The people of Oberammergau took a solemn oath: if God spared them, they would present a day-long play depicting the last week in the life of Christ. To this day they have kept their promise and every ten years the citizens of Oberammergau perform their passion play with the same love and devotion they have shown for over 370 years. Today the play takes place on an open-air stage with a covered auditorium seating 4,700, against a beautiful backdrop of towering Alpine mountains.

OBERAMMERGAU/ROTHENBURG/FRANKFURT
WED, JUN 30
Travel north on the Romantic Road through fairy-tale towns surrounded by moats, gates and towers. Admire the landscape dotted with lovely church spires standing since the Middle Ages. Arrive in Rothenburg, Germany's best preserved medieval town. Rothenburg's ramparts, cobbled roads, and high gabled houses invoke the romance of the Middle Ages. The battle-scarred walls that encircle the town still protect St. Jakobskirch, with its altar carving by Tilman Riemenschneider. After a visit, proceed to the Frankfurt area for the night.

FRANKFURT/CLEVELAND
THU, JUL 1
Bid farewell to Europe as you transfer to the airport for your flight to the Cleveland, arriving the same day.

Those interested in more information about this tour should call the Alumni Office at 1-866-Go-Tuffy or (419) 289-5082.