Munich to Paris

You'll be struck by your first impression of Munich and its landmarks, which have been beautifully restored to their pre-war conditions.

Enter the dream castle built by Bavaria's "mad" King Ludwig II. About Neuschwanstein, the model for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty's castle, it is said that Ludwig employed a stage set designer rather than an architect. The result is pure theatrical fantasy, stimulated by the King's fancy for Wagnerian music: from artificial grottoes to ornate rooms to dazzling views of the Alps from the belvedere.

Enjoy a walking tour with your tour director, who will introduce city landmarks including the Stadthaus, known for its avant-garde (and controversial) architecture, the elegant Rathaus and the picturesque "Crooked House" built in the 15th century.

Visit the beautiful Münster, whose spire is the world's tallest church steeple at nearly 530 feet.

Your coach takes you across the French border to the city of Strasbourg, a busy port on the Rhine River where France's national anthem, La Marseillaise, was first sung in 1792. Strasbourg is now one of the European Union's capital cities.

A walking tour in the historic district will allow you to marvel at half-timbered houses and medieval streets. See the mighty single-spired cathedral, the lively Place Kléber as well as the covered bridges and canals in the neighborhood called La Petite France. You will also hear about the Château des Rohan, and the modern district with European Union entities such as the Parlement Européen and the Conseil de l'Europe.

Settle into your hotel, then have a look at one of the world's most beautiful capital cities.

Time permitting, you may want to head to Montmartre, Paris' highest hill and its most celebrated bohemian district. Artists still flock to the charming Place du Tertre, as they did when Toulouse-Lautrec painted the French Cancan dancers at the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret. Visitors enjoy panoramic views of the city as they make their way to the Sacré-Coeur, the white-domed basilica that anchors the Parisian skyline.

Then, take a stroll around the Main Gardens.

Return to Paris using the efficient RER transit system.

For a change of pace, go have a look at 21st-century Paris at the Quartier de la Défense, on the outskirts of the city. Admire la Grande Arche, a feat of modern architecture with its hollow cube large enough to contain Notre-Dame. See how it is situated in near-perfect alignment with the Arc de Triomphe, the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre (you may want to take the elevator to the top for a better perspective). Check out Les Quatre Temps, a huge shopping center located nearby.

You may wish to visit the Musée de la Parfumerie Fragonard housed in the Théâtre des Capucines, a theater built in 1900 that was transformed into a museum in 1993. Its collections illustrate the history and manufacture of perfume. A mini-factory with a 19th-century copper distilling apparatus demonstrates the extraction of essences. Visitors also learn all about the esoteric artistry of the "Noses."