Taglang's Heidelberg, Freiburg, Lucerne & Munich

Set along the Neckar River and framed by forested hills, Heidelberg is the classic German university town. From the lively Marktplatz, you’ll spot Germany’s oldest university, founded in 1386, before heading up to the hilltop Heidelberg Castle. Damaged over centuries by war and even a lightning strike, the castle remains a romantic landmark, home to the enormous Great Vat, the largest wine barrel in the world.

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 lightning 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.

See Vauban, just outside of Freiburg. The town is considered to be the most sustainable city in the world. This walking tour is an introductory tour of the town and will include stops at some of the ongoing projects to show visitors how citizens are working to keep town "green".

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 to enjoy a bird’s eye view of Lucerne’s skyline and Alpine panoramas galore. In the summer (May to mid-Nov.), you’ll take a boat across Lake Alpnach and then ascend the slope on the world’s steepest cog railway; the rest of the year, you’ll ascend by cable car. Once atop the mountain, it’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.

You will have some free time to explore the area.

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.

A grim glimpse into the past, Dachau was the first of Nazi Germany’s camps and a model for the 3,000 work and concentration camps to come. A chilling memorial to the 206,000 prisoners who were interned in the camp from 1933 to 1945, the museum examines pre-1930 anti-Semitism, the rise of the Nazi party, and the documented lives of prisoners.