SHRINES OF ITALY, AUSTRIA & GERMANY WITH FR. WEGNER

ITINERARY

Day 1. Monday, September 9: Transatlantic flight to Venice

Day 2. Tuesday, September 10: Venice-Padua

Upon arrival to Venice, your motorcoach will take you to Padua. Visit the Basilica of St Anthony that houses the remains of this great saint. Next to it, visit the Antonian Museum, with a collection of historical-artistic objects related to the life and cult of St. Anthony. Tonight, in Padua, enjoy a welcome dinner with your fellow travelers. (WD)

Day 3. Wednesday, September 11: Excursion to Venice

Today enjoy a day excursion to Venice, the capital of the once powerful Venetian Empire. A vaporetto will take you to Piazza San Marcos. Visit St. Mark Basilica, a splendid church that houses the tomb of St. Mark the evangelist. After lunch on your own, enjoy a gondola ride. In the afternoon, visit the Church of St. Roch, patron saint of Venice. Continue to the Church of St. Jeremia and St. Lucy. Dinner and overnight in Padua. (BB)

Day 4. Thursday, September 12: Padua-Verona-Trento

Today travel to the beautiful city of Verona. Visit San Zeno Maggiore, Verona’s patron saint, bishop and martyr. Walk the river Adige bank to admire Ponte Scaligero, built in 1354 as part of the defense of the Old Castle. Continue to visit the Cathedral with its magnificent Romanesque portal, and enjoy the view of many of the city’s fine palazzi, churches and monuments while walking to the Piazza Erbe, named after the city’s old herb market. After lunch, enjoy some free time to explore Verona on your own. You may visit casa di Giulietta, from the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet, or the enormous Roman Arena completed in 30 AD. After your visit to Verona, transfer to the attractive town of Trento for dinner and overnight (BB, D)

Day 5. Friday, September 13: Trento-Innsbruck

Today enjoy Trento visiting its fine Romanesque cathedral, site of the Council meetings, standing in the Piazza Duomo, the city’s main square. Continue to the Museo Diocesano Tridentino, housed in the Palazzo Pretorio, an imposing medieval building. Admire its reliquaries, tapestries and paintings depicting the Council of Trent. Afterwards, visit the Castello del Buonconsiglio with its magnificent Magno Palazzo, which is part of the defenses of the town. Early afternoon, transfer to Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol, for dinner and overnight. (BB, D)

Day 6. Saturday, September 14: Innsbruck – Seefeld – Salzburg

This morning, take a short drive to Seefeld, a small popular sky town where you will visit the Church of St. Oswald where in Maundy Thursday of 1384 a Eucharistic miracle took place. Back in Innsbruck, visit St. Jacob’s Cathedral Church that houses an image of Our Lady, from the pilgrimage church Mariahilf in Passau, given to Leopold Archduke of Austria, the Prince Bishop of Passau in 1611. Enjoy free time to explore beautiful Innsbruck downtown on your own, before transferring to Salzburg, the City of Mozart, for dinner and overnight. (BB, D)

Day 7. Sunday, September 15: Excursion to St. Wolfgang, St Gilgen & Maria Plain Church.

Today journey to Wolfang Lake, where you will visit St. Wolfgang Church, a pilgrimage church built in 976. Enjoy strolling through the elegant village of St. Gilgen on the northern shore of Lake Wolfgang reveals a village idyll coupled with chic and fashionable flair. Members of the Mozart family loved to visit St. Gilgen. Continue to visit the church of Maria Plain, just outside Salzburg. This beautiful shrine houses a painting miraculously preserved from a fire and venerated since the XVI century. This image has had numerous healings attributed to it by intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was the inspiration for Mozart’s splendid “Coronation Mass”. During this visit, we can also venerate the relics of St. Dennis and St. Christina, located at the side altars of the Church. Tonight, dinner is on your own. (BB)

Day 8. Monday, September 16: Salzburg

This morning, enjoy sightseeing of Salzburg downtown. Visit Salzburg’s Cathedral dedicated to Sts Rupert and Virgil. Its magnificent façade and mighty dome make the most impressive early Baroque edifice north of the Alps. Then, visit St. Francis Church, one of the oldest churches in Salzburg, originally built in the 8th century during the time of St. Virgil. The church has undergone several reconstructions. The interiors are mostly Gothic, with the main altar designed by Salzburg′s most famous sacral artist Fischer von Erlach. Continue to St. Peters Abbey, founded by St. Rupert, in 696. It was the first establishment of Salzburg, and it remains to be the oldest continuously active monastery in German speaking countries. The remains of St. Virgil, bishop and astronomer, are kept in the church. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. You may visit the Mirabell Gardens, or the Salzburg Fortress. Dinner is on your own. (BB)

Day 9. Tuesday, September 17: Salzburg – Passau – Regensburg

Today travel to Regensburg. En route, deviate to Passau, the City of the Three Rivers. Visit Mariahilf, the pilgrimage church that houses the miraculous image of Our Lady that the Austrian people prayed to deliver them from the Muslim invasion. Walk downtown Passau, with a visit to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the mother church of the Danube’s eastern region. The ornate interior holds an exceptional treasure: the biggest cathedral organ in the world with 17,974 pipes and 233 registers. Enjoy free time to explore Passau’s center and have lunch on your own. Late afternoon, continue to Regensburg for dinner and overnight. (BB, D)

Day 10. Wednesday, September 18: Regensburg – Eichstatt – Munich

This morning, enjoy a walking tour of Regensburg center. Visit St. Emmeram Basilica that houses the remains of the martyr saint that in the 7th century did missionary work in the Regensburg area. The Romanesque Basilica was built in the 13th century, remarkable as one of the few German churches with a detached bell tower. Continue to, St. Peter’s Cathedral, an example of Gothic architecture in Bavaria. It was founded in 1275 and completed in 1634, the towers were finished in 1869. The interior contains numerous interesting masterpieces. Adjoining the cloisters are two chapels which predate the cathedral. One of these, known as the old cathedral, goes back to about the 8th century. After lunch and time to explore Regensburg center on your own, journey to Eichttat to visit St. Walburga Abbey (710-779), a German Benedictine saint. The water passes through her tomb that is credited with miraculous healings. Nestled in the hills of southern Germany in Eichstatt, St. Walburga Abbey greets pilgrims who come to pray around her tomb and receive some of the liquid known as St. Walburga oil. Dinner and overnight in Munich. (BB, D)

Day 11. Thursday, September 19: Excursion to Altotting

The best way to end your pilgrimage is with a visit to the main Marian site of Germany, Altotting. Set amidst green meadows and snowcapped mountains in the heart of Bavaria, Altotting is renowned as the earliest destination of pilgrimages to the miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary, dating back to 1330. Thousands of ex-votos show the gratitude of pilgrims for Our Lady’s countless miraculous healings. Visit also the remains of St. Conrad of Parzham (1818-1894), closely associated with Altotting, since he was the porter for the friary there for over 40 years. He is known for his love of children and prayer, especially to the Blessed Sacrament. The water of a fountain in the outside corner of the church passes through one of St. Conrad bones and has miraculously improved the sight of people with vision deficiency. Return to Munich for a stroll down Munich city center. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner at a typical Bavarian restaurant. (BB, FD)

Day 12. Friday, September 20: Homebound Flight

This morning transfer to Munich airport for your flight back to the US. (BB)