Join Dr. Michael Durham on an unforgettable trip
to Germany, Austria & Switzerland
 for the 2010 Observance of the
Passion Play of Oberammergau

MBC has allied with NAWAS International for an unforgettable eleven-day "Alpine Europe" trip to  Germany, Austria and Switzerland, culminating in attendance at the 2010 performance of the Passion Play in Oberammergau. The trip, open to all MBC members, family and friends, is planned for September 4-14, 2010, departing from Washington, D. C. and hosted by Dr. Michael Durham, MBC Senior Pastor. The itinerary includes Heidelberg, The Rhine Valley, Lucerne, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Munich and Rothenburg.

The trip, including round-trip air fare from Washington D. C. to Frankfurt, first class lodgings, most meals, a professional tour director, service charges and hotel taxes, Passion Play admission and $100,000 flight insurance policy, is $ 3,799US plus applicable taxes.                         For more detailed information or to register:                          Click here to download brochure and forms,                           or call the church office at 540-894-4234

Detailed Itinerary:

SAT, SEP 4 WASHINGTON, D.C. ACROSS THE ATLANTIC Depart on your overnight transatlantic flight to Frankfurt, arriving the following day. B=Continental Breakfast L="Lunch" D=Table d’hote Dinner	FRI, SEP 10 SALZBURG/MUNICH 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. (B)
SUN, SEP 5 ARRIVE FRANKFURT/ HEIDELBERG/RHINE VALLEY 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. (D)	SAT, SEP 11 MUNICH/NEUSCHWANSTEIN/ OBERAMMERGAU Ascend the Bavarian Alps and view Mad King Ludwig’s fairytale 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. (B,D)
MON, SEP 6 RHINE VALLEY/RHINE FALLS/ LAKE LUCERNE 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. (B,D)	SUN, SEP 12 THE PASSION PLAY OF OBERAMMERGAU 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. (B,L,D)
TUE, SEP 7 LAKE LUCERNE 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 and then return to your hotel for the night. (B,D)	MON, SEP 13 OBERAMMERGAU/ ROTHENBURG/ FRANKFURT 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. (B,D)
WED, SEP 8 LAKE LUCERNE/INNSBRUCK 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.  (B,D)	MON, SEP 13 OBERAMMERGAU/ ROTHENBURG/FRANKFURT 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. (B,D)
THU, SEP 9 INNSBRUCK/SALZBURG 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. (B)	TUE, SEP 14 FRANKFURT/WASHINGTON, D.C. Bid farewell to Europe as you transfer to the airport