ALUMNIUMN TRAV EL PROGRAOGR M www.illinoisalumni.org/explorers TThehe NNetherlandsetherlands ◆ GGermanyermany ◆ FFrancerance ◆ SSwitzerlandwitzerland cruising aboard the Exclusively Chartered DDeluxeeluxe AMMADEUSADEUS SIILVERLVER IIII featuring the GLLACIERACIER EXXPRESSPRESS June 12 to 22, 2018 ALUMNI T R A VEL PRO GRAM Dear EXPLORERS and Friends, Are your bags packed? Believe me, you’ll want them to be once you see this amazing travel opportunity to the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland by Thomas P. Gohagan & Company—and imagine yourself there with fellow University of Illinois alumni. Come see what it’s like to travel with us. As thousands of our travelers attest, all the details of each trip are carefully planned for you. There’s no hunting for fl ight deals, best-rated hotels, museum passes or restaurant guides. All of this, and more, has been meticulously packaged especially for you by our trusted tour operators. Having traveled both on my own and on our EXPLORERS tours, I can assure you these details are appreciated. EXPLORERS participants not only love traveling with their Alma Mater, they return year after year to check more dream destinations off their bucket lists. They praise Illinois EXPLORERS trips with high ratings, and consistently say that traveling with fellow Illini is the icing on the cake of their experience. There’s simply nothing better than traveling with like-minded people who have all shared a common experience while earning their respective degrees! Travel has become such an important part of the University of Illinois Alumni Association. It’s one of the most exciting ways our alumni have connected, re-connected and stayed connected with one another across disciplines, state lines and even across generations. Membership dues of the Association enable us to keep the EXPLORERS program and others running year after year. If you aren’t a member, please consider joining us at www.illinoisalumni.org/membership. Space for this trip is limited and sure to fi ll up quickly, so don’t miss this opportunity. Make your reservations today! We look forward to seeing you in Europe. If you have any questions or need more information, please call us at 1-800-355-2586. Sincerely,y, BrBridgetidgeet DoDoyleyle Travel Coordinator University of Illinois Alumni Association U.S./Amsterdam, From the famous Deutsches Eck the Netherlands (German Corner), look out across the Day 1 and Day 2 Rhine River to view the impressive, th Depart the U.S. On arrival in 19 -century fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, Amsterdam, enjoy a private once the residence of the powerful Rhineland cruise along the city’s UNESCO Archbishop-Electors of Trier. Explore this Coat of Arms World Heritage-designated historic city during a walking tour and see canals, lined with distinctly Dutch 16th- and the twin-towered Basilica of St. Castor, which th 17th-century grachtenpanden (canal houses). was built between the ninth and 13 centuries Then, embark the deluxe AMADEUS SILVER II. and features the Rhineland’s distinctive This evening, join your travel companions Romanesque architecture. for the Captain’s Welcome Reception Cruise through the spectacular and Dinner. UNESCO World Heritage-designated Rhine River Valley, legendary for its Cologne, Germany scenery and riverside architectural treasures. Day 3 Be on deck for a front-row view as, with Enjoy a leisurely morning on board nearly each bend in the river, steep, terraced cruising along the picturesque Rhine River vineyards rise on the slopes, medieval castles to Cologne, one of Germany’s most crown the crags and tranquil villages ancient cities. Founded as a Roman emerge along the banks. See the famous military outpost in 38 B.C., Cologne has Lorelei Rock—legend holds that a beautiful fl ourished as the Rhineland’s foremost siren once lured sailors here with her mercantile and religious center from the enchanting song. time of Charlemagne to present day, and it is Dock in the medieval town of Rüdesheim, the birthplace of the world-famous original the heart of Germany’s wine country. Enjoy a Eau de Cologne perfume. Explore the tour aboard the unique Winzerexpress Altstadt (Old Town) and visit the historic mini-train, traveling through bucolic Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), the fi nest countryside vineyards en route to a example of High Gothic architecture private tasting of German wines. in Germany. This UNESCO World Heritage Reboard the ship and cruise through the site, whose construction began in 1248 and pastoral Rheingau, Germany’s most famous lasted for six centuries, showcases such wine-growing region, known particularly artistic treasures as the Milan Madonna and for its Riesling. the Shrine of the Three Holy Kings. Mannheim for Heidelberg Koblenz/Rüdesheim Day 5 Day 4 This morning, transfer from Mannheim Go ashore in the picturesque city of Koblenz, to Heidelberg, where luminaries such strategically positioned at the confl uence of as Goethe and Schumann once came to the Rhine and Moselle Rivers and where experience the intellectual atmosphere Germany’s Roman past dates to 9 B.C., of Heidelberg University, the oldest in during the reign of Augustus Caesar. Germany, founded in 1386. Cover photo: View the unforgettable peaks of the iconic Matterhorn from the top of the highest cog railway in Europe, the world-renowned Gornergrat Bahn. Photo this page: Medieval castles and bucolic terraced vineyards capture the romance of Germany’s legendary UNESCO World Heritage-designated Rhine Valley. THE NETHERLANDS NNorthorth SSeaea AMMSTERDAMSTERDAM Rh in e R GERMANY iv er COOLOGNELOGNE KOOBLENZBLENZ RÜÜDESHEIMDESHEIM RRhinehine RRheingauheingau FRANCE VValleyalley MAANNHEIMNNHEIM HEEIDELBERGIDELBERG STTRASBOURGRASBOURG BAASELSEL ZUURICHRICH BEERNERNE LUUCERNECERNE INNTERLAKENTERLAKEN TÄÄSCHSCH ANNDERMATTDERMATT ZEERMATTRMATT UNESCO MMatterhornatterhorn World Heritage Site Cruise Itinerary SWITZERLAND Air Routing Half-timbered houses in Strasbourg’s Land Routing ITALY Train Routing Petite-France quarter refl ect the city’s dual French and German character. To many on the historical “Grand Tours” It was in Strasbourg that John Calvin of Europe, Heidelberg epitomized Germany, fi rst established a reformed parish. nestled in the densely wooded valley of See remnants of the Reformation in the Neckar River and alive with the spirit the beautiful Protestant and Catholic of Romanticism. On the walking tour, Church of St-Pierre-le-Vieux and see the see how Heidelberg has preserved its graceful sandstone Catholic Cathedral of authentic Renaissance-Baroque character, Notre Dame, a Romanesque-Gothic including the eight remaining arches of the masterpiece that, according to the poet famous Alte Brücke (Old Bridge) spanning Goethe, rises “like a most sublime, the Neckar River. Visit the stately ruins of wide-arching tree of God.” imposing Heidelberg Castle, a 13th-century The fairy-tale appearance of a past era embodiment of the city’s medieval past lives on in the Petite-France district, perched above the river. the historic miller, tanner and fi shermen’s quarter along the Ill River. Nearby, member Strasbourg, France nations of the European Union engage in the Day 6 daily discourse of the European Parliament. The lively Alsatian city of Strasbourg On board the ship this evening, attend the fuses Old and New Europe. The Old City, Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner. a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a treasure trove of medieval houses, and the charming Basel, Switzerland/Berne/ Ponts-Couverts—covered bridges fl anked Interlaken/Zermatt by watchtowers at each end—span its Day 7 picturesque canals. This morning, disembark in Basel and transfer across the rolling Swiss countryside to Berne, Switzerland’s historic capital. Visit Berne’s Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Visit the city’s Old Town, a UNESCO World th site featuring the medieval Zytglogge, the 13 -century Heritage site and beautifully preserved tower with an ornate 15th-century astrological clock. medieval gem noted for its arcaded sidewalks. Then, enjoy lunch in an 18th-century High Baroque-style granary converted into a traditional Bernese restaurant. Continue your journey through one of the most stunning areas of Switzerland, the spectacular Bernese Oberland, traveling from subtropical lowlands to the soaring heights of the Alps. Admire the impressive natural treasures of soaring, snowcapped mountain peaks, green, rolling hills, crystal-clear glacial lakes and densely wooded forests. Stop in the charming resort town of Interlaken, located between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. Here, you will fi nd the perfect vantage point for viewing the towering, UNESCO World Heritage-designated Jungfrau, an imposing summit in the Bernese Alps known as the “Top of Europe.” Cruise tranquil Lake Lucerne at the foot of Mount Pilatus and enjoy picturesque views of its fjord-like landscape and the four surrounding cantons of Lucerne, Schwyz, Unterwalden and Uri. Then, enjoy a scenic transfer to the See the Hofkirche (Court Church), one of Alpine resort of Zermatt, located beneath the the fi nest examples of German Renaissance dramatic pinnacle of the iconic Matterhorn. architecture, and the Lion Monument, Check into the chalet-style HOTEL ALEX. dedicated to the Swiss Guards who gave This evening, dine in the hotel’s handsome, their lives defending Louis XVI during the traditional Swiss restaurant. French Revolution. Walk across Lucerne’s most famous landmark, the delightful, 14th-century Zermatt wooden Chapel Bridge, which spans the Day 8 Reuss River and whose arched roof is Today, travel aboard the famous adorned with paintings depicting Swiss history Gornergrat Bahn, the highest cog railway and mythology. in Europe. Ascend through pine and larch Ascend Mount Pilatus by panoramic forests and cross meadows ablaze with gondola to its 7000-foot summit for a wildfl owers to the 10,100-foot-high Gornergrat. magnifi cent 360-degree view of central From the observatory atop the summit, Switzerland’s mountains, forests and lakes. delight in the sweeping vistas of Europe’s most Enjoy lunch in a summit restaurant before breathtaking Alpine scenery—the serrated boarding the Pilatus Railway, the world’s profi les of the Matterhorn, the Liskamm and steepest cogwheel railway.