Paris, France; Aachen, Cologne, Siegen, Merkers Salt Mines, Berchtesgaden, Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany; and Altaussee, Austria . . .

Tour Highlights:
• Overnight in a Medieval Castle used by Hermann Goering in central Germany
• Take an enchanting Paris Seine River Dinner Cruise in converted 1930's barge
• Enjoy a Private Guided Tour of Merkers Salt Mine - 1,800 feet underground!
• Visit Aachen Cathedral and Royal Treasury / Hurtgen Forest Battlefield Tour
• Tour authentic World War II Art Shelter under Nuremberg's Imperial Fortress
• Four Days in the Bavarian Alps with Neuschwanstein Castle and Berchtesgaden
• Salt Mine Tour and alpine lake cruise at Lake Altaussee in beautiful Austria
• Experience counts! We have operated WWII Tours in Europe for over 25 years

Alpventures® Men, Masterpieces, and Monuments Tour focuses on the men and women of the U.S. Army's MFAA (Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives) section in France, Germany and Austria during World War II.

These men and women were tasked by FDR to locate, safeguard, and restitute many thousands of pieces of stolen artwork in Nazi-occupied Europe. From the world-famous Louvre museum in Paris, to the Altaussee Salt Mine located deep in the Austrian Alps, our 12-day Men, Masterpieces, and Monuments Tour is sure not to disappoint! Discover the history of these brave men and women as we follow their journey across the battlefields of France, Germany and Austria. Hear the story of the D-Day landings and relax with a scenic boat cruise along the Seine River. Of course we encourage our guests to arrive in Paris a few days before the Tour begins, in order to fully appreciate all that Paris has to offer. We enter Germany the way the soldiers did in 1944, with a Battlefield Tour of the Hürtgen Forest near the fortress-city of Aachen. Visit the Aachen Cathedral, and see the Domschatzkammer (Cathedral Treasure Chamber), which boasts Germanys top collection of sculpture from the 12th to the 16th Century. We continue with a stop in Cologne, where you will visit the impressive Cologne Cathedral and see the Hohenzollern Bridge over the Rhine River, and we will show you where the treasures of the Aachen Cathedral were hidden in Siegen. A highlight of the trip will be our Private Tour of the Merkers Salt Mine, where during the war, the Nazi Regime stashed away billions in gold bars; among other treasures.

Our fascinating Men, Masterpieces, and Monuments Tour also includes two nights in Nuremberg, Germany, where we will explore the Third Reich's most important art bunker, and tour the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds. The annual propaganda spectacles were used as powerful tools of mass manipulation, and we will discuss the effects of German propaganda and the Holocaust during our visit to the Nuremberg Documentation Center. We also make a stop at the Nuremberg Courthouse, where the War Crimes Trials were held after World War II. Enjoy a great mix of Art, History, and Scenery; from Paris, France to the Austrian Alps! Our unique Tour combines some of the top museums, historical sites, and beautiful scenery in Europe. After Nuremberg, we continue south to Fuessen at the foot of the Bavarian Alps and take a Tour of the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. You will also get to discover Hitler's mountain headquarters at Obersalzberg near the resort town of Berchtesgaden. Get a Private Tour of the secret headquarters, before visiting the impressive Obersalzberg Documentation Center and wartime bunker system. We will finish our Men, Masterpieces, and Monuments Tour with a scenic drive through the Austrian Alps to Altaussee, where we will enjoy a Private Tour of the historic Altaussee Salt Mine and have a relaxing boat ride on the majestic Lake Altaussee. We spend our last evening and our farewell dinner in Berchtesgaden.

Alpventures Men, Masterpieces, and Monuments Tour is not affiliated, not endorsed, nor sponsored by the author, Robert M. Edsel or the Monuments Men Foundation.

The perfect combination of History, Art, and Scenery! Feel free to arrive in Paris early before the group meets up; or plan your trip to stay longer in Munich, Germany at the end of the tour.

September 1: IN FLIGHT to Paris CDG Airport

September 2: PARIS - Tour Arrival and Orientation
Arrival this morning at Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport and transfer south into the center for a Paris Tour including the main city highlights. Free time for lunch near Notre Dame Cathedral. Enjoy a scenic boat cruise on the Seine River before checking in to our hotel. Relax before our dinner tonight. Overnight Paris. (D)

September 3: PARIS - The Louvre Museum
Breakfast. This morning includes a visit to the world-famous Louvre, and free time this afternoon in Paris for optional sightseeing or shopping. Overnight Paris. (B)

September 4: PARIS / AACHEN - Doorstep of the Third Reich
Breakfast. After we check out of our Paris hotel this morning, our quest takes us across northeast France and through a part of Belgium to Aachen, just inside the border of Germany. Lunch. Afternoon City Tour of Aachen, including a visit to the beautiful Cathedral and Treasure Chambers, which has Germany's best collection of 12th to 16th Century sculpture. Overnight Aachen. (B, D)

September 5: AACHEN / HÜRTGEN - Battle for the Siegfried Line
Breakfast. On our second day in Aachen, we will spend the day just southeast of the Imperial City, where the U.S. Army suffered some of its highest casualties in the European Theater - the Hürtgen Forest. Visit places where historic, bloody battles occurred, like Schmidt, Vossenack and the Kall River Trail. Lunch in the Hürtgen Forest. Continue our Battlefield Tour this afternoon before heading back to nearby Aachen. Dinner on your own tonight. Overnight Aachen. (B)

September 6: COLOGNE / SIEGEN - Stolen Art Repositories of the Reich
Breakfast and check out of our Aachen hotel this morning. Today we head deeper into Germany where we will stop in Cologne on the Rhine River. Visit the Cologne Cathedral and see the historic Hohenzollern Bridge over the rhine. Lunch. Afternoon transfer east to nearby Siegen, to see one of the many stolen art repositories the MFAA section located upon entering Germany. Continue to Romrod, on the German Half-Timbered House Road. Check-in at hotel and dinner. Overnight Romrod. (B, D)

September 7: MERKERS - Finding Nazi Loot and Stolen Art in Mines
Breakfast. Check out of our Romrod hotel and continue to nearby Merkers-Kieselbach in beautiful Thuringia, Germany. Morning Private Tour of the Merkers Salt Mine, where you will visit the rooms Nazis stashed billions in gold bars, and huge amounts of art works during the war. On April 12, 1945, General Eisenhower himself, visited the underground tunnels of the Merkers mine. Lunch. Afternoon transfer south through Thuringia into Bavaria, in the south of Germany. Arrive in Nuremberg with dinner on your own. Overnight Nuremberg. (B)

September 8: NUREMBERG - Nazi Party Rallies and War Crimes Trial
Breakfast. Morning Tour of the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds, where Hitler staged his grand propaganda spectacle in front of millions of devoted followers. Our Tour follows the history and development of the Reichsparteigelände, including sites such as the World War I Memorial at Luitpold Grove, Zeppelin Field and Grandstand, the Great Road and Congress Hall; where we will visit the excellent museum. Lunch. After lunch we will visit the 1000-year-old Kaiserburg Castle, and take a Guided Tour of the former Nazi art shelter under the fortress - the recently-opened bunker was used to store Hitler's most prized personal art treasures and religious relics. Remainder of the day at leisure in Nuremberg. Dinner. Overnight Nuremberg. (B, D)

September 9: FÜSSEN - The Foot of the Alps
Breakfast. Check out of our Nuremberg hotel this morning, and visit the historic courthouse, site of the War Crimes Trials in 1946. Transfer south along part of the German Romantic Road with lunch en route to Füssen, at the foot of the Bavarian Alps. Check in at our hotel and explore the Old Town before dinner. Traditional Bavarian Dinner tonight. Overnight Füssen. (B, D)

September 10: NEUSCHWANSTEIN - The Crown Jewel of Bavaria
Breakfast. Check out of our Fuessen hotel and make the short drive to Hohenschwangau, where we will have a Guided Tour of King Ludwig IIs Neuschwanstein Castle. Lunch. This afternoon, we will continue east along the spectacular German Alpine Road to the resort village of Berchtesgaden, nestled in the Bavarian Alps near Salzburg, Austria. Check in at our Berchtesgaden hotel and dinner. Overnight Berchtesgaden. (B, D)

September 11: OBERSALZBERG - Nazi Southern Headquarters
Breakfast. This morning we have a Guided Tour of the former Nazi Alpine Headquarters on the Obersalzberg mountain. See the sites of Hitler's former home, as well as the various homes and security facilities that were once located on the Obersalzberg. Tour an authentic wartime air-raid shelter and visit the impressive Obersalzberg Documentation Center. Lunch. Afternoon at leisure in the village of Berchtesgaden. Dinner on your own. Overnight Berchtesgaden. (B)

September 12: ALTAUSSEE - The Altaussee Salt Mine in Austria
Breakfast. Morning scenic drive across the border into Austria, where we will see magnificent views of the surrounding mountains on our way to Altaussee. In this idyllic setting, we will enjoy a Private Tour of the Altaussee Salt Mine, where the men of the MFAA section found 6,577 paintings hidden in over 130 underground tunnels inside the mine. We finish with a boat cruise on Lake Altaussee and lunch on the lake, before returning to Berchtesgaden in the late afternoon. Special Farewell Dinner tonight. Overnight Berchtesgaden. (B, D)

September 13: IN FLIGHT from Munich MUC Airport

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Cancellation Policy:
Although Tour cancellations are not anticipated, Alpventures® reserves the right to cancel Tours for any reason, prior to Tour departure date, in which case the entire payment will be refunded without further obligation on Alpventures® part. In the case of Tour Participant cancellation, a full refund will be granted up to 30 days prior to Tour departure. A cancellation fee of 20% of the Tour price will be charged for cancellations between 30 and 20 days prior to departure date and 40% between 20 and 10 days prior to departure. No refunds honored within 10 days of Tour departure.

Whether on the battlefield, or inside the impressive museums, you won't miss a thing as we give exciting, detailed accounts and informative historical lectures throughout each Tour. From the D-Day beaches of Normandy, to Hitler's Eagles Nest and beyond, our top priorities are your safety, comfort and enjoyment on Tour. Alpventures® World War II Tours are the result of over 25 years of historical research and first-hand, local guiding experience, making them especially unique. Join our small groups on a World War II Tour and experience a historical adventure to Europe! Read More

"You let us see and experience all that we were hoping for - and you went so beyond our expectations. Unbelievable, Unforgettable, Awesome! Thanks for a much more informative, exciting and complete tour than we ever expected!" - Della H.