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From the Medieval to the Modern: A Sojourn through Germany and Austria
May 16–27, 2026
Travel with Gary Schmidt, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, for an insider perspective on German and Austrian history and culture.
About the Sojourn
We will begin our journey in Berlin, Germany’s cosmopolitan capital that brings past and present together in a cityscape filled with memorials, museums, galleries, palaces, theatres, and nightclubs. Witness the reminders of a dark past that gave birth to one of the world’s most stable democracies and inclusive cities. Enjoy traditional German food and drink, or sample Turkish, Ethiopian, Italian, Greek, or any of the other cuisines available in this multicultural mecca.
Next stop is the nearly thousand-year-old city of Nuremberg and the medieval walled town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. You’ll see exquisite artworks by Albrecht Dürer and Tilman Riemenschneider and visit the Kaiserburg, where the Holy Roman Emperor resided when he was in town.
Crossing into Austria, we’ll spend two nights in the baroque city of Salzburg, birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and setting for the movie The Sound of Music. We will conclude our journey in Vienna, city of waltzes and operas and the former seat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. We will tour ornate baroque palaces and churches, see paintings by Gustav Klimt, attend a concert, and sample new wine in a traditional heuriger on the outskirts of the city. And we won’t forget to have coffee and sachertorte, Vienna’s world-renowned chocolate layer cake named after the hotel where it was created.
The trip allows for a flexible combination of group activities and free time for participants to explore sites on their own (with Dean Schmidt ready at hand to assist). Participants will have the option to add on evening visits to the theatre, symphony, and opera, or choose to have free time instead.
The trip fee includes 11 nights in hotels, breakfast, daytime entrance fees for items on the itinerary, guides and tours, and transportation via train, bus, and streetcar within Germany and Austria (participants may use taxis if they choose at their own cost). One dinner in Berlin, offering a discussion with a German author on current affairs will be included. Participants are responsible for all other meals during the trip, and Dean Schmidt will gladly provide recommendations or make group reservations on request.
About Gary Schmidt
Gary Schmidt holds a Ph.D. in German Literature from Washington University in St. Louis and has led numerous student and faculty trips to Germany and Austria. He was a Fulbright German Studies Scholar and a participant in a National Endowment for the Humanities summer seminar in Vienna. He is the translator of two full-length novels from German to English as well as co-editor of Quertext: Queer Voices from German-Speaking Europe.
Travel Dates and Itinerary
Arrive Saturday, May 16, 2026 in Berlin.
Depart Vienna on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrive in Berlin. Check into hotel. Welcome and orientation to city.
- Day 2: Walking tour of Berlin memorials. Visits to Berlin Cathedral and Synagogue. Boat tour on the Spree. Group dinner and lecture.
- Day 3: Berlin Wall sites, Museum Island, Reichstag
- Day 4: Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Kaufhaus des Westens, Charlottenburg Palace. Optional symphony or opera performance.
- Day 5: Travel to Nuremberg via high-speed rail. Walking tour of Nuremberg Altstadt and visit to Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle).
- Day 6: Visit Albrecht Dürer Haus and Nazi Party Rallying Ground Documentation Center
- Day 7: Train travel to Salzburg, Austria. Walking tour of Altstadt.
- Day 8: Sites in Salzburg (fortress, cathedral, Mozart house)
- Day 9: Train to Vienna. Walking tour of First District, including Cathedral, Hofburg, etc. Lecture.
- Day 10: Belvedere Museum, Karlskirche, Hundertwasser Haus. Optional evening concert.
- Day 11 Schönbrunn Palace, free time, and farewell dinner (Heuriger)
- Day 12: Return home
Cost
Price per person with single-room occupancy: $4500
Price per person with double-room occupancy: $3500
This price includes:
- Lodging for 11 days
- Transport between cities via high-speed rail
- Public transport passes for use in each city visited
- Two group meals
- All entrance fees for museums, palaces, churches, boat ride, etc.
- Two lectures by local experts and a musical performance
- Group travel guide (Dean Schmidt) during duration of trip
- Prior to trip: four optional lectures by Dean Schmidt on each of the four cities to be visited (Berlin, Nuremberg, Salzburg, and Vienna) including information about their culture, history, cuisine, and more.
Price does not include:
- Roundtrip airfare to Europe
- Two optional musical events (opera/symphony)
Photo Gallery from Past Travelers
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