44902SOU
Excursion
Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Visit, film if available.
Rothenburg Walking tour with TM including inside visit of
St Jakobskirche. See ACIS TM notes
· You need cash for leaflets at Dachau – €0.50 each, and entrances in Rothenburg (St Jakobskirche).
· The day before, arrange dinner in Munich for 19.30 or 20.00 but not earlier if possible. Alternatively, you may have dinner booked in Rothenburg before your return to Munich.
· Do not leave Rothenburg after 16.30, (unless you have Dinner booked there) remember that traffic coming into Munich can be very heavy.
· Mention to the group the night before that a visit to Dachau deserves some respect and that they should dress appropriately.
· You are not permitted to guide inside Dachau. Do all commentary beforehand
· The old 20 minute-long film has been replaced with a new one which last 35 minutes. It is shown in English at 10.15am, 11.45am, and 2.00pm. It is not essential for your group to watch it particularly now in its lengthened form, but they may want to and so you should plan timings around it.
· Dachau is open 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm.
Munich – Dachau: 20 km, 45 mins
Dachau – Nördlingen: 110 km, 2 hrs
Nordlingen – Dinkelsbühl: 31 km, 30 mins
Dinkelsbühl – Rothenburg: 33 km, 30 mins
Rothenburg – Munich on A7/A6/A9 via Nürnberg: 249 km, 3 hrs
Rothenburg – Munich on B25/B2/A8: 195km, 3 hrs
(Romantic Road)
08.15 Departure from Munich. With a low bus you can exit Munich taking
Dachauer Strasse all the way. Otherwise join the Ring at the
Olympiapark. Dachau is signed from there. After you have gone past
the MAN factory you soon come to a right turn signed “Gedenkstätte
Dachau”. For obvious reasons there are more signs to the town of
Dachau than to the Gedenkstätte, so be alert. It is very easy to
miss the signposts.
09.00 Arrive in Dachau. Park in the bus park and make a rendezvous for departure. Remind the group that the next bus ride is three hours long, and to use the toilets in the museum, the information centre or the new facilities in the bus park. You may have some people who are reluctant to visit the memorial. You can direct them to the information centre (there’s a café), or the refreshment kiosk across the road and the restaurant further down on the right. Follow the path around from the rear of the bus park past the Information Centre to the “new” entrance to the camp, which takes you through the [copy of the original] ‘Arbeit macht frei’ gate. Continue with your group to the entrance of the museum. Take enough leaflets for your group and pay the attendant (who will also issue your receipt). Tell the group the time of the English film and let them know to come back immediately afterwards to the bus on their own.
10.40 Leave for Rothenburg. Turn left out of the bus park and follow signs for the Motorway Stuttgart (A8). Take the A8 to the exit Augsburg West and follow signs to Donauwörth on road no. 2. Just after the Donauwörth by-pass take road no. 25 towards Nördlingen and Würzburg. This is the so-called Romantic Road – not much to shout about but you do pass directly under the Harburg castle, and the two walled towns of Nördlingen and Dinkelsbühl.
If you need to include a toilet stop, Nördlingen is convenient, as you can park in the centre of the town between the church and the tourist office (toilets next to the tourist office). There’s also a handy McDonald’s plus public toilets next to the bus park on the Innerer Ring that goes around the city walls.
After Nördlingen and Dinkelsbühl, follow signs to Rothenburg.
13.30 Arrive in Rothenburg.
Rothenburg – walking tour and visit of St Jakobskirche
Rothenburg is completely closed to tour buses, the only access allowed is for hotel transfers. Therefore your sightseeing is done on foot. The most convenient bus park (follow signs to P1) is outside the walls at the Hospital Bastion (Spitaltor) and has an excellent new (paying) toilet block.
On arrival walk the group from the bus park to the market square. You can start your tour and point out several places whilst walking (see walking tour notes). There are also toilets behind the town hall. Point out possible lunch places. Make a rendezvous for after lunch. You will probably do the bulk of your tour after lunch.
Give them free time after the tour then walk back with them to the bus.
Sightseeing includes:
· The Marktplatz and the Glockenspiel
· St Jakob’s church (Inside visit)
· Herrengasse and the Castle garden
· Schmiedgasse at least as far as the Plönlein (you’ll walk past this from the bus park)
THINGS TO DO
– Walk around the city walls.
– Climb the town hall tower.
– Visit the Criminal Museum.
– Visit St Wolfgang’s fortified church.
– Shop at Käthe Wolfahrt’s Christkindlmarkt for Christmas ornaments and
a full range of German souvenirs, on Herrengasse.
Tourist Information – On Marktplatz
Currency Exchange
There are no longer ANY currency exchange possibilities in Rothenburg – all banks, the post office and hotels have ceased to offer this. Prewarn the group if this is likely to be an issue!
16:00 Depart for Munich.
NB. If you have dinner booked in Rothenburg (probably around 17.30) leave for Munich immediately afterwards – you will probably arrive back in Munich around 22.00 so check with the driver about their hours
NB
· You can do your sightseeing either before or after lunch (Depending on time, opening hours of St. Jakobs).
· Time permitting try to pick up free maps for group from Tourist Office in central market square. (Or give out later as keepsakes).
· When walking from Spitaltor you can start the tour, Plönlein, etc as you are walking that way. (Explain it saves time later).
· Either meet group in town centre and walk them back or clearly point out the route – as the side streets all look the same.
· If walking the walls, they won’t have time to do the whole town!