paulist-pilgrimages

The Splendors of Eastern Europe and Oberammergau:
Budapest, Prague, Vienna
September 17-September 27, 2022
11 days

An 11-day pilgrimage with Paulist Fr. Thomas A. Kane on an unforgettable pilgrimage to Eastern Europe. See the once-a-decade performance of the world-famous Oberammergau passion play and explore the breathtaking cities of Budapest, Prague, and Vienna.

It is with great pleasure that I invite you to join us on our “Splendors of Eastern Europe and Oberammergau Pilgrimage” with a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend the world famous Passion Play in September 2022. The villagers of Oberammergau first performed the play in 1634 to fulfill their promise to God for sparing them from the Black Plague, and it has been presented there every ten years since then.

Our journey will take us to some of Eastern Europe’s most interesting cities. In addition to Oberammergau, we will enjoy visits to Prague, the beautiful 1,000-year-old capital of the Czech Republic; Budapest, Hungary’s enchanting capital on the Danube River; Vienna, Austria’s elegant city with an old world ambience; and Munich, the capital of Bavaria. We will also celebrate the Liturgy in some beautiful churches along the way.

The price of our tour includes roundtrip airfare, first class/select hotels and guesthouses in Oberammergau, most meals, first class admission tickets for the Passion Play, the services of a professional tour director and sightseeing in a deluxe motorcoach.

We look forward to having you join us on this journey of a lifetime. It promises to be a wonderful experience to enjoy the company of old friends and new. Nawas International Travel is making the arrangements and has earned a reputation for reliability and excellence in their near seventy years of business.

While the year 2022 May seem a long way off, NOW is the time to reserve your place as space is limited and we often sell out. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see the Passion Play and experience the history, culture and remarkable scenery of Eastern Europe!

Peace,
Fr. Thomas Kane, C.S.P.

Five Facts: The Oberammergau Passion Play

1. The Passion Play of Oberammergau takes place only once every 10 years. Originally scheduled for the summer of 2020, the pandemic forced its postponement to 2022. This will be the last opportunity to see this world-famous play until at least 2030!

2. The village of Oberammergau is just one hour south of Munich in the heart of the Bavarian Alpsunder the tallest peak of the Bavarian Alps “the Zugspitze”…The village is absolutely gorgeous and perfectly situated, located only one hour from Innsbruck and two hours from Salzburg! This is one of Germany’s most picturesque villages that should be seen by all!

3. The tradition of the Passion Play started in 1634 when the village made a solemn vow: If God spared them from the dreaded Black Plague that was sweeping across Europe…they would present a play once every ten years depicting the last week in the life of Christ!

4. The Director Chistian Stuckl, who directed the play in 2000 and 2010, has stated that he has 1,800 people working together to bring this play to the stagein the summer of 2020.

5. All of the tickets offered by Nawas Travel are the best available “Category 1 Tickets.” You will have the best seating in the theater!!

Space is always on a first-come basis and every ticket will be sold. It always sells out!! Don’t miss this last chine to experience the Passion Play of Oberammergau.

Itinerary

NEW YORK/ACROSS THE ATLANTIC – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Depart New York today on board your transatlantic flight to Prague, arriving the following day.


ARRIVE PRAGUE – SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Arrive Prague. Located on the Vltava River, Prague is considered one of the most beautiful capitals in Europe. Transfer to your hotel. (D)


PRAGUE – MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
This morning, visit Our Lady of Victory Church to view the famous statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. Next, experience the 1000-year-old history of the city with a visit to Prague Castle, the seat of power for several Czech princes and kings. Proceed to the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, the Romanesque Basilica of St. George, and Mala Strana (Lesser Town), whose winding streets are lined with small taverns and old houses. Continue to Old Town to see the ancient Town Hall with its animated astronomical clock. Afternoon at leisure. (B)


PRAGUE/BRATISLAVA/BUDAPEST – TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Drive to Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. Free time to see the magnificent gothic cathedral of St. Martin, site of the coronation of many Hungarian kings and queens. On to magnificent Budapest. The most cosmopolitan city in Eastern Europe, Budapest is known as the “Queen of the Danube.” The ancient city, Buda, on the right bank of the Danube, and the modern city, Pest, on the left bank are connected by a series of seven bridges. (B,D)


BUDAPEST – WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
Morning sightseeing begins at Heroes Square, decorated by several impressive statues. Continue to the old inner city of Pest, then proceed to the remains of Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion, and scenic Gellert Hill, offering panoramic views of the entire city. (B,D)


BUDAPEST/VIENNA – THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
Enjoy views of the scenic Hungarian and Austrian countryside on your drive through the Transdanubia region. Arrive in Vienna, the legendary city of classical music. (B,D)


VIENNA – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Your morning tour starts at the lavish terraced gardens of Prince Eugene’s Belvedere Palace. Drive along the famous Ringstrasse Boulevard lined with landmarks including Emperor Franz Josef’s Hofburg Palace, the Burg Theater and the State Opera House. See the Votive Church, built in 1856, and then visit historic Schönbrunn Palace. The magnificent palace boasts 1400 rooms and halls, a small zoo, a fine museum of Imperial coaches and carriages, a theater and lovely formal gardens. (B)


VIENNA/ALTÖTTING/OBERAMMERGAU – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Drive through the hills and valleys of the picturesque Danube Valley and continue to Altötting, home of the Black Madonna of Altötting, and a pilgrimage destination for over 500 years. Celebrate Mass and see the Shrine of Our Lady and the Basilica of St. Anna. Proceed to the Oberammergau area for the night. (B,D)


THE PASSION PLAY OF OBERAMMERGAU – SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
The highlight of your trip! In keeping with their 387year 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 380 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,D)


OBERAMMERGAU/MUNICH – MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
Enroute to Munich 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 Munich, the 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)


MUNICH/NEW YORK – TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Board your return flight to New York, arriving the same day. (B)


Booking + Pricing

The total per-person cost of our pilgrimage is $3,974 from New York ($3,349 plus $450 government taxes/airline surcharges).

Registration and payment consists of two parts:

  1. Payment to Paulist Pilgrimages ($175): This fee is paid directly to Paulist Pilgrimages for our special Paulist-specific programming
  2. Payment to our travel agency partner ($3799): This fee is paid to NAWAS, our travel agency partner, for all travel expenses.

Our registration page will walk you through both steps of the process. Click here to register now.

If you have any questions about the registration process, please contact Fr. Thomas Kane, CSP at [email protected].