Scandinavia - May 4- 17, 2022 - Adventures in - Witte Tours

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Scandinavia - May 4- 17, 2022 - Adventures in - Witte Tours
Adventures in

Scandinavia

                 May 4– 17, 2022

Hosted by John & Lynda Witte
Scandinavia - May 4- 17, 2022 - Adventures in - Witte Tours


From magical town squares to mighty
mountain ranges, Scandinavia never
ceases to amaze in all its majestic
splendor. Join John and Lynda Witte
on a spectacular tour through this
beautiful European region. From
charming Copenhagen to sleek and
sophisticated Stockholm and from
innovative Oslo to scenic Bergen —                                                                             Your Hosts
                                                                                 Johannes and Lynda Witte
with breathtaking nature between
                                                        Passionate about expanding their own horizons and those of
every leg of the journey — this tour is                 others, Johannes (John) and Lynda Witte have been leading tour
                                                        groups to destinations in North and South America, Europe,
bound to impress, inspire and imprint a                 Africa, and Asia since 1985. Both former educators, Lynda
lasting chapter in your life.                           became an at-home mother after leaving education, and John
                                                        joined Witte Travel & Tours as a group sales consultant and tour
                                                        leader. They are parents of five children and 15 grandchildren.
                                                        John and Lynda’s knowledge and experience have earned them a
                                                        reputation as top-notch tour leaders. Group members appreciate
Tour Cost                                               the way they cater to each individual’s needs and interests. They
$6,635 per person
                                                        especially enjoy leading small groups.
from Grand Rapids,
based on double occupancy                               John & Lynda Witte | 616.304.0504 | johanneswitte9@gmail.com

Register online at
bookings.wittetravel.com                                                                 MODERATE – Activity levels vary
                                                                                         from day to day. Sightseeing is
use booking code                                                                         often a brisk walk over distances
050422WITT                                                                               of several miles on cobblestone
                                                                                         streets and uneven ground.
or complete and return the printed registration form.
Scandinavia - May 4- 17, 2022 - Adventures in - Witte Tours
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MAY 2022                        05, Thursday                         06, Friday
                                Arrival, Copenhagen                  Copenhagen
04, Wednesday
                                After a change of planes in          We’re ready to see more of the     Palace, the spring and autumn
Departure                       Europe, we’ll continue to            Danish capital. Our local guide    residence of the royal family.
Today we meet at the airport    Kastrup Airport on Sjælland,         will show us several sites         In the afternoon we’ll be
for our overnight flights to    the largest of Denmark’s many        including Grundtvig’s Church,      “set free” on the Strøget.
Scandinavia.                    islands. Following customs           one of the most beautiful          This delightful, pedestrian-
                                formalities, we’ll meet our          sights in Copenhagen. The          only district is a series of
                                tour manager and transfer            massive yellow brick church,       short streets running into one
                                into Copenhagen. We’ll have          which boasts one of the            another and lined with lovely
                                time to get a bite to eat and        largest organs in Scandinavia,     shops and friendly cafés. For
                                stretch our legs in the Nyhavn       is often used for concerts and     the evening, we recommend
                                – New Harbor – area. Once            recitals. We’ll also see Town      heading for Tivoli Amusement
                                the domain of sailors and            Hall square, dominated by the      Park. A favorite meeting place
                                shady characters, this colorful      Town Hall with its 350-foot-high   for Copenhageners and visitors
                                waterfront district is now one       tower. We’ll then proceed via      from around the world, Tivoli’s
                                of the city’s top attractions. The   Christiansborg Palace – seat of    attractions include concerts,
                                famous Danish writer, Hans           the Danish Parliament – to the     variety shows, pantomime and
                                Christian Andersen, lived and        Thorvaldsen Museum with its        restaurants. (B)
                                worked in Nyhavn for many            collection of the work of the
                                years. Of course, we’ll see the      great Danish sculptor, Bertel
                                statue of Andersen’s beloved         Thorvaldsen. A tour of the
                                Little Mermaid. After a break        museum is followed by a drive
                                for lunch, we’ll enjoy a fun and     via Charlottenborg Palace to
                                informative harbor cruise. Then      Amalienborg Palace, the official
                                we’ll check in at our hotel with     royal residence. We’ll also
                                time to rest before dinner is        have a glimpse of Rosenborg
 Bergen, Norway                served. (B – in flight, D)
 Nyhavn, Copenhagen, Denmark
Cover: Sognefjord, Norway
Scandinavia - May 4- 17, 2022 - Adventures in - Witte Tours
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07, Saturday                       08, Sunday                          09, Monday
Copenhagen >                       Jönköping >                         Stockholm
Helsingør >                        Stockholm                           This morning we’ll board our      majestic Vasa can be admired
Jönköping, Sweden                  Let’s “hit the road” this           private motorcoach and drive      from a series of galleries. At
This morning we’ll travel          morning for our northeasterly       into the city center. After       midday, we’ll head for Skansen,
northward to Helsingør,            drive via Linköping, Norrköping     picking up our local guide,       the world’s oldest open-air
Denmark’s oldest town and          and Nyköping. We are, of            we’ll visit the Stadhuset—        museum where a variety of
the site of the world-famous       course, headed for Stockholm,       Stockholm’s City Hall. Our tour   authentic dwellings and other
Kronborg Castle, the fictional     which lies on a string of 14        includes the dazzling Blue Hall   buildings have been brought
setting of Shakespeare’s           islands where the fresh waters      and the Golden Room with its      from all over the country and
Hamlet. Kronborg was built at      of Lake Mälaren meets the           stunning gold-leaf and glass      reassembled. Grab a quick
the narrowest point between        salty Baltic Sea. Arriving at       mosaic. Then it’s on to the       bite in the self-service café or
Denmark and Sweden to              midday, we’ll have time to          Vasamuseet, which was built       something more substantial
collect tolls from passing         get a bite to eat. Next on our      to house the Vasa. Intended to    at one of the museum’s
ships. Deep inside the fortified   agenda is the Royal Canal Tour,     be the most powerful warship      restaurants. Then set off on
walls of Kronborg, we’ll find a    a short, guided cruise from         ever, the Vasa was launched       a fascinating walk-through
ghostly statue of a powerful       Strömkajen along the shady          in 1628. Within minutes, the      of Swedish history. Late
Viking hero, Holger Dansk.         canals and the shores of the        great ship tipped over and        afternoon, we’ll transfer back
Legend has it that, if Denmark     Baltic. What better way to          sank. For more than 300 years,    to the hotel where we’ll enjoy
is threatened, this sleeping       gain a sense of the amazing         it lay at the bottom of the sea   another wonderful dinner. (B, D)
giant will come to life to save    Swedish capital! Then we’ll get     until it was salvaged in 1961.
the country. After our tour of     settled at our hotel and have a     Now completely restored, the
the castle, we’ll ferry across     traditional buffet dinner. (B, D)
the Øresund to the busy port
city of Helsingborg, Sweden.
From here we’ll travel east
and north to Lake Vättern.
We’ll have dinner and spend
the night in the lovely town of                                                                           Stockholm, Sweden
Jönköping. (B, D)                                                                                         Akershus Festning,
                                                                                                           Oslo, Norway
Scandinavia - May 4- 17, 2022 - Adventures in - Witte Tours
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    10, Tuesday                           11, Wednesday
    Stockholm >                           Karlstad > Oslo,
    Karlstad                              Norway
    This morning we’ll travel into        On the road again, we’ll travel     as the seat of government,
    the city center. There will be        into Norway. We plan to be          this impressive fortress has
    free time to shop for Swedish         in the enchanted capital city,      become a national symbol and
    handcrafts and souvenirs. You         Oslo, by early afternoon. After     is still the venue for official
    can also walk through Gamla           time for lunch, we’ll drive up      functions. Our local guide will
    Stan, the Old Town, which is          to the Holmenkollen, a hill that    also walk us through Frogner
    situated on three little islands      affords a lovely view over Oslo     Park, a truly extraordinary sight
    in the center of the city.            and its fjord. Then we’ll get       comprised of 150 sculpture
    This picturesque area boasts          settled at our hotel for dinner     groups by Gustav Vigeland.
    buildings from the 1200s to           and a two-night stay. (B, D)        After some free time for lunch,
    the 1600s, clustering along                                               we will visit to the newly
    narrow, cobblestone streets.          12, Thursday                        opened Munch Museum.
    The narrowest of all, Mårten          Oslo                                The prolific but troubled artist
    Trotzig’s Alley, is only three feet   Our formal introduction to          Edward Munch (The Scream
    wide. It’s also in Gamla Stan         Oslo includes a visit to the        is probably his most famous
    that we’ll see the 13th-century       Rådhuset—Town Hall, a tall,         painting) left all his paintings,
    Storkyrkan, Stockholm’s Great         red brick building lavishly         drawings and letters to the city.
    Church, and the Royal Palace.         decorated by Norway’s leading       The afternoon is at leisure to
    Then, we’ll drive almost due          painters and sculptors. Every       shop in and around the bustling
    west, passing Bofors, the site        year on December 10, the            Karl Johans gate, the best-
    of Alfred Nobel’s ammunition          Nobel Peace Prize award             known street in the city. There
    factory, to reach Lake Vänern.        ceremony takes place here.          are also several compelling
    We’ll make our home in                We will also visit Akershus         museums in Oslo, among
    Karlstad on the northern shore        Festning. Originally built as the   them the Ibsen Museum and
    of this vast and beautiful lake.      royal residence and later used      the National Museum. (B)
    (B, D)
Scandinavia - May 4- 17, 2022 - Adventures in - Witte Tours
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13, Friday                         Norway. Some of its finest           14, Saturday                         is a visitor centre for the
Bygdøy/Oslo >                      features are the lavishly carved     Sognefjord &                         Jostedalsbreen and Breheimen
Sogndal                            portals and the crosses and          Jostedal Glacier                     National Parks. The centre
                                   carvings of dragon’s heads on                                             lies in the Jostedalen valley
We’ll spend part of the morning                                         Area
                                   the roofs. After a visit to the                                           and offers a direct view of
exploring Norway’s long                                                 Our travels today will take us
                                   church, we continue to the                                                the Nigardsbreen glacier.
maritime history at the Bygdøy                                          through a marvelously scenic
                                   fjords where we reach Lærdal                                              After a tour of the center,
Peninsula, which is located just                                        part of Norway. Be sure to
                                   and the Sognefjord, Norway’s                                              including lunch, we take
outside Oslo. Here we’ll visit                                          have your camera handy!
                                   longest and deepest fjord. The                                            the Glacier road to the lake
the Fram Museum housing                                                 First we travel through the
                                   journey continues across the                                              parking, offering views of
the polar ship used by the                                              mountain pass and tunnel,
                                   Sognefjord on the ferry from                                              the stunning Nigardsbreen
explorer Fridtjof Nansen; and                                           to come out to the Fjærland
                                   Fordnes to Mannheller, and a                                              glacier. Other glaciers are
the Kon-Tiki Museum charting                                            Fjord, an arm of the famous
                                   short time later we will arrive in                                        shrinking and vanishing,
Thor Heyerdahl’s expeditions.                                           Sognefjord. A stop is made in
                                   Sogndal, and our hotel for the                                            Nigardsbreen is still massive
Then we’ll travel west via                                              the quaint village of Fjærland,
                                   next two nights. (B, D)                                                   and powerful. Magnificent
Hemsedal, a mountain ski                                                before travelling to the nearby      views of mountains and
resort, before stopping at the                                          Boyabreen Glacier parking            glaciers make this trip an
Borgund Stave Church, built                                             and viewpoint. After a photo         unforgettable experience. In
around 1180 and dedicated                                               stop, the journey goes back          the early evening we’ll arrive
to the Apostle Andrew. The                                              via Sogndal, before travelling       back in Sogndal, where dinner
church is exceptionally well                                            North to the Nigardsbreen            is included again. (B, L, D)
preserved and is the most                                               Glacier, where first is a visit to
distinctive stave church in                                             the Breheimsenteret Glacier
                                                                        Centre. Breheimsenteret

                                                                                                              Train at famous Flåm Railway,
                                                                                                               Norway
                                                                                                              Rosenkrantz Tower,
                                                                                                               Bergen, Norway
                                                                                                              Borgund Stave Church, Norway
Scandinavia - May 4- 17, 2022 - Adventures in - Witte Tours
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15, Sunday                                                           16, Monday
Fjord Cruise > Flåm               journey, which will take us to     Bergen                             you’d like to visit the 1,047-
> Voss > Bergen                   Myrdal. Only 12 miles long, it     In the company of a local          foot Fløyfjell. If you’re feeling
Another “red letter” day lies     takes nearly an hour to travel     guide, we’ll begin our             ambitious, you can climb the
ahead! Early start today, with    2,850 feet up a steep mountain     exploration of Bergen (in          hill on foot—the road up is two
a drive along the Sognefjord      gorge. A masterpiece of            the area known as Bryggen)         miles—or you can make the
to Hella (approx. 45 min)         engineering, the line includes     with its wooden houses             ascent via funicular. However
where we board a local ferry      20 tunnels. In Myrdal, we’ll       dating from the period after       you arrive at the top, you’ll be
for another crossing of the       board another train for the trip   the fire of 1702. Next, we’ll      treated to marvelous views of
Sognefjord. Continue in the       to Voss where we’ll pick up our    see Bergenhus Fortress             Bergen and its surroundings.
coach and travel through the      motorcoach and continue to         with its Rosenkrantz Tower,        This evening we’ll take a short
mountain pass, via Myrkdalen,     Bergen. Called the “gateway        Håkonshallen and the 12th-         walk to a local restaurant for a
and then stopping at Stalheim     to the fjords,” Bergen is a        century St. Mary’s Church.         festive farewell dinner. (B, D)
hotel. Here we will enjoy         captivating city with a cluster    Later, we’ll take a short
                                  of brightly painted houses         drive outside the city to visit    17, Tuesday
a short stop with coffee/
tea and one of the most           nestled between the harbor         Troldhaugen—the Hill of the        Return
spectacular view points of the    and surrounding mountains.         Trolls. This was the home          After an early wake-up call,
Gudvangen valley. Next we         (B, D)                             of Norway’s most famous            we’ll transfer to Bergen Airport
travel down to Gudvangen,                                            composer, Edvard Grieg. His        to check in for our flights back
from where we will enjoy an                                          beautiful house, surrounded        home. We are certain that your
amazing Fjord cruise on the                                          on three sides by water, has       Scandinavian adventure has
UNESCO’s World Heritage                                              been preserved in its original     been richly rewarding – and
listed fjord, the Nærøyfjord.                                        state. Then we’ll double back to   lots of fun! (B)
A fjord cruise through this                                          the city where the remainder
narrow and beautiful fjord                                           of the day is at leisure. If the
will give you the memory of                                          intriguing shops and stores
a lifetime. Disembark in Flåm                                        aren’t beckoning you, perhaps
and after some time to look
around, we’ll board a train for
Norway’s most exciting rail
Scandinavia - May 4- 17, 2022 - Adventures in - Witte Tours
Reserve your spot today!

   Jostedal
 Glacier Area
           Sogndal
           Flåm
    Voss
 Bergen               Oslo

                                               Stockholm
                                    Karlstad

                        Jönköping

                             Copenhagen

                     3250 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512
                            616.957.8113 | 800 GO WITTE
                       groups@wittetravel.com | wittetours.com
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