Picturesque Eifel country, Baroque Palace Augustusburg, Romanesque Abbey Maria Laach and a historic battle site of WWII

On our way to Augustusburg and from there to Maria Laach we travel through the rolling hills of the Eifel plain and especially the part known as the Volcanic Eifel. The palace of Augustusburg built from 1725 – 1728 on old foundations by the then arch bishop of Cologne, Clemens August, is one of the finest examples of Baroque and Rococo architecture in the country..
	The extraordinarily beautiful stairway by the renowned architect and builder Balthasar Neumann is world famous (UNESCO world heritage site). A tour trough the magnificently furnished palace and scenic gardens is delightful sightseeing at its best. By one of the volcanic crater lakes we will visit a true masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, the abbey of Maria Laach. Home of the Benedictines it was built form 1093 onwards until 1220. Rich in architectural detail, its mysterious and fascinating interior resounds with Gregorian chants when the monks hold their prayers.
On our way back we will pass by the stark, gloomy towers of what once was the Ludendorff railroad bridge across the Rhine, commonly known as the bridge of Remagen; It was the site of the most spectacular military action by the US Army on German soil in WWII.