Welcome - Gruezi - Willkommen

Hello and welcome, gruezi und willkommen, to the Mount Marty 2012 Tour Information Site. As you may already know, the Mount Marty College Choir is embarking on a musical, spiritual and cultural journey to Switzerland and Germany in the late spring of 2012. On their first international performance tour, the singers under the direction of Dr. Sean Vogt will be heading to the founding monastery in Maria Rickenbach near Engelberg (Lake Lucerne), as well as to Germany with stops and or performances in Heidelberg, Neuschwanstein and Füssen, Passau, Dachau, Munich and Vilshofen. In addition to the choir tour, Mount Marty College is also offering an "Alumni, Family and Friends Tour" that will shadow the singers' journey, but offer upgraded accommodations and additional activities. Please check back here for more updates soon or sign up to receive updates via email. Thank you for your interest, Merci und Dankeschoen.

Mount Marty Tour 2012 - updated itinerary for the Choir Tour

Day 1, Sunday, May 13, 2012

Overnight flight to Europe

Incantato is currently holding 44 seats for the choir members out of Sioux Falls via Chicago into Frankfurt airport on United Airlines.

Day 2, Monday, May 14, 2012

Willkommen in Deutschland und der Schweiz

Your Incantato Tour Manager will welcome the Mount Marty College Choir and show you to the tour bus. The first stop is the charming University town of Heidelberg, where a local guide will show you around and you will have some free time for exploring. In the afternoon, continue your travels to Engelberg in Switzerland where a special welcome dinner awaits you.

Day 3, Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Explore your School's Roots - Mass in Engelberg

Immerse yourself in the beauty of the Swiss countryside and one of the most famous spiritual resort towns with its magnificent abbey. Engelberg, your home for the next days, is an ideal location to learn and meet about the Sisters of Maria Rickenbach. Celebrate your arrival with a special Mass.

Day 4, Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Visiting the Sisters - Concert

Visit the Benedictine Monastery of Maria Rickenbach today. As you know, the Mount Marty Monastery was founded by Sisters from Maria Rickenbach and their teaching ministery there eventually had a ripple effect through the Sisters in Yankton. Perform a special concert for the Maria Rickenbach Sisters and their community, in celebration of Mount Marty’s 75th anniversary.

Day 5, Thursday, May 17, 2012

Lucerne Excursion

Explore the beautiful, quaint city of Lucerne in the heartland of Switzerland, where, as legend has it, William Tell shot an apple off of his son's head. This small city, once visited by Mark Twain, is full of historical charm that can be explored by foot as many of the attractions are within walking distance.

Day 6, Friday, May 18, 2012

Scenic Route to Neuschwanstein Castle

Bid farewell to Switzerland as you travel along Lake Constance (optional visit to Mainau) to Bavaria, Germany, where your group has the unique opportunity to spend a night at the Schlosshotel Lisl, situated just below the fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein. You will feel like you are stepping back in time.

Day 7, Saturday, May 19, 2012

Castle Visit and Mass at Wieskirche    

Explore King Ludwig's II most elaborate castle and sing for Mass at the pilgrim church of Wieskirche, in nearby Steingaden. Continue your journey to the Benedictine Abbey of Schweiklberg, near Vilshofen, where a special welcome reception awaits the Mount Marty group. The choir group will be staying at the guesthouse for the remainder of the tour.

Day 8, Sunday, May 20, 2012  

Schweiklberg Abbey Concert   

Celebrate Sunday with the Benedictine congregation at Schweiklberg Abbey: eat, pray, talk, and, last but not least, sing with and for your new friends in the magnificent Stiftskirche.

Day 9, Monday, May 21, 2012   

Passau Excursion and School Visit   

Explore nearby Passau and sing in the magnificent cathedral, then return to Vilshofen for a visit to a local high school/university and get together with students. 

Day 10, Tuesday, May 22, 2012  

Dachau and Munich visit - Frauenkirche Recital   

Take a day trip to Dachau, a village just outside of Munich. Retrace the footsteps of the prisoners at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial site. View firsthand a vital part of our world history while paying homage to those lost in the tragedy. Thereafter, drive to Bavaria's capital city for an orientation tour and free time to see the historical city center.

Day 11, Wednesday, May 23, 2012  

Leisure Day - Abbey Farewell   

There is so much to see and do within easy reach of Schweiklberg Abbey, and we will explore opportunities for today's schedule in the months to come and make the most out of your last full day in Europe. A special farewell celebration and dinner with new friends concludes the day.

Day 12, Thursday, May 24, 2012  

Return to USA  

After a last hearty breakfast at the monastery guest house, bid farewell and say “Auf Wiedersehen” to Schweiklberg, While it is a long way home, your international flight does not leave until midday from Munich's beautiful new airport. The choir group is also booked together on all the flights through to Sioux Falls.

The Benedictine Abbey of Schweiklberg

The Mount Marty Choir will visit the Benedictine Abbey of Schweiklberg during their Incantato tour and pilgrimage "Spiritual Routes" 2012. Schweiklberg is set on a hill above Vilshofen. It was founded in 1904 and has an onion-domed church. The bells rang out to celebrate the abbey's centenary in 2004. Schweiklberg Abbey is always a wonderful place to visit. 

Schweiklberg Abbey is an ecological abbey in a rural setting in Vilshofen, a town on three rivers, in the beautiful Danube valley. The environmentally aware monks use an eco-friendly hydropower plant for their electricity supply. Very recently the abbey has become completely self-sufficient with renewables, thanks to a brand new wood-chip heating plant. Fresh vegetables and flowers are grown in the abbey's own garden nursery. Schweiklberg Abbey has also made a name for itself overseas, primarily through missionary work in Asia and Africa. 

Education, the arts, spiritual guidance, administration, the abbey church, the library, the garden nursery, agriculture and various workshops are just some aspects of the monks' enormously varied work. The abbey's art nouveau church is especially interesting: dedicated to the Holy Trinity in 1925, it has a Klais organ and a Black Africa Museum with valuable masks and cult objects. Currently home to 40 fathers and brothers, Schweiklberg Abbey is part of the Missionary Congregation of St. Ottilia.

Groups and individuals seeking tranquillity and wishing to discover the abbey are very welcome. For those interested in experiencing the abbey more deeply, accommodation is available, with the opportunity of participating in choral prayers, in shared meals or in the various working areas. Through spiritual guidance, visitors gain an insight into the life and the Order of Saint Benedict. There is also a wide-ranging programme of classes and spiritual exercises. St. Bede's House offers accommodation in single or double rooms and several meeting rooms for groups.