 Our trek into the clouds will start where the European Alps rise out of the sea along the "Riviera of Flowers." After a glimpse at the principality of Monaco, we ll sniff our way through fragrant Grasse, take a peek at Provence from the Citadel of Sisteron and enjoy a little "joie de vivre." Locals perform music in the streets of the Lake Country of Italy and Switzerland, before we sample a little Swiss chocolate and Italian gelatto in the Italian Alps. We ll find some amazing surprises among the island palazzos and romantic promenades of Lago Maggiore and Lago Como, and explore the cobblestone shopping streets of beautiful Bellagio. After studying ancient petroglyphs at the Val Camonica, we re off to the tasty markets of Bolzano. Climbing into Italy s Dolomites, we hike the green pastures of the highest plateau in Europe. Riding the Strada delle Dolomiti to Cortina d Ampezzo leads to a traditional local celebration. Down the Rhine to Liechtenstein takes us through the storybook lands of a country the size of a postage stamp. Among highland chalets, we ll discover the crafts of a country in neutral, Switzerland. We ll catch up to the shy chamois and the regal ibex, and walk among thousands of alpine flowers in the Swiss Alps. Vertical walls and waterfalls drain the glaciers of the Jungfrau massif, where we ll climb above the snowline and reach the highest railway station in Europe. Continuing on, we ll climb over, under and through alpine passes in cog trains and trams to reach alpine heights. We ll hike Zermatt and the Matterhorn. We ll eat well, then pick a fight with marmots. Europe s largest national park awaits us in the Austrian Alps as we ride the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse to see Austria s highest peak. We ll "take the waters" at some "bad" spas and peek into an underground salt mine. In the Salzkammergut, youngsters show us the meaning of gemütlichkeit, before we listen for The Sound Of Music at the birthplace of the classics, the musical city of Salzburg. Hopping the border to Bavaria, we ll lift a stein, then head to Neuschwanstein, King Ludwig s fairy-tale castle on the edge of the Bavarian Alps. Leaving summer activities below, we ll enjoy winter sports high on Germany s Zugspitze peak. We ll visit Slovenia s Lake Bled, and enjoy the alpenglow of Lake Bohinj at the eastern reaches of the Slovenian Alps. A "sea of ice" awaits us at the foot of Mont Blanc, where we ll climb to the highest peak in Western Europe and soar above the French Alps.