11 days The European Reformation - Faith Based Travel ( 2018 )
Walk in the footsteps of Martin Luther on this Germany vacation highlighting the European Reformation. You'll overnight in Berlin, Wittenberg, Leipzig, Erfurt, Wiesbaden, Nuremberg, Oberammergau, and Munich, and you'll visit Eisleben, Eisenach, Coburg, Worms, Mainz, Rothenburg, Augsburg, and the Rhine Valley along the way.
| Day | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ARRIVE IN BERLIN, GERMANY | Welcome to Berlin! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions, and begin your fellowship at this evening’s welcome dinner at your hotel. Dinner. |
| 2 | BERLIN–WITTENBERG | Sightseeing with a Local Guide in the once-divided metropolis includes the elegant Ku’damm, the restored Reichstag, Charlottenburg Castle, a picture stop at monumental Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial, and the 21-foot Victory Column. Visit the KAISER WILHELM MEMORIAL CHURCH, a memorial to peace and reconciliation, drive along Unter den Linden boulevard, and pass the State Opera House and Checkpoint Charlie, the best known former border between east and west Berlin. In the afternoon, continue to Wittenberg, Martin Luther’s hometown for more than 30 years and birthplace of the Reformation. Breakfast. Dinner |
| 3 | WITTENBERG–LEIPZIG | Enjoy a guided walking tour of Wittenberg and visit the LUTHER HOUSE, where Martin Luther and his family lived. Also visit ST. MARY’S CHURCH, a twin-towered gothic church where Luther preached reform, got married, and baptized his six children. Finally, see the door of Castle Church, where Luther posted his 95 Theses, launching the Reformation in 1517. Continue to Leipzig for a walking tour and a visit to the THOMASKIRCHE, where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as a cantor. Also, see the market square that today is a site for celebrations and festivals, but once was the scene of executions and political demonstrations. Breakfast. Dinner. |
| 4 | LEIPZIG–EISLEBEN–ERFURT | Today, stop in Eisleben, and visit Luther’s BIRTH HOUSE and DEATH HOUSE MUSEUMS, as well as ST. PETER & PAUL CHURCH, where Luther was baptized, and ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH, where Luther preached his last sermon in 1546. Continue to Erfurt, whose 36 churches, 15 monasteries, and other ecclesiastical buildings have earned it the nickname “Thuringian Rome.” The beautiful Old Town preserves the atmosphere Luther must have experienced during his student days. A highlight is an inspirational visit to the AUGUSTINIAN MONASTERY where Luther lived as a monk in his youth, and the unique MERCHANTS’ BRIDGE, lined with half-timbered homes on both sides. Breakfast. |
| 5 | ERFURT. EXCURSION TO EISENACH | Journey to Eisenach and meet your Local Guide. Visit LUTHER HOUSE, ST. GEORGE’S CHURCH, where Luther was a choir boy and later preached, and see the Luther and Bach Memorials. Also, visit beautifully restored WARTBURG CASTLE, where he lived in disguise as “Knight George.” It was during this period that Luther translated the New Testament from Ancient Greek into German in just ten weeks. Breakfast. Dinner. |
| 6 | ERFURT–COBURG–WIESBADEN | Continue south today to Coburg and visit fascinating COBURG FORTRESS, where Luther lived protected during the Imperial Diet of Augsburg in 1530. As an outlaw of the Holy Roman Empire, he could not attend the Imperial Diet of Augsburg, but instead spent his time continuing his work translating the Bible and writing on Reformation issues. Breakfast. Dinner. |
| 7 | WIESBADEN. EXCURSION TO THE RHINE VALLEY, WORMS & MAINZ | Enjoy a scenic RHINE CRUISE past castle-crested cliffs, terraced vineyards, and half-timbered towns. In Worms, where the Imperial Council passed judgment on Luther in 1521, visit the CATHEDRAL where Luther presented his case, as well as TRINITY CHURCH and the Reformation monument. Continue to Mainz to visit the GUTENBERG MUSEUM, which houses original copies of the Bible. Breakfast. |
| 8 | WIESBADEN–ROTHENBURG–NUREMBERG | Journey to the medieval walled town of Rothenburg, where your walking tour takes you to ST. JACOB’S CHURCH with its masterpiece Altar of the Holy Blood. Afterwards, there is time to shop for the town’s famed Christmas ornaments. On to Nuremberg, the first town to accept the Reformation in 1525. Your walking tour features the gothic ST. LORENZ LUTHERAN CHURCH, where you can pause for quiet meditation. Breakfast. Dinner. |
| 9 | NUREMBERG–AUGSBURG–OBERAMMERGAU | In Augsburg, guided sightseeing reveals the city where Luther and his followers proclaimed their faith. Continue to picturesque Oberammergau. Breakfast. Dinner. |
| 10 | OBERAMMERGAU–MUNICH | In Munich, explore Germany’s “Secret Capital” with your local guide, including the Olympic Stadium, the 1,000-foot-high Television Tower, MARIENPLATZ with the Old and the New Town Halls, and the gothic Frauenkirche. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner at your hotel. Breakfast. Dinner. |
| 11 | MUNICH | Your Reformation discovery ends with breakfast this morning. Breakfast. |