What will we see each day?

Our itineraries are designed to be not too full - or too empty! Each day we'll have breakfast at our hotel, followed by the day's activities. Back to top

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Day 1: Overnight Flight to Berlin, Germany.

Our journey back in time begins with an overnight flight from the US. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight! Back to top

Day 2: Arrival in Berlin, Wittenberg.

Willkommen in Deutschland! We'll be greeted at the Berlin Airport by our Reformation Tours expert guide and luxury tour bus for a Berlin orientation tour. We’ll see the famous Brandenburg Gate, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the Cathedral, the Reichstag building and the lively boulevards. This city has undergone momentous change in the 15 years since reunification.

We'll then go back to the time of Luther as we visit Lutherstadt-Wittenberg, the birthplace of the Reformation. This evening we'll have the privilege of joining the international English-speaking Wittenberg English Ministry for a service held in either the Castle Church or the Town Church. After a welcome dinner, we’ll spend our first night in Lutherstadt-Wittenberg. Back to top

Day 3: Wittenberg, Erfurt.

After a breakfast, we'll go to the very place Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses to the door of the Schlosskirche (Castle Church). The original door was destroyed in the Seven Years War. Luther’s texts of the 95 Theses are cast in bronze on the door. Inside the church, we can see Martin Luther's and Phillip Melanchthon’s graves.

Next we'll tour the Lutherhalle (Luther House) Museum. In 1508, when Martin Luther came to Wittenberg, he lived here with other Augustinian monks. Later, Luther and his wife, Katharina von Bora, raised six children here. We'll be able to view some of Luther's very own personal library, rare manuscripts, early Bibles, and some of the very pamphlets that Luther had printed up that stoked the fires of the Reformation.

Next we’ll visit Stadtkirche St. Marien (St. Mary's church) where Luther preached and where his children were baptized. We’ll marvel at the amazing detail in the altar painted by Lucas Cranach in a Reformation theme. We’ll follow this with the Melanchthon House Museum, a tribute to Philipp Melanchthon, who presented the Augsburg Confession of Peace. Melanchthon was second only to Luther as the key person in the Reformation in Germany. He was also a strong advocate of education.

In the afternoon we'll make our way to Erfurt. Tonight, rather than a hotel, we'll have the privilege of staying in Luther’s Augustinian Monastery (subject to availability.) This is a real treat! We will be able to meet and fellowship with the Sisters of the Casteller Ring. This evening we'll be free to sample some local cuisine on our own. Back to top

Day 4: Erfurt, Eisenach.

We’ll begin the day with a guided tour of Erfurt, including St. Mary's Cathedral and St. Severin's Church, ending with a special organ concert performed exclusively for our group.

We will then head for fascinating Eisenach. In 1521, while fleeing from the wrath of the Pope, Luther took refuge in the Wartburg Castle after a fake kidnapping staged by his friend and protector, Frederick the Wise. This is where Luther translated the New Testament into German in just 11 weeks!

In the town of Eisenach, we'll see the splendid Martin Luther Statue in town and St. George's Church. Martin Luther was a school boy in Eisenach and also sang in the choir. In 1521 he preached on his journey to and from the imperial parliament in Worms (The Diet of Worms).

We'll make a brief stop in Marburg, famous for the meeting place of Ulrich Zwingli, the Swiss Reformer from Zurich and Martin Luther in 1529 in an attempt to unify differing doctrinal issues. This was a major event in the Reformation, and we'll be on the spot where it happened. We'll see St. Elizabeth’s Church, dating from 1283 and hear about Phillip of Hesse, a local leader who greatly aided the Lutheran Reformation, and see 14th century frescoes. If time permits, we'll watch the Rathaus (town hall) "ancient mechanical clock, which delights onlookers every hour as various animated figures spring to life," according to author Irving Hexham in “The Christian Travelers Guide to Germany.”

We'll enjoy a relaxed group meal this evening in Rudesheim, on the banks of the Rhine. This beautiful town dates back to before the Roman era. Sites include Siegfried's Mechanical Music Museum, the Drosselgasse, a lively street with live evening music, a Medieval Torture Museum (not for the faint of heart!), and the Rheingau Wine Museum. You can also take a cable car up to the Niederwald Monument for a fabulous view.

We'll stay in Rudesheim for 2 nights, so you'll have a chance to unpack and relax.

Day 5: Rhine Cruise, Mainz, Worms, Rudesheim.
What better way to start the day than with a Rhine cruise! We’ll board the boat at St. Goar and sail past magnificent castles and the famous Loreley rock.

In the afternoon we will take an excursion to Mainz, Alzey and Worms before returning to Rudesheim for the evening meal and overnight stay.

In Mainz we'll focus on the contribution of Johann Gutenberg, who developed moveable type. We'll be amazed as we view original copies of the Bible in the Gutenberg Museum. We'll also visit Mainz Cathedral, dating back to 975.

On the way to Worms, we'll stop at Rheinhessen Castle in Alzey, where 350 Anabaptists were killed in 1529. We will also see the nearby Mennonite village at Weierhof.

In Worms we’ll have a brief local walking tour to see the site of the Worms Debates (Diet of Worms), now a park, with a plaque commemorating the Diet of Worms, the Reformation Monument, St. Peters, and the Church of the Holy Trinity. Our guide will also share about another Reformer, William Tyndale, who finished his printing of the English Bible in Worms, escaping persecution in England. In 1525 his New Testament was printed and smuggled back into England. It was the first translation of the Bible from the original Greek into English --indeed, it was the first translation of a Greek book into English.

This evening we will be free to explore Rudesheim on our own or in small groups and enjoy the local restaurants, before enjoying a second overnight stay in this attractive Rhineland town. Back to top

Day 6: Heidelberg, Strasbourg.
Heidelberg is a gorgeous town on the Neckar River. We’ll have a walking tour of the Old Town, the famous Stone Bridge over the Neckar River, and then tour Heidelberg Castle (see left). This is where the Heidelberg Confession was written in 1653.

Entering France, we head for Strasbourg, home of the E. U.'s European Parliament, the “City of Hope,” or “Refuge of the Righteous” as the Anabaptists refer to it. This is where John Calvin wrote his famous books on systematic theology.

Martin Bucer, another Reformation leader was from Strasbourg and is buried in St. Thomas's Church, the principle Protestant Church since 1549. Also related to Strasbourg was Peter Waldo, whose followers were known as "Waldensians," "Poor in Spirit,” or "Poor Men of Lyons." In 1184 Pope Lucius III excommunicated them, and in 1211 more than 80 were burned as heretics in Strasbourg, beginning several centuries of persecution.

Due to growing persecution in Paris, Calvin settled in Strasbourg to live the life of a quiet Christian scholar and author. His first draft of the Institutes in 1536 was instantly popular as it presented Reformed doctrine in an easy to read, systematic manner. Calvin later went on to Geneva, Switzerland, where the Lord mightily used this Reformer.

We'll tour the Cathedral of Strasbourg, St. Thomas's Church, and also see the Statue of the Reformers in the University, the Astronomical clock and the historic “La Petite Strasbourg” quarter. We'll enjoy some fabulous French cuisine and stay overnight in Strasbourg. Back to top

Day 7: Black Forest, Zurich.

This morning, we'll pass through the Black Forest region of Germany to Switzerland. At Lake Constance, we'll get our cameras out for the Schaffhausen Waterfalls, where the mighty Rhine River roars at Europe's highest waterfall. From there, we will learn the story of Czech Reformer John Hus in Constance. The Constance Cathedral, site of the Council of Constance in 1415, is where Hus was sentenced to death for his so-called heresy. We'll see the Hussenstein, the stone which marks the very spot where Hus was burned at the stake.

Continuing on to Zurich, we’ll meet up with our local expert guide from the International Baptist Church, who will accompany us as we learn much more about Zwingli on a tour of the key Reformation sites in Zurich. We’ll tour Zwingli’s church, the Grossmünster, where we'll hear excerpts from his old sermons and admire the world famous Chagall stained glass windows. Outside, we'll see the Zwingli Statue. We'll have a stroll through the historic Auld Stadt (old city) and enjoy the Swiss heritage. Zwingli walked these very streets! We’ll also see the Helferei (where Zwingli lived). We’ll tour the Guild Hall and Museum, which has some interesting displays and art from the Swiss Reformation. We'll view the Fraumunster, Zurich’s famous Catholic Cathedral.

We'll be staying overnight in the Zurich area and you'll be free to sample typical Swiss cuisine. Back to top


Day 8: Lucerne, Geneva.

This morning we'll visit the charming Swiss town of Lucerne, beginning with a brief walking tour to view the City Walls and famous covered wooden bridges. The Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge) is a symbol of Lucerne and you've seen pictures of it, but now it's time for us to walk its planks. It originally dates back to the 14th century. Close by is the Spreurerbrucke (Spreuer Bridge), dating from 1408. We'll view the ornate patrician houses along the cobbled streets.

In the afternoon we'll take a leisurely drive through spectacular scenery to Geneva, before settling into our hotel for the final two nights. We'll enjoy a group dinner at the hotel this evening.

Day 9: Geneva.

It was here in Geneva that John Calvin and John Knox brought Christ's teachings to eager listeners. Our full-day tour will start at the waterfront, famous for its Flower Clock and English Gardens, and continue to the old town area, where we'll tour Cathedrale St. Pierre (St. Peter’s Cathedral). This is where John Calvin preached and stoked the fires of the Reformation in Geneva, winning thousands to the Lord. You can see Calvin's chair (though you can't sit in it!). It's only 157 steps up to the top of the North Tower, where the view is worth the effort. Under the Cathedral are the ruins of a Roman sanctuary, a 4th century basilica, and a 6th century church.

Close by is the Auditoire de Calvin (Calvin's Academy, also known as The Protestant Lecture Hall), where the inspired theologian himself taught. John Knox also taught here for three years. Next we go to the impressive Reformation Monument. Four statues of four Reformation leaders stand as sentinals:

	William Farel (who brought Calvin to Geneva)
	John Calvin (second only to Luther in the Protestant Reformation)
	Theodore Beza (who succeeded Calvin as leader of the Swiss Reformation)
	John Knox (who taught here before taking the Reformation to Scotland)

We'll have our farewell meal and spend our final night in Geneva.

Day 10: Return

Transfer from the hotel to the airport for our morning flights, arriving back in the US on Sunday evening. Back to top

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• Round trip air from your chosen departure point
• Transportation: via deluxe air-conditioned coaches
• First class and Traditional hotels with bath
• Breakfast daily and meals as indicated in the itinerary
• Professional Tour Escort w/ Expertise in Reformation history
• Professional, licensed local city guides
• Entrance Fees Included as per itinerary
• All transfers, as a group
• Flight bag, luggage tag, trip diary, neck wallet
• Baggage handling (1 piece of baggage per guest)
  

• Meals and beverages not identified in itinerary
• Passports and visas
• Passenger Trip Cancellation Insurance
• Gratuities for Tour Manager, Driver, Local Guides
• Airline transportation taxes
• Air Add-on Cost if applicable

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What are the accommodations like?

Our hotels are chosen for their quality, amenities and proximity to areas of interest. Whenever possible, we choose hotels in town centers, so that you are able to go off and explore in your free time. It may be necessary for us to substitute hotels for others of equal quality. You will be fully informed of any changes that affect you. Enjoy your stay! Click here to see the type of hotels that we'll be using on this tour. Before you leave, you will have 2 lists of all the hotels, with the phone numbers and addresses. Bring one with you and leave one with a friend or relative so they can contact you if necessary.

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