Day
1: Thursday, May 31, 2007: Departure
We will depart from Houston for our overnight transatlantic
flight to Berlin, Germany.
Day
2: Friday, June 1, 2007: Berlin (B/D)
Upon our early morning arrival in Berlin,
our European Tour Director will greet and escort us to our waiting
deluxe, air-conditioned motor coach. We will begin our visit
to Berlin with a city tour highlighting the three centers of
Berlin. The west around Kurfuerstendamm Blvd and Memorial Church,
the new center around Potsdamer Square and the east around Unter
den Linden, Brandenburg Gate and Alexanderplatz. Tonight, we
will have a special welcome dinner and orientation. Overnight
in Berlin.
Day
3: Saturday, June 2, 2007: Berlin, Wittenberg (B)
This morning we have the choice of shopping, resting or exploring.
The Pergamon Museum houses an amazing series of Biblical artifacts,
including the Pergamon Altar from Pergamon in Turkey, one of
the seven churches of Revelation.
In the afternoon we will head south to Lutherstadt-Wittenberg,
where the Reformation officially began on October 31, 1517.
Our local guide will take us 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, but was replaced with Luther’s texts of the
95 Theses, cast in bronze. Inside the church we can see Martin
Luther’s grave.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 Katherina
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.
The tour will also include the Stadtkirche St. Marien (St. Mary’s
Church) where Luther preached and where his children were baptized.
We’ll marvel at the amazing detail on the altar by Lucas
Cranach in a Reformation theme.
In the evening
we’ll also have the opportunity to meet and pray with
the staff of the Wittenberg English Ministry and share a meal
with them after the service.
Day
4: Sunday, June 3, 2007: Erfurt, Buchenald B/D)
When
we arrive in medieval Erfurt,
we’ll tour St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Augustinian
Monastery, the Old University and St. Severin’s Church,
ending with a special organ concert performed exclusively for
our group. In the afternoon we’ll take a sobering visit
to Buchenwald concentration camp and pause to remember those
dark days. In the evening we’ll be free to sample the
local cuisine and take a stroll through this delightful Thuringian
town. We’ll stay overnight in Erfurt.
Day
5: Monday, June 4, 2007: Wartburg Castle, Eisenach, Rüdesheim
(B/D)
This morning we’ll travel to the imposing Wartburg Castle,
where Luther took refuge 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 nearby 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 then make our way to Rüdesheim
on the banks of the Rhine, for dinner and the first of two nights
in this attractive location.
Day
6: Tuesday, June 5, 2007: Rhine Cruise, Mainz, Rüdesheim
(B)
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. We’ll then have the afternoon to explore Rüdesheim,
a town dating back to the pre-Roman era. Attractions include
Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Museum, the Drosselgasse,
a lively street with life 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.
In the afternoon
we’ll take an excursion to nearby Mainz
and visit the Gutenberg Museum which includes original copies
of the Gutenberg Bible! Tonight we’ll be free to sample
the local cuisine as we’ll spend a second night in Rüdesheim.
Day
7: Wednesday, June 6, 2007: Worms, Heidelberg, Black Forest,
Triberg(B)
On our way south, we’ll stop in Worms
for a brief stop to see the site of the Worms Debates (Diet
of Worms), now a park, with a plaque commemorating the Diet
of Worms and the Reformation Monument. Our guide will also tell
us about another Reformer, William
Tyndale, who finished his printing of the English Bible
in Worms, escaping persecution in England. Our lunch stop will
be in Heidelberg, a gorgeous town on the Neckar River. The stone
bridge and castle are magnificent. Driving through the Black
Forest, we’ll end our day with a group dinner and overnight
in the resort of Triberg.
Day
8: Thursday, June 7, 2007: SWITZERLAND: Schaffhausen Falls,
Zürich,
Interlaken (B/D)
This
morning we’ll cross into beautiful Switzerland to explore
Zürich,
Ulrich
Zwingli's city. We’ll tour Zwingli’s church,
the Grossmünster and we will also see the “Helferei”
where Zwingli lived. Other notable sights are the Fraumünster
and Zürich’s historic Alt Stadt (old city). The highlight
will be a relaxing cruise on Lake Zürich. We’ll enjoy
a group dinner and the then pass through Luzern on our way to
the Interlaken area for a two-night stay.
Day 9: Friday, June 8, 2007: Swiss Alps, Lauterbrunnen Valley,
Murren (B/D)
Today we have a full day to explore the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
Regarded as one of the most spectacular glacial valleys in Europe,
the valley lies surrounded by the unspoiled natural beauty of
the magnificent Swiss Alps. In the afternoon, we’ll ride
the funicular railway to the picturesque resort of Murren. This
is a car-free village perched atop a cliff, surrounded by the
unbelievable panorama of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains.
Day
10: Saturday, June 9, 2007: Chillon Castle, Montreux, Geneva
(B,D)
On
the way to Geneva, we’ll stop at Chillon Castle, standing
on the banks of Lake Geneva and the inspiration for Lord Byron’s
poem “The Prisoner of Chillon”. We’ll take
a tour of this impressive fortress, before making our way along
the bank of Lake Geneva, also known as Lac Léman, to
Geneva. Dinner and overnight in Geneva. After dinner we’ll
take an evening cruise and see the city lights reflecting on
Lake Geneva.
Day
11: Sunday, June 10, 2007: Geneva (B)
Today we will have a full day to tour Geneva
and learn more about John
Calvin, the French Protestant theologian and John Knox,
the Scottish Reformer, who both spent several years here as
pastors. 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 will tour Cathédrale 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. Close by is the Auditoire de Calvin (Calvin’s
Academy), also know as the Protestant Lecture Hall, where the
inspired theologian himself taught. John Knox also taught here
for three years. Next we’ll go to the impressive Reformation
Monument. Our tour will include Rainpalais Cemetery, the University
Library, the Historical Museum of the Reformation and Calvin
College. Geneva is also well-known as a headquarter for many
international organizations and we’ll view the headquarters
of the World Council of Churches, the Red Cross, the Town Hall,
as well as Ariana Park and the colorful Old Town. Opportunity
to sample local Swiss cuisine this evening. Overnight in Geneva.
Day
12: Monday, June 11, 2007: Flight home
All good things must come to an end. As we fly out of Geneva
this morning, we treasure the memories of the last 12 days.
ReformationTours reserves the rights to alter
itineraries without notice should it become necessary. While
on tour, if conditions necessitate changes, or if certain features
are unavailable or limited, we reserve the right to vary or
substitute alternatives. All prices are calculated at the exchange
rate in effect at the time of this quotation. Should currency
fluctuations necessitate an adjustment in tour price the adjusted
price will be reflected in the final invoice.