European Tours

12 Day Sites of Luther Reformation Tour

Featuring Highlights of Germany

Your Exciting Reformation Itinerary
via Lufthansa Airlines, Continental Airlines, Swiss Air

DAY 01 – U.S.A.
Tour members depart for Europe. After take-off we will be served dinner, and breakfast.

DAY 02 – ARRIVE BERLIN
Upon arrival at Berlin's Tegel Airport we will be met by our Guide-Tour Director who will be with us on our entire time in Germany. Enroute to our hotel, we will enjoy a panoramic tour including some of the major sights of the now unified Berlin and capital of Germany. Tonight after dinner a brief Orientation Session, we will have the details of our exciting tour explained. Time tonight to stroll the fascinating Kurfurstendam with its many outdoor cafes and bustling nightlife.

DAY 03 – IN BERLIN
After our continental breakfast we begin our full day of sightseeing. We will see the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, visit the incredible Pergamum Museum, the Berlin Cathedral, Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, and the Soviet Victory Monument, and Check point Charlie, Alexander Platz. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 04 – WITTENBERG / TORGAU / LEIPZIG
After breakfast we travel southward from Berlin through the unusual countryside of what was East Germany to Luther's city, Wittenberg, situated on the northern shores of the Elbe River. In 1502 the University of Wittenberg was founded, in 1508 Luther received his Professorship and in 1517 he posted his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church. Wittenberg was his home for over 30 years. We will visit the Luther House, Melanchton House, the Castle Church where Luther and Melanchton lie buried, the town church with its Lucas Cranach Altar, see the Cranach House where Lucas the painter lived. We will stop for lunch at the city market place. Early afternoon we will leave for Torgau. It was in Torgau 1530 that Luther, Melanchton, Jonas and Bugenhagen drew up the Torgau Articles, an essential part of the Augsburg Confession. Torgau is where Katherine, the wife of Luther, is buried at the Pastor Church. She died December 20, 1552. We will visit the Church and then leave for Leipzig where we will visit St. Thomas Church where Johan Sebastian Bach served as Cantor and Choirmaster for over 25 years. The church also contains Bach's tomb. We will enjoy dinner and overnight in Leipzig.

DAY 05 – LEIPZIG / HALLE / EISLEBEN / ERFURT
After breakfast we will visit St. Nicholas Church (oldest church in Leipzig – 12th Century); the demonstrations that initiated the peaceful political change emanated from here. Next we visit Lutzen where the Swedish King, Gustov Adolphus, died in battle in 1632 defeating Wallenstein and ending the 30-year war. A chapel commemorates this event. On our way to Eisleben we pass by Halle. This is where George Friedrich Handel was born. Eisleben is where Dr. Martin Luther was born, November 10, 1483. The next day he was brought to St. Peters to be baptized on the day of St. Martinus and was given that name. In Eisleben we will tour where Luther was born, baptized, preached his last sermon and died. We plan to have lunch in the market and after touring we travel to Erfurt for dinner and overnight.

DAY 06 – ERFURT / EISENACH
After breakfast we will start our touring of Erfurt. We will visit the Cathedral where Luther said his first mass, St. Severin's Church, the tradesmen's bridge, the University, and the Monastery. We now travel to Eisenach where we will have lunch in the market. After lunch, we will visit the Luther Haus, the Bach home and St. George's Church. Then we will visit the Wartburg. This is one of Germany's famous castles. In this castle, Luther was provided safe haven after the Diet of Worms by the elector. While at the Wartburg, Luther translated the New Testament from Greek into German. We will have dinner and overnight in Eisenach.

DAY 07 – COBURG / NURENBERG / ROTHENBURG
After breakfast we drive to Coburg and visit the fortress where Luther stayed for six months while the Augsburg Imperial Diet was in session and the Augsburg Confession was professed. Next we drive to Nurenberg where we plan to visit Albert D¸rer's house. We remember his praying hands. Also we remember that it was here that Nazi war criminals were tried. We travel on to Rothenburg, where we will have dinner and overnight.

DAY 08 – ROTHENBURG / AUGSBURG / MUNICH
After breakfast we tour Rothenburg. It is one of the few remaining walled cities of Europe. This perfectly preserved medieval city with ramparts, towers, and interesting gateway's which dates back to the 11th Century. It is often referred to as German's "fairy-tale" city. After sightseeing on foot, we visit St. Jacob's Church and see the Last Supper carved in wood, the Town Hall, and the Christmas Store. We leave for Augsburg and Munich. We visit Augsburg. This is the site of the Augsburg Confession. We see the town hall and visit St. Anne's Church where Luther stayed in 1518. Next we travel to Munich for dinner and overnight. We will have dinner at the Hofbrauhaus where we will enjoy folksinging and those who like, German beer.

DAY 09 – MUNICH / NEUSCHWANSTEIN / OBERAMMERGAU
After breakfast we leave early for a full day tour of Bavaria. The drive commences with traveling through spectacular mountain scenery, past snow-capped alps, crystalline lakes and rustic villages to Neuschwanstein to see the famous castle built by mad King Ludwig and the basis for Walt Disney's famous fairytale castle. A short drive then brings us to the tiny village of Oberammergau, site of the world famous Passion Play which is performed every 10 years; We will visit the general area where the Passion Play is performed and see many beautiful painted houses before driving back to Munich, Bavaria's lively capital. We will tour Gothic Town Hall, Marienplatz, Karlstor Gate and Our Lady's Cathedral. Dinner and overnight in Munich.

DAY 10 – HEIDELBERG / WORMS
This morning after breakfast we drive to the romantic medieval city of Heidelberg, delightfully situated on the Neckar River. We will visit the castle, the famous stone bridge, Church of the Holy Ghost and then leave for Worms. This is the site of Luther's trial for heresy and it was in the Cathedral, standing before the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, that he uttered his faith affirming death defying proclamation "Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me". After visiting the Cathedral, we visit the Luther Monument and the Church of the Holy Trinity, a Lutheran Church. We now drive to Mainz-Rudesheim area for dinner and overnight.

DAY 11 – MAINZ / RUDESHEIM
This morning we tour Mainz. One of the most popular attractions in the Rhineland devoted to the life and times of Mainz's most famous and influential son, Johannes Gutenberg (1390-1468). It was in Mainz in 1456 that Gutenberg built the first machine that could print from movable type. The significance of his invention was immense leading to an explosion in the availability of information. In the museum is one of only 47 existing copies of the Gutenberg Bible. Right next to the museum is the third of the Rhine's great Romanesque Cathedrals. We will visit it. The Cathedral dates from the end of the eleventh Century. Next we will take our Rhine cruise past the Lorelei, view castles, barges and pleasure boats. We will travel a portion of the wine route through small villages each with their own winery. Tonight a special farewell dinner.

DAY 12 – FRANKFURT / U.S.A.
We board our flight for home enriched with happy memories of new experiences and friendships made and a rewarding tour to the Luther country and charming Germany.

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