Today we depart the United States on our overnight transatlantic flight to Venice, Italy.

Meals and refreshments will be served aloft.

Benvenuti in Italia!

Upon arrival at Venice Airport, meet our representative and transfer by private boat toward one of the world’s most extraordinary cities.

Built upon islands in the Venetian Lagoon, Venice was for centuries one of Europe’s great centers of trade, culture, art and publishing.

After checking into our hotel, enjoy an introductory walking tour through Venice.

Our sightseeing includes magnificent St. Mark’s Square, the exterior of St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and the narrow streets and canals that make Venice unlike any other city in the world.

Tonight we gather for our Welcome Dinner, beginning our journey together.

Dinner & Overnight: Venice

Following breakfast, we continue our exploration of Venice.

Today we look beyond the magnificent architecture and canals to discover a fascinating and often overlooked chapter of Christian history:

THE REFORMATION IN VENICE

During the 16th century, Venice was one of Europe’s great centers of printing and publishing.

As the teachings and writings of Martin Luther and other Reformers spread throughout Europe, Reformation ideas also reached Italy.

Venice’s printers, merchants, intellectuals and extensive trading connections helped make the city an important point for the circulation of new religious ideas.

We learn about those Italians who became interested in the teachings of Luther and other Reformers and the challenges faced by those who questioned established religious authority.

Our sightseeing also explores Venice’s broader Christian heritage, including St. Mark’s Basilica, one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.

The remainder of the afternoon allows time to explore Venice independently, enjoy its shops and cafés or perhaps experience a traditional gondola ride.

Breakfast & Overnight: Venice

After breakfast, we say farewell to Venice and begin our journey north.

Travel through the Veneto region toward historic Verona.

Best known as the setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Verona is also one of northern Italy’s most beautiful historic cities.

Enjoy an orientation tour including Piazza Bra, the Roman Arena, Piazza delle Erbe and portions of the medieval center.

Following time for lunch, continue north through some of Europe’s most spectacular scenery.

Our route carries us through the Italian Dolomites and across the Alps toward Austria.

Arrive in Innsbruck, historic capital of the Austrian Tyrol.

Surrounded by magnificent mountains, Innsbruck has for centuries stood along one of the principal routes connecting Italy with the German-speaking lands to the north.

Tonight enjoy dinner in this beautiful Alpine setting.

Breakfast, Dinner & Overnight: Innsbruck

Following breakfast, enjoy a morning introduction to Innsbruck’s historic Old Town.

See the famous Golden Roof, the Imperial Palace area and the colorful medieval buildings set against the dramatic backdrop of the Austrian Alps.

As we travel north, we consider the world of the Holy Roman Empire into which Martin Luther was born and the political and religious environment surrounding the Protestant Reformation.

Cross into Germany and continue toward Augsburg.

MARTIN LUTHER & AUGSBURG

Augsburg occupies an important place in the story of the Reformation.

In 1518, Martin Luther came here to appear before Cardinal Cajetan and defend his teachings.

Visit St. Anne’s Church, associated with Luther’s stay in Augsburg.

We also learn about the Diet of Augsburg in 1530, when Protestant leaders presented Emperor Charles V with the Augsburg Confession.

Largely written by Philipp Melanchthon, the Augsburg Confession became one of the foundational statements of Lutheran Christianity.

Following our visit, continue south into the Bavarian Alps toward the beautiful village of Oberammergau.

Breakfast, Dinner & Overnight: Oberammergau

Today we enjoy a more leisurely day in the beautiful Ammergau Alps as we prepare for tomorrow’s extraordinary experience.

Begin by exploring the picturesque village of Oberammergau.

See its famous painted houses, traditional woodcarving shops and the magnificent Alpine scenery surrounding the village.

We learn about a remarkable promise made nearly four centuries ago.

A PROMISE MADE IN 1633

During the Thirty Years’ War, plague swept through Europe and eventually reached Oberammergau.

In 1633, the villagers made a solemn vow that if they were spared from further deaths, they would regularly perform a play depicting the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In 1634, the villagers fulfilled their promise by presenting the first Passion Play.

Generation after generation has continued that tradition.

We see the Passion Play Theatre and learn about the extraordinary commitment of the villagers who participate in the production.

Later, visit nearby Linderhof Palace, the beautiful retreat built by Bavaria’s King Ludwig II.

Return to Oberammergau.

Tonight, our Tour Host may wish to lead a special devotional and time of prayer, preparing our hearts for tomorrow’s Passion Play.

Breakfast, Dinner & Overnight: Oberammergau

THE SPIRITUAL CENTERPIECE OF OUR JOURNEY

Today we experience an event that occurs only once every ten years:

THE OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY

For nearly four centuries, generations of villagers have fulfilled the promise their ancestors made in 1633.

Today, we become part of that remarkable story.

Our morning is intentionally unhurried, allowing time to enjoy the village and reflect upon what we are about to experience.

Then we make our way to the Passion Play Theatre.

For approximately five hours, we watch the story of the final days of Jesus Christ unfold before us.

Following breakfast, enjoy a relaxed morning after our late evening at the Passion Play.

Before leaving the Oberammergau region, we can include additional sightseeing in the Bavarian Alps.

Depending upon the group’s interests and final timing, this could include Ettal, Garmisch-Partenkirchen or additional time in Oberammergau.

Later, continue north toward Munich, the historic capital of Bavaria.

Upon arrival, begin our introduction to the city at Marienplatz, the heart of Munich’s Old Town.

See the famous New Town Hall and Glockenspiel and walk through portions of the historic center.

Tonight enjoy dinner and overnight in Munich.

Breakfast, Dinner & Overnight: Munich

Today we devote a full day to Munich and its remarkable history.

Bavaria remained one of the strongest Catholic territories during and after the Protestant Reformation, making Munich an interesting counterpoint to the Reformation sites we have already visited.

We explore the historic Old Town, including Marienplatz, Frauenkirche, the Residenz area and other important landmarks.

PROTESTANT MUNICH

We also discover the lesser-known story of Protestantism in Munich.

Visit St. Matthew’s Church, Munich’s principal Evangelical Lutheran church.

Its predecessor was Munich’s first Protestant church, reflecting the gradual establishment and growth of Protestant Christianity in a city long identified with Roman Catholic Bavaria.

This provides an excellent conclusion to the Reformation story we began in Venice and continued through Augsburg.

Our Munich sightseeing can also incorporate important chapters of more recent German history, including the city’s connections to the rise of National Socialism and World War II.

Rather than ending our journey simply with sightseeing, today allows us to consider how religion, political power, conscience and individual conviction have repeatedly intersected throughout European history.

Enjoy some free time this afternoon for shopping or independent exploration.

Tonight gather for our special Farewell Dinner.

Breakfast, Farewell Dinner & Overnight: Munich

Following breakfast, transfer to Munich International Airport for our return flight to the United States.

As we journey home, we reflect upon an extraordinary experience.

From the canals and churches of Venice, we followed the spread of Reformation ideas northward.

We crossed the magnificent Alps into the lands of the Protestant Reformation.

In Augsburg, we walked in the footsteps of Martin Luther and remembered the Augsburg Confession.

In Oberammergau, we witnessed a nearly 400-year-old promise come alive as an entire village told the story of the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And in Munich, we explored the complicated relationship between faith, history and political power.

We return home with wonderful memories, new friendships and, we pray, a deeper appreciation for those throughout history who stood upon their faith—and for the One at the center of that faith:

JESUS CHRIST.