Tour members depart on our flight for Germany. After boarding our flight, we will be served meals according to airline schedules. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the onboard entertainment.

After arriving in Berlin, we are met by our tour guide and board our motor coach to begin touring the city. Our sightseeing tour includes the city-center with the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Nicolai quarter, the boulevard Unter den Linden, Checkpoint Charlie, Charlottenburg Castle, Reichstag (from outside), and Brandenburg Gate. This afternoon is at leisure to visit one of the many museums on Museum Island, such as the Pergamon, which houses an outstanding collection of Grecian and Babylonian art and architecture brought here by German archaeologists. Dinner and overnight are in Berlin.

After our bountiful German breakfast, we have a short drive through the German countryside to Wittenberg, which was the main workplace of Martin Luther from 1508. We visit Luther Hall, the Augustinian monastery where Luther lived as a monk then again in 1525 as owner with his wife and family. Luther Hall is the largest museum of Reformation history in the world. We visit the Market Square and Town Hall. Then we tour All Saints Church, the famous site where Luther posted his 95 Theses on the Castle Church door, sparking the beginning of the Reformation. It is here that Luther is buried alongside his fellow reformer, Philipp Melanchthon. We tour St. Mary’s Church, where Luther did the majority of his preaching. This afternoon, we attend an organ concert at the City Church. Dinner and overnight are in Wittenberg.

After breakfast, we drive to Eisleben and tour the house where Luther was born in 1483 and the house where he died in 1546. We then continue to the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul where Luther was baptized. Afterwards, we go to St. Andrew’s Church, where Luther preached his last four sermons and where his body was laid in state. We now enjoy a scenic drive to visit the majestic city of Leipzig. We visit St. Nicholas Church, the home of the faithful “Pray for Peace” Christians and the powerful force that transformed Germany’s East and West. We visit the magnificent St. Thomas Church where Luther preached and Johann Sebastian Bach performed and directed the famous St. Thomas Boys Choir. It was here that Schiller wrote his immortal “Ode to Joy,” later to be adopted as the principal theme of “Beethoven’s 9th Symphony” (which was also written in Leipzig). At the end of the day we experience the St. Thomas Boy Choir during a small concert at St. Thomas Church. Dinner and overnight are in Leipzig.

A two-hour drive brings us to the capital of Sachsen (a state of Germany). Dresden is situated on the banks of the river Elbe. During our city tour by bus and on foot we see Zwinger Palace, the protestant Church of our Lady, the catholic Court Church, Semper opera building, Bruehlscheterraces, Residence castle, and Pillnitz castle. In the afternoon, we continue on to Erfurt, the spiritual home of Martin Luther. It was here that Luther obtained a bachelor’s degree in 1502 and a master’s in 1505. He also took the decisive step here to turn to theology and the monastic life, when he was caught in a violent thunderstorm nearby and took a vow to become a monk. Our walking tour begins in the historical section of the city, including St. Mary’s Cathedral, where Luther was ordained as a priest. We also visit the Augustinian Monastery, with a permanent exhibit depicting Luther’s life as a monk. Then we continue to visit the Church of St. Severus. Dinner and overnight are in Erfurt.

After breakfast, we come to the city of Weimar. We explore the city of Goethe and Schiller with a short city tour. Then we drive to nearby Eisenach and we enjoy a city tour, including a visit to the Luther House where Luther lived during his scholarship and the Bach House. Housed at this museum is an extensive collection of instruments from the 16th to 19th century and a permanent exhibition on the life and work of J.S. Bach. Here we enjoy a musical performance on historical instruments. We stay in Eisenach for overnight and dinner.

We start the day with touring the magnificent Wartburg Castle where Luther, disguised as “Junker Jörg” (the Knight George), translated the New Testament into German. Thena drive from the east of Germany to the west brings us to the river Rhine and to the city of Mainz, the birthplace of printing, and we visit the Gutenberg Museum where the evolution of printing is documented. Here Gutenberg’s first Bible and the world’s tiniest Bible are on display. Johannes Gutenberg is considered to be the most important individualcontributor of the Second Millennium. Of course we also tour the city core and learn about St. Martin’s Cathedral. Next, we continue to the charming wine village of Rüdesheim, which dates back to before the Roman era. Our tour includes its history in wine-making and a wine-tasting in combination with our dinner. Overnight stay is in Rüdesheim.

After breakfast, we meet our boat for a cruise on the Rhine River, one of the most picturesque stretches of this majestic waterway. We’ll sail past magnificent castles and the famous Loreley rock. Next, we visit Heidelberg, a gorgeous town on the Neckar River where romanticism is both past and present. Our walking tour includes the Old Town, the famous Stone Bridge over the Neckar River, the Heidelberg Castle (where the Heidelberg Confession was written in 1653), the Castle Church, German Apothecary Museum, and the Church of the Holy Ghost. Next, we cross the border of France and we come to the city of Strasbourg. We have dinner and overnight in Strasbourg.

After breakfast, we start for a city tour of Strasbourg, known as one of Europe’s most beautiful cities and homeof the European Union’s Parliament. We tour the Cathedral of Strasbourg, featuring carvings as delicate as lacework. We stop in the historic La Petite Strasbourg, a riverfront neighborhood that appears to be straight out of a fairytale book. Afterwards, we head for Colmar another very nice and famous city in Alsace. The frame houses of this city a worthwhile a visit. Our day continues to be filled with breathtaking sights as we cross over the borders back to Germany and then to Switzerland and visit the spectacular natural beauty at Rhine Falls, Europe’s largest waterfall. Dinner and overnight are in the Constance area.

Today, we drive around Lake Bodensee, and through the Bavarian Alps. We stop for a visit to spectacular Neuschwanstein Castle, the famous fairytale castle of King Ludwig. This fantastic castle was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s castles. Next, we visit Wieskirche one of Germany’s most famous churches from the baroque period. We continue to Munich for dinner and overnight.

Today, we visit Munich, the fun-filled capital of Bavaria. Our sightseeing tour highlights the Old Pinakothek Museum, Olympic Park, Deutsches Museum, Nymphenburg Palace, the Town Hall and its famous Glockenspiel. We have free time in the afternoon to stroll through the Marienplatz with its numerous shops or visit the fresh produce and flower markets. You could also visit the world famous Hofbrauhaus, complete with authentic Bavarian food and entertainment. This evening we gather for our Farewell Dinner and our final overnight in Munich.

We transfer to the Munich Airport this morning for our flight to the U.S.A. We arrive home the same day.