Tour members depart on our flight to Frankfurt. After we board our flight for Europe, we will be served dinner according to the airline’s schedule.

Upon arrival in Frankfurt, we are welcomed by our tour escort who will accompany us throughout the whole tour. We board our coach and drive to Rüdesheim. This is followed by a cruise on the Rhine. Then we drive to the city of Mainz. During a city tour, we visit St. Martin’s Cathedral, built in the 8th century and towering in all its might and grandeur. Seven king’s coronations took place over the centuries in the Mainz Cathedral. Then we will get an impression of the birthplace of printing at the Gutenberg- Museum. The heart of the museum’s exhibition are two copies of the world-famous Gutenberg Bible, which are displayed in a special vault. Dinner and overnight are in Mainz.

Today we make our way to Worms, another one of the Luther cities and Germany’s oldest city by the Rhine. A guided city tour shows us St. Peter’s Cathedral, one of three Imperial Cathedrals in Germany and one of the best examples of Romanesque architecture. We see the Church of the Holy Trinity, the oldest Jewish Cemetery in Europe and the world’s largest Memorial to the Reformation. Then we continue to Heidelberg, a gorgeous town on the Neckar River where romanticism is both past and present. A ride with the Heidelberg Railway brings us up to Heidelberg Castle (where the Heidelberg Confession was written in 1653). We visit the castle and the Castle Church. We return to Mainz for dinner and overnight.

Today we drive north with a stop at Nuremberg. According to Luther, Nuremberg was “the eye and the ear of Germany” in those days, because there were 21 printing houses to publish news. We take a walk through the Old Town including Albrecht Dürer House and the churches St. Lorenz and St. Sebald. Dinner and overnight are in Nuremburg.

Today we travel further north to Coburg to visit the famous Veste Coburg, the fortress where Luther took refuge and lived during the Augsburg Confession and one of the largest and best-preserved medieval castles in Germany. While visiting the castle, we’ll see the Luther Room, the art treasures in the various collections, and the royal building with the Luther Chapel. The inside is a museum of medieval military weaponry, venetian glass ware, china, and tapestries. Afterwards, we visit the historical city. Coburg is your quintessential German town: picturesque, great food/wine/beer/coffee/cakes, plenty to see and do. The vibrant “Marktplatz” is the center of the Old Town and a happy, bustling place. Afterwards we come to Erfurt, the spiritual home of Martin Luther. It was here that Luther obtained a degree in 1502 and where he took the decisive step to turn to theology and the monastic life. We explore the Augustinian Monastery, with a permanent exhibit depicting Luther’s life as a monk in Erfurt. Dinner and overnight are in Erfurt.

This morning, we make our way to Eisenach. We will visit the UNESCO World Heritage site Wartburg Castle. Here Luther found refuge during his exile and translated the New Testament from Greek into German. Here we will take a look at the room in which he lived and worked. Then we stroll the city of Eisenach and admire all its beautiful sights, such as the Luther House and St. George’s Church, where Luther preached while “on the run” and later, in 1685, Johann Sebastian Bach was baptized. At Bachhaus, we attend a small concert. Later we proceed to Erfurt. Dinner and overnight are in Erfurt.

Today we continue to Jena where we will visit the John Frederick memorial, the Black Bear Inn where Luther stopped disguised as Knight George, and the university. Then we make our way to the concentration camp Buchenwald and its permanent exhibit. We transfer to Dresden for dinner and overnight.

Today we explore the wonderful Baroque city of Dresden. Highlights include the magnificent palatial buildings around the Theaterplatz and the Brühl Terraces, and the many art treasures at the state museums. Germany’s largest Protestant church, the Frauenkirche has now been fully restored after being damaged during WWII. J.S. Bach was the first to play on the Silberman organ when the church was originally built. Then we make our way to Wittenberg for overnight. Dinner is on your own this evening. Enjoy exploring the city!

After breakfast we depart for Lutherstadt Wittenberg. When it comes to Luther, there is almost no city more important than this one. Then we visit the famous Castle Church door, as well as the Luther House, the town hall, the historic center and the Town and Parish Church, the Marienkirche, the oldest building in Wittenberg. Dinner and overnight are in Wittenberg.

We begin this day with visiting the picturesque Museum Island, which marks Berlin’s historical center. Located here is one of the capital’s most famous buildings, the Berlin cathedral. It took a while, but by now Protestantism is well and truly rooted in Berlin. Then we continue with the magnificent “Reichstag”, where most important decisions are being made by the German government. If possible, we explore this politically important building with a guide and take a walk around the spacious glass-dome, enjoying a fantastic view of the city. Afterwards we enjoy our farewell dinner. Overnight is in Berlin.

We transfer to Berlin airport for our departure back to the U.S.A. and arrive home today with a greater understanding of Martin Luther and the early Christian Church, and full of wonderful memories of the incredible once-in-a lifetime tour to Germany.