11-Day Tour of Germany

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 on-board 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 Neues Museum where one can find among many other archaeological treasures the world-renowned bust of Nefertiti. 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 begin our tour in Wittenberg with a visit to the temporary exhibition “Luther” located in the Augusteum that was built in the mid-1580s. As Luther House is currently closed for renovation, selected pieces will be exhibited here. Luther hall was once an Augustinian monastery where Luther lived as a monk and again later 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.

This morning, 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. Following lunch, we continue to Stotternheim to view the Luther memorial, and then 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. We start with a visit of Augustinian Monastery, with a permanent exhibit depicting Luther’s life as 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 Church of St. Severus. Dinner and overnight are in Erfurt.

Today, we continue to nearby Eisenach and get the chance to tour the magnificent Wartburg Castle where Luther, disguised as “Junker Jorg” (the Knight George), translated the New Testament into German. We enjoy a city tour, including a visit to St. George Church 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 will also add a brief stop in Moehra, Luther’s ancestral home. We return to Eisenach for overnight and dinner.

Following breakfast, a 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 individual-contributor of the Second Millennium. Of course, we also tour the city core and learn about St. Martin’s Cathedral. Next, we continue to St. Goar where we meet our boat for a cruise in the Rhine River, one of the most picturesque stretches of this majestic waterway. We’ll sail past magnificent castles and the famous Loreley rock. Our cruise ends in charming wine village of Rudesheim, which dates back to before the Roman era. Our tour includes its history in winemaking and a wine-tasting in combination with our dinner. Overnight stay is in Rudesheim.

After breakfast, we visit Worms, thought to be one of the oldest towns in Germany. Luther was summoned here in 1521 to appear before Emperor Charles V to recant his teachings before the Diet of Worms, a historic assembly that was to change the course of Christianity. We visit the world’s largest Reformation Monument and St. Peter’s Cathedral, situated on the highest elevation of the inner city. The cathedral is one of the most exquisite examples of Romanesque architecture. Then, we continue to 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. Dinner and overnight in Heidelberg.

Today we travel into 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. A short transfer brings us to Fuessen, a charming Bavarian town nestled at the foot of the Alps. We enjoy some leisure time to explore the historic streets and the colorful old town. Dinner and overnight in Fuessen.

Following breakfast, we start the day with a visit of the Wieskirche, one of Germany’s most famous churches from the baroque period. We continue our travels to a small, picturesque village in the Alps which is known all over the world: Oberammergau, the “Passion Play village with heart” Oberammergau is not only known for its World-Famous Passion Play, but also for its woodcarving craft and for its colorful and attractive frescoes known as Luftlmalereien. We then depart for Garmisch-Partenkirchen where we have 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.