DATE

TENTATIVE DAILY ITINERARY

MON, SEP 13

Tour originates in (TBD) for overnight flight to Berlin

Our journey back in time begins with an overnight flight from the US. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight!

TUES, SEP 14
Arrival in Berlin

We'll be greeted at the Berlin Airport by our Reformation Tours expert guide and luxury tour bus for a bus orientation tour of Berlin. We'll see the famous Brandenburg Gate, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the Cathedral, the Reichstag building and the lively boulevards. This evening we'll enjoy a welcome dinner.

WED, SEP 15
Wittenberg

After breakfast, we drive to Wittenberg, the birthplace of the Reformation. We start at the very place Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses to the door of the Schlosskirche (Castle Church). The original door was destroyed in the Seven Years War. Luther's texts of the 95 Theses are cast in bronze on the door. Next we'll tour the Lutherhalle (Luther House) Museum. In 1508, when Martin Luther came to Wittenberg, he lived here with other Augustinian monks. Later, Luther and his wife, Katharina von Bora, raised six children here. We'll walk to the very site where Luther burned Rome's Papal Bull condemning him as a heretic. Next we'll visit Stadtkirche St. Marien (St. Mary's church) where Luther preached and where his children were baptized. The afternoon will be free to enjoy Wittenberg or relax. We'll meet up again for a shared meal and we'll overnight in Wittenberg.

THUR, SEP 16
Eisleben, Erfurt

This morning we'll take an excursion to Eisleben, one of Luther's favorite towns and a charming town still today. We'll tour the house where Luther was born and the house where he died. We also visit the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, where Luther was baptized and St. Andrew's Church with the Luther pulpit from where Luther preached his last sermon. We'll tour St. Anne's, an old miner's church famous for the Biblical Scenes hewn in stone, see the Luther Memorial and other interesting sites. Next, we'll drive through the Thüringen countryside to Erfurt for a guided walking tour of Erfurt's top Christian sites. We tour the Augustinian Monastery and in which Luther lived six years as a monk and tour the St. Augustus Church there and see where Luther dedicated himself on the floor. We will have time to stroll through the narrow streets of the old town, seeing where Letters of Indulgence were printed and walk across the famous Krämer Bridge. We'll also tour the impressive St. Mary's Cathedral and see St. Severin's Church.

FRI, SEP 17
Eisenach , Erfurt

This morning we will head for Eisenach. In 1521, while fleeing from the wrath of the Pope, Luther took refuge in the Wartburg Castle after a fake kidnapping staged by his friend and protector, Frederick the Wise. We'll tour the castle and stand in the very room where Luther translated Jerome's Vulgate into the German New Testament. This will be an amazing moment as we stand where church history was forged by grace and Martin Luther's determined passion to share the Word with the nation of Germany. We will then tour the Luther House Museum with its fascinating displays about the time & culture of Luther. Close by is the Bach House Museum, which is a must-see. We'll hear period musical instruments played by the curator and hear more about the fascinating Christian musician, J.S. Bach. If time permits, we'll tour medieval St George's (Georgenkirche) Church connected with both Martin Luther and Johann Sebastian Bach. Martin Luther was a choir boy here and then preached in 1521 on his journey to and from the imperial parliament in Worms. On the north wall is a large painting commissioned to commemorate the century of the Reformation, depicting Luther and Huss as well as the Augsburg Confession. This is the place where Bach was baptized in 1685. Several members of the Bach family were organist at this church. We return to our hotel in Erfurt this evening.

SAT, SEP 18
Augsburg, Wieskirche, Oberammergau

After an early breakfast this morning we are on our way to Augsburg, another Germany Reformation city. We'll learn from our expert guide about the Augsburg Confession, the 1555 Peace of Augsburg, while we tour St. Anne's Church. After a walking tour of key sites, we'll journey on to Bavaria, to tour the Wieskirche, a UNESCO World Heritage site with incredible Rococo art. We'll finish our exciting day with our arrival in Oberammergau, home to the world famous Passion Play, depicting the story of Christ, acted out for hundreds of years by the villagers. We'll check into the Hotel Turmwirt in Oberammergau and have a delicious dinner, followed by a stroll through the village.

SUN, SEP 19
Oberammergau

The morning will be free to stroll around Oberammergau and visit the woodcarver's shops. We will enjoy lunch together and then enjoy the play, which will be in the afternoon and evening. Overnight in Oberammergau.

MON, SEP 20
Munich

Departing beautiful Oberammergau, we'll travel to marvelous Munich. We'll have a drive-by orientation tour of Munich's highlights, including the Old Pinakothek Museum, Olympic Tower and Stadium, BMW Tower, Nymphenburg Palace, Deutsches Museum, the Marienplatz, the Rathaus and its famous Glockenspiel. We'll then enjoy a pleasant walking tour of the old town sites and then have afternoon shopping or independent sightseeing, or just relax at our hotel. This evening we finish our fun tour with a farewell dinner with classic Bavarian cuisine & a live Bavarian folk show. We will overnight in Munich 's city center in a nice neighborhood.

TUES, SEP 21
Munich to USA

After yet another delicious breakfast we transfer from our hotel to the airport for our morning flight back to home, and so concludes a grand time in Europe.