Germany

Depart via scheduled air service. The destination is Frankfurt, Germany.

Arrive in Frankfurt. Meet your Faith Journeys Tour Manager who will assist the group to awaiting chartered motorcoach for a transfer to Marburg for a 2-hr guided tour. It was in Marburg that the Colloquy of Marburg met in 1529, in which Luther, Oecolampadius, Melanchthon, and Zwingli all participated in an assembly of theologians to establish doctrinal unity in the emerging Protestant states. Late-afternoon hotel check-in. Evening Welcome Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Eisenach. Visit one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Germany, Wartburg Castle, which looms over the city of Eisenach and is the site where Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German. At the castle, visit a museum which contains Reformation artifacts, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and tapestries. A private worship service may be organized in the chapel of Wartburg Castle. Lunch, on own. Visit the childhood home of Martin Luther and birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach. We will visit the Bachhaus museum which is dedicated to Bach’s life and work. Also visit Lutherhaus, one of the oldest and picturesque buildings remaining in Eisenach and now a museum. We will also have time to explore the Markplatz and visit the Georgenkirche, where Bach was baptized. Evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Erfurt, nicknamed “Thuringian Rome” because of its many churches, chapels, and monasteries. Enjoy a walking tour through this richly beautiful, medieval city, to explore the Augustinian Monastery and see a Luther Exhibition showing restored monastic cells as they might have looked in Luther’s time. Lunch, on own. See where Luther was ordained at St. Mary’s Cathedral, an impressive Gothic cathedral perched on a hillside and containing some art masterpieces including the world’s largest medieval free-swinging bell and a small altar of The Madonna and Child with Saints Catherine and Barbara by Lucas Cranach. Return to Eisenach for evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy and Excursion to Eisleben. Martin Luther was born and died in the small city of Eisleben (Luther had a special affection for this city now officially known as “Luther-City Eisleben” Lutherstadt Eisleben). During our tour, we’ll have the honor of visiting Luther’s birth house which is now a well-preserved museum. Lunch, on own. Visit the Church of St. Peter and Paul (also known as the Taufkirche or “baptism church”), where Martin Luther was baptized. The remains of the original baptismal font can still be seen inside the church. Also visit St. Andrew’s Church, where Luther preached his last sermon. Visit Halle, where we will visit the Bible Institution of Castein, known as the authority for revision of Luther’s Bibles. Transfer to Wittenberg for evening dinner and overnight

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Schlosskirche (Castle Church) where Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses, sparking the reformation. Also visit City Church (a twin-towered Gothic church in which Luther preached during the Reformation, was married, and baptized his six children. Lunch, on own. Explore Luther’s well-preserved house where he and his family lived (it contains many Reformation relics, including Luther’s desk, his pulpit, and first editions of his books) and the Renaissance mansion of Philip Melanchthon. Evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy an excursion to Berlin. We will visit East Berlin to stroll along its famous Unter den Linden Strasse (an iconic boulevard which once led to the palace of the Prussian monarchs), the Russian War Memorial, the Brandenburg Gate, and German Historical Museum. Lunch, on own. See what remains of “the Wall” and Checkpoint Charlie as we pass into the western sector to experience Kurfurstendamm Strasse, home to some of Berlin’s most luxurious stores. Visit Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and enjoy some time at leisure for shopping or additional sightseeing. Evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Coburg via Leipzig where we can see Altes Rathaus and visit St. Nicholas Church and St. Thomas Church where Martin Luther preached. Bach’s 12 children and infant Richard Wagner were baptized in St. Thomas Church, and both Mozart and Mendelssohn performed here. Visit the Bach Museum. Lunch, on own. Continue to Coburg for evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we visit one of Germany’s largest castles, Veste Coburg citadel, where Martin Luther lived under the protection of Elector John the Steadfast. The castle is now home to three museums, the Ducal Palace, the Armory, and the Art Collections. Take time to explore the rooms where the Dukes of Coburg lived (including Martin Luther’s apartment), the largest collection of medieval weaponry in Germany, and the world class engravings, coins, and glassware. Lunch, on own. Continue to Rothenburg. Evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Take a walking tour of Rothenburg along its quaint cobbled lanes of old town and be transported to an earlier century. Rothenburg is in many ways a normal, modern German town with stores, hotels, and several major thoroughfares. Lunch, on own. Continue via the Romantic Road to Augsburg. In 1518, Martin Luther was summoned to Augsburg to recant his 95 Theses before a papal emissary. The city is home to several notable churches, including a cathedral with the oldest stained glass windows in the country. Continue to Munich for evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will visit the Nymphenburg Palace, a Baroque palace which was the main summer residence of many of the rulers of Bavaria and now one of the most famous sights in Munich. We will also visit the Frauenkirche, and Peterskirche, the oldest church in the inner city built before the official foundation of Munich in 1158. Lunch, on own. Take an excursion to Dachau to visit the former Nazi concentration camp. We will tour Hitler’s infamous camp and see the museum. Return to Munich to enjoy some time at leisure for shopping or additional sightseeing. Evening Farewell Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Munich’s airport for return flight.