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DAY 01: NORTH AMERICA / FRANKFURT.
Tour members will gather at the ticket counter three hours prior to the
departure to Europe. Dinner and breakfast will be served in flight.
DAY 02: FRANKFURT / MARBURG / FULDA.
Morning arrival at Frankfurt Airport where we are met by our tour escort
and motor coach and commence our touring program. We drive northwards
to the old university town of Marburg where we can see St. Elizabeth’s
Church and the Landgrave’s Castle, before continuing on our way to the
historic town of Fulda. Fulda was a center of religion and scholarship
in the Franconian Empire and was designated as a town in 1114 and in the
18th century during the Baroque Age it reached it’s most
important period. It was the residence of the Prince Abbotts and Prince
Bishops and a university was founded. We will see the Town Castle, St.
Michael’s Church and of course the Cathedral. Dinner and overnight at
our hotel.
DAY 03: FULDA / WARTBURG / EISENACH /
ERFURT / THURINGEN. This
morning we travel eastward for a visit to the formidable Wartburg Castle
where Luther found refuge during the Imperial Ban. The castle was built
in the 11th century and is where Luther translated the New
Testament in the years 1521-1522 – we will see the “Luther Stube”. A
short drive brings us to Eisenach, birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach,
whose birthplace we will visit to listen to some of his marvelous music
played on historic instruments. We will also visit the Luther House
museum before continuing to the historic town of Erfurt, where Luther
studied at the university and where our tour in Luther’s footsteps will
include a visit to the Cathedral and Church of St. Severi’s with a view
of the Kramer Bridge lined on each side with timber-framed houses
restored to their original condition. Then pay a highlight visit to the
important Augustinian Monastery built in 1277 and now beautifully
restored. The Monastery contains an exhibition on Martin Luther who was
a monk here from 1505 until 1511. We then drive to our hotel in the
Thuringen area for dinner and overnight.
 DAY 04: THURINGEN / HALLE / EISLEBEN /
THURINGEN. Our first visit
this morning will be to Halle, where Luther stayed in 1510 for the
granting of an appeal to the Pope (Dispute of the Order of St. Augustin).
We will see the Market Church of our Dear Lady and also visit the
special exhibition, which is hoped to be staged showing Luther’s death
mask and hands, documents about him, and a Holy Bible with his
handwritten notes. Then to Eisleben which ranks amongst the most
significant of all places having a connection with him, although he only
spent a little time here – he was born here on November 10th,
1483 and died here on February 18th, 1546; old manuscripts
indicate that he felt a special affinity towards Eisleben. We will also
visit the house of his birth and see the house where he died; St.
Andrew’s Church where he preached his last sermon and where his body was
laid out, the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul where he was christened,
and the Luther Monument. Some time at leisure to see the market place
and other points of leisure to see the market place and other points of
interest such as St. Anne’s Church with the famous biblical scenes hewn
in stone and the buildings of former St. Augustine’s Monastery before
returning to our hotel in Thuringen area for dinner and overnight.
DAY 05: THURINGEN / LEIPZIG / WITTENBERG
/ DESSAU / THURINGEN. Drive
this morning to the beautiful city of Leipzig, Bach’s city, where our
sightseeing will include St. Thomas Church where Bach was organist and
choirmaster; we will also view the Renaissance Town Hall before driving
northwards to Wittenberg, birthplace of the Reformation, city of
Frederick the Wise who was patron and protector of Luther. Luther lived
here from 1508 until his death. We will visit All Saints Castle Church
where Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door and which contains the
graves of Luther and Melanchthon. See the University where Luther
taught, and visit Melanchton’s House as well as the Luther House which
is the largest and greatest museum of Reformation history in the world.
We will also visit the Stadkirche of St. Marien where Luther used to
preach and see the Luther monument and renaissance Town Hall.
Drive then to Dessau, where on April 2nd , 1534, the Dessau Princes
(George, Johann and Joachim) professed the Reformation and where Martin
Luther preached before them and the citizens of Dessau. We will see the
main points of interest including St. John’s Church before returning to
our hotel in the Thuringen area for dinner and overnight.
DAY 06: THURINGEN / BAYREUTH / NURNBERG /
AUGSBURG. Drive through the
southern part of the old East Germany and continue to Bayreuth, known
worldwide for its Wagner music festival. We then continue through many
lovely towns and villages on the way to Nurnberg, the city of Durer and
the Meistersingers, a city surrounded by thick walls and overlooked by
its landmark castle. Nurnberg City’s long and historic past; we will
see its old fortifications and time permitting, we may be able to see
craftsmen at their work in the Craftsmen’s Courtyard in the City Center,
or stop outside the Castle to enjoy the fine view across the housetops
with their pointed gables and the tall church spires. Drive further
south by ways in Ingoldtadt on the Danube to Augsurg, City of the
Confession and one of the most important German cities associated with
Luther, for dinner and overnight.
DAY 07: AUGSBURG / NEUSCHWANSTEIN /
OBERAMMERGAU / MUNICH / AUGSBURG.
Our full day tour of Bavaria commences with a drive through spectacular
mountain scenery, past snow-capped alps, crystalline lakes and rustic
villages to Neuschwanstein to see the famous castle built by mad King
Ludwig and the basis for Walt Disney’s famous fairytale castle. A short
drive then brings us to the tiny village of Oberammergau, site of the
world famous Passion Play which is performed once every ten years. We
will visit the Passion Play Theater and see the many beautifully painted
houses which make this such an attractive village before driving swiftly
to Munich, Bavaria’s lively capital. Our orientation sightseeing tour
here will include the Gothic Town Hall, the Marienplatz, Karlstor Gate
and Our Lady’s Cathedral. After some time at leisure we return to
Augsburg for dinner and overnight.
DAY 08: AUGSBURG / ROMANTIC ROAD /
HEIDELBERG AREA. Martin
Luther stayed in Augsburg on his way from Rome in March 1511 and it was
here most significantly that he defended his 95 Theses is the debate
with the representative of the Church of Rome in 1518, and during his
stay in Augsburg from October 7-20 the foundations were laid for the
decisive development of the Reformation and thus of the Christian
Church. We will see the Renaissance style Town Hall, the Church of the
Holy Cross (Luther’s lodgings after his journey to Rome in 1511), and
the impressive Augustus fountain as well as visiting St. Anne’s Church
with its small Luther courtyard and the memorial Chapel of the Fugger.
Our scenic drive continues along the Romantic Road through the medieval
villages of Donauworth and Dinkelsbuhl to Rothenberg ob der Tauber, one
of Europe’s finest preserved medieval towns. We will see the main
points of interest including the beautiful gateways and towers, imposing
town walls and cobblestone streets as well as the Renaissance style Town
Hall and the Ratstrinkstubs featuring the Meistertrunk clock, before
continuing to Ludwigshafen for dinner and overnight.
 DAY 09: HEIDELBERG AREA / WORMS / RHINE
TRIP / RHINELAND. A short
drive this morning brings us to the romantic medieval city of
Heidelberg, delightfully situated at the confluence of the Rhine and
Neckar Rivers, where we will visit the castle ruins, the University and
also the famous Stone Bridge, said by many to be Germany’s most
beautiful bridge. We will also see the Red Ox Inn of “Student Prince”
fame, before driving the short distance to Worms, city of the 1521
Edict, where we will see the impressive Monument to the Reformation and
visit the Cathedral in this important center of the Reformation. Worms
was the site of Luther’s trial for heresy and it was in the Cathedral,
standing before the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V that he uttered his
faith affirming, death defying proclamation…”Here I stand, I can do no
other. God help me”. We then drive swiftly to the River Rhine and St. Goarhausen where we board our steamer for a cruise on the busy waterway
– past ruined castles, terraced vineyards, attractive riverside villages
and the famous Loreley Rock; we disembark at Kaub and drive along the
banks of this beautiful river to our Rhineside village for dinner and
overnight.
DAY 10: RHINELAND / FRANKFURT / USA.
Transfer this morning to Frankfurt Airport for our return flight to the
United States at the end of our enjoyable tour. |
