Trip Itinerary

Key: IF = In Flight Meals, B= Breakfast, D = Dinner

Day 1: Departure
We will board our flights today from Portland, OR to Frankfurt, Germany. (IF)

Day 2: Arrival in Frankfurt
Uli, our German tour guide will meet us as we step out of the arrival hall at Frankfurt airport and escort us to our comfortable motor coach. We can sit back and relax on the drive to Erfurt, where we will stay for two nights in the Park Inn Hotel. (IF/D)

Day 3: Eisenach, Erfurt
Today we will visit the Old Synagogue in Erfurt. With the oldest parts of the building dating from the 11th century, the Old Synagogue is Central Europe’s oldest synagogue to survive with an intact roof. Our tour will also include St. Mary’s Cathedral, where Luther was ordained. Luther was a member of the Augustinian Monastery in Erfurt from 1505 to 1511. We will see the Luther exhibition, including a typical cell from Luther’s time, then end the tour with a special service in the chapel. In the afternoon we will enjoy a guided visit of Wartburg Castle, where Luther translated the New Testament into German. In nearby Eisenach, we will see the Luther and Bach Memorials as well as the Luther House, where he lived while attending grammar school. We will also visit St. George’s Church where he sang in the church’s boy choir, before returning to Erfurt. (B)

Day 4: Leipzig
We will drive to Leipzig this morning and check-in to the Park Hotel, where we will stay for two nights. The afternoon is at leisure. The highlight this evening will be a concert at St. Thomas’ Church  as part of the Bach Orgel (organ) Festival with organist Ullrich Böhme. (B/D)

Day 5: Leipzig
This morning we have the opportunity to attend a church service in Leipzig, followed by a guided walking tour. Luther was here more than once, but Leipzig is really the town of Johann Sebastian Bach. He served as cantor in St. Thomas Church for 27 years. While in Leipzig we will also tour St. Nicholas’ Church and hear how the congregation was instrumental in the events that led to the collapse of the East German state in 1989, We will also admire the beautiful old city hall, which houses Katharina von Bora’s original wedding ring. The rest of the day is at leisure. (B)

Day 6: Torgau, Wittenberg
This morning we will see the point at the Elbe river in Torgau where the Soviet Army and the American forces met. We will then have time in Torgau’s delightful town center for lunch. This was Luther’s wife, Katie Von Bora’s home. Our destination today is Wittenberg, the birthplace of the Reformation and we will end the day with a time of worship with the Wittenberg English Ministry. We will stay in the Luther Hotel this evening. (B/D)

Day 7: Wittenberg, Berlin
This morning our local guide will take us on a tour of Lutherstadt Wittenberg. It was here in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses and Melanchthon helped forge Reformation Theology. Here the Cranachs painted now famous portraits of Luther. We will spend time in the Lutherhalle (Luther House) Museum, where Luther lived first as a monk, then later with his wife and children. We’ll be able to view some of Luther’s very own personal library, rare manuscripts, and early Bibles. The tour will also include Castle Church, Stadtkirche St. Marien (St. Mary’s church) where Luther preached and where his children were baptized, and the Luther Oak where he burned the edict from Rome, condemning him as a “heretic”. The afternoon is free to explore the town before we drive to Berlin. We will dine in the “Air in Berlin” hotel this evening. (B/D)

Day 8: Berlin
Our Berlin bus orientation tour will include a stop at the famous Brandenburg Gate for photos. We will also see the Cathedral, the Reichstag building and the lively boulevards, followed by visits to WWII Topography of Terror Museum and Cold War Check Point Charlie Museum. In the afternoon there is the opportunity to visit the Bonhoeffer House and the Jewish Memorial. The rest of the day is at leisure. (B)

Day 9: Dresden
This morning we will take a sobering trip to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp just outside Berlin. We will then drive to the beautiful Baroque city of Dresden, where we will be based for two nights in the Leonardo Alstadt Hotel. (B/D)

Day 10: Dresden
Highlights of our Dresden tour 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. The afternoon and evening are at leisure. We can arrange for concert tickets this evening at the Gewandhaus. (B)

Day 11: Bayreuth, Dinkelsbühl
On our drive through Germany, we will make a stop in Bayreuth. We will spend two nights in Dinkelsbühl area, part of the famous Romantic Road. Our hotel is the historic Goldene Rose, which is over 500 years old.(B/D)

Day 12: Dinkelsbühl
We will spend a full day at the Kinderzeche festival, a fun family event celebrating Dinkelsbühl’s deliverance from Swedish troops during the 30 Years War. According to legend, in 1632 the gatekeeper’s daughter, named Lore, got permission from the town council to meet the incoming troops with a band of singing children. We will dine at our hotel this evening. (B/D)

Day 13: Heidelberg, Worms, Frankfurt
Our first stop will be in Heidelberg, a gorgeous town on the Neckar River. We will take a tour of the Castle and the bridge and hear about the town’s history. In the afternoon will stop in Worms to see the site of the plaque commemorating the Worms Debates (Diet of Worms), now a park, and the Reformation Monument. Our final night is in the 18th century Hotel Am Schloss in Alzey where we will have our farewell meal. (B/D)

Day 14: Departure
We will transfer from the hotel to the airport for our morning flights. (B)

Reformation Tours reserves the rights to alter itineraries without notice should it become necessary. While on tour, if conditions necessitate changes, or if certain features are unavailable or limited, we reserve the right to vary or substitute alternatives. All prices are calculated at the exchange rate in effect at the time of this quotation. Should currency fluctuations necessitate an adjustment in tour price the adjusted price will be reflected in the final invoice.

What are accommodations like?

Our hotels are chosen for their quality, amenities and proximity to areas of interest. Whenever possible, we choose hotels in town centers, so that you are able to go off and explore in your free time. It may be necessary for us to substitute hotels for others of equal quality. You will be fully informed of any changes that affect you. Enjoy your stay!

Goldener Rose Hotel

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