From a Priest to a Protestant
Tour sights are colorful with historic charm that cannot be found anywhere else.  A large portion of our understanding of scripture was formed in this picturesque setting.  Be challenged by the faith and courage of our church fathers on this wonderful tour vacation. 

Day 1: Depart USA
Overnight flight to Europe.

Day 2: Arrive Frankfurt, Erfurt
Arrive in Frankfurt this morning by 10:00 am and begin our transfer to the Luther city of Erfurt where we have dinner and two nights lodging.

Day 3: Eisenach, Erfurt 
This morning we travel to Eisenach, birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach. It was here at the formidable Wartburg Castle that Luther, under "house arrest", translated the New Testament into the German language in only 11 weeks during 1523. This fantastic castle includes many restored rooms including a ballroom designed after King Ludwig’s famed Neuschwanstein, Luther's apartment and lovely panoramic scenery. This afternoon we spend time in nearby Erfurt, where Luther attended the university. A highlight will be the Augustinian Monastery where he spent his early years as a monk and the famed doors that he closed on his protesting friends after saying "You can see me today, but never again." You will find it interesting and uplifting to hear how the studies here brought him to his understanding of scripture. The remainder of your day is free in this charming historic city.

Day 4: Erfurt, Eisleben, Leipzig
Leaving Erfurt, we visit Eisleben which is noted among the most significant in Luther's history; he was born here in 1483, died here in 1546 and old manuscripts indicate that he felt a special affinity to Eisleben.  We will see the house of his birth and death, St. Andrews Church where he preached his last sermon, the Luther Monument, and St. Anne's Church with the famous Biblical scenes hewn in stone and many other sites.  This afternoon we travel to the beautiful city of Leipzig, Bach's city, with free time and a visit to St. Thomas Church where Bach was choir master and organist.  Our lodging for the next two nights will be in Leipzig.

Day 5: Wittenberg, Berlin
Continuing on to Berlin, we enjoy a inspirational guided tour of this fascinating city including the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate and many other sights. We continue on the Reformation Trail today with a visit to Wittenberg where Martin Luther lived and taught for 36 years. You will see the Castle Church door area where Luther posted his 95 Theses, giving birth to the Reformation.  This beautiful church is also the burial site of Luther.  We see the university where Luther taught and the Luther House which is the greatest museum of Reformation History in the world with a detailed history display of his life and accomplishments, historical documents and an outstanding collection of period paintings of his life and family members.

Day 6: Coburg, Wurzburg  
Wasting no time today we set out through scenic Thuringer Wald to view the fortress of Coburg known as Veste, the place of Luther's imprisonment in 1530. We visit the apartment where he stayed and continued his translation work, a chapel where he spoke and worshiped, and a gallery of period paintings. Continuing southward into Bavaria, our lodging for the next to nights will be in the Wurzburg area.

Day 7: Augsburg, Rothenburg, Romantic Road
Early this morning we travel the panoramic "Romantic Road" and visit the best preserved medieval town in all of Europe, Rothenburg. We see the quaint Rathaus (town hall) with its tower, have free time for coffee and shopping in the many delightful shops. You may choose to visit on your own the Kriminal-museum, housing all manner of medieval instruments of torture. Next, we travel south along the Romantic Road to the ancient city of Augsburg, the place where the Augsburg Confession was presented. Our drive will allow for time to rehearse this important document and digest the tremendous meaning it has as the basis for much of our doctrine today. It was also here in 1518 at St. Anne's Church that Luther met the papal legate, Cardinal Cajetan, who demanded that Luther submit to the pope. Augsburg was also the site of another Imperial Diet (1530) and in the town hall the Peace of Augsburg was signed in 1555 ending for a time the religious wars in Germany between the Catholics and the Protestants.

Day 8: Heidelberg, Worms, Frankfurt
This morning, we travel on to one of the most charming cities in all of the world - Heidelberg, ancient capital of the Palatinate and home of Germany's oldest university. But most importantly, it was a stronghold of German Reformed Protestants beginning in 1560. One of the great confessional statements of the Reformation, the Heidelberg Catechism was produced here in 1563. Heidelberg Castle, a most impressive historic landmark of Germany, stands majestically overlooking the Neckar River. The structure, now largely in ruins, preserves numerous examples of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque German architecture. Our next stop is in Worms. It was here, during the Imperial Diet in 1521, that Martin Luther challenged the entire Roman Catholic establishment by his refusal to recant the great doctrines of Protestantism. It was also here that William Tyndale completed the printing of his English version of the New Testament in 1525 which he had begun in Cologne. After seeing St. Peter's Church and the symbolic Luther memorial near the town square, we will stop in nearby Mainz for commentary and a picture of the Gutenberg Monument dedicated the German printing of the Bible. Our lodging for dinner and the evening will be in Frankfurt.

Day 9: Departure
We transfer to the airport early this morning for our flight home.