From Worms to Berlin - Reformation and historical highlights in Germany

8 days starting from € 268,–

Take your group on an inspirational and educational tour through Germany's vital places of the Reformation and Martin Luther. In this group tour with over 25 included services you will learn all about the life and history around Martin Luther and how he started a transformation of the Christian religion. Travel from Worms to Berlin and enjoy the beauty Germany has to offer on the way.

To ensure you have the best experience, we mixed up the way history is presented to you; This way your senses are actively stimulated while you get a first-hand experience on this vital part in Chistian history.

This tour is perfectly suitable as a pre-tour to the Global Leadership Ministries Conference (GLMC) of the 7th Day Adventist Youth in Kassel where we also offer the last available rooms in the city.

You will start your journey near Frankfurt in Worms.  During the Imperial Diet in 1521, Martin Luther challenged the entire Roman Catholic establishment by his refusal to recant the great doctrines of Protestantism in Worms.  Furthermore, William Tyndale completed printing his English version of the New Testament here in 1525. In Worms you will visit St Peter’s Church and the symbolic Luther Memorial near the town square. Next stop is nearby in the City of Mainz for a picture of the Gutenberg Monument. Gutenberg was the inventor of the printing press and is responsible for the Gutenberg Bible. We will stay near Mainz overnight.

Eisenach is were Martin Luther went to school and lived with relatives. On a walking tour we scout through the city highlighting St George’s Church where St Elizabeth was married and Johan Sebastian Bach baptized. Next, we go to Luther’s home where he lived with the Cotta Family from 1498-1501 while studying and view the Luther exhibition detailing his life and theologies. Afterwards, we will visit the Bach Museum, the birth house of the distinguished composer Johann Sebastian Bach.  Although Luther was born 200 years earlier, Bach is the songwriter who influenced the protestant music predominantly. Our next stop is the magnificent Wartburg Castle where we tour the Palas (Great Hall), art exhibitions, the Elisabeth Hallway, and the Luther Room where “Junker Jörg" (the Nobleborn George) translated the New Testament from Latin into German. We will stay overnight in Eisenach.

This morning we will visit Erfurt, the spiritual home to Martin Luther. Here, Luther acquired a degree in 1502 and a doctorate in philosophy in 1505. This is where he took critical steps to turn to theology when he was caught in a violent thunderstorm and became a monk. Our walking tour starts in the historical part of Erfurt including St Mary’s Cathedral where Luther was ordained as a priest, the Augustinian Monastery with a permanent exhibit of Luther’s life as a monk, and to the Church of St Severus, where Luther worked as a preacher. The tour includes the Fish Market, Town Hall and Merchants Bridge as well. We will then visit the concentration camp Buchenwald and its permanent exhibition.

Our journey continues in nearby Eisleben. Here, we visit the house where he was born in 1483 and died in 1546. We will visit St Peter’s Church where Luther was baptized and St Andrew’s Church where he preached his last four sermons. This is where he was buried, too. Afterwards, we visit Naumburg the late Romanesque and Early Gothic Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul is one of Europe’s most impressive cathedrals. The twelve benefector figures, masterpieces by unknown Naumburg masters, are world renowned like Uta and Ekkenhard. We stay overnight in Erfurt.

After breakfast, we go on a panoramic drive to visit the impressive city of Leipzig. The tour includes St. Thomas Church where Luther preached and Johann Sebastian Bach played and conducted performances the legendary St Thomas Boys Choir. The next stop is Torgau: Leipzig was the Saxonian residential city and political center of the Reformation in the 16th century. Martin Luther sanctified the Castle Church as the first Protestant church. Katharina Von Bora, Martin Luther’s wife, was buried at St Mary’s Church. Her only existing memorial is located in her last residence. We will stop and stay in Wittenberg.

Today, we have a full day in Wittenberg. This is where Martin Luther lived and taught for 36 years. We will look at the famouse Castle Church door where Luther posted his 95 Theses, starting the Reformation. This dazzling church is also Luther's burial site. We will go see the university where he taught and the Luther House which is a museum of his entire life and accomplishments, with historical documents and an outstanding collection of period paintings of his life and family members.

Today we start off to Berlin where we enjoy an inspirational guided tour of this charming city including the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate and many other sights. Today's highlight will be a visit to the grand Pergamon Museum. One of the most popular attractions in Berlin, the Pergamon Museum, is world famous for its archaeological holdings. The monumental highlights are truly breathtaking including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon from 6th Century BC. More notable in this collection is the façade of the throne hall of King Nebuchadnezzar with its evidence of the first written word, and an excellent collection of Islamic Art. There will be free time for shopping and sightseeing  this afternoon. We will stay overnight in Berlin.