Reformation Journey Through Central Europe with Rev. Tim Wrenn

Day 1 – September 18: Departure from the USA

Depart from the United States on your overnight flight to Prague. Your journey through the heart of the Reformation begins.

Day 2 – September 19: Arrival in Prague

Upon arrival in Prague, meet your tour escort and board your private coach. Transfer to the hotel for check-in and time to settle in after your journey. Enjoy dinner at the hotel.

Overnight in Prague (The schedule on this day may be adjusted depending on flight arrival times.)

Day 3 – September 20: Prague

After breakfast, enjoy a half-day sightseeing tour of Prague. Begin at Hradčany Castle and explore St. Vitus Cathedral, the Royal Castle, St. George’s Basilica, and Golden Lane. Later, cross the famous Charles Bridge into Prague’s historic Old Town. Visit Bethlehem Chapel, closely connected with the life and ministry of Jan Hus and the early reform movement. Continue to Old Town Square to see the famous Astronomical Clock and the Jan Hus Monument, one of Prague’s most significant works of monumental sculpture.

Enjoy lunch on your own followed by some free time to explore Prague. This evening, gather for a special welcome dinner and traditional folklore show at a local restaurant. Overnight in Prague

Day 4 – September 21: Prague – Dresden

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and depart for Dresden. Enjoy lunch on your own along the way. Upon arrival, enjoy a guided tour of Dresden’s historic Old Town. See the Zwinger Palace, Semper Opera House, and the beautiful Elbe River promenade while learning about the city’s destruction during World War II and its remarkable postwar restoration. Check in at the hotel and enjoy dinner. Overnight in Dresden

Day 5 – September 22: Dresden – Leipzig – Berlin

After breakfast, check out and depart for Leipzig. Enjoy a guided tour of this historic city and visit St. Thomas Church, where Martin Luther preached and introduced Reformation ideas. The church later became famous as the place where Johann Sebastian Bach served as cantor and director of music. Continue to St. Nicholas Church, which became an important center for peaceful prayer gatherings and demonstrations that contributed to the fall of East German communism in 1989, reflecting themes of courageous faith and resistance. Enjoy lunch on your own before continuing to Berlin. Upon arrival, check in at the hotel and enjoy dinner. Overnight in Berlin

Day 6 – September 23: Berlin & Bonhoeffer House

After breakfast, meet your local guide for a full-day exploration of Berlin. See many of the city’s important landmarks, including the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, remnants of the former Berlin Wall, St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, the State Opera House, St. Mary’s Church, the Brandenburg Gate, and Checkpoint Charlie.

Visit the Berliner Dom, Berlin Cathedral, one of the city’s most impressive churches and an important Protestant landmark. Enjoy lunch on your own. In the afternoon, visit the Bonhoeffer House. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Berlin pastor and professor of theology who resisted National Socialism during a time of tyranny, racism, and persecution. His Christian faith and theological convictions shaped his resistance to the Nazi regime, ultimately costing him his life.

Return to the hotel for dinner. Overnight in Berlin

Day 7 – September 24: Berlin – Wittenberg

After breakfast, check out and depart for Wittenberg, one of the most important cities of the Protestant Reformation. Enjoy lunch on your own along the way. Upon arrival, meet your local guide for a tour of Wittenberg, where Martin Luther lived and taught for much of his life. Visit All Saints’ Castle Church, traditionally associated with Luther posting his 95 Theses and also the burial place of Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon. See the University of Wittenberg, where Luther taught, and visit Melanchthon’s House and Luther House, home to one of the world’s most important collections relating to the history of the Reformation. Continue to the Stadtkirche of St. Marien, where Luther frequently preached. See the Luther Monument and the Renaissance Town Hall. Check in at the hotel and enjoy dinner. Overnight in Wittenberg

Day 8 – September 25: Wittenberg – Wartburg Castle – Eisenach – Erfurt

After breakfast, check out and depart for Eisenach. Stop at Wartburg Castle, where Martin Luther lived in hiding and translated the New Testament into German. Enjoy lunch on your own. Continue to Eisenach, the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach. Visit the Luther House Museum, which explores Luther’s connections with Eisenach and the Reformation. Continue to the Bach House, the first museum in the world dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach. Discover the life, music, and extraordinary legacy of the great composer and enjoy a 20-minute musical presentation in the instrument hall. Continue to Erfurt. Check in at the hotel and enjoy dinner. Overnight in Erfurt

Day 9 – September 26: Erfurt – Munich

After breakfast, check out and depart for Munich. Enjoy lunch on your own along the way. Upon arrival in Munich, check in at the hotel and enjoy dinner. Overnight in Munich

Day 10 – September 27: Munich & Oktoberfest

After breakfast, meet your local guide for a sightseeing tour of Munich. Begin at Marienplatz, home to the world-famous Glockenspiel, and see the twin-towered Frauenkirche, one of Munich’s most recognizable landmarks. Continue through the historic city center to see the Asamkirche, Town Hall, Feldherrnhalle, Ludwigstrasse, and Siegestor. See the Residenz, once the palace of Bavaria’s rulers, as well as the beautiful Hofgarten. Enjoy lunch at one of the traditional Oktoberfest beer tents.

Spend the afternoon enjoying Oktoberfest at your leisure, experiencing Bavarian traditions, music, food, and festivities. Dinner is on your own this evening. Overnight in Munich

Day 11 – September 28: Munich – Worms – Mainz

After breakfast, check out and depart for Mainz, stopping along the way in Worms, one of Germany’s oldest cities. Enjoy lunch on your own. Meet your local guide for a tour of Worms. See the impressive Luther Monument and visit Worms Cathedral. Learn about the historic Diet of Worms of 1521, when Martin Luther appeared before the assembly of the Holy Roman Empire to respond to charges concerning his teachings and writings—one of the defining moments of the Protestant Reformation. Continue to Mainz. Check in at the hotel and enjoy dinner. Overnight in Mainz

Day 12 – September 29: Mainz & Rhine River Cruise

After breakfast, depart for Rüdesheim. Board a scenic cruise along one of the most beautiful stretches of the Rhine River. Sail through the famous Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape known for its castles, vineyards, picturesque villages, and dramatic river scenery. Disembark near St. Goarshausen and return to Mainz by coach. Enjoy lunch on your own. Later, enjoy a guided tour of Mainz and visit the Gutenberg Museum, home to original Gutenberg Bibles and one of the world’s oldest museums dedicated to printing. Also visit Mainz Cathedral, a magnificent church with more than 1,000 years of sacred history and architecture. Return to the hotel for dinner. Overnight in Mainz

Day 13 – September 30: Frankfurt – Departure

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and board your coach for the transfer to Frankfurt International Airport. Depart for the United States with wonderful memories of your journey through Prague and Germany and a deeper understanding of the people, places, faith, music, and history that shaped the Reformation.