Day : 1
Arrive Prague (2 Nights)
Number of Days : 1
Welcome to Prague. Enjoy some time to explore its cobblestone streets before joining your Travel Director and travel companions for an unforgettable Welcome Reception to kick of your holiday.
Day : 2
Prague Sightseeing and Free Time
Number of Days : 1
Our Local Specialist will join us this morning for a visit to St Vitus Cathedral, set in the precincts of Prague Castle. See the 14th century Charles Bridge before embarking on a walking tour focusing on the Czech Reformation movement. We'll see the Bethlehem Capel where Jan Hus preached, and his memorial outside the Tyn Church in the Old Square with its Astronomical Clock. Spend free time this afternoon admiring the cityscape on your terms.
Day : 3
Prague – Dresden
Number of Days : 1
Travelling into Germany we arrive in the beautiful Baroque city of Dresden, also known as "Florence on the Elbe". Join our Local Specialist and hear about the city's restoration as you amble through its charming streets to the Semper Opera, Zwinger Palace and fully reconstructed Frauenkirche, where J.S. Bach was the first to play on the Silberman organ when the church was originally built.
Day : 4
Dresden – Torgau – Wittenberg (2 Nights)
Number of Days : 1
A leisurely departure this morning brings us to Torgau, here at Hartenfels Castle we visit the castle chapel which was consecrated in 1544 by Martin Luther and is regarded as the first ever newly built Protestant Church. It is also in Tortuga that Luther's wife Katharina is buried in St Mary's Church. Later we arrive in Wittenberg, the home town of Martin Luther.
Day : 5
Wittenberg Sightseeing and Free Time
Number of Days : 1
Today we discover where Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church on 31 October 1517. He was intending to invite others to a scholary discussion but in fact sparked off one of the most significant changes the Christian world has ever seen. Inside the church, visit the graves of Martin Luther and Phillip Melanchthon. We'll also visit Lutherhalle where he lived from 1508 and was joined by his wife Katharina in 1525. She gave him a gate as a present for his 57th birthday which you can still see today, and shows the Luther rose which is the coat of arms of the Reformer. Our Local Specialist also takes us to Stadtkirche where Luther preached and is also where he married Katharina von Bora, and all their children were baptised there.
Day : 6
Wittenberg – Leipzig – Weimar – Erfurt (3 Nights)
Number of Days : 1
Our Reformation journey continues to Leipzig where we join our Local Specialist for a tour of the city, home of the Leipzig Disputation which took place in 1519 and it was at St Thomas Church that Luther launched the Reformation in Leipzig with his Whit Sunday sermon on 25th May 1539. See the plaque in the church which commemorates this event. Continue to Weimar, here we see the Franciscan Monastery where Luther stayed and the Stadtkirche where he preached. Later arriving in Erfurt, another city with close links to Martin Luther.
Day : 7
Erfurt Sightseeing
Number of Days : 1
The capital of the German state Thuringia and is also known as the Rome of Thuringia because of its many churches. Its medieval city centre is one of the largest and best preserved in Germany. In his early years Martin Luther attended university in Erfurt, after he had taken a vow to become a monk, he entered the Augustinian Monastery and lived here for 6 years. Luther was ordained as a priest at the Cathedral in 1507 and also lived and worked in the city until 1511. We visit the Monastery with a Local Specialist. The city also has connections with Johann Wolfgang van Goeth, J.S. Bach.
Day : 8
Eisenach and Wartburg Castle Excursion
Number of Days : 1
Enjoy a relaxed excursion to Eisenach - one of the major Lutheran destinations dominated by the impressive Wartburg Castle. Luther spent time here during his childhood. With a Local Specialist we visit Luther House where he lived during this period, and also visit St. George's Church where he sang in the choir. We visit Wartburg Castle, which is one of the most important buildings in German history, and see the room where Martin Luther spent eleven weeks translating the New Testament.
Day : 9
Erfurt – Frankfurt (2 Nights)
Number of Days : 1
Old world charm and modern sophistication await in the vibrant city of Frankfurt, Join your Travel Director for an orientation drive through the city to admire its Gothic and Renaissance facades.
Day : 10
Mainz and Worms Excursion
Number of Days : 1
During our sightseeing tour of Mainz this morning we see the Gutenburg Monument commemorating the German printing of the Bible before travelling to Worms. It was here that the private conferences were held to determine Luther's fate after he had published his 95 Theses in 1517. Martin Luther had challenged the entire Roman Catholic establishment by his refusal to recant the great doctrines of Protestantism. The Emperor presented the final draft of the Edict of Worms on 25 May 1521 declaring Luther an outlaw, banning his literature, and requiring his arrest. It was also in Worms that William Tyndale completed the printing of his English version of the New Testament in 1525 which he had begun in Cologne. We see the symbolic Martin Luther Memorial near the town square, see the Cathedral and stop in the Heylshof Garden, where once the Bishops Palace stood, to see a plaque set into the ground marking the spot where Martin Luther stood before the Diet of Worms in 1521 and refused to recant his teachings.
Day : 11
Depart Frankfurt
Number of Days : 1
Say farewell this morning to our newfound friends. Transfers are available to Frankfurt Airport. Conditions apply.
