Heritage Tour of Germany (10 days/8 nights) Munich to Berlin Sample Itinerary
Day 1 Departure US Overnight flights to Munich, Germany.
Day 2 Arrival/Munich “Guten Tag” and welcome to Germany! Meet your tour escort and transfer by private bus to the center of the city for an orientation tour. Truly multicultural, Munich is Germany’s third largest city and serves as the regional capital of Bavaria. Traditional yet modern, with cutting-edge industries in media, the Internet, and technology fields, Munich’s motto is “Laptop und Lederhosen.” Munich is a colorful, youthful and energetic city and is steeped in history. Your orientation tour includes the Marienplatz, the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall), where the copper figurines in its mechanical clock perform a medieval tournament daily at noon; and the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall). Visit the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), whose onion-shaped domes are iconic symbols of Munich. Check in to your hotel and free time. “Welcome to Germany” Bavarian-style group dinner. Overnight in Munich
Day 3 Augsburg/Munich Full day excursion to Augsburg, one of the oldest cities in Germany. The ‘Augsburg Confession’ (Confessio Augustana) was officially presented to the emperor and imperial court in 1530. To this day, the Confessio Augustana is the doctrine followed by Lutheran churches worldwide. In 1555, the signing of the ‘Peace of Augsburg’ (Augsburger Religionsfrieden) gave Luther’s followers the right to freely practice their religion. Visit the Lutherstiege Museum of the Reformation to experience an overview of key events and developments in Reformation history. Overnight in Munich
Day 4 Coburg/Erfurt Transfer to Erfurt with a stop in Coburg. Visit the fortress and the rooms where Martin Luther (considered an outlaw at the time), stayed for 6 months working on his bible translations and writing sermons. Arrive in Erfurt and check into hotel. Group dinner and overnight in Erfurt.
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Day 5 Erfurt Guided tour of Erfurt, the young Luther's spiritual home and capital of the land of Thuringia. Your sightseeing includes a visit to the Domberg (Cathedral Hill) with its two main churches, and the Augustinian Monastery, which Luther joined after studying philosophy at the university from 1501 to 1505. Music groups can follow in the footsteps of Johann Sebastian Bach by taking an excursion to Arnstadt and seeing the Bach House and St Boniface's Church where J.S. Bach held his first organ appointment at 18 years of age. Arnstadt is the permanent home of the annual Bach festival. Overnight in Erfurt
Day 6 Eisenach/Leipzig Transfer to Leipzig with a stop in Eisenach, birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach. Guided walking tour in Eisenach includes visits to the Luther house and Bach's birth place. Visit the stunning Wartburg Castle, one of Germany’s best-preserved medieval castles. The Castle embodies centuries of German history but is perhaps best known as the place where Martin Luther sought sanctuary after his excommunication and where he translated the New Testament from the original Greek texts into German (in only 10 weeks). The sparsely furnished room where he lived and worked is now known as the Luther Room. Continue to Leipzig and visit the site where Luther held his famous "disputation" with Melanchthon and Bodenstein. For Music groups following J.S.Bach, visit St. Thomas Church where Bach acted as Cantor for many fruitful years. Visit the Bach archives and Bach monument. Overnight in Leipzig
Day 7 Leipzig/Wittenberg Leipzig, home to one of Germany’s most important universities, has always been a major musical center as well as a center for publishing. Guided tour of the main sites of Leipzig relating to Luther and/or Bach. Continue to Wittenberg via Eisleben, where Martin Luther was born and also where he died. Martin Luther visited Eisleben often during his lifetime and gave many of his Reformation sermons there. Wittenberg is a town deeply connected to Martin Luther's life and work. The town is known as the cradle of the Reformation and has many fascinating historical buildings including the Luther House, the Cranach Houses, the historical City Hall and the Castle Church, where Luther published his 95 theses on October 31, 1517 by nailing them to the church door. Though the original Castle Church burned in 1760, the rebuilt church contains the text (cast in bronze in 1855) as well as Martin Luther's tomb. Overnight in Wittenberg
Day 8 Berlin Transfer to Berlin, one of Europe’s largest metropolitan areas. Berlin can be easily navigated by its well-planned public transportation system. The city was divided until the fall of the Berlin Wall Sample Heritage Tour of Germany page 2
in 1989. While the disparities between the former Eastern and Western halves are still apparent in some instances, the spirit of unification can be seen by a number of completed restoration and construction projects. Upon afternoon arrival, you’ll have a guided sightseeing tour to see highlights of Germany’s reunited capital city including Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), regarded by many as the unofficial city symbol; Kaiser-Wilhelm-Memorial-Church; and the Reichstag (Parliament). Visit the Berliner Dom. Overnight in Berlin
Day 9 Potsdam/Berlin Potsdam is best known for the magnificent palaces and parks that date back to its time as the former royal seat of Prussia. Visit Sassouci Castle, a splendid single-story Rococo building with elliptical dome in the centre and circular rooms at each end, surrounded by beautiful gardens and parks. Today it is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tonight you’ll enjoy a festive farewell dinner in a fine local restaurant to reflect and celebrate together! Overnight in Berlin
Day 10 Return US Transfer to the airport for your return flight(s) to the U.S. Welcome home!
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