In the Footsteps of the Reformers: Germany, France, and Switzerland with Steve and Ruth Macchia

We depart on an overnight flight to Berlin from Boston Logan Airport. Dinner and breakfast are served on the plane. Quotes for add-on flights and optional Premium Economy and Business Class upgrades are available upon request and quoted starting 120 days before departure. Due to group air restrictions, we are not able to request specific seats on the flights.

Upon arrival in Berlin, we meet our English-speaking tour manager and coach driver. We proceed into the Berlin city center, where we have a panoramic city tour. We view the famous Brandenburg Gate, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the Cathedral Church (Berliner Dom), which we visit, the Reichstag building, Checkpoint Charlie, and the lively boulevards. This city has undergone momentous change since the reunification and is now one of the most modern cities in Europe. We visit Zion’s church, where Bonhoeffer took over teaching the confirmation class and then see the Memorial statue not far from the church. After a break for lunch, we depart for Wittenberg, stopping to visit the Bonhoeffer Museum and see a film about his life. Continue to Wittenberg and check in to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

We are in Wittenberg, where Martin Luther lived and taught for 36 years, and the Reformation officially began in 1517. A local guide will join us to tour the Castle Church, where Luther posted his 95 Theses. This beautiful church is the burial site of Martin Luther. The tour also includes St. Mary’s Church, where Luther regularly preached. We pass the Lutherhalle (Luther House) Museum, which is currently closed for renovation, but the special exhibition “Literally Luther. Facets of a Reformer” will be open at the nearby Augusteum. In 1508, when Martin Luther came to Wittenberg, he lived in the Lutherhalle with other Augustinian Monks. Later, Luther and his wife, Katharina von Bora, raised six children here. Dinner and overnight in Wittenberg.

After breakfast, we depart for Thuringia. Before reaching Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia, we stop to visit Buchenwald Concentration Camp, where Bonhoeffer was held in 1945. A short drive will bring us to Erfurt. Our afternoon tour will include the Augustinian Monastery and a stroll through the old town’s narrow streets to see St. Mary’s Cathedral and St. Severin’s church before we walk across the famous Krämer Bridge. Dinner and overnight in Erfurt.

This morning, we attend a Sunday service at a local church. A short drive takes us to fascinating Eisenach. In 1521, while fleeing from the wrath of the Pope, Luther took refuge in the Wartburg Castle after a fake kidnapping staged by his friend and protector, Frederick the Wise. This is where Luther translated the New Testament into German in just 11 weeks. In the town of Eisenach, we’ll see the splendid Martin Luther Statue and St. George’s Church. Martin Luther preached here on his journey back and forth from the imperial parliament in Worms (The Diet of Worms). Continue to Marburg, which is famous for the Zwingli meeting place. This was a significant event in the Reformation. We visit St. Elizabeth’s Church, dating from 1283, and hear about Phillip of Hesse, a local leader who greatly aided the Lutheran Reformation, and see 14th-century frescoes. We continue to our hotel in Rudesheim, the famous German wine village, for overnight.

We begin today with a Rhine River cruise. We board the boat in Rudesheim and sail past magnificent castles and the famous Loreley Rock to St. Goar. This afternoon, we travel to Worms. Upon arrival, we enjoy a walking tour to see the site of the Worms Debates. Our guide will also share about another Reformer, William Tyndale, who finished printing the English Bible in Worms, escaping persecution in England. It was the first translation of the Bible from the original Greek into English – also the first translation of a Greek book into English. Return to Rudesheim for dinner at leisure to explore one of the many restaurants in town.

We drive to France to visit the town of Strasbourg, home of the E.U.’s European Parliament, the “City of Hope,” or “Refuge of the Righteous,” as the Anabaptists call it. This is where John Calvin wrote his famous books on systematic theology. Martin Bucer, another Reformation leader, was from Strasbourg and is buried in St. Thomas’s Church, the principal Protestant Church since 1549. Also related to Strasbourg was Peter Waldo, whose followers were known as “Waldensians,” “Poor in Spirit,” or “Poor Men of Lyons.” Due to growing persecution in Paris, Calvin settled in Strasbourg to live the life of a quiet Christian scholar and author. His first draft of the Institutes in 1536 was instantly popular as it presented Reformed doctrine in an easy-to-read, systematic manner. We tour St. Thomas’s Church and the Cathedral of Strasbourg, where we see the Astronomical clock. We also see the Statue of the Reformers at the University and the historic “La Petite Strasbourg” quarter. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Strasbourg.

This morning, we travel through the Black Forest region of Germany to Switzerland. We have a fantastic view of the Schaffhausen Waterfalls at Lake Constance, where the mighty Rhine River roars at Europe’s highest waterfall. We learn the story of Czech Reformer John Hus in Constance. The Constance Cathedral, the site of the Council of Constance in 1415, is where Hus was sentenced to death for his so-called heresy. We see the Hussenstein, the stone which marks the very spot where Hus was burned at the stake. Continue to Zurich to learn more about Zwingli on a tour of the key Reformation sites in Zurich. Dinner and overnight in the Zurich area.

This morning, we tour Zwingli’s church, the Grossmünster, where we hear excerpts from his old sermons and admire the world-famous Chagall stained glass windows. Outside, we see the Zwingli Statue. We then enjoy the Swiss heritage as we walk through the historic Auld Stadt (old city). We also see the Helferei, where Zwingli lived, and then tour the Guild Hall and Museum, which has some interesting displays and art from the Swiss Reformation. We view the Fraumunster, Zurich’s famous Catholic Cathedral. We enjoy the spectacular scenery in the afternoon as we take a leisurely drive to Geneva. Upon arrival, we settle into our hotel for dinner and overnight. Overnight in Geneva.

Here in Geneva, John Calvin and John Knox brought Christ’s teachings to eager listeners. Our full-day tour will start at the waterfront, famous for its Flower Clock and English Gardens, and continue to the old town area, where we tour St. Peter’s Cathedral. This is where John Calvin preached and stoked the fires of the Reformation in Geneva. We can see Calvin’s chair. It’s only 157 steps up to the top of the North Tower, where the view is worth the effort. Under the Cathedral are the ruins of a Roman sanctuary, a 4th-century basilica, and a 6th-century church. Close by is the Auditoire de Calvin (also known as The Protestant Lecture Hall), where the inspired theologian himself taught. John Knox also taught here for three years. Next, we visit the impressive Reformation Monument. Four statues of four Reformation leaders stand as sentinels. Our Farewell dinner is at a local restaurant. (B. Special dinner)

After breakfast, we are transferred to the airport for our flight home.