Tonight, your incredible journey begins as you depart from Australia.

Tonight we will meet in the hotel for a welcome and orientation meeting at 6pm, followed by dinner.

Hotel: NH Berlin Potsdamer Platz, Berlin

About Berlin:
Berlin was merely a Prussian village in the 16th century, so it doesn’t play a role in the story of the Reformation. We spend some time here to acclimatise, explore one of the world’s great cities, and to learn more about recent German history. Berlin was a great centre of Pietism and the Enlightenment in the 18th century, academic achievements in the 19th century, and both the capital of Nazi Germany and now the reunified German nation in the 20th and 21st centuries. Here are some suggestions to shape your time in one of the coolest of cities. Try and tick some boxes in each of these areas:

Cultural History
The most famous Berlin landmark is the Brandenburg Gate, where great moments in German history have been marked. This western facing gate is unusual because it has no gates, and so became a sign of the political, religious, and sexual openness of Berlin.
Nearby is the Reichstag, which was the German Parliament before WWII and has become again the centre of federal politics. Make sure you climb the dome for spectacular views of the city, and peer down into the actual parliamentary chamber (best to book tickets before arrival. Simply Google “reichstag dome”).
The old centre of East Berlin is the Alexanderplatz, which now is run-down but was the great symbol to the capitalist West of the power of the Communist East.

Nazi History
Make sure you head to Bebelplatz just off the Unter den Linden to see the spot where the Nazis had their infamous book-burning, now marked by an underground but empty library, big enough to fit all those books which were burnt. A highlight will be taking the Berlin Underworlds tour (https://www.visitberlin.de/en/berliner-unterwelten) - bookings essential – where you will experience an intact WWII bunker. Experience the Topography of Terror where the Gestapo had their headquarters, and the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin-Center, a distinct field of concrete with a museum beneath. Along the Kurfürstendamm, the grand old boulevard of Berlin, you can see the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Gedächtniskirche), which was bombed and never repaired. A sobering experience is to visit the Holocaust Museum. More fun is to visit the museum at Checkpoint Charlie.

Places for meals and drinks and fun
Take yourself to the zoo or cruise the canals of Berlin for a magnificent view of the city from the water. These are all man-made for military defence in the 19th century.

For shopping, head to the Hackescher Markt and explore the nearby Hackesche Höfe, a series of courtyards now housing trendy shops. Visit the Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) on the Tauentzienstraße, an opulent department store meant to make the communists in former times jealous!

For eating head to the Berlin equivalent of Brunswick Street – Oranienstraße – or for drinks to the cool brewery, the Kulturbrauerei, in trendy Prenzlauer Berg. Make sure you try the German beer which has been turned green or red!

Meet your local guide for a tour of Berlin including the Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church) one of Berlin’s oldest churches. Visit Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas’ Church)
The oldest church in Berlin, tied to early Protestant services after the Reformation spread into the city. Walk through the Unter den Linden boulevard: Frederick the Great promoted religious tolerance here later, heavily influenced by Reformation ideas.
Visit the Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom), although it was remodelled later, it's the main Protestant cathedral of Berlin.
After lunch we visit Humboldt Forum / Former Berlin Palace & reflect on the legacy of the Hohenzollerns (who were key in promoting Lutheranism in Brandenburg-Prussia).

There will be an opportunity to visit the German Parliament at dusk and go up to the dome. Rhys needs to prebook. Opt out if not interested.

Hotel: NH Berlin Potsdamer Platz, Berlin

Farewell Berlin and travel to Wittenberg, Luther’s home for 30-plus years and birthplace of the Reformation. Visit the exhibition in the Augusteum, "Literally Luther. Facets of a Reformer" to learn more about his ministry and impact. We will spend some time at St Mary’s Church, where Luther often preached, and the Castle Church where he hung his 95 Theses on October 31, 1517, and where he lies buried alongside Melanchthon.

In our free time in the afternoon, you can climb the tower, visit the place outside of the town where Luther burned the papal bull and canon law, enjoy the sidewalk cafes, or walk down to the river. We attend an English service at 5pm at the Fronleichnamskapelle, the medieval chapel next to St Mary's Church, before dinner at a local restaurant.

Hotel: Best Western Soibelmanns Lutherstadt, Wittenberg

Today we check out of our hotel and travel to Eisleben (also called Lutherstadt Eisleben), a town founded more than a thousand years ago.
Luther was born here on November 10, 1483 and died here on February 18, 1546. Make sure you see the death mask and consider which emotions it displays. During a guided tour you will visit Luther’s birthplace and last residence, the Luther monument, Church of St. Peter and Paul where he was baptised as well as the Church of St. Andrew’s where Luther gave his last sermons.

This afternoon we travel to Eisenach to visit the Wartburg Castle. This UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site stands atop a 200-meter high rock above the town of Eisenach. The Wartburg’s most famous resident was Martin Luther, who lived here in protective custody in 1521-1522 after refusing to retract his writings. It was here that he translated the New Testament from Greek into German.
Continue to our hotel in Erfurt.

Hotel: Hotel Erfurt City Center, Erfurt

Today in Erfurt, we will enjoy a guided tour of the Augustinian Monastery, where Luther served as a monk, before a guided walk of the town including the Luther Monument and Mariendom Cathedral, where he was ordained. Be sure to visit the old town and the Krämerbrücke, the merchants’ bridge.

In the afternoon, we travel to Mainz. We arrive in Mainz on the last night of the St John's Festival. Be sure to enjoy the street festivities and stalls!

HOTEL: Garner Hotel, Mainz

We will start the day with a guided city walking tour in Mainz, the centre of Catholic Germany to this day. We will visit the Gutenburg Museum to see the first ever printed copies of the Bible, and the famed cathedral, where St Boniface was the first bishop.

The rest of the day is at leisure.

HOTEL: Garner Hotel, Mainz

Happy birthday to Janis!
Depart Mainz and travel to Worms. Martin Luther spent just ten days in Worms, but these ten days fundamentally changed the world.
In 1521 Luther wassummoned to Worms to stand before the boy Emperor Charles V and the Imperial Council to recant. Luther asked for time to consider and then decided not to compromise. He said that if he could not be persuaded by the Holy Scriptures, which were his chief point of reference, then he did not want to and could not recant, "because to go against one's conscience is neither right nor safe." The result was a judgement passed by the council, which made him both a heretic and an outlaw.

We take a guided tour of the Worms Cathedral where Luther presented his case, and see the Reformation Monument. Make sure you see the model of the buildings as they were in Luther’s time, and the stained glass where Luther is commemorated – this is the only Roman Catholic building in the world to honour him in this way.

We learn about the beginnings of the Protestants as we pass by the town of Speyer, on our way to Strasbourg, the City of Hope or Refuge of the Righteous for French Protestants.

Hotel: City Residence, Strasbourg

Positioned on the border of France and Germany, Strasbourg is influenced by both countries and is the capital of the Alsace region. It became a point of exchange between the Lutherans in Germany and the growing Protestant movement in Switzerland, known as “Reformed”.

We start the day at Strasbourg Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg). Even though it's a Catholic church today, Strasbourg was a city of intense religious debate during the early Reformation, and some Protestant services happened here. Climb the tower for spectacular views!

We then visit St Thomas Church (Église Saint-Thomas), the key Protestant church in Strasbourg, where Bucer, Calvin’s mentor, preached and is buried. Then onto St Nicholas’ Church, which Calvin planted. Stroll through the historic Petite France district. As you walk, talk about how Strasbourg became a "free city" that attracted Protestant refugees, especially from France (the Huguenots). The beautiful timbered houses reflect the era.

In the afternoon we travel 200kms to Zürich, where we can enjoy some free time to explore or shop. Beware, the costs in Zürich are very “swissappointing”!

HOTEL: Park Hotel Winterthur

It was in Zürich where the Reformation got its start under the leadership of Ulrich (Huldrych) Zwingli beginning in 1520. We will visit the Grossmünster, where Zwingli preached, see the Helferei, where Zwingli lived, and stop by the Zwingli Statue outside the Wasserkirche (Waterchurch). We then travel to the small, picturesque alpine village of Wildhaus to visit Zwingli’s Geburtshaus (birth-house).

We then return to Winterthur for the night.

HOTEL: Park Hotel Winterthur

Today we enjoy a day trip to the village of Bäretswil and walk to an Anabaptist cave where Täufer (Anabaptists) took refuge from the persecution of other Protestants. They were a group of Christians who separated from the church in 1524 to follow their own beliefs.

We will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant (own expense), after which, we travel to Einsiedeln where Zwingli worked as the local pastor before moving to Zürich in 1519. We will visit the Abbey Church for Vespers (a form of evening liturgy). Take a walk up the hill behind the monastery for great views.
Return to Winterthur. No dinner included tonight so you can experience some local eateries.

HOTEL: Park Hotel Winterthur

We will enjoy a guided walking city tour of Zürich and then drive via Gruyère with picture postcard scenery along the way to Geneva, where we can explore the old town to find some local eateries.

HOTEL: Mercure Annemasse, Geneva

This morning we enjoy a tour of Geneva, the city where John Calvin and John Knox preached. We will see the Reformation Monument, St Peter’s Church, and Calvin’s home and grave.
The afternoon is then free. Perhaps spend some time at the Reformation Museum with some shopping?

Tonight we dress up for our Farewell Dinner to celebrate our remarkable journey, which will be held at a local restaurant.

HOTEL: Mercure Annemasse, Geneva

Transfer to Geneva Airport for your flight back to Australia or beyond. One transfer will be offered.

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