Today we gather at the international airport for our flight to Germany. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.

Morning arrival at Frankfurt Airport where we are met by our tour escort and board our motorcoach. We drive northwards to the old university town of Marburg, stopping by St. Elizabeth's Church and the Landgrave's Castle. We continue on our way to the historic town of Fulda. Fulda, a center of religion and scholarship in the Franconian Empire, was designated as a town in 1114. In the 18th century, during the Baroque Age, Fulda reached its most important period, serving as the residence of the Prince Abbotts and Prince Bishops and a renowned university. We will see the Town Castle, St. Michael's Church and the renowned Cathedral. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

This morning we travel eastward for a visit to the formidable Wartburg Castle, where Luther found refuge during the Imperial Ban. The Castle was built in the 11th century and is where Luther translated the New Testament in the years 1521-1522. We will see the “Luther Stube.” A short drive brings us to Eisenach, birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach, whose birthplace we will visit to listen to some of his marvelous music placed on historic instruments. We will also visit the Luther House museum before continuing to the historic town of Erfurt, whose local university Luther studied. We continue our tour in Luther's Footsteps to the Cathedral and Church of St. Severi's, taking in a view of the Kramer Bridge lined on each side with timber-framed houses restored to their original condition. Then we pay a highlight visit to the important Augustinian Monastery, built in 1277 and now beautifully restored. The Monastery contains an exhibition on Martin Luther, who was a monk here from 1505 until 1511. We then drive to our hotel in the Weimar area for dinner and overnight.

Our first visit this morning will be to Halle, where Luther stayed in 1510 for the granting of an appeal to the Pope (dispute of the Order of St. Augustine), stopping by the Market Church of our Dear Lady. Next we will visit a very special exhibition showing Luther's death mask and hands, documents about him, and a Holy Bible with his handwritten notes. We continue on to Eisleben, the place of his birth on 10 November 1483 and death on 18 February 1546. Though Luther spent little time here, records indicate that he felt a special affinity towards Eisleben. We will start by visiting the house of his birth and the house where he died. Next we tour St. Andrew's Church, where he preached his last sermon and where his body was laid out. We continue to the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, where he was christened, and the Luther Monument. Spend some time at your leisure to see the market place and other points of interest. Some options include St. Anne's Church, with the famous biblical scenes hewn in stone, and the buildings of the former St. Augustine's Monastery. We return to our hotel in the Weimar area for dinner and overnight.

Drive this morning to the beautiful city of Leipzig, also known as Bach's city. Our tour will include a tour of St. Thomas Church, where Bach was organist and choirmaster. We will also stop by the Renaissance Town Hall before driving northwards to Wittenberg, birthplace of the Reformation and where Luther lived from 1508 until his death. It is also known as the city of Frederick the Wise, who was patron and protector of Luther. We will visit All Saints Castle Church, where Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door and which contains the graves of Luther and Melanchthon. Next we'll see the University where Luther taught and stop by Melanchthon's House. We'll also tour the Luther House, which is the largest and greatest museum of Reformation history in the world. Following Luther's house we will visit the Stadtkirche of St. Marien, where Luther used to preach, and see the Luther monument and the renaissance Town Hall. Continue to Dessau where, on 2nd April 1534, the Dessau Princes (Georg, Johann and Joachim) professed the Reformation. Martin Luther also preached before them and the citizens of Dessau. We will see the significant points of interest, including St. John's Church, before returning to our hotel in the Weimar area for dinner and overnight.

Drive though the southern part of old East Germany and continue to Bayreuth, known world-wide for its Wagner music festival. We then continue through many lovely towns and villages on the way to Nurnberg, the city of Duerer and the Meistersingers, surrounded by thick walls and overlooked by its landmark castle. Nurnberg is a very interesting Old Town reflective of the City's long historic past; we will see its old fortifications and, if time permits, we may be able to see craftsmen at their work in the Craftsmen's Courtyard in the City Center, or stop outside the castle to enjoy a fine view across the housetops with pointed gables and tall church spires. Drive further south by way of Ingolstadt on the Danube to Augsburg, City of the Confession and one of the most important German cities associated with Luther. Martin Luther stayed in Augsburg on his way from Rome in March 1511 and it was here most significantly that he defended his 95 theses in the debate with the representative of the Church of Rome in 1518. During his stay in Augsburg, the foundations were laid for the decisive development of the Reformation and thus of the Christian Church. We will see the Renaissance style Town Hall, the Church of the Holy Cross (Luther's lodgings after his journey to Rome in 1511 ), and the impressive Augustus fountain as well as visiting St. Anne's Church with its small Luther courtyard and the memorial Chapel of the Fugger. Dinner and overnight.

Our full day tour of Bavaria commences with a drive through spectacular mountain scenery, past snow-capped Alps, crystalline lakes and rustic villages to Neuschwantstein to see the famous castle built by mad King Ludwig and the basis for Walt Disney's famous fairy tale castle. A short drive then brings us to the tiny village of Oberammergau, site of the world famous Passion Play, which is performed once every ten years. Continue to Heidelberg

A short drive this morning brings us to the romantic medieval city of Heidelberg. Heidelberg is delightfully situated at the confluence of the Rhine and Neckar Rivers, where we will visit the castle ruins, the University and also the famous Stone Bridge, said by many to be Germany's most beautiful bridge; the Red Ox Inn of “Student Prince” fame before driving the short distance to Worms, city of the 1521 Edict, where we will see the impressive Monument to the Reformation, the Cathedral in this important center of the Reformation. Worms was the site of Luther's trial for heresy and it was in the Cathedral, standing before the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V that he uttered his faith affirming, death defying proclamation ...”Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me.” We then drive swiftly to the River Rhine and St. Goarhausen where we will board our steamer for a cruise on the busy waterway -past ruined castles, terraced vineyards, attractive riverside villages and the famous Lorelei Rock; we disembark at Kaub and drive to Heidelberg to overnight.

Transfer this morning to Frankfurt Airport for our return