Depart the USA.

Arrive in Geneva, where our representative will escort you to your hotel for dinner and your overnight stay.

Explore the places and history of Geneva. John Calvin slept here one night in 1536 on his way to exile, and then returned to assist in bringing the Reformation here, and with it, a theocratic form of government. Visit the Reformation Museum, home to artifacts and manuscripts from this epic period in church history. The Cathedral of St. Peter next door is also rich in Early Christian and Reformed church history. Also visit the Reformation Monument, including the Pilgrim Roger Williams, and drive past the UN Palace and the Council of Churches, both headquartered here. Travel to Bern, the capital of Switzerland, and visit the nearby Trachselwald Castle. It served as a prison for Anabaptists. Afterwards, walk the Stationenweg Bern, a route through the city with interactive stations that will guide you through the history of the Anabaptists in the city. Check in at your Bern area hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

This morning, travel to the lakeside city of Konstanz (Constance). In 1414 - 1418, the Council of Constance challenged early church reformers. Jan Hus, a Czech priest and early reformer, was called before the council and later burned at the stake on July 6, 1415. Visit the house he stayed at here. Wander the city’s medieval streets and shops, untouched by World War II. Continue to Zurich—home to Huldrich Zwingli, a contemporary of Luther and Calvin, leading the call for Reformation. Zwingli served as the Grossmunster (Great Church) pastor in the 1520s. Zwingli died in Zurich in 1531; the Zurich Bible was published that same year. Two other churches here deserve attention. The Fraumunster (Our Lady’s Church) has portions of architecture dating to the 13th century and boasts stained glass windows by Marc Chagall. Check in at your Zurich area hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

Journey to Basel, located on the Rhine River and home to John Calvin. Visit the Munster, once a Catholic cathedral and now a Reformed church. Buried here is Erasmus, a Catholic priest and contemporary of the Reformers. His work on Free Will and tolerating opposing views of Christianity caused him to be criticized from both sides. He died in 1536 and was buried here. Oecolampadius led the city’s conversion to Protestantism, and John Calvin’s work, “Institutes of the Christian Religion”, was first published here in 1536. Visit the Marketplatz and see the Rathaus (originally a Renaissance palace). John Calvin ministered in Strasbourg from 1538 to 1541 at several churches, including Sainte-Madeleine and the Temple Neuf. The Cathédrale Notre-Dame is the highest cathedral tower in France and contains an Astronomical Clock. Enjoy a walking tour of the city and then check into your hotel in Strasbourg.

This morning, visit the ancient city of Worms, where Luther refused to back down from his criticism of the church during the famous Diet of Worms. The Reformation Monument features statues of significant figures in the Reformation. Continue to the Rhine River city of Mainz, where Johann Gutenberg developed the process of movable type that allowed printing to be done on a production scale. Check into your hotel near Mainz.

Martin Luther lived in Eisenach during his student days. Learn about Luther’s life and the Reformation at the Luther House Museum, and tour the famous Wartburg Castle, where Luther translated the New Testament into German in 1522. View the room where Luther completed his translation in just 11 weeks. Your overnight stay is in Eisenach.

Wander through Wittenberg, where Luther lived and taught for 36 years. See where he posted his 95 Theses on the Palace Church door, giving voice to the Reformation. Visit Schlosskirche, where Luther was buried, and explore Luther Halle, a former monastery where Martin lived with his family. This afternoon, explore on your own through the town’s museums and shops. Check into your hotel in Berlin.

Enjoy a driving tour of Berlin, which will introduce you to sites like the Brandenburg Gate and the rebuilt Reichstag, whose transparent dome represents the nation’s open government. Pass the ruins of the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche, left as a poignant reminder of what was lost in the Second World War, and stop at a section of the Berlin Wall, a stark testimony to the once divided city. Take a photo at Checkpoint Charlie, the infamous crossing point from East to West Berlin during the Cold War Era. Return to your hotel in Berlin.

Return to the USA.