Departure from the USA on an overnight flight to Berlin, Germany.

Arrive in Berlin, where your tour director and private motorcoach are waiting for you as you exit customs. After everything is settled, transfer to the hotel for check-in. Dinner is included at the hotel. (D)

Enjoy a day exploring the city on your own today. In the evening, meet your tour director for dinner and a welcome and orientation meeting. (D)

In the morning, we meet our local guide, who will show us the highlights of Berlin. These sites include the 1905 neo-Baroque Berlin Cathedral, the bomb-damaged tower of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the famous Brandenburg Gate, and the remains of the Berlin Wall, where we can explore Berlin at our own pace in the afternoon. Free evening, no group dinner tonight. (B, D)

We bid farewell to Berlin and depart for the area of our ancestors. Today we visit the Wendish museum in Cottbus. The medieval building was converted into a museum in 1994. After taking some time for lunch on our own, we take our bus to an old medieval Slavic fortification in Raddusch nearby. Discover how Slavic and Wendish history has shaped the region. In the evening, check in at our hotel in Cottbus for the next two nights with dinner included. (B, D)

Today, we explore the Spreewald. We enjoy a boat ride through the beautiful natural surroundings. Ice age processes shaped the landscape, making it unique in Europe. In the Spreewald, approximately 60,000 people still live with Wendish origins. Their earlier settlement characterized the region with their traditional half-timbered architecture and single-story houses. During our boat ride, we will visit a Wendish outdoor museum in Lehde, where we can see original 19th-century farmhouses. In the afternoon, back to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (B, D)

We leave the Cottbus/Spreewald area and drive to Upper Lusatia. We will visit the Njepila Hof farm in Rhone on the way from Cottbus to Bautzen. After arriving in Bautzen, we meet our local guide for a guided walking tour to see all the Wendish-influenced spots in Bautzen. After lunch break on our own, we visit the Wendish Museum. After checking in at our hotel, we meet for our group dinner at Restaurant Wjelbik. (B, D)

Today, we have a beautiful bus ride to the origin of Jan Kilian and our own heritage. We begin our tour in the village where he was born, Döhlen, and then proceed to Hochkirch. Kilian was baptized here in the church we will visit. Our way leads us through Rodewitz, Wurschen, and Nechern before we arrive in Kotitz, with the church and the Kilian Memorial. Lunch on your own at Gasthof Plotzen. This afternoon, we will continue to visit other villages. We will return to Bautzen and enjoy dinner at the hotel. (B, D)

In the morning, we take the bus to Weigersdorf to join the SELK congregation for divine service. Afterward, meet with the pastor and members of the congregation for lunch. Next stop will be Klitten. We will visit the church, meet with the congregation, and the pastor for coffee and cake. On the way back to Bautzen, we pass through the villages of Dauban, Leipgen, and Foerstgen. In the evening, we enjoyed a delicious dinner again at Wjelbik. (B, L, D)

We leave Bautzen for Hoyerswerda. We will explore the downtown area and learn about the city’s historical relevance to Wendish Heritage. Hoping to preserve their distinct language, culture, and traditions, Sorbs and Wends came together in Hoyerswerda on October 13, 1912, to found the Lusatian Wends Association, uniting the plethora of smaller Sorbian cultural organizations that already existed. We will return to Berlin and check into our hotel in the evening for dinner and an overnight stay. (B, D)

For some of us, it is time to say goodbye. Transfer to Berlin for our homebound flights. (B)