Itinerary

1. 

   London to Frankfurt

   Fly from London Heathrow Airport to Frankfurt with British Airways. Flight BA904 departs at 11:00 and arrives at 13:40.

   Transfer by coach to the Novotel Hotel, Mainz, where we stay for two nights.

   We walk to nearby St Stephen's which has stained windows designed by Marc Chagall.

2. 

   Worms & Mainz

   We drive to Worms where Luther was summoned in 1521 before the Imperial Diet to justify his behaviour. We Enter through St Martin's gate, walk past St John's church where Luther would have slept during his ten days here and visit St Peter's Cathedral, Holy Trinity church, the Jewish Cemetery and the Luther Memorial. We have a lunch break in Mainz. Our visits include the birthplace of printing, the Gutenberg Museum as well as St Martin's Cathedral which dates from the 8th Century.

3. 

   Eisenach

   We leave Mainz and drive toward Eisenach. Our first visit is to Wartburg Castle; in the Luther Room, Luther (who was disguised as Junker Jorg) translated the New Testament into German. We then visit St George's church where J S Bach was baptised, as well as the Bach House with its excellent museum celebrating the life and music of Bach.

   Two night stay in Erfurt at the Mercure Hotel.

4. 

   Erfurt

   A morning walking tour in Erfurt. Our visits today include the Cathedral, the Merchant's bridge as well as the Merchant's Church with the Luther Memorial.. We also visit the Augustinian Monastery. Luther, who studied law at Erfurt University, entered the monastery as a novice in 1505 and took his vows as a monk in 1507.

5. 

   Eisleben

   We leave Erfurt and drive to Eisleben, where Luther was born in 1483 and died in 1546. We visit St Andrew's, where Luther preached his last sermons, the house museums celebrating his birth and his death. We also visit the Church of St Peter & St Paul, where Luther was baptised. In the afternoon we enjoy a walking tour in Leipzig, where our visits include St Thomas' Church, where Bach was the Cantor for 27 years, and the Church of St Nicholas.

   Two night stay the the NH Hotel, Leipzig.

6. 

   Wittenberg

   Today we drive to Wittenberg, where Luther lived from 1508. We visit the Augustinian monastery - Luther and his family lived here from 1525, but it is now an impressive Reformation Museum. We also visit Schlosskirche where Luther posted his 95 theses on the doors which sparked the beginning of the Reformation.

7. 

   Regensburg

   We leave Leipzig and drive to Regensburg. Our visits include the historic Roman ruins and we hear about the history of the Jewish community. When we arrive this afternoon, we will visit the Kloster of St Emmeram, originally founded as a Benedictine monastery in the eighth century, part of Thurn Un Taxis Palace.

   Two night stay in Regensburg at the Best Western Hotel.

8. 

   Walhalla

   We take a boat cruise down the Danube to Wahalla where we visit the neo-classical Hall (modeled on the parthenon) which was part of King Ludwig's empire. Inside are the busts of the great of Germany.

9. 

   Augsburg

   We drive on to Augsburg to visit the monastery of St Anna, where Luther stayed in 1518 during his confrontation with Cardinal Cajetan. We also call at the Fuggerei - a residential settlement for citizens in need. Probably the most notable resident was Mozart's great grandfather.

   We spend our final two nights in Augsburg, at the Steigenberger Hotel

10. 

    Free time in Augsburg

    Enjoy a free day in Augsburg to explore at your leisure.

11. 

    Homeward Bound

    Our return flight BA951 departs Munich at 12:40 and arrives at London Heathrow Airport at 13:45.

Essential Information

Practical information

Dates