Religious Studies Tour to Germany – The Trail of the Reformation

"We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience" - John Dewey On every evening of the program, we will set time aside to update our Reflection Journal and share thoughts and impressions that have come to the fore in the course of the day.

Surrounded by mountains, forests, and the Neckar River, Heidelberg showcases a quintessential German landscape. Join your Tour Director as you drive through this granddaddy of all college towns, with its scores of bars, cafés, and shops. Get a beautiful view Germany’s oldest university —founded in 1386—from the Marktplatz, Heidelberg’s main square. Head up to Heidelberg Castle, which is still a little wobbly from its partial destruction during the Thirty Years’ War, a 17th-century attack by the French, and a major lightening hit in 1764. The castle’s courtyard is home to the largest wine barrel in world, the Great Vat, which holds about 50,000 gallons of wine (possibly another contributing factor to the castle’s romantically off-balance appearance).

Head up to Heidelberg Castle, which is still a little wobbly from its partial destruction during the Thirty Years’ War, a 17th-century attack by the French, and a major lightening hit in 1764. The castle is considered to be one of the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps, and the castle’s courtyard is home to the largest wine barrel in world!

Visit the town's historical Marktplatz, the Market Square.

The city of Worms (a name of Celtic origin) is located on the River Rhine. It is one of Germany’s oldest cities and has a rich history, featuring kings and emperors, the myths and legends regarding the Nibelungs, and traces of Judaism and Martin Luther. It also boasts a magnificent cathedral.

Visit Dom St. Peter (Worms Cathedral), towering physically and historically above all the other ancient buildings of the city. The basilica is a fine example of High Romanesque. Inside view the rosette window and the highly decorated 14th century side chapel of St. Nicholas, with its Gothic baptismal font and new stained-glass windows.

View the Luther Monument, the world’s largest Reformation monument. At its center is a statue of Martin Luther, flanked by Frederick the Wise of Saxony and Philip of Hesse. It also features the names of other towns that played an important part in the Reformation.

Christmas reigns all year round in Rothenburg, a jewel of a town on Germany’s picturesque Romantic Road. Beyond the year-round Christmas markets, the town boasts one of the most intact medieval city walls in Europe and a fairly unique clock. During the Thirty Years’ War, a former Rothenburg mayor was offered the chance to save the city by chugging close to a gallon of wine; he succeeded (and then slept for three days straight), and his accomplishment is reenacted seven times daily by mechanical figures on the clock in the Marktplatz -- adding a new twist to the concept of “cuckoo clock.” The enormous Gothic St. Jacob’s Church watches over the exploits from across the square.

Visit St. Jakobskirche, a beautifully constructed 14th-century Gothic church. View one of Germany’s most precious works of art, Tilman Riemenschneider’s Holy Blood Altarpiece, painted in 1504.

Visit the Franciscan Church. It was built in 1285 and is Rothenburg’s oldest church. It features an altar carved by Tilman Riemenschneider, as well as windows made by the artist Johannes Schreiter.

Visit Coburg Fortress, one of Germany’s largest and best-preserved castle complexes towers high above the border between Upper Franconia and Thuringia. During the 16th century Lucas Cranach the Elder frequented the fortress for inspiration and to produce sketches.

Visit the Lutherhaus, where Martin Luther lived from 1498 to 1501. This picturesque half-timbered house is one of Eisenach’s oldest buildings, and is now a museum with fascinating multimedia exhibits detailing Martin Luther’s life and times, as well as his teachings.

Explore Wartburg Castle to see the Lutherstube, the room where Luther lived and worked; the Neue Kemenate, which today houses an impressive art collection; and the Singing Hall, allegedly the scene of the famous minstrels’ contest in Wagner’s opera Tannhäuser.

Erfurt was founded as a Catholic diocese in 742 and flourished as a trading center during the Middle Ages. The city is nicknamed “Thuringian Rome” due to its abundance of churches. Martin Luther spent six years here, initially as a student at the University of Erfurt and then as a monk at the Augustinian Monastery.

Lutherstadt Wittenberg, the capital of the Reformation, is located to the south of Berlin, in the Saxony-Anhalt region of Germany. This small town was named after its most famous resident, Martin Luther, and enjoys a scenic position on the banks of the Elbe River. Take a walking tour of Lutherstadt Wittenberg, which will highlight many of the important buildings and landmarks of the town.

View Cranachhaus, the residence of the great painters Lucas Cranach the Elder and Younger

View Melanchthonhaus, the home of Martin Luther’s greatest ally.

See St. Mary’s Church (also known as Stadtkirche or City Church), where Martin Luther preached and married.

Visit Schlosskirche (Castle Church), where Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses in 1517. The church contains the tombs of Luther, Melanchthon, and Frederick the Wise.

Visit Lutherhaus, a museum dedicated to Martin Luther and the history of the German Reformation. It includes a section on Reformation art, with works by Lucas Cranach the Elder and Younger.

Explore the Augustinian Monastery, where Martin Luther lived as a monk and read his first Mass, in 1507 having been ordained as a priest. The monastery dates back to the 13th century, and houses a rare book library and a Permanent Exhibition about the life of Luther.

Visit the St. Mary’s Cathedral, at the top of a broad staircase leading from the Cathedral Square. The cathedral boasts the world’s largest free-swinging bell, the Gloriosa, as well as an elaborate Gothic chancel with a series of impressive stained-glass windows.

Visit the Merchants’ Bridge, an arched stone structure that was built in 1325 over the Gera River. It has houses on both sides and is filled with bookstalls, cafés, and antiques shops. In medieval times there were two churches here, located at either end of the bridge; one of these, the Ägidienkirche, is still in existence.

Frankfurt is a cosmopolitan and bustling city on the Main River. It is Germany’s financial powerhouse, and features a mixture of soaring skyscrapers, half-timbered houses, and also boasts a wealth of museums.

Frankfurt 's Allstadt was one of the largest half-timbered towns in Germany until tits 1250 medieval half-timbered houses were destroyed in World War II air raids.

This Baroque building was once the seat of Frankfurt’s defense authorities, but lost its military function in 1866 and was used as a police station until 1904. The building was dismantled in 1967 and was later rebuilt on top of the U-bahn station.

Visit the Kaiserdom (Imperial Cathedral), also known as St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral. Despite its name, it is not an actual cathedral, as it has never been the seat of a bishop. It received its title because kings and emperors were elected and crowned here. The present Gothic structure is the fifth church known to have existed at this site, and has itself undergone modification and restoration.

This evening we make the final entries in our Reflection Journal and share some of the most significant observations and perspectives that have taken shape in the course of our travel experience and how these may be most relevant for us all as we return home.