Five hundred years ago, on All Saints Eve, 1517, professor Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany. Those strokes of a hammer struck a spark that set the world blaze. Join us on this tour of Europe to celebrate the Quincentenary of the Reformation.
We’ll visit Calvin’s Geneva, stay in a Waldense village in the Alps, and study the Hussites, who fought to the death for their faith.
Along the way see the canals of Venice, trace the campaigns of Hannibal, gaze on beautiful Alpine vistas, and walk through the ruins of Rome. We hope you can join us in this exciting journey through the amazing things God has done in history.
Information
Dates – May 16-27, 2017.
Prices – As usual, the price just includes costs. If it turns out to be significantly lower, we will refund the difference. On the other hand, if the currency exchange rates fluctuate greatly, we may need to increase the price.
- Adults and children over 15 – $1100
- Children 6-14 – $1025
- Children 1-5 – $850
- Young children not requiring a bus seat are free
Deposit – There is very limited space available. Deposit of $220 required by January 31 to reserve your place. Payment in full due by April 15. You can pay using the booking section later on this page. In the checkout process you will have the option to pay by credit card or to mail a check. Please make checks payable to Dan or Kendra Horn.
Includes – All lodging, admission, and transportation while in Europe. We will probably be providing a light breakfast and lunch every day, and dinner on several days. This price does not include airfare.
Flights – All flights are to be scheduled individually. The bus will leave the airport in Geneva, Switzerland mid-afternoon on May 16th. The tour ends in Prague, Czech Republic on May 26th. To get the best prices and schedule, you may want to fly out of a major airport like Washington Dulles.
Itinerary Highlights
Tuesday, May 16
After the tour begins with a pickup at the Geneva airport, we’ll dive into this city’s unparalleled Reformation sites. Walk the same streets as John Calvin and John Knox, and climb the spire of St. Pierre Cathedral, where Calvin preached. Visit the Reformation Museum, and see the huge Reformation wall, commemorating how the theology from this small city changed the world.
Wednesday, May 17
We’ll travel from Geneva to Italy, stopping along the way to take a cable car up Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in the Alps. Also see the picturesque Fénis Castle, nestled in a mountain valley. We will transfer to a hotel in Torre Pellice to begin our study of the Waldenses.
Thursday, May 18
Spend the day studying the Waldenses, who faced much persecution as they kept the faith alive in the time before the Reformation. See the Waldensian church, a cave where they worshiped in hiding, and much more. Finish the day with a hike up a historic pass through the Alps, across which the Waldenses fled, and one of the possible routes that Hannibal took in his unparalleled campaign against Rome.
Friday, May 19
Leaving the Italian Alps, we’ll travel into the Tuscan Valley. En route see the site of the Battle of the Trebia, where Hannibal, with his army and war elephants, brilliantly defeated an army of Roman legions. We will also stop and see the Two Towers of Bologna, two surviving examples of the estimated 180 towers that crowded the city in medieval times.
Saturday, May 20
First we visit a castle on the shores of Lake Trasimene, a site of another of Hannibal’s famous victories. From there we head to the city he was intent on destroying: Rome. We’ll see the Roman Forum and Senate, the Colosseum where Christians were martyred, and the Catacombs where they hid and were buried. See how the Roman Catholics turned the Roman temples into Christian churches and visit the Scalia Santa, up which Luther was climbing on his knees when he was struck by the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
Sunday, May 21
Spend the Sabbath resting and worshiping at a villa in the beautiful countryside of Italy.
Monday, May 22
On Monday morning we’ll head off to Austria. On the way we will stop in Venice, the Italian city famous the world over for its many canals, and hear how it was once the seat of an empire. As we drive through the Italian and Austrian Alps, we will make another stop to take in the beauty and vastness of God’s creation.
Tuesday, May 23
As we travel through Austria we will visit Vienna, the former capitol of the Holy Roman Empire, and see St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which has borne witness to many important events in European history. We will visit Austerlitz Battlefield, the site of the Battle of the Three Emperors, where Napoleon won his greatest victory. Finally we enter the Czech Republic, the land of John Hus, and visit a museum dedicated to the Hussites, his followers.
Wednesday, May 24
Spend the day exploring the old Bohemian town of Prague. See Prague Castle, hear the stories of the Reformation and visit Bethlehem Chapel where John Hus preached. We will also go to Vitkov Hill, a large eminence towering over the town, where the Hussites fought Crusaders from the Holy Roman Empire, sent by the Pope to destroy them.
Thursday, May 25
On Thursday we will visit Wittenberg, the birthplace of the Reformation. There we will see the Castle Church where Martin Luther nailed in the 95 theses, explore the house where he lived for many years, which now hosts the world’s largest Reformation Museum, visit the home of the reformer Philip Melanchthon, and see other sites along the streets where Luther once walked.
Friday, May 26
On our last day of touring we will start at Střekov Castle, a picturesque castle standing on high cliffs overlooking a river. Then we will see Colditz Castle, which has several connections to Reformation History, but is most famous as the site of many daring escape attempts by Allied POWs in World War II. Our last site will be Theresienstadt Concentration Camp, where 144,000 Jews were held by the Nazis. We will then finish the tour with a closing dinner at the house in Prague.
Book
The tour is currently sold out. However, depending on the accommodations we book, cancellations, and other factors, you can contact us to be added to the waiting list.
