❖ Explore the grounds where Martin Luther made his famous “Here I Stand” speech before the emperor at the Diet of Worms. Walking the historic center’s streets, learn about this Reformation town’s role in printing William Tyndale’s English translation of the New Testament and preparing the copies to be smuggled into England.

❖ Immerse yourself in the world of innovative “Renaissance men” who started the print revolution at Mainz and examine two of the rare Gutenberg Bibles housed at the city’
s museum on the site of Johannes Gutenberg’s press.

❖ In the French villages of the Alsace region, like Riquewihr, marvel at the craftsmanship of the charming half-timbered houses and sample the many delightful pastries and desserts of the local bakeries.

❖ As we tour the stately city of Strasbourg by canal-boat, enjoy the fruits of the labors of early Anabaptist theologian Pilgram Marpeck, who helped design the canal system as the city’s civil engineer. The canal tour will introduce us to both the old town and the modern city, home of the European Parliament. We will also relish the opportunity to see the famous astronomical clock and intricate stonework of the gothic cathedral, which towered over the city when the Sattlers lived here and forged positive relationships with the leading reformers.

❖ Heading into the Black Forest region of Germany, stay a night in the lakeside town of Titisee, famous for its cuckoo clocks and wooden crafts.

❖ Explore the monastery of “St. Peter in the Black Forest,” where Michael Sattler had been a monk and rose to leadership. We will marvel there at the amazing Baroque-era chapel and library, housing thousands of rare books.

❖ In the beautiful Swiss city of Zurich, walk the cobblestone passageways that were once filled with the excited conversations of scholars debating the Reformation activities of Ulrich Zwingli and the city council—including Conrad Grebel, Felix Mantz, Balthasar Hubmaier, and Michael Sattler. Follow the banks of Lake Zurich to Zollikon, where the first Anabaptist congregation flourished, and hike to a cave in the nearby forests where Anabaptists sought to worship without detection from authorities.

❖ Going out to the Swiss countryside, visit the farming area in the “Emmen Valley” that was once home to many Anabaptist families now residing in the US and Canada. We will visit a quaint family farm where the barn was specially outfitted to hide Anabaptists from arrest and hear the current owner share powerful stories of faith with us over a homemade lunch. We also tour the Trachselwald Castle, where numerous Anabaptists were placed in prison for their beliefs.

❖ Journey into the heart of the High Alps through the stunning Lauterbrunnen Valley, famous for its seventy-two waterfalls cascading down the cliffs on either side. Ascending the slopes on the world’s steepest cable car, we’ll be delighted with the views from the top of Schilthorn Mountain, one of the highest peaks of the Alps, as well as the car-less town of Mürren perched high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

❖ Visit the flower-lined town of Schleitheim, where the Michael Sattler led a gathering of early Anabaptists in composing the “Schleitheim Confession” in February 1527. A local museum’s exhibit devoted to Anabaptist history displays one of the few original printed copies.

❖ In the German town of Rottenburg along the Neckar River, remember the trial and executions of Michael and Margaretha Sattler that took place here and visit the monument that the town has made in memory of them.

❖ Soak up the atmosphere of Germany’s most charming university town at Tübingen, nestled among the “Swabian Alps,” and tour the historic “Evangelical Foundation,” which has been the
seminary home of many notable philosophers and theologians, from Kepler, Hegel and Schelling to Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Karl Barth. Relax as a college student takes us on a “punting” ride on the beautiful Neckar River, lined with colorful houses and flowers, and admire German craftsmanship in unique shops as you wander among the cobblestone passageways.

❖ Driving through the farmlands of the “Palatinate” region of the Germany will be opportunity for some to retrace family roots, as many Anabaptist and German Reformed families lived here before migrating to America in the 1700s.

❖ Personally engage with Christians seeking to be lights in European society today and learn how to support the Church in Europe in prayer once you return home.