European Reformation

Rome to Geneva with Dr Phillip Scheepers

Duration
14
Departure
17 June 2024
Price from
7,399

INFORMATION SESSIONS

We are sorry you missed this! Please email [email protected] for a copy of the recording.
City Location Date Time Booking Link
Online Zoom September 26, 2023 7:30 pm RSVP

OVERVIEW

The Protestant Reformation is a movement that has shaped Christian faith and life in ways that remain critical and relevant for today. We invite you to participate in a unique tour which will enable you to engage with the vital biblical truths rediscovered at the Reformation.

Discover the life and work of great heroes of faith such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, Johannes Gutenberg, and Ulrich Zwingli, and be inspired and encouraged in your own faith.

The tour commences with 2 nights in Rome, looking at the reasons why there needed to be reform. We then fly to Germany’s vibrant capital city of Berlin. The following days will be spent exploring the picturesque and historic Luther towns of Wittenberg and Erfurt, as well as Mainz, Heidelberg and Konstanz . We will then travel to Switzerland to experience the history and beauty of Zurich and Geneva, key cities for the Swiss Reformation and the work of Calvin, Zwingli and the Anabaptist movement.

Phillip Scheepers (D.Th, University of the Free State) is Principal of the Reformed Theological College in Melbourne, where he has been teaching units on the history of Christianity, including a specialised unit on the history of the Reformation, for almost 15 years. In his teaching he seeks to combine a lifelong love for history (initially sparked by the likes of Asterix and Tintin!) with academic rigour and thoughtful application of historical insights. Phillip firmly believes that being ‘on site’ can significantly enhance historical understanding and has travelled extensively across Europe in pursuit of yet another castle or cathedral. He is a member of South Barwon Christian Reformed Church and served as a missionary to the Arab World before coming to the RTC. He is married to Chanel, and they have two boys. The entire family ‘suffers’ from wanderlust, with their oldest currently serving as a gap year volunteer at a high school in Poland.

ITINERARY

Tonight, your incredible journey begins as you depart from Australia on your Emirates flight.

Included Meals: None

On arrival in Dubai, please make your way to your connecting flight

Welcome to Rome. On arrival you are met and the airport and transferred to your hotel. Later, meet your Travel Director for an orientation of the eternal city. This evening, a welcome dinner with your fellow guests.

HOTEL: iH Hotel, Rome

Included Meals:

D
Rome is about art, antiquity, piazzas and pizzazz and our included walking exploration with a local expert has it in abundance. Toss a coin into the spectacular Trevi Fountain, see the Pantheon, the best-preserved monument of the Roman period, and enjoy free time to do as the Romans do.

HOTEL: iH Hotel, Rome

Included Meals:

B
Meet your local expert for a guided visit through the Vatican Museums, culminating beneath Michelangelo’s famous ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. Your VIP visit include fast tracked access. Continue to St Peter’s Basilica before free time in this eternal city.

HOTEL: iH Hotel, Rome

Included Meals:

B
This morning, you are transferred to the airport for your flight to Berlin.

On arrival you are met and transferred to your hotel. This afternoon visit the Kaiser Wilhelm Church with an in-house guide before an orientation of the city with your Travel Director as you pass the places of significance, including Nikolai Quarter, Unter den Linden, the Memorial Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburg Gate, the Marienkirche and Museum Island. This evening dinner is included at your hotel.

HOTEL: Hotel Amano, Berlin

Included Meals:

B
D
Drive to Wittenberg this morning. Experience the historic city centre of Wittenberg with a Local Expert, passing by the Schlosskirche (Castle Church) and its famous door where Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses. Stroll around the streets where Martin Luther and his colleagues have walked many years ago. Included is a visit to the Luther House, the Melanchthon House and the City Church St. Marien. We then have some time at leisure before dinner included at a local restaurant.

HOTEL: Best Western Soibelmanns Lutherstadt, Wittenberg (or similar)

Included Meals:

B
D
Today we check out of our hotel and travel to Eisleben (also called Lutherstadt Eisleben), a town founded more than a thousand years ago. Luther was born here on November 10, 1483 and died here on February 18, 1546. During a guided tour you will visit Luther’s birthplace and last residence, the Luther monument, Church of St. Peter and Paul where he was baptised as well as the Church of St. Andrew’s where Luther gave his last sermons. Also included will be the St. Anne’s Church – one of the most beautiful Renaissance churches in Germany. Continue to our hotel in Erfurt.

HOTEL: Intercity Hotel, Erfurt (or similar)

Included Meals:

B
D
Today in Erfurt, we will enjoy a guided tour of the Augustinian Monastery before a guided walk of the town including the Luther Monument and Mariendom Cathedral. After the tour we will transfer to Wartburg Castle for a one hour visit. This UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site stands atop a 200-meter high rock above the town of Eisenach. The Wartburg’s most famous resident was Martin Luther, who lived here in protective custody in 1521-1522 after refusing to retract his writings. It was here that he translated the New Testament from Greek into German. Continue to our hotel in Mainz for a two-night stay.

HOTEL: Intercity Hotel, Mainz

Included Meals:

B
D
Start the day with a guided city walking tour in Mainz, where we will take you to the Gutenberg Museum, home to the most famous Bible in the world. The rest of the day is at leisure.

HOTEL: Intercity Hotel, Mainz

Included Meals:

B
Depart Mainz and travel to Worms. Martin Luther spent just ten days in Worms, but these ten days fundamentally changed the world. In 1521 the Augustinian monk from Wittenberg was summoned to the Imperial Diet where he was supposed to disassociate himself from what he had written. Luther asked for time to consider, and then decided not to compromise. He said that if he could not be confuted by the Holy Scriptures, which were his only point of reference, then he did not want to and could not recant "because to go against one's conscience is neither right nor safe". We take a guided tour following the footsteps of Luther during his stay. Continue to Heidelberg. Tonight, dinner in a local restaurant.

HOTEL: Hilton Hotel, Heidelberg (or similar)

Included Meals:

B
D
Today we drive to Konstanz, where we see the Imperia, the city’s most famous statue representing the Council of Constance. We then visit the Jan Hus Museum, which has been for more than 200 years a place of reverence to the great Church reformer, a follower of John Wyclif and a predecessor of Martin Luther. Continue on to Zurich.

HOTEL: Hotel Ibis Styles Zurich City Centre, Zurich (or similar)

Included Meals:

B
This morning we will enjoy a guided city tour of Zurich with some free time to explore. It was in Zurich where the Reformation got its start under the leadership of Ulrich Zwingli beginning in 1520. We will visit the Grossmünster and see the Helferei (where Zwingli lived) and see the Zwingli Statue. We then travel to Einsiedeln Monastery for evening Mass at 5:30 pm (if available). Return to Zurich for overnight.

HOTEL: Hotel Ibis Styles Zurich City Centre, Zurich (or similar)

Included Meals:

B
Depart to the village of Bäretswil and walk to an Anabaptist cave. Afterwards we will drive via Gruyere with picture postcard scenery along the way to Geneva.

HOTEL: Hotel Tiffany, Geneva (or similar)

Included Meals:

B
This morning, a Geneva city tour with a Local Expert includes seeing the Reformation Monument, St Peter’s Church, Calvin’s home and grave. The afternoon is then free. Perhaps spend some time at the Reformation Museum? Tonight we have a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant to celebrate our remarkable journey.

HOTEL: Hotel Drake Longchamp, Geneva (or similar)

Included Meals:

B
D
Transfer to Geneva Airport for your flight back to Australia via Dubai.
On arrival into Dubai, make your way to your connecting flight, and depart for your Emirates service to Australia.

Included Meals: None

End of tour

Included Meals: None

Highlights

  • Rome – Vatican City
  • Berlin
  • Wittenberg
  • Eisleben
  • Erfurt
  • Wartburg Castle
  • Mainz
  • Worms
  • Heidelberg
  • Konstanz
  • Zurich
  • Einsiedeln monastery
  • Anabaptist caves
  • Geneva

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TOUR INCLUDES

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like-minded people

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Christian
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Option of land
only package

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Option of upgrading
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Meals

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Sights and entry
fees listed

OUR PRICING

Pricing
Pricing

Category Description Twin PP Single
Tour only Start in Rome, end in Geneva $7,399.00 $9,699.00
ex. Melbourne Flying Emirates (estimate only) $10,639.00 $12,940.00

Tour cost is based on a minimum of 25 passengers. The tour is not yet guaranteed to depart.

Students registered with the Australian College of Theology (ACT) may be able to gain credit towards their qualifications by participating, since the tour will meet the requirements for ‘CH202 - Christianity in History in Context’.

Bookings from 31 October 2023 will increase by $250 per person.

Inclusions
Exclusions
Departure Date Booking
17 June 2024 BOOK NOW

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