Depart from Philadelphia Airport on your overnight flight to Frankfurt. Dinner served in flight.

Thursday, July 12: Frankfurt – Sinsheim Area

Arrive at Frankfurt International Airport this morning and travel to the Sinsheim/Kraichgau area. On the way we will pass Alsey and stop at Weierhof once the center of the German Mennonite Church and where Christian Neff lived and did much of his work. On our way, we will make a brief stop at Worms and visit the statue of Martin Luther and other famous persons of the Reformation. Continue to the Hotel Vorfelder for dinner and overnight.

Friday, July 13: Kraichgau, Sinsheim

Visit the German farming area where Mennonites lived after escaping the persecution in Switzerland. Several Mennonite families lived here before migrating to Pennsylvania in the early 1700s, including Benedict Brechbuhl and Hans Herr. View the beautiful farmland from the Steinberg castle. Visit Steinfurt where the arrests of 53 Anabaptists occurred in 1661 while they worshipped. If possible, we will see the home where Hans Herr lived, and the small towns of Grombach and Weiler. Hear about the present day South German Mennonites who live in this area. We will visit Bockschaft, the little town where the Martin family lived before migrating to the Weaverland valley in Lancaster County. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Vorfelder.

Saturday, July 14: Strasbourg, Alsace Area

This morning we drive to Strasbourg, France, a very important city during the Reformation and to Mennonite history. As we tour the city, we will see its huge cathedral and the beautiful half-timbered houses in the old city. Here Michael Sattler conversed with the Lutheran leaders Capito and Bucer at St. Thomas church. When they could not agree Sattler left Strasbourg and went to Schleitheim where the seven articles of Anabaptist faith were written in Feburary, 1527. Strasbourg was also the place where Wilheim Reublin and Pilgram Marpeck came and led the Anabaptists. Strasbourg is the home of the Mennonite World Conference office and where the 1984 world conference was held. In the afternoon, we will travel through the Alsace region following the Route du Vin (Wine Route). On our way we will visit and shop in the old village of Riquewihr, pass Colmar, and enter into Switzerland. Continue to Basel for dinner and overnight at Hotel Victoria.

Sunday, July 15: Zurich, Anabaptist Cave

This morning we drive to Zurich, another famous city in Reformation history. We will worship in the Grossmunster Cathedral, where Ulrich Zwingli preached. After the worship service, we will view the Cathedral’s bronze doors, created by Otto Munch in 1939, telling the story of the Reformation and the history of Zurich and view the Zwingli statue. Then we will see the former home of Conrad Grebel. Walk Neugasse Strasse, past the home of Felix Mantz and the place where the first Swiss Brethren adult baptism took place. Walk to the banks of the Limmat River and view the plaque marking the spot where Anabaptist Felix Mantz was drowned in 1527 for his profession of faith. In the afternoon, we will ride east of Zurich and visit the Anabaptist Cave (Tauferhohle) where we will have a short worship service. Drive past Hirzel where Hans Landis lived and where the Sauder family lived, continuing to Zug for dinner and overnight at the Quality Swisshotel.

Monday, July 16: Lucerne – Interlaken

After breakfast, we will travel to the old city of Lucerne to see the Lion Monument, the famous wooden Kapell Bridge, and the ornate houses in the walled Old Town. After some time for shopping, we will take the scenic route through valleys and mountains, past Lake Brienz to Interlaken where we will have dinner and lodging at the Best Western Chalet-Hotel Oberland.

Tuesday, July 17: Interlacken, A Day in the Swiss Alps

Today is your day to experience the Alps. Travel by coach to Lauterbrunnen, a mountain village, where you see the Staubbach Waterfall. Then board a modern cogwheel railway for your journey to Kleine Scheidegg Station, located at over 6,000 feet altitude. On the way up, stop at Wengen, a historic village and popular resort, and the countryside where Kauffmans and Smuckers once lived. The Wenger name may also have originated here. From the top, if the weather is clear, you will have a grand view of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau peaks. If you wish, enjoy a snack at the restaurant before descending by railway to Grindelwald, a beautiful mountain resort, where the coach will meet us for the ride back to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Wednesday, July 18: Neiderstocken, Bern

After breakfast, drive through the beautiful areas and view lakes and towns along their shores. Travel to Niederstocken where the Zehr family originated, and later, because of their Anabaptist faith, migrated to the Lorraine area of France. We will see a home in this little town where a Zehr family still resides. After visiting this area, including Blumenstein where Wenger and other Mennonite families lived, we will travel to Bern, the capital city of Switzerland. On a walking tour of this beautiful old city, we will see the cathedral, the place along the river where Anabaptists were drowned or placed on boats and forced to leave Switzerland. See where they were imprisoned and publicly convicted of the crime of being Anabaptist. In Bern, persecution of Anabap-tists continued for nearly 200 years. Some Anabaptists fled to the Jura Mountains where they remain today. The Herzig family came from this city. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel Bern.

Thursday & Friday, July 19 & 20: Emmental, Jura Mountains

After breakfast, we drive into the Emmental region where the Swiss Mennonites, the Swiss Reformed, and business leaders are celebrating the year of the Taufer (Tauferjahr 2007). This is a special celebration of the Anabaptists. There will be exhibitions, lectures, concerts, films, and tours of sites of Anabaptist interest. During these days we will visit many of the following sites:

• Trachselwald Castle: where Anabaptists were imprisoned
• Langnau: where the oldest continuous Mennonite church is located
• Ruderswil: where the Moser family first became Anabaptists and because of persecution fled to the Jura Mountains and later migrated to Indiana
• Eriswil: where the Martin family possibly originated and later Heinrich Martin went north to Bockschaft, Germany before migrating to Pennsylvania
• Petite Champoz: where the Moser family lived in the Jura Mountains
• Allfoltern: located near Sumiswald, where they make Swiss cheese
• Optional tour of the Anabaptist’s Bridge (Täuferbrücke)
  

This morning our coach will take us to the upper Alsace area in France, which is in the Lorraine area. In the afternoon, we will visit several places located only short distances from each other where many Amish Mennonites lived before migrating to North America. Gros-Rederching is the town where many Anabaptist records were kept. Nearby is Singling, a little town along a ridge with farmlands on each side of the town marked with several World War II bunkers. We will drive by and look at the Olferding Farm where Michael Zehr, the first Zehr to settle in northern New York State, spent many of his childhood years. His father, Michael Zer worked on this farm. Some of Michael’s half brothers and some of his children migrated to Ontario, Canada. We will also drive by and view the Brandelfingerhof, a farm where the Gingerich and Roggie families once lived and worked. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel Balladins in Sarreguemines.

Sunday, July 22: Struth, Asswiler, Bistroff, Barst

This morning we drive to Struth where the Zehr family lived in the 1700s after migrating from Switzerland. We will see the house where they, along with other Anabaptists, worshipped. Then we will drive to Asswiler where Michael Zer’s first son was born. After this, we will drive to the Grostiquin area and visit Bistroff where several Amish Mennonite families lived before migrating to North America. We will visit Bishwald where Michael Zehr operated a mill. Then we will visit the Bellgrad farm where Michael Zehr and the Jantzi families lived before migrating to North America. Christopher Moser also lived in Bistroff. His two sons, John and Joseph were the first Mosers to migrate to northern New York State. We will travel a short distance to Barst where the Joseph Farni Family lived. In 1834, Joseph and John Moser traveled with the Farni family and migrated to northern New York State. Later their father, Christoph and stepmother also migrated to Lewis County, New York. We will return to the Hotel Balladins for dinner and overnight.

Monday, July 23: Rhine River Cruise

After breakfast, our motor coach will take us to Ruedesheim where we will board our boat for a leisurely cruise on the Rhine River. As time permits we will shop in a stately village along the Rhine. Farewell dinner and overnight at the Caravelle Hotel in Bad Kreuznach.

Tuesday, July 24: Return to U.S.

This morning our coach will take us back to Frankfurt. We will say goodbye to our driver and guide, then board our plane for the afternoon flight back to the United States.

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CST 2013363-40