Arrive in cosmopolitan Berlin. Explore the range of museums, galleries, concert venues, restaurants, bars, clubs and cafes.

(Accommodations, Berlin)

Pick up your rental car in Berlin and make the short drive to Wittenberg, the city most identified with Martin Luther. The Castle Church, on the western edge of the Old Town is where Luther nailed his 95 Theses protesting the sale of indulgences. Other important sites include the Town Church, the oldest building in the town, and the Market Square with its splendid Renaissance town hall. Drive to the nearby town of Eisleben, where Luther was born in 1483 and where he died in 1546. Luther's birthplace, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, contains a permanent exhibition on Luther's life and work, focusing on his early years in the town. Other sites to see include the Church of St. Peter and Paul, where Luther was baptized; the Serbehaus, Luther's last residence, which has an exhibition exploring his life in the town; and the Church of St. Andrew, where he gave his last sermons and where his funeral service took place. After a day of exploring Eisleben, return to Wittenberg for another night.

(Breakfast, Berlin; Accommodations, Wittenberg)

After breakfast in your hotel, drive to Erfurt, capital of the German state of Thuringia, where Luther lived and worked from 1501 to 1511. He was admitted to the Augustinian monastery in 1505 and lived there until 1511. The monastery, today an international conference center, contains exhibits on Luther's life and has a very fine medieval cloister. The medieval center of this city is one of the largest and best preserved in Germany. St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral, which originated in 752, was where Luther was ordained as a priest in 1507. The central tower houses the Gloriosa, the world's largest medieval free-swinging bell. Another fascinating site is the Old Synagogue, one of the few remaining medieval synagogues in Europe. It was built in the 11th-century. The famous Merchants Bridge has inhabited buildings on its span, rebuilt in 1325.

(Breakfast, Wittenberg; Accommodations, Erfurt)

After breakfast at your hotel, drive from Erfurt to the nearby historic town of Gotha and spend the morning exploring the monuments of this town that date back at least to 775. Beautiful and historic houses surround the main market square. Martin Luther stayed at the Augustinian monastery here several times as he traveled between other towns in the region, and he often preached in the monastery church. The largest building in town is the 17th-century Schloss Friedenstein, one of the largest baroque palaces in Germany. After a morning exploring Gotha, continue by car to Eisenach, founded in the 12th-century. The town's most famous site is Wartburg Castle, which stands on a high rock above the town. Luther lived here in protective custody from 1521 to 1522 after refusing to retract his writings, and it is here that he translated the New Testament from Ancient Greek to German. St. George's Church is known as the church in which Johann Sebastian Bach was baptized; Luther sang in the boys' choir here when he was a student. Members of the Bach family served as organists for this church for 132 years. The Bach House is the largest museum devoted to his life and work.

(Breakfast, Erfurt; Accommodations, Eisenach)

After breakfast at your hotel, finish your exploration of Erfurt before continuing by car to Frankfurt airport to return home or continue on to your next Avanti destination!

(Breakfast, Eisenach)