Vienna Presbyterian Church

Speyer, in the (Rhineland-Palatinate) with approximately 50,000 inhabitants, is located beside the river Rhine.  Its oldest known name was Civitas Nemetum, named by a Teutonic tribe, the Nemeter, settling in this area.  Around the year 500 Spira appears as the town's name in scriptures.  Speyer has a compact center which is dominated by the Speyer Cathedral, a number of churches and the Altpörtel (Old town gate).  The Edict of Worms of 1521 was never enacted.  In 1529 the Diet of Speyer confirmed the declarations of the Edict, which caused the Lutherans to make a solemn protest.  This protest by the Lutherans led to the name “Protestants”.  The tombs of eight German emperors and kings are located beneath the high altar of the Speyer cathedral.

We drive through the scenic, romantic Necker River Valley into the Oden Forest with its many castles and remnants of medieval fortresses to the Franconian town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.  A town straight from the Middle Ages, preserved with dedication and skill, it has withstood the ravages of time and war and gives us a glimpse into the past.  It is Germany's best-preserved walled town, Its city walls, its lovely wood-framed houses, its town square, and St. Jacob's church with the one must-see art treasure in Rothenburg:  a glorious 500-year-old Tilman Riemenschneider altarpiece, by the Master of German woodcarvers.  Rothenburg is one of Germany's best shopping towns.  Lovely prints, carvings, wine glasses, Christmas-tree ornaments, and beer steins are popular.

Linderhof Palace, the "Royal Villa" of Ludwig II, originated as a hunting lodge belonging to his father Maximilian II - the "Königshäuschen".  It was enlarged between 1870 and 1872 with a U-shaped complex centered on the King's bedchamber.  Like its predecessor, the new building was a wooden post-and-infill construction.  It was not until 1874 that the exterior façade was clad in stone, and the old hunting lodge was taken down and rebuilt in the park.  The palace was then completed with the Hall of Mirrors and Staircase and furnished in the style of the "second Rococo" period.  It was the only one of Ludwig's three castles that was ever completely finished.  Surrounding the palace are gardens in imitation Baroque style and terraces and cascades reminiscent of Italian Renaissance gardens.  The adjoining landscape garden merges into the alpine forests of the Ammergebirge.  Ludwig II decorated the park and its environs with architectural features conjuring up the world of the Orient, such as the Moorish Kiosk and the Moroccan House, and scenes from Wagner's operas, such as the Venus Grotto, Hunding's Hut and the Gurnemanz Hermitage.

Dachau was a Nazi German concentration camp, and the first one opened in Germany.  Located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory near the medieval town of Dachau, it is about 10 miles northwest of Munich.  The camp was divided into two sections:  the camp area and the crematorium.  The camp area consisted of 32 barracks, including one for clergy imprisoned for opposing the Nazi regime and one reserved for medical experiments.  The courtyard between the prison and the central kitchen was used for the summary execution of prisoners.  The camp was surrounded by electrified barbed-wire, a gate, a ditch, and a wall with seven guard towers.

This castle was the childhood residence of King Ludwig II of Bavaria and was built by his father, King Maximilian II of Bavaria.  Hohenschwangau was built on the remains of the fortress Schwanstein, which was first mentioned in historical records dating from the 12th century.  In 1829 Crown Prince Maximilian (the later King Maximilian II of Bavaria) discovered the historic site and reacted enthusiastically to the beauty of the surrounding area.  He acquired the property in 1832 and the reconstruction of the Castle began, continuing until 1837.  Hohenschwangau was the official summer and hunting residence of Maximilian, his wife Marie of Prussia and their two sons Ludwig (the later King Ludwig II of Bavaria) and Otto (the later King Otto I of Bavaria).  The young princes spent many years of their adolescence here.

The greatest story ever told comes memorably to life as this superb production unfolds in the 5,200 seat Passion Play Theatre, portraying the Christian Message against a scenic backdrop of wooded mountains.  The Play shows the story of Christ’s Passion, beginning with the entry into Jerusalem and ending with the Resurrection and the Transfiguration.  The accompanying music is magnificent.  The performance is in German, however, a full English translation of the script is available for you to follow from your reserved seat.  All the town members partake in this play every 10 years.  Two parts of the performance: Part I is 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm.  Part II is 8:00 pm to 10:30 pm.  The dinner break lasts three hours.  After the play, you will check in to your hotel in Oberammergau.

Munich (city of the monks) is the capital of Bavaria and the second largest city in Germany.  Visit the Marienplatz and the world famous “Glockenspiel” (clock); the twin-towered Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), the most familiar landmark of old Munich, and other interesting sights.

This evening a Farewell Dinner will be at held the Hofbrauhaus, the most famous great beer hall in Munich.