Featured Tour

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England, Scotland & Wales
England, Scotland & Wales
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Date:  June 25-July 7, 2008
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Leaders:
Wilmer & Janet Martin
 

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Newsflash

Ed Epp joins TourMagination
TourMagination is pleased to announce that Ed Epp, vice-president of resource development at MEDA, will be joining our team on May 1, 2008. Ed shared with us that he “has been privileged to live and make friends in almost every part of the world. One of my favorite things is to introduce people to new countries, cultures, people and landscapes. Sharing, even in small ways, my experiences have always been a highlight for me. I can do this even more now, with TourMagination.” We look forward to the gifts Ed brings to TourMagination and you, our clients.
 
European Heritage Tour
June 4-17, 2009
John Ruth speaking in Pingjum

With Tour Leaders John Ruth and Audrey Voth Petkau

This is TourMagination’s classic European Heritage tour which includes the countries of The Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland and features many sites of Anabaptist/Mennonite heritage such as the Menno Simons story in Friesland, the Weierhof in Germany, the Emmental and Zürich in Switzerland. There will be many other highlights including an afternoon cruise on the Rhine River, the Aalsmeer Flower Auction, a cog rail mountain experience, climbing into the foothills of the Swiss Alps to the Cave of the Anabaptists. John Ruth, our premier Anabaptist/Mennonite storyteller for almost 30 years, and Audrey Voth Petkau, TourMagination staff person who will look after the tour logistics, promise you an unforgettable tour experience. Don’t miss out on this wonderful journey of discovery and fellowship.

Thursday & Friday, June 4 & 5

The tour departs from Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey, on an overnight flight to Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It will be Friday morning when we arrive in Amsterdam and are met by our coach driver. Our first stop will be Zaanse Schans, an unspoiled village with typical Zaan Region houses, where we will see a working windmill and a craftsman making wooden shoes. Before going to our hotel, we will make a stop in Volendam. Lodging for the night near Volendam.

Saturday & Sunday, June 6 & 7

In Amsterdam this morning, we will visit the Rijksmuseum and take a canal boat ride on Amsterdam’s canal system. Then we will cross the 22-mile Afluitsdijk that has linked North Holland and Friesland since 1932. Onijdes Sijtsma from Friesland will join us as we go to Pingjum and Witmarsum to learn about the Menno Simons’ story in Friesland. Tonight we will be hosted by families in their homes in Berlikum. After worshipping with our new friends on Sunday morning, we will travel on to Münster where we will take a walking tour to hear a darker side of the Anabaptist story.

Monday & Tuesday, June 8 & 9

Confluence of Mosel and Rhine rivers
Confluence of Mosel and Rhine rivers
We will travel to the Deutsches Eck at Koblentz to view the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine rivers. In the afternoon, we will take a cruise on the Rhine River. The mountain stretch along which we will travel is overlaid with legend. Castles and ruins of castles are perched on rugged mountain tops with vineyards sunning themselves on both sides of the river. We will disembark in Bacharach, a medieval walled town, only meters from the river’s banks. On our way to the hotel, we will stop in Bad Kreuznach. Tuesday is the day to explore the Palatinate area of Germany. We will visit the Weierhof, a semicommunal Mennonite village, before going to Worms to see the Reformers’ Monument and hear the Martin Luther story. We will travel through the Black Forest to Offenburg, our destination for the night.

Wednesday & Thursday, June 10 & 11

This morning we will visit Strasbourg, France, with its magnificent cathedral, and learn about the Anabaptists in this city. We will enjoy strolling through the quaint town of Riquewihr which is located in the wine-growing area of France. We will make a stop in Colmar to see the Isenheimer Altarpiece by Grünewald before continuing on to Thun in Switzerland where we will stay for three nights. On Thursday, the coach driver needs a break so we will stay in Thun for the day. In the morning we will walk to the castle where Brennemans were imprisoned because of their faith and see the town. You will have free time in the afternoon to explore, visit a museum, shop, rest, etc.

Friday & Saturday, June 12 & 13
The castle in Thun
The castle in Thun

In the Emmental (Emme Valley), we will visit Langnau to see the oldest continuous Mennonite church and other important sites related to Anabaptist history such as Trachselwald and Sumiswald, and then go to Erlenbach where Jakob Amman was born and learn about the Amish story. Saturday we hope to have a mountain-top experience! If the weather cooperates, we will board a cog rail mountain train and ride to the top of the Brienzer-Rothorn. After lunch in Meringen, we will walk through the scenic Aareschult gorge to see a different kind of natural beauty.

Sunday & Monday, June 14 & 15

On Sunday morning, John Ruth will take us on a walking tour in Zürich to visit Anabaptist sites and hear the stories that took place here. Then we will hike to the Cave of the Anabaptists (Täuferhöhle) in the foothills of the Alps and have a worship service together. Then it’s on to Einsiedeln where we hope to hear the monks sing in the cathedral. You will enjoy the beautiful towns of Appenzell and St. Gallen on Monday before we travel on to the Ammer Valley in Germany to the village of Oberammergau for the night.

Tuesday & Wednesday, June 16 & 17

The Kraichgau as seen from the Steinsberg Tower
The Kraichgau as seen from the Steinsberg Tower
This morning we will go to Dachau, one of Hitler’s notorious concentration camps. The memorials, film and visual displays will remind us of what happened in these camps. Many Mennonites came from the Kraichgau area of Germany and we will spend time there today to learn about the history in this area on the east side of the Rhine River. You may wish to climb the Steinsberg Tower for an overview of the Kraichgau. This evening we will have our farewell dinner and all too soon, it will be Wednesday morning and we will depart from Frankfurt to return to Newark and our homes. You will return with many memories of your journey together with persons who have become your friends.


For further information regarding the complete tour fare, please This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . We would be happy to be of assistance.
 
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