Custom Tours · Heritage Stories · Culture & Tradition · Europe
The Radical Reformation from Vienna to Amsterdam
Untold Stories of Gender and Class
OVERVIEW
The Radical Reformation from Vienna to Amsterdam
Untold Stories of Gender and Class
September 12–27, 2027
From $6,995 USD
Whose voices are missing from the familiar story of the Radical Reformation?
From Vienna's imperial streets to Amsterdam's canals, discover women and communities whose lives challenge the history we think we know. Peasant women who preached, noblewomen who offered protection, and prosperous Mennonite women who cared for their congregations' poorest members reveal how gender and social class shaped the opportunities, risks, and responsibilities of faith.
Travel through Alpine valleys, castles, hidden gathering places, and historic communities with Kimberly Schmidt and Mary Sprunger, whose historical perspectives bring overlooked voices into focus. Along the way, encounters with living Mennonite communities and conversations around shared tables connect these histories with questions that remain relevant today.
Whose stories do we remember, whose have we overlooked, and how might listening to them change our understanding of faith and community?
A custom tour created for Eastern Mennonite University Alumni and Friends. Registration by invitation only.
Kimberly Schmidt & Mary Sprunger
Tour Expert
Austria, Czechia, Switzerland, Germany, France, Netherlands
Countries Visited
16 Days
Duration
Moderately Active
Activity Level
Trip Highlights
From Vienna to Amsterdam – Follow the Radical Reformation through imperial cities, Alpine landscapes, rural valleys, and hidden churches, tracing connections between places, people, and beliefs.
Women Across Social Classes – Encounter peasant preachers, protective noblewomen, and women of the business class who devoted their energies to supporting their congregations' poorest members.
Courage and Conviction – Explore castles, prisons, and hidden gathering places, considering how ordinary believers sustained faith and community when conviction carried a personal cost.
Faith, Power, and Society – Consider how gender and social class shaped leadership, protection, persecution, and service within early Anabaptist communities and the generations that followed.
Encounters and Reflection – Share conversations with local guides, fellow travellers, and homestay families, reflecting on how overlooked stories continue to shape faith, identity, and community.
DAY 1 • September 12, 2027
A Different Story Begins
Arrive in Vienna and settle in before gathering with fellow travellers for a welcome dinner. Our journey begins with a shared curiosity about the voices often missing from the Radical Reformation story. An optional evening walk along the Ringstrasse offers a first glimpse of the city.
Overnight: Vienna
DAY 2 • September 13, 2027
Art, Empire, and Dissent
Begin at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, then step into Vienna's streets for a walking tour that connects the city's history with its Anabaptist story. Art, architecture, and the lives of early Anabaptist believers offer challenged perspectives of power and conviction. Gather for dinner in the underground vaults of the Twelve Apostles restaurant. Optional evening concert.
Overnight: Vienna
DAY 3 • September 14, 2027
Faith Beyond the City
Travel to Niedersulz, where the open-air Anabaptist House museum brings another chapter of the movement into view. Continue to Falkenstein Castle, reflecting on the places where Anabaptist conviction met resistance. Share a faspa dinner in Falkenstein before returning to Vienna, carrying the day's stories back to the city.
Overnight: Vienna
DAY 4 • September 15, 2027
Faith, Memory, and Responsibility
Leave Vienna for Melk Abbey and a sobering visit to Mauthausen Concentration Camp. Along the way, Kimberly and Mary guide a conversation about Mennonites and Jews. These encounters make space for reflection on faith, memory, and responsibility before we continue to Salzburg and gather for dinner.
Overnight: Salzburg
DAY 5 • September 16, 2027
A Noblewoman's Place in History
Spend the morning enjoying Salzburg at your own pace or join an optional Sound of Music tour. Travel to Schloss Muenichau, with Kimberly and Mary introducing Helena von Freyberg's story along the way. Consider how noblewomen's status shaped their involvement in the movement before gathering for dinner.
Overnight: Kitzbühel
DAY 6 • September 17, 2027
Women's Lives, Lasting Questions
Walk through Hall in Tirol with Kimberly and Mary, exploring the social history of Anabaptist women. In Innsbruck, visits to the Grassmayr Bell Factory Museum and Goldenes Dachl give additional perspectives on local life. Pause at the Remaining Fragments Memorial in Hutterpark before continuing to Zurich for dinner.
Overnight: Zurich
DAY 7 • September 18, 2027
Public Squares and Hidden Faith
Walk Zurich's streets with Kimberly and Mary, visiting Grossmunster, Fraumünster, and Lindenhof before continuing to Zollikon. From Zurich's prominent churches and public squares, travel to a secluded cave near Bäretswil where Anabaptists once gathered. The contrast between these places reveals how differently religious communities experienced freedom and authority.
Overnight: Zurich
DAY 8 • September 19, 2027
Conviction and Social Change
At Schleitheim, consider the beliefs that helped shape the Anabaptist movement. Continue to Waldshut, where sites associated with the Peasants' War and Balthasar Hubmaier bring questions of faith and social change into focus. Travel onward to Burgdorf, with time to settle in before dinner.
Overnight: Burgdorf
DAY 9 • September 20, 2027
Shelter, Imprisonment, and Perseverance
Begin with a walking tour of Bern before travelling into the countryside for lunch and a farm visit at Täuferversteck. Continue to Trachselwald Castle and its exhibition, considering the contrast between places of shelter and places of confinement. Return to Burgdorf with time to reflect during an independent evening.
Overnight: Burgdorf
DAY 10 • September 21, 2027
Stories Across Borders
Travel to Strasbourg for a walking tour that opens another window onto the journey's questions of faith and community. Enjoy time to wander and find lunch on your own before continuing to Heidelberg. An independent evening offers space to savour the city and reflect on the stories gathered so far.
Overnight: Heidelberg
DAY 11 • September 22, 2027
Rivers and Reformation
Continue your journey with a slow cruise down the Rhine River, enjoying the beautiful scenery as you go. Continue to Münster, where a walking tour brings us back to questions of faith, authority, and community. Gather for dinner and reflect on the different expressions of the Anabaptist story.
Overnight: Münster
DAY 12 • September 23, 2027
History Around a Shared Table
Enter the Netherlands with time to explore Giethoorn before continuing to Witmarsum and Pingjum to see the hidden church and hear more of the Mennonite story. Here, historic places meet the warmth of a living community. Dinner and an overnight stay with local families invite conversation and a deeper personal encounter with local culture.
Overnight: Witmarsum
DAY 13 • September 24, 2027
Wealth, Creativity, and Community
Explore the Zaandam area, where wealthy Mennonite homes open a conversation about prosperity and social responsibility. Visit the home of Agnes Block, a Mennonite botanist and artist, then enjoy a light lunch and a pineapple dessert at Flora Batava. Continue to Haarlem, carrying fresh questions about women's opportunities across social classes.
Overnight: Haarlem
DAY 14 • September 25, 2027
Courage, Curiosity, and Remembrance
Using public transport, travel to Amsterdam and encounter Mennonite stories in art and visits to Singelkerk and the hidden Catholic church at Ons Lieve Heer op Solder. Reflect on how different communities made room for faith over a canal cruise. Enjoy some free time to explore Amsterdam and find dinner on your own before returning to Haarlem by public transport for the night.
Overnight: Haarlem
DAY 15 • September 26, 2027
Hidden Churches, Shared Reflections
Church service and tour at Haarlem Mennonite Church. After visiting Teyler’s Museum, enjoy free time in Haarlem before gathering for a final dinner featuring a traditional Indonesian rijsttafel.
Overnight: Haarlem
DAY 16 • September 27, 2027
Carrying the Stories Home
After breakfast, depart for home with the stories and questions gathered along the way. From women whose voices challenged expectations to communities that sheltered conviction, these encounters invite further reflection about whose histories we remember and how we live our faith today.
Pricing
Tour fare per person based on shared and single occupancy.
Please note: To ensure a meaningful and well-supported travel experience, a small group supplement of $575 per person will apply if the tour operates with fewer than 20 travellers.
This is a custom tour created for Eastern Mennonite University Alumni and Friends. Registration by invitation only.
Registration:
Early Bird Rate until March 12, 2027
After August 10, 2026
Double Occupancy:
$6,995 USD | $9,655 CAD
$7,825 USD | $10,795 CAD
Single Occupancy:
$8,175 USD | $11,280 CAD
$9,005 USD | $12,420 CAD
Inclusions
Accommodations in carefully selected 3–4 star hotels in well-located, convenient locations throughout the journey
Comfortable private coach transportation for 11 days, with complimentary water on board
Daily breakfasts, along with 4 lunches and 10 dinners, including shared group dining experiences at local restaurants
The expertise and guidance of dedicated tour experts throughout the journey, bringing historical insight and meaningful perspective to the places and stories explored
Knowledgeable local guides in select destinations, offering deeper insight into the region’s history, culture, and Anabaptist heritage
All admission fees for included sightseeing, historical sites, museums, and cultural experiences as detailed in the itinerary
Gratuities for drivers, local guides, and included group meals
Exclusions
International airfare and associated fees
Airport transfers upon arrival and departure
Local public transportation and city transit where required
Meals not specified in the inclusions
Beverages with meals
Optional excursions, additional activities, and personal purchases
Schengen ETIAS authorization, visas, and any required entry permits (if applicable)
Travel Insurance (strongly recommended)
Tour Experts
Kimberly D. Schmidt
Tour Expert
Mary S. Sprunger
Tour Expert
Questions?
Reach out to our team at office@tourmagination.com
or by phone at (877) 668-2732.