Down the Rhine: The Swiss Mennonite Exodus
Down the Rhine: The Swiss Mennonite Exodus
A Cultural & Heritage Journey from Zurich to Amsterdam
Tracing the story of Swiss and Alsatian Mennonite migration—rooted in faith, enriched by culture, and shaped by history.
This 9-day journey follows the path of Swiss and Alsatian Anabaptists—families whose faith and convictions led them to be exiled from their homelands and floatdown the Rhine River in search of refuge and peace. Along this unforgettable route, explore powerful landscapes and historic towns, discover stories of resilience and hospitality, and walk in the footsteps of those who shaped the Mennonite and Amish identities.
Special attention will be given to family names with deep ties to these regions and stories—including Beachy, Bontrager, Gingerich, Gnagy, Hostetler, König/King, Mast, Shrock/Schrag, Stucki, Stutzman, Yoder —while warmly welcoming anyone interested in the Anabaptist faith legacy, shared migration history, and meaningful intercultural experiences.
At a Glance
- Dates: June 2 - 10, 2026
- Duration: 9 days, 8 nights
- Storyteller: John Sharp
- Tour Leader: JB Miller
- Starts in Zurich, ends in Amsterdam
Itinerary
Itinerary
Day 1 | Zurich
Zurich & Anabaptist Origins
Arrive in Zurich and join fellow travellers with a mid afternoon walking tour of the city’s Old Town featuring the Grossmünster Church—birthplace of the Swiss Reformation.
Arrive in Zurich and join fellow travellers with a mid afternoon walking tour of the city’s Old Town featuring the Grossmünster Church—birthplace of the Swiss Reformation.
Day 2 | Spiez/Lake Thun
Susten Pass & the Bernese Oberland
Reformation City to Hidden Worship Sites Travel into the hills to visit the Bäretswil Anabaptist Cave, a hidden site of early worship. Pass through Grüningen and Zollikon, locations of the first adult baptisms.
Ascend the Susten Pass, one of the most breathtaking alpine routes in Switzerland, passing the Stein Glacier and rugged cliffs that echo the hardships of Anabaptist exile. Reformation City to Hidden Worship Sites Travel into the hills to visit the Bäretswil Anabaptist Cave, a hidden site of early worship. Pass through Grüningen and Zollikon, locations of the first adult baptisms.
Day 3 | Bern
Alpine & the Emmental
Begin the day with an Alpine ascent up the Stockhorn mountain. In the afternoon, travel through the Emmental, homeland to many Mennonite ancestors. Drive through pastoral farms, and tour Trachselwald Castle, where persecuted Anabaptists were imprisoned before exile.
Day 4 | Colmar/Strasbourg
Alsace – Montbéliard, Peace Oak & Mennonite Homesteads
Refuge in a Storybook Landscape Travel across the border into France and visit Montbéliard, a duchy that offered refuge to Swiss Anabaptists in the 17th century. Then continue into the Vosges foothills to see the Peace Oak of Salm, symbol of asylum for Amish and Mennonite refugees. If available, stop at the Küperschmitt/Gerber farmhouse, preserving Alsatian Mennonite rural life.
Refuge in a Storybook Landscape Travel across the border into France and visit Montbéliard, a duchy that offered refuge to Swiss Anabaptists in the 17th century. Then continue into the Vosges foothills to see the Peace Oak of Salm, symbol of asylum for Amish and Mennonite refugees. If available, stop at the Küperschmitt/Gerber farmhouse, preserving Alsatian Mennonite rural life.
Day 5 | Worms
Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines & Strasbourg
Division, Exile, and Cultural Memory Visit Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, where Jakob Amman’s schism created the Amish movement. Continue to Strasbourg to explore its Cathedral, Petite France, and the broader Reformation-era setting in which Mennonite and Anabaptist thought developed.
Division, Exile, and Cultural Memory Visit Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, where Jakob Amman’s schism created the Amish movement. Continue to Strasbourg to explore its Cathedral, Petite France, and the broader Reformation-era setting in which Mennonite and Anabaptist thought developed.
Day 6 | Mainz/Bingen
Worms & Weierhof Mennonite Village
Faith, Conscience, and Settlement In Worms, visit the Luther Monument, then journey to Weierhof, a long-standing Mennonite village in the Palatinate. Learn how Alsatian and Swiss families found semi-permanent settlement here before later migrations to North America.
Faith, Conscience, and Settlement In Worms, visit the Luther Monument, then journey to Weierhof, a long-standing Mennonite village in the Palatinate. Learn how Alsatian and Swiss families found semi-permanent settlement here before later migrations to North America.
Day 7 | Cologne (Köln)
Rhine River Cruise – St. Goar to Boppard
Castles, Cliffs & Migration by Water Board a scenic Rhine River cruise from St. Goar to Boppard, passing vineyard-covered slopes, medieval castles, and the Lorelei Rock—a symbolic representation of the Rhine journey taken by many Anabaptists. Lunch and walk in Boppard, then continue to Cologne.
Castles, Cliffs & Migration by Water Board a scenic Rhine River cruise from St. Goar to Boppard, passing vineyard-covered slopes, medieval castles, and the Lorelei Rock—a symbolic representation of the Rhine journey taken by many Anabaptists. Lunch and walk in Boppard, then continue to Cologne.
Day 8 | Amsterdam
Witmarsum & Friesland, Netherlands
New Beginnings in the Lowlands Cross into the Netherlands and visit Witmarsum, birthplace of Menno Simons, whose spiritual leadership gave structure and identity to the Mennonite movement. Visit a nearby Turkey Red wheat farm, linking agricultural heritage with Mennonite migration to North America.
New Beginnings in the Lowlands Cross into the Netherlands and visit Witmarsum, birthplace of Menno Simons, whose spiritual leadership gave structure and identity to the Mennonite movement. Visit a nearby Turkey Red wheat farm, linking agricultural heritage with Mennonite migration to North America.
Day 9 | Amsterdam
Refuge and FlourishingTour central Amsterdam, including the Singel Mennonite Church, Dam Square, and the Rijksmuseum.
Please note: itinerary subject to change.
For further information, please contact us. We would be happy to be of assistance.
