New Oberammergau website in English

The next season of the Oberammergau Passion Play is approaching and the German National Tourist Office has just launched an exciting new website all about the play.

The website lists the tour operators who are operating tours there (yes we are listed!) as well as useful maps and information about the cast and play.

You might also like to watch the short video "Oberammergau - 4 Centuries of Faith" that's on the site.

We do have space on some of our tours, so if you've not got your brochure yet, either visit http://www.reformationtours.com/ or call us at 1-800-303-5534 and we'll be happy to chat with you.

Our quality Christian tours combine seeing the Passion Play with visiting Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and the Czech Republic.

Oberammergau Passion Play tickets going fast!

This time next year, the Oberammergau Passion Play will be up and running and you won't want to miss out! We've already sold out some of our tours and several more are close to being waiting-list only. Below are the tours that still have some room and I invite you to call 1-800-303-5534 to reserve your space.

If you have a group and would like a custom tour, then it's not too late to call. Tickets are still available and we'd love to help.

2010 Luther Land and the Passion Play June 4-15, 2010
Combine seeing the Passion Play with a tour of Germany including Wittenberg, Eisleben, Erfurt, Eisenach, Worms, Mainz, Heidelberg, Rothenburg, Augsburg, Munich and a Rhine Cruise. The tour is hosted by Rev. Randy Prabst and Gail Vachon. 12 days priced from $3,595 land only.


I. N. Network Oberammergau 2010 June 9-19, 2010
Join the I.N. Network on a tour designed to not only connect you with the history and reality of the church in Europe, but also to experience the Passion of Christ for the whole world. The tour includes Prague, Vienna, Oberammergau, Salzburg and Munich. 11 days priced from $3,595 land only.

The Art of the Passion - A Word & Image Tour 2010 June 14-19 /25, 2010
Pastor Caroline Satre and Pastor Brad Davick of St. Paul's Lutheran Church invite you to join them on a tour of Germany, Switzerland and Italy. The tour begins in Bavaria and also includes Lucerne, the Swiss Alps, Torino, the Cinque Terra, Florence and San Gimignano. 6 days from $2,299, 12 days from $3,499 land only.

Oberammergau Tour F: Splendors of Bavaria and Italy June 22-July 5, 2010
Join Frank Drinkhouse, President of Reformation Tours on a fabulous tour from Bavaria to Rome, featuring Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Venice, Florence and Rome. Along the way we'll enjoy Alpine scenery and cultural delights. 14 days priced from $3,749 land only.

Switzerland, Lutherland and Oberammergau Tour June 25-July 8, 2010
Combine seeing the Passion Play with a tour including Geneva, Lucerne, Zurich, Oberammergau, Rothenburg, Heidelberg, Worms, Mainz, Eisenach, Erfurt, Wittenberg, Berlin and a Rhine Cruise. The tour is hosted by Rev. Dan & Cathy Rinderknecht of Trinity Lutheran Church in Billings, MT. 14 days priced from $3,565.

Oberammergau Tour B: Switzerland, Germany & Austria July 17-29, 2010
Join Frank Drinkhouse, President of Reformation Tours for tour through quintessential Switzerland, Germany and Austria. This leisurely trip includes Geneva, Chillon Castle, Bern, a day in the Swiss Alps, Zurich, the Bavarian Alps and castles, Salzburg and Vienna. 13 days priced from $3,549 land only.

Oberammergau 2010 - The Footsteps of Martin Luther July 21-31, 2010
Tour of Germany and Austria hosted by Kaylene Nienhauser of Aur Travel and her husband Jeff. The tour includes Lutherstadt-Wittenberg, Eisleben, Erfurt, Eisenach, two nights by the Rhine in Rudesheim, Mainz, Worms, a night in medieval Rothenburg and a drive down the "Romantic Road" to Bavaria.11 days priced from $3,199.

Celebrate Calvin's 500 anniversary

2009 is the 500 year anniversary of John Calvin's birth and we have a 10 day tour to celebrate. We'll begin in one of Europe's most exciting capitals, Paris and travel through France to Switzerland's Geneva. Along the way we'll visit Noyon (Calvin's birthplace - pictured left), Versailles Palace, Monet's home and garden, Chartres Cathedral, Rheims Cathedral and a Champagne cave, Strasbourg, Bern and Chillon Castle.

Along the way we'll not only have fellowship as a group, but we'll also get to meet Christians in the cities that we visit. You won't want to miss the fellowship we'll share over meals and the Sunday services in Paris and Geneva.

This tour is open for bookings until April 1, 2009 so call 1-800-303-5534 today to order your brochure or send an e-mail to info@reformationtours.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

The Ash Wednesday "Hair Decree"

Today is Ash Wednesday and for the men in the Bavarian village of Oberammergau, that means no more shaving until after the Passion Play performance, unless they are going to play the part of Roman soldiers.

I took this photo when I was on a recent trip to Oberammergau and it shows the official "Hair Decree" that allows men in the police and the military to be excused from the usual rule of being close-shaven. Apparently men have to carry a copy of this as well as their residence cards as they can look a little unkempt as 2009 continues!

In the Footsteps of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Shakespeare

Looking for a trip to England this Spring? For only $1,999 land only, you can take a 10 day trip to England (4 day extension to Scotland is $819). Join Dr. Matthew Heckel and Rev. Chris Baker from Wildwood Christian School in St. Louis on a literary tour of England and Scotland.

During the tour you'll hear about C.S. Lewis, J.R. R. Tolkien, Shakespeare and varous preachers, Bible translators, Reformers, pastors and evangelists. You'll also enjoy two Shakespeare plays and many other cultural delights.

This is an ideal trip for high schoolers, graduates, homeschoolers etc. Call 1-800-303-5534 to request more information or check out the tour on our website.

The tour includes:

• G.K. Chesterton sites in Beaconsfield, including st. Theresa's Church
• C.S. Lewis sites in Oxford, including the Kilns, the Eagle & Child pub, Holy Trinity Church
• Shakespeare sites in London and Stratford-upon-Avon, including two live performances
• J. R. R. Tolkien sites in Birmingham, including Sarehole Mill, Moseley Bog, Edgbaston and the Oratory
• Guided tours of Oxford, Stratford, London, Cambridge, Canterbury
• Extension to Scotland, with guided tours of Stirling, Oban, Mull, Iona and Edinburgh

We're giving away an 8-day first class Swiss railpass for 2

If you are in the St. Louis area this coming weekend (January 31 -February 1, 2009) we invite you to come to the St. Louis Travel Show held at the St. Charles Convention Center.

We'll be at Booth 150 representing Switzerland and you can enter to win a free 8 day first class Swiss railpass for 2!

We'll have special guest Rudy Maxa stopping by our booth on Saturday at 12:30 and he'll be autographing 2 DVDs that we'll be giving away on Sunday. You are all welcome to enter the drawing!

Rudy Maxa is the host and executive producer of the Emmy-winning, 78-episode, public television series, "Rudy Maxa's World." He's an award-winning contributing writer with National Geographic Traveler magazine, and his articles have appeared in Forbes, Travel & Leisure, Vogue, Men's Life, The Los Angeles Times, and dozens of other publications. A former Washington Post investigative reporter, Mr. Maxa's reporting was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. His national, weekend radio show on public radio, "The Savvy Traveler," established him as one of the country's premier commentator on consumer travel issues.

You can also join us for dinner after the travel show on Saturday, January 31st and we invite you to click here for more details.

Shakespeare news!

I'm a big Shakespeare fan, so I was very interested to visit the new website celebrating the relationship between the Royal Shakespeare Company and their audiences in America. We suggest visiting http://www.rscamerica.org to browse the new site and sign up for their newsletter. You can also become an overseas member and receive priority bookings and other benefits.

If you enjoy seeing Shakespeare live, I encourage you to join me in May, 2009 on our Christian Heritage of England and Scotland tour, which will include seeing Julius Caesar in Stratford-upon-Avon. Call 1-800-303-5534 to request your brochure.

Backstage in Oberammergau

Last month I had the privilege of visiting the town of Oberammergau in Bavaria and was delighted to have a backstage tour of the theater. We have many groups attending the Play between May and October 2010 and if you don't have your tickets yet, call us at 1-800-303-5534 or visit our website. We have space available on several tours and can also put together a custom tour.

This photo is of the main stage, which you can see is open air. This year the play will be in the afternoon and evening, so the crucifixion scene will be more atmospheric. All the seats are covered though and all the seats have a good view. Here are some more photos:


The table for the last supper.

The soldier costumes.

The choir costumes.

Happy Thanksgiving from Reformation Tours!

Although not American, I love the Thanksgiving holiday and enjoy the opportunity to thank the Lord for all the blessings that He lavishes on us. Last Sunday, our Pastor told us the story of how Sarah Hale (who wrote the kindergarten song, "Mary Had a Little Lamb") was instrumental in establishing the Thanksgiving holiday. It's a tale of perseverence and I was inspired.

Whenever I'm curious about a Christian who made a difference, I turn to one of my favorite websites, the Christian History Institute. Here's a quote from one of their pages:



"Sarah's greatest achievement was to make Thanksgiving a holiday in the United States. She used her popular magazines as a forum to advocate this national day of gratitude to God. Sarah worked tirelessly towards this goal for over fifteen years before Lincoln issued his Thanksgiving Proclamation in August, 1863. Not a bad track record for a girl educated at home, largely by her own efforts.

She retired when she was ninety, writing "I must bid farewell to my countrywomen, with the hope that this work of half a century may be blessed to the furtherance of their happiness and usefulness in their Divinely-appointed sphere." To read the rest of the story, click here

As you enjoy your turkey and stuffing, remember Sarah's desire that we would all express our gratitude to our Lord. We have so much to be grateful for.

The Leipzig Christmas Market opens today

There's nothing quite like a German Christmas market and today marks the opening of one of the most popular. The Leipzig Christmas market dates back to the year 1767. This year it is open from November 24th through December 22nd, 2008, with 250 stalls. The main area will be Marktplatz market square where visitors will be able to marvel at a massive Saxon spruce Christmas tree, and enjoy a wide variety of performances at the market square stage. Visitors can also see the world’s largest free-standing advent calendar (857 square meters) in the Böttchergasse alleyway, designed by Leipzig schools. Make a point to be there at 4:30pm every day from December 1-24th to watch the windows being opened.

To learn more about Leipzig, we invite you to visit our webpage and learn about Luther's connections with the city, the prayer meeting that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall.