The tourist excursion is now fully booked. I apologise that we cannot take any more reservations.
On Saturday afternoon, following the close of the Forum, an excursion is being planned. It will be a professionally guided tour of the key places in Wittenberg, the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
You can register for the excursion when you register for the Forum (or at a later date after you have registered). The total cost for the excursion tour is €25 and includes the professional guide. It is a walking tour around the main sites. Here is a taster about what you will visit:
“A mighty fortress is our God” – This line of text taken from the famous hymn, inscribed in large letters encircles the bell tower of this impressive church. The author of the song, the reformer Martin Luther, was to make this church, which was built on the foundation of a former castle, known around the world. On 31st October 1517 he nailed his 95 Theses on to the main door. Today, inside the church, the grave of Martin Luther and the final resting place of the reformer Philipp Melanchthon can be visited. The chapel is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site.
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Luther House and Augusteum
The Luther House was originally in 1504, an Augustinian monastery. Later it became the home of the reformer Martin Luther. Today the Luther House is the largest Reformation museum in the world and is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. The permanent exhibition at the Luther House offers you an encounter with the time of the Reformation. Approximately 1,000 original exhibits not only tell the life and work of the reformer Luther, but also his family life and his influence on history. The exhibits include for example manuscripts, charts, printed books, furniture, coins, and medals from nine centuries, and the pulpit from which Luther preached at the Stadtkirche (Town Church).
UNESCO World Heritage Site: St Mary´s Protestant Church
The St. Mary’s Town and Parish Church is the oldest building in townand is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Martin Luther used to preach in this church. His companion Johannes Bugenhagen clarified Reformation insights here. The famous painter Lucas Cranach the Elder designed the Reformation altar, which you can admire during a guided tour. You can also discover valuable paintings by Cranach, the elaborately decorated baptismal font by Hermann Vischer the oldest piece of the church, the magnificent organ as well as the vestry of contemporary art.
This Renaissance style house in Wittenberg, built in 1536, is an architectural gem. The humanist and reformer Philipp Melanchthon lived and worked in this house until his death. The memorial was restored and expanded with the addition of a modern new building that presents the exhibition Life-Work-Legacy. Some of the objects have never been on display before, among them an original salary receipt issued to Melanchthon as a university professor, and the first handwritten history of the city of Wittenberg penned by Melanchthon.
