DAY 11 - On Top of the World

Today, we took a cable car to the top of Zugspitze, the highest peak in the German Alps at 2,962 meters.  It was a fun ride going to the top, up, up, and farther up.  We reached the summit, but it was unfortunately very cloudy, so we couldn't see anything.

We took a cable car down a little ways to a glacier that was below some of the clouds so we could see a little more. There was also 5-6 inches of fresh snow from a snowfall yesterday, and all of the students enjoyed playing in it.  There were snowball fights, an area where you could ride a toboggan, and lots of pictures being taken.

We had lunch at a restaurant on the mountain.  Our options were currywurst, white sausage, pork meatloaf, or schnitzel.

Once we were done with lunch and playing in the snow, we took a cog-wheel train down the mountain. It actually went through the mountain, so it was pretty dark almost the entire way down.

After that, we boarded the bus and drove back to Innsbruck (Austria)!  This is our 2nd night at this youth hostel, so some students did some laundry.  A group of students and chaperones went to a nearby mall before dinner, and a group went to the grocery store after dinner.

Zugspitze from ground level

Cable car ride up

Views from the glacier

Cog-wheel train ride down

DAY 10 - The Castle that Inspired Disney

The Hohenschwangau Castle and the Neuschwanstein Castle were not far from our youth hostel. After breakfast, we loaded the bus and had a short drive. We had tickets to tour the Neuschwanstein Castle at 10:25 and arrived in plenty of time.  Due to the extra time, some of us decided to hike up to the Hohenschwangau Castle to see the view, while others started the journey to the Neuschwanstein Castle.

King Maximillian, King Ludwig's dad, lived in the Hohenschwangau Castle and Ludwig was raised here, but decided he wanted a bigger castle when he was older, the Neuschwanstein Castle. The Neuschwanstein Castle inspired the Disney Castle.

The views from the top of each Castle were beautiful.  Pictures and videos were not allowed during the tour of the Neuschwanstein Castle, but the few rooms we were able to see were amazing.

Following the tour we hiked back to the bus, grabbed our picnic lunches, and had lunch alongside the shores of the Alpsee.

After lunch we boarded the bus and were going to visit a church that was built with a Rococo style during the 1750s, but due to construction we could not reach it, so we took the scenic route through the mountains into Austria, about a 2 1/2 hour drive.

Hohenschwangau Castle

Views from the Hohenschwangau Castle (you can see the Neuschwanstein Castle in the bottom left picture, towards the top left of the picture)

Neuschwanstein Castle (inspired the Disney Castle)

Views from the Neuschwanstein Castle  (you can see the Hohenschwangau Castle in the bottom left picture just to the right of the middle)

Alpsee Lake

DAY 9 - On the Road

Today was travel day. We got up and ate breakfast, loaded the bus, and we're on the road by 8am.  It was a 3 hour drive to Rothenburg, a preserved medieval town.  On the bus ride there, we had a church service on the bus led by Pastor Paul.

Once we arrived in Rotheburg, we had a picnic lunch in the grassy area that was once the gallows, then 2 hours to explore the town on our own.

We then drove 3 hours to Füssen along the "Romantic Road," built in the 1st century AD. We arrived at our youth hostel, ate dinner, and had free time.

We were hoping to walk into town and listen to a traditional umpah band or walk to the Hohes Schloss (High Palace), but it is unfortunately raining.  A few of us still decided to venture out, while others stayed at the youth hostel, afterall, the wifi is pretty fast here! :)

We took 8 students into Füssen and walked around, but stores were closed because it is Sunday.  After walking around the city, we went to a restaurant that was open and had some Frittes (fries)!  A couple students also ordered pizza, one ordered a burger, and one ordered a steak.  Despite the rain, it was still a good outing.

Drive from Eisenach to Rothenburg

Long bus rides mean lots of sleeping

Rothenburg: medieval town & wall

Pictures of Rothenburg inside the wall

Drive from Rothenburg to Füssen

German Alps by Füssen

Füssen

DAY 8 - A Royal Day in Eisenach

Today we toured the Wartburg Castle. We hide to hike a little ways to get up to it, but it wasn't too bad. The views from the Castle were beautiful.

We had a guided tour for the first part of it, and then toured the second half on our own. We saw Luther's room where he translated the New Testament from Latin to German.

Following the tour, we had lunch at the Wartburg Hotel: white table linens, fork in the left hand and knife in the right, napkin in the lap, type of dinner. We ate local potato dumplings, marinated beef, and red cabbage. We then hiked down from the Castle to the city center of Eisenach and had more ice cream!

We walked to our youth hostel and have free time this evening. About half of us have already been to the grocery store and it was a very "American" trip: chips, candy, etc. among the purchases.

Wartburg Castle 

Inside the Wartburg Castle

Lunch! There was a wedding going on outside.

DAY 7 - My Shoes Got Muddy in Eisenach

After waking up in Leipzig, we ate, packed, loaded the bus, and had a 2.5 hour drive to Eisenach. Many students used the long drive to sleep.

We arrived in Eisenach and went on a hike in the Thuringia Forest, or the Drachenschlucht (Dragon Canyon), where Luther was "kidnapped" and taken to the Wartburg Castle. It was very scenic and a great experience, but with the rain, the paths were muddy. No shoes came out clean. We could see the Wartburg Castle at parts of it, and stopped for lunch in the middle of the forest. It was probably about a 5 mile hike total.

Once we got out of the forest, we explored Eisenach. We saw St. Edwards Church, where Bach was baptized, ate some ice cream, then went to our youth hostel outside of town. After dinner and devotions, students enjoyed playing soccer, playing cards, and/or talking to friends and family on WiFi.

We continue to be very fortunate with weather; it rained on us on the drive to Eisenach, but once we arrived at the forest, it quit raining, or was barely drizzling. It has been 50° - 60° outside.

Thuringa Forest

Top: Bach'Bach's house & statue

Bottom: left - Luther's house for 3 years of his life as a child in school; right - city center of Eisenach

St. George Church

DAY 6 - Adventures in Leipzig

Leipzig was bigger than what I thought it would be, plus there was a festival going on, so the city center was crowded with extra people, tents, and food vendors.

We started the day at St. Lukas Church with Pastor Gevers, who talked about the church and his mission. Then Rev. Dr. Ahlman, master organist and musician, talked to us about his work, and even played the organ for us!

We then walked to the Johanna park and had lunch, then went and saw the St. Thomas church where Bach was a cantor for 27 years and is currently buried. After that, Tev. Dr. Ahlman showed us around Leipzig. We met Pastor Gevers at the church again and had a question and answer session with some members. It was a very good experience for everyone.

Following that, we went back to the fellowship hall at the old church location for a cookout, then some students walked to the local park to play, while others played cards. That night at the church, the boys and Mr. Bingham slept in one room, and the girls and Mrs. Bingham stayed in another room. It was a great bonding experience for everyone.

The drive to Leipzig

Pastor Gevers church

Top: lunch at the park (a couple German kids had an American football & our kids joined them)

Middle: left - city center; right - university

Bottom: left - Music Hall; right - opera house

Servant event with Pastor Gevers and snacks

St. Thomas Church

St. Nicholas Church

Playground after dinner

Sleepover at the church

DAY 5 - Wittenberg

After devotions and breakfast at the youth hostel, we went back to Wittenberg and toured Luther's house (Lutherhaus). It wasn't like normal houses as it used to be a monastery where he was a monk and professor in his early life. The Reformation caused it to be dissolved and it was gifted to Luther and his family. There was a lot to learn and a lot to see. It was a great experience.

We had lunch at the Luther Gardens again, which, of course, meant more playing on the playground. Following lunch, we went to a bakery and had cake for Chloe's birthday.

The afternoon was spent around the city center in Wittenberg with free time. There were many shops and restaurants for the students to check out. I have heard 1 group had an ice cream cone eating contest (4 or 5 was the winner), another group went and ate burgers (we are all craving some American food right now... Breakfast over here is assorted meats, cheeses, and breads, and that's what we pack for our lunches, too), while others shopped.

On our way back to our youth hostel we stopped at a grocery store so students could purchase snacks and/or drinks. We had devotions and dinner at the youth hostel, followed by our evening entertainment provided by 1 room of girls because they overslept and were late for devotions and breakfast this morning.

Students are realizing youth hostel life is similar to dorm life. They get to live with their friends, share a bathroom, and the youth hostels so far have had rules that they have to make their beds in the morning, clean and wipe off their tables after meals, and be in their rooms by curfew. Free time this evening has been spent by playing soccer, using wifi, or back on the playground.

Luther's house

City Center in Wittenberg and cake for Chloe's birthday

Youth hostel for 2 nights. It used to be a school, but was converted to a youth hostel in 1989.

DAY 4 - A "Lutheran" Day in Wittenberg

After breakfast at the youth hostel, we boarded the bus and went to Trinity Lutheran Church (Dreieinigkeitsgemeinde) in Berlin. We met with Pastor Martens who told us about the missions and work he is doing at the church.  He currently works with refugees who want to become Christian. He only sleeps 4 hours per night because he is so busy. It was a very eye opening experience and the students enjoyed listening to him and asking him questions. We presented him with donations raised and baptismal cross necklaces. Quite a few students said the best part of the visit was seeing his reaction to our donations. It was very moving for everyone.

After the visit, we drove to Wittenberg and had lunch in the Luther Gardens, which happened to be next to a playground. Needless to say, the playground was a big hit. There were 500 trees planted around the Luther Gardens in preparation for the 50th Anniversary next year, and we found the LCMS tree planted!

We then met with Kristen Lange at the Old Latin House (built in 1657) who told us a bit about her work then showed us around part of Wittenberg. We were able to go into St. Mary's Church (Marienkirche) where Luther preached and was also married, and saw the outside of the Castle Church (Schlosskirche), where Luther posted the 95 theses.

Wittenberg was nothing like Berlin. Berlin was a big city with a lot of people and traffic. Wittenberg was a smaller town with a lot of character.

After that, we went to our youth hostel, checked in, ate dinner, then had free time. Some students went walking through the town, others created an obstacle course on the playground, and others hung out in their rooms and played cards.

It was a good day. The students are having fun! We have encountered other groups of students at the youth hostels, and ALL of the chaperones are VERY glad and proud of our students and the way they act.

(Wifi at this youth hostel costs euros, so if you have not heard from your son or daughter last night or tonight, don't freak out. We haven't lost any of them and they are all healthy and having an enjoyable time!)

Trinity Lutheran Church - Pastor Martens

Luther Gardens

Playground fun (all the students think we need playgrounds like this in America!)

Old Latin School with Kristen Lange (from Concordia)

St. Mary's Church

Castle Church

Dinner at the youth hostel

DAY 3 - Berlin by foot ~ 10 miles of walking

Everyone seemed to be refreshed this morning after sleeping. After breakfast we walked around Berlin to see more of the sights and monuments.

We walked through the Holocaust Memorial, saw the Brandenburg Gate, ate lunch in the Tiergarten, then toured the Reichtag, saw the Tower of Victory, then walked back to our youth hostel for a little bit of free time.

This evening we met for devotions and dinner then took the bus to the TV tower where we went up to the top and saw a 360° view of Berlin. Unfortunately it was cloudy, so we could not see the sunset.  By the end of the day, my fitbit says we walked over 10 miles.

The weather so far has been about 80° and sunny, but there's no humidity. We are thankful the rain has stayed away while we are sightseeing, but there's supposed to be rain tonight and tomorrow.

Holocaust Memorial, Tower of Victory, Russian Memorial, Bell Tower, Brandenburg Gate, Government buildings

Churches, and the TV Tower with view from the top

Reichstag

Info on some Sights:

Checkpoint Charlie - nothing remains of the legendary Checkpoint between the American and Soviet sectors of Berlin thay was once barricaded with barbed wite, barrier, and a watchtower. A replica of the checkpoint booth serves as a reminder of this dreadful past. After the erections of the "Berlin Wall," Checkpoint a Charlie served as a crossing point. On the 25th of October 1961, Russian and American tanks were facing each other on this spot, both sides ready to open fire. A fateful moment that almost brought World War III.

Brandenburg Gate - The Brandenburg Gate, Berlin's only remaining ancient city gate, is the true icon of the city. It's original design from 1794 by Carl Gothard Langham was completed with the addition or ornaments and the Quadra by Johann Gottfried Shadow in 1794. Because it was situates inside the wide area circumscribing the Berlin Wall, the so-called "Death Strip," it also became symbolic of the city's separation. After the "Fall of the Wall", the game reopened on December 22, 199 and, in the course of the reunification, it's edifices shape of the pre-war time was restored.

Reichstag - The Reichstag was built fem 1884 to 1894, reminiscent to the style of Italian high renaissance. It served as Seaton the Parliament in the Kaiser Reich and the "Weimar Republic." The notorious Reichstag fire of 1933 completely destroyed the plenary chamber. The Reichstag fell victim to further heavy damage during World War II. Re-opened in 1999, the Reichstag now functions as seat of the federal German parliament, the Bundestag, and it's glass dome a sight open to the public.

Tiergarten - The Tiergarten called "The Green Lung of Berlin," is situated around the Siegessaule (Victory Column), the Reichtag and the Brandenburg Gate. With a size if 210 hectares, the Tiergarten is the biggest park in Berlin and the second largest urban park in Germany. The "Bellevue Palace," the representative residence of the President of Germany, is situated within the Tiergarten as well as the Carillon, the largest of its kind of Europe - several times a day, this tall tower sounds it's chime of 68 resonant bells. Visitors also enjoy taking a stroll along the open air gas lamp museum.

Siegessaule - The "Victory Column" was designed in 1864 by Heinrich Strack for the square facing the Reichstag. In 1873 it was completed with a golden figure of Victory by Fried rich Drake, which locals refer to as Goldelse , "Golden Lizzy." The glass mosaics behind the Tuscan columns of its pediment were created by Anton von Werner. It's shafts is decorated with gilded cannon-barrels captured in war. It was erected as a memorial to the Prussian victories over Denmark (1864), Austria (1866), and France (1870/71). In 1938/39, the monument was moved to its current location at the "Great Star" roundabout.

Berliner Fernsehturm - The "TV Tower," Berlin's landmark, counts up to 368 meters from the ground up and is this the highest building in Germany. On a cloudless day, the breathtaking view from the platform at 203 meters can reach up to 40 km into the surrounding area. A little imagination and a squinting eye may reveal the sun's reflection in the tiled stainless steel dome appear on the form of a crucifix. Berlin's call it the "Pope' Revenge," in ironic reference to the costly measures undertaken by the former East-Germany government to prevent this phenomenon unfit for atheistic Socialism.

DAY 2 - Exhausted in Berlin

When you spend 10-12 hours on planes (3 separate flights, plus a couple hours at airports for layovers), you're going to be exhausted.  We landed in Berlin at 10am (but 3am Concordia, MO time).  In order to adjust to the time change quicker, we spent the day sight seeing.

After getting our luggage, our bus driver Rudolf met us at the airport. We went to Curry at the Wall for lunch, then walked around Berlin sightseeing.  We saw part of the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Ritter Sport for chocolate and ice cream, Berlin Mall to shop, & Potsdammer Platz.

We have checked in to our youth hostel and will be meeting in a bit for devotions and dinner.

I'm sure everyone will be getting to bed early tonight as we are all definitely looking forward to getting a good night's sleep!

We've landed in Germany!

On the bus

Lunch stop in Berlin

Sites in Berlin: Checkpoint Charlie, the wall, Borchardt Restaurant 

Ritter chocolate and ice cream

Sleepy kids