Martin Luther in Wittenberg: A Walking Tour

Wittenberg’s cobblestones whisper stories from one of history’s most significant religious revolutions. On this walking tour, you’ll explore the very locations where Martin Luther lived, worked, and sparked the Protestant Reformation that forever changed Western civilization. You’ll also follow in the footsteps of the rebellious monk who dared to challenge the Catholic Church, and discover the authentic charm of this UNESCO-recognized historic town.

This tour starts at Wittenberg’s Market Square, where you’ll find the magnificent Luther Monument created by the same artist who designed the Quadriga of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate. You’ll weave through narrow medieval streets with their restored waterways, and along the route where Napoleon’s 60,000 troops once lodged. As you walk through the heart of Reformation history, you’ll hear about the everyday life of Germany in the 1500s.

You’ll discover how Luther’s revolutionary 95 Theses sparked a theological revolution, learn about his unlikely marriage to a former nun, and get a sense of how his ideas influenced everything from education to language to family life. The tour ends at Lutherhaus, the former Augustinian monastery where he lived with his family for over 40 years, and which now houses the world’s largest museum dedicated to the Reformation.

During this 60-minute tour, you’ll have a chance to:

• Visit Castle Church (also called All Saints’ Church) where Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses to the door in 1517
• Explore the Town Church, considered the “mother church” of the Reformation, where Luther preached for many years
• See the Cranach Courts where Lucas Cranach printed Luther’s revolutionary works
• Discover Melanchthonhaus (Melanchthon House), home to Luther’s brilliant colleague who helped shape Protestant education
• Walk through the historic Beyer Court with its beautifully restored Renaissance courtyard
• Sample typical food of former East Germany in a restaurant filled with GDR paraphernalia
• Pass the home of Lucas Cranach the Elder, a renowned painter and Luther’s close friend
• Learn about Katharina von Bora, the escaped nun who became Luther’s beloved wife and influenced Protestant views of marriage

By the end of this journey through one of Germany’s most historically significant towns, you’ll have seen the places where a single monk’s courage and conviction changed the course of Western history.