Today we will explore one of the most significant historic cities of Germany – Cologne. Originally it was established as the Roman colony on the Rhein (hence the name). The city had very early Christian martyrs. Tradition relates to us that among the early martyrs there was a young lady named Ursula, who was executed by the Roman authorities along with the great number of other young virgins. The origin of the legend is somewhat obscure, but archeological evidence confirms that very early on there was a cult of the early martyrs on the site of the Basilica of St. Ursula. Cologne is famed for its glorious Gothic Cathedral, one of the largest and tallest in all of Europe. It was built on much earlier foundations, as a depository of the relics of the three wise men (or three kings in Western tradition) who came to venerate the infant Jesus in Bethlehem, following a star. The Church of St. Martin was built on the site of an early Irish missionary monastery, and the imperial monastic foundation with the church of Maria in Capitol built between 1040 and 1065 houses the only surviving carved Romanesque doors from the 11th century. The church was built on the site of the pagan Roman temple, dedicated to the Capitoline Triad, hence the name “im Kapitol”. Last and very impressive stop on our journey will be the visit to the Schnutgen museum of Christianity that occupies a former Romanesque church of St. Cäcilien. The church was founded in 881 for noble canonesses, but the present building dates from the mid-eleventh century. 

Today we will leave Cologne for a day trip. We will see several interesting and diverse sites. Time permitting, on our way to Xanten, we will make a stop at Kloster Knechtsteden. The monastery was founded ca. 1120, and a beautiful basilica was already built by the end of the century. Although the monastery was severely damaged on a few occasions, the west choir was miraculously preserved in its original state from the mid 12th century. Here we could see well-preserved frescoes of Christ as Pantocrator, surrounded by the symbols of the Evangelists, with the apostles Peter and Paul on either side. In the lower register between the windows are depictions of other apostles and below them, there is a small figure dressed in a white habit. This is the donor of the fresco, Albert von Aachen, canonized in the Aachen Palatine (Royal) Chapel and the author of the history of the first crusade. Our next stop will be in a small and picturesque town of Xanten known mainly for the Archaeological Park, one of the largest archaeological open-air-museums in the world, built at the site of the Roman settlements Colonia Ulpia Traiana. Colonia group out of a massive Roman military camp along the Rhein River, that housed two legions. The largest military base found in Northern Europe to date. The park presents many interesting things to see, complete with the replicas of the Roman boats, an engaging interpretive museum and partially reconstructed Roman buildings. The amphitheater of Xanten, the site where Christians were martyred, is also partially rebuilt. The name of at least one martyr is known to us. It was a Roman soldier by the name of Victor. His tomb was a place of pilgrimage, and in later centuries a set of churches replacing one another were built over his grave. The archeological excavations of the 20th century have proven a long-held tradition about his grave under the Cathedral, and modern pilgrims could see the actual site of his burial under Medieval cathedral. Our last stop will be in Essen, an industrial city, greatly damaged during WWII and rebuilt in modern concrete style in the second part of the 20th century. Here, in the center of the city, just off the pedestrian area there is the Essen Cathedral. The original site was founded ca. 845 by the Saxon Altfrid (later Bishop of Hildesheim and saint) near a royal estate called Astnidhi, which later gave its name to the religious house and the town. Not much remains from the epoch, except for the collection of the Abbey’s treasures that is exceptional in its completeness. The Essen Cathedral Treasury contains several artistically significant works, particularly from the Ottonian period (936–1015AD), and such it is one of the most significant collections of religious artworks in Germany. For an overnight stay we will return to Cologne. 

This morning, we will check out from our hotel and will head to the capital of Charlamagne, Aachen. Aachen originated as the Celtic settlement, reestablished later as the Roman colony. In the 9th century the Royal Carolingian Palace was built here, and it became the capital of the Frankish Empire ruled by Charlemagne. Because of that the city is sometimes called "cradle of Europe". Although nothing remains of the Royal palace itself, the chapel of the palace, known as the Palatine Chapel, remains remarkably intact. From 936 to 1531 it was the site of the royal coronations. As part of Aachen Cathedral, the chapel is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Near the Cathedral, there is a Cathedral treasury, filled with incredible works of ecclesiastical art. In the afternoon we will start our transfer to Trier. On our way we will make a stop at Monschau, a small resort town filled with the dozens of Medieval “Fachwerk” or timber framed houses, creating a fairy-tale sense environment for every visitor. The town has a massive souvenir and crafts market for all tastes and budgets. For dinner and overnight we will arrive in Trier.  

Founded by the Romans in the late 1st century BC as Augusta Treverorum ("The City of Augustus among the Treveri"), Trier is considered Germany's oldest city. It is also the oldest seat of a bishop north of the Alps. Trier was one of the four capitals of the Roman Empire during the Tetrarchy period in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries. Constantine the Great lived in Trier for six years and under his regency the town rose to become the second most important city in the Roman Empire. The Basilica of Constantine (Aula Palatina), was a palace basilica and an early Christian structure built between AD 300 and 310 during the reigns of Constantius Chlorus and Constantine the Great. It is the largest extant hall from antiquity. At the Cathedral Museum, a unique work of Late Antique art could be seen. Found under the Trier Cathedral, the ceiling murals were, and over a ten-year period, reassembled like a puzzle from more than 30,000 fragments. They originate from a lavishly designed residential palace that was demolished around 335AD when the early Christian church complex was significantly expanded. Besides, the ancient murals, the Trier Cathedral Treasury contains an important collection of Christian art. The Cathedral itself is the oldest cathedral in Germany and the largest religious structure in Trier, notable for its long life span and grand design. The central part of the nave was built of Roman brick in the early fourth century, resulting in a cathedral that was added gradually in different eras. In 1986 the Cathedral dedicated to St. Peter and other Roman monuments of Trier were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Trier Cathedral’s most precious relic is the Holy Robe, the Tunic of Christ. Tradition says that the emperor’s mother Helena brought the undivided garment of Christ to Trier. One more and very special Roman site and, in a way, a Christian pilgrimage site that we are going to visit is the so-called Porta Nigra that was built in grey sandstone which darkened over the time, sometime after 170AD. Although never finished, the Porta Nigra was part of a system of four city gates and was used until the end of the Roman era in Trier. In later centuries, the Roman city gates were no longer in use. In the 11th century, the Greek monk Simeon lived as a hermit in the ruins of the Porta Nigra. After his death and sanctification, the Simeonstift monastery was built next to the Porta Nigra to honor him. To save it from further destruction, the Porta Nigra was transformed into two superimposed churches with identical floor plans. The upper church was accessible to the monks and the lower church was open to the general public. At the orders of Napoleon, the monastery was dismissed and destroyed, and Porta Nigra was cleared of later additions, giving it to whatever extent possible the surviving original appearance. For the overnight stay we will remain in Trier. 

This morning, we will leave Ancient Trier and will transfer some two hours East to the town of Bingen. Here we will visit Eibingen Abbey (full name: Benedictine Abbey St. Hildegard)community founded in 1165 by Hildegard of Bingen. Although formally Abbey was founded some hundred years after the Great Schism of the Church, the figure of St. Hildegard (+1179AD) is incredibly enigmatic and appealing. Saint Hildegard of Bingen was a remarkable woman who fulfilled many roles in her lifetime: she was an polymath active as a writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, and as a medical writer and practitioner. She is one of the best-known composers of sacred monophony, as well as the most recorded in modern history. She has been considered by several scholars to be the founder of scientific natural history in Germany. Being of noble birth, already at age ten she was given to a convent where she was reared in literacy by St. Jutta. In her long life she lived to be a well-respected individual of an incredible talent, defender of “orthodoxy” against heresies who was not afraid to confront even as mighty a king as Fridrich Barbarossa himself. After the visit to the monastery of this Medieval Luminary we will drive for a short distance to visit the city of Mainz. Established as a Roman fortress by a Roman general in the 1st century BC, the town grew into the capital of the Roman province and then by the 8th century it became an important city within the Holy Roman Empire, being capital of the Electorate of Mainz and seat of the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz, the primate of Germany. Mainz Cathedral is one of the three Rhenish Imperial Cathedrals. In the early Middle Ages, Mainz played a significant role in the Christianization of the German and Slavic peoples. The first archbishop in Mainz, St. Boniface, a missionary from England was killed in 754 while attempting to convert the Frisians to Christianity. Mainz is the birthplace and the field of the archpastoral work of Rabanus Maurus who was a Frankish Benedictine monk, theologian, poet, encyclopedist and military writer. Being a favorite disciple of Alcuin, the most learned man and an English monk at the court of Charlemagne he got the nickname Maurus, of St. Maurus, the favorite disciple of St. Benedict. For an overnight we will stay in the Mainz area. 

Today we will start in the city of Darmstadt. Darmstadt was formerly the capital of a sovereign state, the Grand Duchy of Hesse and its successor, the People's State of Hesse, a federal state of Germany. Alexandra Feodorovna (Alix of Hesse), the wife of Nicholas II of Russia, as well as Maria Alexandrovna (Marie of Hesse), the wife of Alexander II of Russia, who were related, were both born in this city. Another illustrious person, grand duchess Elizabeth, martyred just like her sister Alexandra Fedorovna, was also from the Royal Hesse house. Darmstadt artists' colony, a major center of the Jugendstil artistic movement, together with the Russian Church in Darmstadt, where we are going to attend Divine Liturgy, was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2021. Our next stop will be in the town of Fulda, to venerate relics of the Apostle of the Germans St. Boniface. Boniface (+754AD) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of Francia during the eighth century. He organized significant foundations of the church in Germany and was made bishop of Mainz by Pope Gregory III. He was martyred in Frisia in 754, along with 52 others. In 744 Saint Sturm, a disciple of Saint Boniface, founded the Benedictine monastery of Fulda as one of Boniface's outposts in the reorganization of the church in Germany. After his martyrdom by the Frisians in 754, the relics of Saint Boniface were brought to Fulda. The crypt of the original abbey church still holds those relics, but the church itself has been subsumed into a Baroque renovation. A small, 9th-century chapel remains standing within walking distance of the church, as do the foundations of a later women's abbey. Rabanus Maurus served as an abbot at Fulda from 822 to 842. 

Today we will explore the city of Nuremberg. It has a relatively late historical provenance, but played very important role in the history of Germany. Particular infamy city acquired due to the massive Nazi rallies that were held on the city’ outskirts. City became the place of the trial of Nazi criminals after WWII.

Although being systematically bombarded during WWII by the allies and being largely destroyed, Nuremberg was rebuilt after the war, and one of its main shrines, the church of St. Sebaldus was rebuild as well. Sebaldus (or Sebald) was an Anglo-Saxon missionary to Germany in the 9th or 10th century. He settled down as a hermit in the Reichswald near Nuremberg. His cult was very strong in Nuremberg ever since the Middle Ages and he is considered to be the patron saint of the city. The German National Museum is in Nuremberg. Founded in 1852, it houses a large collection of items relating to German culture and art extending from prehistoric times through to the present day. The museum is Germany's largest museum of cultural history.

In the afternoon we will visit another beautiful Bavarian city, Bamberg. The town dates to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby Babenberch castle. The area was Christianized chiefly by the monks of the Benedictine Fulda Abbey. From the 10th century onwards, Bamberg became a key link with the Slav peoples, notably those of Poland and Pomerania. Cited as one of Germany's most beautiful towns, with medieval streets and buildings, the old town of Bamberg with around 2,400 timber houses has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. Diocesan Museum Bamberg houses unique world-class treasures on the history of Bamberg Cathedral, which was consecrated in 1012. 

Among them are the six gold-embroidered imperial robes with the famous starry mantle of Emperor Henry II as the centerpiece. Other treasures include the "Gunther cloth" with a depiction of a Byzantine emperor on horseback (c. 971) and the vestments made of Byzantine silk from the tomb of Pope Clement II (+1047), the only surviving papal regalia of the High Middle Ages in the world.

This day we will spend in another amazing Bavarian city, Regensburg. Established as a Roman form on the Danube frontier, city grew in importance and became the place of the major assemblies during the Holy Roman Empire. The bishopric established by the Romans was re-established by St Boniface as the Bishopric of Regensburg in 739. In 845AD, fourteen Bohemian princes came to Regensburg to receive baptism there. This was the starting point of the Christianization of the Czechs, and the diocese of Regensburg became the mother diocese of that of Prague. These events had a wide impact on the cultural history of the Czech lands, as they were consequently part of the Roman Catholic and not the Slavic-Orthodox world. The work of saintly brothers Cyril and Methodius in Moravia was proceeding nearly simultaneously. In 869 Pope Adrian II ordained St. Methodius bishop and appointed him a Papal Legate for the Slavic peoples with authority encompassing Great Moravia, Pannonia, and Serbia. His seat, it is thought, was in the city of Nitra, now in Slovakia. This led to a great deal of trouble for the missionary, as his title superseded that of one of his opponents, the Archbishop of Salzburg. Methodius was called before a synod in Regensburg, with King Louis in attendance. He was imprisoned and kept in a monastery in Regensburg (?) in prison like conditions for nearly three years. Around the year 1070, the Irish God-seekers and wandering monks Muiredac, called Marianus, Candidus and Johannes came on their pilgrimage from Bamberg to Regensburg. Their arrival is generally regarded as the birth of the eight-hundred-year history of the "Scots monastery". To the present day, the Church of St. James, also called Schottenkirche (the church of the Scotts)survives. It is a Romanesque Basilica of the 12th century, that derives its name from the monastery of Irish Benedictines (Scoti) to which it was attached. 

The medieval center of the city was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006 because of its well-preserved architecture, being the biggest medieval city site north of the Alps and for the city's historical importance. 

Later in the afternoon we will visit the Weltenburg Abbey. According to tradition, the abbey was founded in about 617 in the course of the Hiberno-Scottish mission by Agilus and Eustace of Luxeuil, two monks of Luxeuil Abbey, which had been founded by Saint Columbanus. It is believed to be the oldest monastery in Bavaria. Reportedly during the first half of the 8th century, the abbey adopted the rules of the Benedictine order and was supported by Tassilo III, Duke of Bavaria. By 932 at the latest, the abbey was under control of the Bishop of Regensburg.

Freising is one of the oldest settlements in Bavaria, becoming a major religious center in the early Middle Ages. Although there is some archeological evidence of early human presence in the area, continuous traceable occupation of Freiding dates to the 8thcentury. In 724 AD, the Frankish Saint Corbinian was sent to the Duchy of Bavaria by the Catholic Church to spread Christianity. On the highest hill in Freising, where there was already a simple sanctuary (built ca. 715) Corbinian erected a Benedictine monastery and a school, to help preach the Gospel to the local people. St. Corbinian was succeeded in the government of the abbey by his brother Erembert. When St. Boniface in 738 regulated ecclesiastical affairs in Bavaria by the creation of four dioceses, Erembert was chosen as the first Bishop of Freising, and he was suffragan to Mainz. The sanctuary of Our Lady, which existed on the mountain near Freising before the coming of St. Corbinian, became the cathedral, and was served by the Benedictine monks. The cathedral was rebuilt several times, and the current cathedral 1205, although the interior of it was much change in the 17 century to bring it to the Baroque standards of the day. The tomb of St. Corbinian, the patron saint of the bishopric, is in the four-nave crypt of the cathedral. Some important historical documents were created here between 900 and 1200 in its monastery, among them the Freising manuscripts written in Slovenian, being the first Roman-script continuous text in a Slavic language. Another patron saint of Freising is Saint Lambertus who became the bishop of Freising in 955 and served the diocese until his death in 957. During his time as bishop, the region faced extensive political instability and was frequently plagued by invasions from the Hungarians. Despite the challenges, Lambertus maintained steadfast faith and led his flock with courage and dedication. His commitment to the people of Freising during this precarious period left a lasting impact on the region. 

Today we will visit two very important missionary and learning centers of the European Middle Ages. First one is in the center of St. Gallen, a Swiss city, near the southern shore of Lake Constance. The abbey is built at the site of the hermitage of Irish missionary St. Gallus. Around 612AD St. Gallus, according to tradition an Irish monk and disciple and companion of Saint Columbanus, established a hermitage on the site that would become the monastery. He lived in his cell until his death in 646 and was buried there. Following Gallus' death, his disciples remained living together in his cell and followed the rule of St. Columban, which combined prayer, work of the hands, reading, and teaching. They aided and taught virtue to the many pilgrims who came to St. Gall's tomb. The monastery itself was founded by Saint Othmar in c. 720. The abbey prospered in the 9th century and became a site of pilgrimage and a center of trade, with associated guest houses, a hospital, and one of the first monastery schools north of the Alps. By the tenth century, a settlement had grown up around the abbey. The Abbey library is recognized as one of the richest medieval libraries in the world. It is home to one of the most comprehensive collections of early medieval books in the German-speaking part of Europe. The library also preserves a unique 9th-century document, known as the Plan of St. Gall, the only surviving major architectural drawing from the roughly 700-year period between the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the 13th century. The Plan drawn was never actually built and was so named because it was kept at the famous medieval monastery library, where it remains to this day. The plan was an ideal of what a well-designed and well-supplied monastery should have, as envisioned by one of the synods held at Aachen for the reform of monasticism in the Frankish empire. In 1983, the Convent of St. Gall was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "a perfect example of a great Carolingian monastery.

An hour’s drive away is another important monastic center on the island of Reichenau. In 724, the first monastery was built on the island by bishop Pirmin, and Reichenau quickly developed into an influential religious, cultural, and intellectual center. The first monastery was wooden, although it was replaced by a stone building by 746. Two further churches were built on the island consecrated to Saints Peter and Paul (in 799) and to Saint George (in 896). In the 9th century, under the patronage of the Carolingian dynasty and Ottonian dynasty, the community flourished and became one of the most significant monasteries across the Frankish Empire. The famous artworks of Reichenau include (in the church of St George) the Ottonian murals of miracles of Christ, unique survivals from the 10th century. The Plan of St. Gall may also have been created on the island.

Our last day in Germany will be touristy and relaxing. Our first stop will be at the picturesque, historic town of Stein am Rhein in Switzerland. The town’s story begins sometime after the year 1000, when Emperor Henry II moved an Abbey from the town of Singen to a small fishing village on the banks of the Rhein River. With the presence of the Abbey and due to its advantageous location at the crossroads of trade routes, Stein am Rhein soon became a rich town. The Imperial abbey also prospered and in the 15th century its premises were completely rebuilt. Under the Reformation, the abbey was secularized. The town's medieval center retains the ancient street plan. The site of the city wall and the city gates are preserved, though the former city wall now consists of houses. The medieval part of the town has been pedestrianized and many of the medieval buildings are adorned with frescoes.

The Pforzheim Jewelry Museum is the only museum worldwide dedicated exclusively to jewelry. Its extensive collection contains thousands of pieces of jewelry, covering about 5000 years of history of fascination of mankind with what they understood as precious objects. From the Greco-Roman antiquity, until the present day, and from the remote island of Oceania to the most fashionable jewelry stores of the European capitals, it is a visual feast of sparkles, wonder, fashion, status, captivation, history and above all human creativity and thirst for beauty.

Our last stop will be at the Ludwigsburg Residential Palace that was built at the beginning of the 18th century. It is one of the largest Baroque buildings in Europe to survive in its original condition. Ludwigsburg Palace has played a major part in Germany's history, starting off as a ducal residence and then becoming the summer home of the first King of Württemberg. The tour of the palace will go through stately rooms, the banquet hall, and the apartment rooms of the royalty. Three distinctive styles - Baroque, Rococo, and Classicism, all equally impressive, are distinctly portrayed throughout the various sections of the vast residence. In addition to the interior of the palace, you are welcome to go see on your own the unique treasures of ceramic artwork presented in a special museum in one of the wings of the building, and the fashion museum that displays clothing and accessories from the Rococo through the 1960s — a history of beauty, hygiene and daily life. The museum's sensational presentation turns a seemingly regular visit into a whole experience. 

Alternatively, if you would like to, you can continue your pilgrimage for another couple of days. Please see extra days of the extension: Day 12.2, Day 13.3 and Day 14.2

After breakfast, transfer to the airport in Stuttgart (airport code STR). Departure home.  

Our first stop today will be at the picturesque, historic town of Stein am Rhein in Switzerland. The town’s story begins sometime after the year 1000, when Emperor Henry II moved an Abbey from the town of Singen to a small fishing village on the banks of the Rhein River. With the presence of the Abbey and due to its advantageous location at the crossroads of trade routes, Stein am Rhein soon became a rich town. The Imperial abbey also prospered and in the 15th century its premises were completely rebuilt. Under the Reformation, the abbey was secularized. The town's medieval center retains the ancient street plan. The site of the city wall and the city gates are preserved, though the former city wall now consists of houses. The medieval part of the town has been pedestrianized and many of the medieval buildings are adorned with frescoes. 

Lucerne or Luzern is a city in central Switzerland and is the capital of the canton of Lucerne and part of the district of the same name. The origin of the city is associated with the Benedictine Monastery of St. Leodegar founded around 750. By the middle of the 9th century the area had become known as Luciaria, likely relates to the Latin name of the pike, lucius, which was fished in the local lake. In 1178 Lucerne acquired its independence from the jurisdiction of the Murbach Abbey, and the founding of the city proper probably occurred that same year. The city gained importance as a strategically located gateway for the growing commerce from the Gotthard trade route. Due to its location on the shores of a large mountainous lake and well-preserved late Medieval center, Lucerne without doubt is one of the most spectacular sites not only in Switzerland, but in Europe. Overnight in Bulle.

Today we will with a visit to one of the most important Medieval Pilgrim destinations, the Abbey of St Maurice, associated with the martyr end of St. Maurice and the soldiers of the Theban Legion. The Theban Legion (also known as the Martyrs of Agaunum) figures in Christian hagiography as a Roman legion from Egypt — consisting of Christian soldiers who were martyred together in 286, according to the hagiographies of St Maurice, the chief among the Legion's saints. According to Eucherius of Lyon whose letters are the earliest surviving documents about the martyrdom of the Christian legionnaires, soldiers were garrisoned at Thebes in Egypt. It was sent to Burgundy, by the orders of the emperor Maximian in order to put down a rebellion. Enroute, near Agaunum, legionnaires had to perform a sacrifice to the Imperial cult, which they refused to do, and for that they were executed.

The remains of the martyrs of Agaunum were discovered by Theodore, the Bishop of Octudurum. The basilica he built in their honor attracted a lot of pilgrims. The remains of the basilica can still be seen. The abbey was founded in the early sixth century on land donated by King Sigismund of Burgundy. The Abbey of St. Maurice is one of the oldest continuously functioning monasteries in Europe. It was a significant stop on the Via Francigena pilgrimage route, connecting England and the rest of the Northern Europe to Rome, and certainly a singular key pilgrim destination in all of Switzerland.

In the afternoon we will visit several smaller sites in rural France, close to Geneva, associated with very early monastics of the Jura Mountains, saints of the fifth century - St. Roman, St. Lupicine and their sister Yole. St. Roman of Condat was born at the end of the 4th century (ca. 390) into a noble Gallo-Roman family. At that time monasticism was already widespread in the East and began to take hold in the West. His parents sent him to study at the monastery of Ainay, in Lyon, where he was a pupil of Abbot Sabinus who taught him about the Fathers of the Egyptian desert. Wanting to imitate the ancient hermits, at the age of thirty-five, Romanus decided to live as a hermit in the area of Condat, a remote part of the Jura Mountains. His younger brother Lupicinus followed him there. Before too long, St Romanus and his brother known for their ascetic labors and holy life were joined by many followers seeking monastic vocation. The two brothers thus found it necessary to establish two monasteries, at Condat which was the nucleus of the later town of Saint-Claude and Leuconne, later Saint-Lupicine. A convent at La Beaume (later Saint-Romain-de-Roche), where eventually St. Roman will be buried, governed by their sister Yole. The saints were referenced in the writing of St. Gregory of Tours and for many centuries their monasteries continued to function and serve as important pilgrim destinations. For an overnight we will arrive to Geneva. 

After breakfast transfer to the Geneva international Airport (Airport code: GVA)