Following a good night’s rest, you’ll be ready for a guided city tour to see the magnificent sights of Prague, including the Old Town Square (with its famous Astronomical Clock), Charles Bridge, St. Vitus Cathedral, and much more. Free time in the afternoon for further exploration, shopping, or rest as time permits. Optional evening concert.

This morning drive to Bratislava to learn more about the history of the Hutterites—a group of Anabaptists dating back to the earliest days of the Reformation. Here you’ll visit a Hutterite house in Veľké Leváre, dating from 1717, giving you insight into their communal way of life. Continue on to Brno for the night.

Relax and enjoy the countryside as you journey to Krakow, Poland. Stretch your legs and take in the scenery at stops en route.

Take a guided tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mine—a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mines are sometimes called “The Underground Salt Cathedral” because they contain historic statues and mythical figures, as well as contemporary sculptures, all carved from salt. Visit Kraków’s bustling market square, and the fascinating Rynek underground museum below it.

Travel on to Warsaw, Poland’s capital. On a guided city tour, see the beautifully restored Old Market Square, the Cathedral of St. John, the Barbican outpost fort and adjoining city wall, the monument to the 1944 uprising, and more.

On this portion of our tour, you’ll begin to be immersed in the Mennonite story. Your first stops include historic Mennonite sites in the Vistula delta region. At Deutsch Kazun, see a former Mennonite Church that was still in use during the Second World War. In Deutsch Wymysle, some Mennonite homes still stand. As you walk around the former church and cemetery, look for the names of your ancestors. Next, travel to Toruń—the birthplace of famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus— for a walking tour of one of the oldest urban centers in Poland.

Visit with Father Ropiejko at the Pentecostal church in Gdańsk, which was once a Mennonite church. Spend time in the beautiful Oliwa Gardens and enjoy an organ concert at the Oliwa Cathedral. Tour the historic city centre of Gdańsk including a museum in the town hall and the Church of St. Mary.

Visit Stutthof Concentration Camp. Then continue to delve into the Mennonite history of Poland during visits to the Tiegenhagen cemetery; Nowy Dwor (Tiegenhof) with its Mennonite Museum; Elbing with its former Mennonite church that now belongs to a Polish National Catholic congregation; and Ellerwald, a former church site and cemetery where many Mennonites are buried. Optional concert in Gdańsk this evening.

Begin the day with a tour of Malbork Castle, once the fortress of Teutonic Knights who came to Poland in the 1300’s and built this expansive, fortified monastery. Enjoy lunch at the castle before exploring more historic Mennonite centres including Neumuensterberg, featuring stately farm homes; and Heubuden, once the center of a large Mennonite community, and its cemetery.

Depart for home or the Oberammergau Passion Play, enriched with new experiences and new friends.