Can vacations be spiritual? Is there something about travel to places where significant Christian events happened that can bring us closer to God? We think so.

My family is on a quest to explore and visit the very places where men and women experienced God in a powerful way and made a difference with their lives. We’ve been to places like Antioch and Ephesus in Biblical Turkey, the John Wesley sites in England, the Martin Luther locations in Germany, and John Calvin sites in France, to name but a few. Visits to these places have stimulated our souls, inspired and yet humbled us.

“These very same bells rang for Martin Luther! He heard their peels as they rang from this very steeple in Wittenberg, Germany.” So I pondered as I stood there gazing at the bells, now covered with centuries of grime and pigeon droppings, high above the very doors where emboldened Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door just below those bells. The winding climb up the bell tower was well worth the huffing and puffing. Wittenberg, spread out below me, could be seen from this spire. This very spot was where the Protestant Reformation gained real momentum in the year 1517. As another tour bus of Canadians pulled up, cameras at the ready, I tried to take it all in. People can travel to these very places and connect in a very spiritual way to a sense of the continuity of God’s eternal plans and purposes.

We strolled down the cobblestone street past Luther’s house, past shops and tourists, headed for yet another spiritual place. “It was here that Martin burned the Papal Bull that ordered him to stop his ‘heretical’ teachings,” mentioned my friend Christian, a local guide. We stood beside this huge ash tree, traffic whizzing past us, here on the outskirts of Wittenberg, just a stroll away from Martin Luther’s famous 95 Theses Castle Church. It really made me think and reflect- “What kind of man was Luther? Would I have done the same?”

“We’re finally here!” Our daughter had been begging us to take her to Paris since she was three and last year we were able to make it happen. The kids were delighted by everything, from the mini-croissants that our gracious host bought fresh for them every morning, to the pride of being able to make purchases using their newly-learned French. Did I mention that our host was a French Pastor who has led a faithful group of French Protestants for the past 50 years? As we worshipped with our French brothers and sisters, we were all touched by the privilege of being there. After the service, the dividing wall was rolled away and we all (the entire church) sat down to a fabulous meal of steak, fries, salad and desert. This is a weekly event–that’s what I call fellowship!

A short drive away was Noyon, the birth place of John Calvin. Set in a charming French square near the Cathedral where his father worked, the home is now an excellent museum. It’s also near a tea shop that sells the best ice-cream ever–according to our young travelers! On the way back, Pastor Pierre recounted stories of life during the war under occupation. Europe has its battle scars, but like newly-restored Dresden Frauenkirche, it’s rising above its troubled past.

Great Britain is one of our favorite places, not just because my wife is English and our kids are proud to be both nationalities. It’s definitely one of the reasons though, if we are honest. If you’ve never set foot outside America, then England is a great place to start. After all, it’s almost the same language (note the “almost”) and if you are looking for history and a great cup of tea, England’s unbeatable.

The Wesley sites in Britain are fascinating and in the Bristol New Room, Rev. Mr. John Wesley himself will be your guide (by arrangement). This 1739 chapel is the oldest Methodist building in the world and although he often preached in the open air to thousands at a time, he also used the New Room for meetings and teaching children from poor families.

My favorite stop on the Wesley trail was the small room in his London home, where he used to go to pray. Such a small room, yet when he got alone with the Lord and his Bible, he was transformed day by day into the image of Jesus. This really is the common thread: connecting with the Lord through reading the Bible and praying. Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin–they all valued these things beyond their physical comfort or worldly ambitions.

Of course if you’re going to Britain, you have the opportunity to travel back in time many eras and learn about Celtic Christianity, life under the Roman occupation, the English Reformation and the list goes on. The Island of Iona, for example, is a peaceful spot off the west coast of Scotland. In 563 AD St. Columba founded one of the earliest Christian monasteries in the British Isles. The Abbey is still a place for meditation and prayer. It has to be one of the most peaceful places we’ve ever been, although Patmos is a close second!

Visits to these places are history lessons indeed. You can connect with history, because all of these places have stories to tell–stories of brave people who did brave exploits. Not just legends and lore, these are the very places where God forged history. He’ll touch your heart, too, as you travel. Psalm 145:4 states, “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” That’s what we at Reformation Tours think travel can do–inspire people about the Lord’s faithfulness. As you study the lives of the saints and visit the very places where they made history, you’ll get a very real sense of the Lord’s continued plans, purposes and faithfulness.

Introducing people like you to places like these is our passion and purpose, that’s why we’ve founded Reformation Tours to serve cultured travelers like you, the very best that Europe has to offer. We delight to present custom group tours that will get you face-to-face with the Europe of today and the history of yesterday.