Tour information for 2018 Annual Meeting in Wetzlar
You must have pre-registered for participation in either of these tours.
Marburg Tour (Saturday, Oct 6)*
You can look forward to a visit to a very charming old city with LHSA!
Marburg, only a short distance from Wetzlar by bus, is a very interesting old city with a rich history. It was one of the great pilgrimage centers of the West since it was the home of Saint Elizabeth, canonized in 1235 for her work for the poor and unfortunate.
Our first stop on the tour is the Elizabethkirche (St. Elizabeth Church), built between 1235 and 1285. This church is the first truly Gothic church in Germany. In addition to containing the shrine to St. Elizabeth, it also contains the tomb of Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg (1847-1934), a leader of the German army during WWI and second president of Germany. The Hindenburg Zeppelin, which caught fire and exploded upon arrival in the US in 1937, was named after him.
We plan to have a group lunch at Buckingsgarten restaurant, following our visit to the church. If we are more than 100, restaurant seats will go to the first 100 signing up; there are other restaurants in the area, and the tour price will be reduced accordingly if the restaurant cannot accommodate you.
A visit to the Schloss Landgrafen (castle) is scheduled for just after lunch. From the 13th C to the 17th C this castle was the home of the Landgraves, descendants of St. Elizabeth and her husband, Ludwig. In addition to a Regional Art History Museum, there are many rooms to visit, including a Gothic chapel and Gothic Knights Hall.
Following our visit to the castle, we plan a photo walk through the old section of the city, which features the Marktplatz, with its grouping of ancient half-timbered houses, some dating from the 16th C. You will also see the Rathaus (town hall), built in 1524, and the Marienkirche, late 13C, and nearby the Kugelkirche, a small late Gothic church built in the late 15C.
We will return to Wetzlar in plenty of time for you to attend the Saturday evening banquet.
Marburg Bus Trip: Saturday, Oct 6, 2018 (must be pre-registered)*
9:00 Bus pickup at Hotel Michel
9:15 Bus pickup at arcona Leitz Hotel
9:30 Buses depart from arcona Leitz to Marburg
10:15 Arrive Elizabethkirche (St Elizabeth Church – first gothic in Germany (13th Century) for tour.
11:30-12:00 Load Buses for short ride to drop off point; walk to lunch
Bueckingsgarten Restaurant; Landgraf-Philipp- Straße 6, 35037 Marburg
12:00-1:15 Lunch at Bueckingsgarten Restaurant
1:15 -1:30 Short Walk from restaurant to the Fountain in Markt Platz
1:30 – 3:30 Guided tour of Castle of the Landgrave and Old town Marburg.
3:30 – 4:15 Walk to Marburg Markt Platz; photo walk on your own (including 16th century Rathaus or Town Hall)
4:15 – 4:30 Walk from Markt Platz to bus pick-up point: Volksbank Mittelhessen at Rudolf Platz
4:30 Meet promptly at: Rudolphsplatz (Volksbank Mittelhessen) Buses depart from Marburg to Wetzlar
5:30 Arrive in Wetzlar
Optional Rhine River Cruise (Sunday, October 7 )*
On Sunday, October 7, 2018, LHSA has planned a pleasant day of sightseeing on the Rhine River. This tour is limited to 100 guests unless demand is sufficient to warrant a third bus.
We will depart at 6:45 AM. After a bus ride lasting a little over one hour from Wetzlar, we board a K-D line riverboat at Koblenz. Lunch is included and will be served on board. Along the way south, you will encounter a world-famous variety of beautiful castles and quaint towns on both shores of the river.
Highlights of what you will see as you cruise leisurely down the river:
Stolzenfels Castle: Reconstructed in 1842 by Friedrich-Wilhelm IV
Rhens: A town of pretty color-washed houses
The towns of Boppard and St. Goar
Burg (castle) Rheinfels: Formerly the most powerful fortress in the valley until the French conquered it in 1797
Oberwesel: Features the Liebfrauenkirche, a beautiful Gothic church dating from the early 14C
Schönberg Castle: a block of three fortresses with a common defensive wall
Bacharach: Once the property of the Counts of the Palatinate, is a beautiful collection of vineyards and ancient towers
Sooneck: A restored fortress, tiered to suit the terrain
Reichenstein: A neo-feudal castle situated at the mouth of a rural valley
Rheinstein: (see picture above) this castle is perched on a perpendicular rock spur above the river; parts of which are quite well restored
Mäuseturm: A unique tower in the middle of the river
Bingen: A river port founded by the Romans
At about 3:15 PM, the riverboat will arrive at Rüdesheim and you will board a bus back to Wetzlar, a little over one-hour en-route. Sunday evening dinner is on your own.
Optional Rhine River Cruise: Sunday, Oct 7, 2018 (must be pre-registered)
6:15 AM Bus pickup at Hotel Michel
6:30 AM Bus pickup at Arcona
6:45 Buses depart from Arcona Leitz, Wetzlar
8:30 Arrive in Koblenz
9:00-3:15 PM River Cruise with stops south to Rudesheim (lunch included; drinks not included)
3:15 Buses depart Rudesheim for Wetzlar
5:00 Arrive Wetzlar; buses will drop off at both Hotels.