WITTENBERG, GERMANY - This week I’m visiting this magical city that’s the capital Saxony in advance of its celebrations in 2017 marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Martin Luther’s rebellion against the Catholic church. Please don’t tell my Catholic granny I’m here!
Luther is still king in Wittenberg - the town’s official name is actually Lutherstadt Wittenberg - and hundreds of thousands of protestants make the pilgrimage here each year to pay their respects to the great man who changed the course of history.
Luther’s likeness is everywhere in Wittenberg - the main square has an impressive statue of him holding a bible and looking down on a neatly kept little city that features lots of colourful landmarks.
I stopped by Luther House on my arrival yesterday - the 1504 Augustinian monastery was later converted into Luther’s main residence and now serves as a museum. On this spring day, the garden of Luther House was flush with flowers and I loved the artifacts on display - the handle off his coffin is just one of the museum’s fascinating exhibits.
Later I walked the narrow streets of Wittenberg and soaked up its charming ambiance - I especially liked the cafes that ring the main square, where people were soaking up the late day sun and some adult beverages.
I’ll have lots more on Wittenberg in TraveLife magazine leading up to the big 500th anniversary, but in the meantime I strongly suggest you visit here in 2017 because the city has lots of things planned to celebrate the Reformation and Martin Luther.
To find out more about Wittenberg, go to the German National Tourist Office website http://www.germany.travel 

PHOTOS ABOVE:
1- A portrait of Martin Luther on display in the Luther House Museum.
2- Luther’s statue stads in the shadow of City Church where he gave over 2,000 sermons.
3- The pulpit from which Luther gave most of those sermons - on his knees.
4- The gardens outside Luther House.
5- A handle off Luther’s casket - he is buried in Wittenberg’s Castle Church.