An Odyssey of Beauty: The Journey of the Monuments Men Land Only - No Flights Included ·  September 2027

In flight to Paris Airport (We recommend pilgrims arrive in Paris a day or two early, so as to be energized to follow the journey of the Monuments Men.)

Our pilgrimage kicks off with a welcome lunch and orientation followed by a tour of the Musee d’Orsay to view a special exhibit on paintings that were recovered by the Monuments Men but whose ownership was never verified. This visit will help frame our first hosted Charcuterie and Conversation, when we reflect on various questions of the Paris art community and the Nazi occupation. (L, D) Overnight Paris

No visit to Paris would be complete without seeing the Notre Dame Cathedral. As pilgrims we not only witness a ‘new’ Notre-Dame, we stand on the threshold of a new horizon. Like the Monuments Men, we ask what will we pass on to future generations after the next fire, revolution or war. Ruins of stone and glass and a faith forgotten, or restored grandeur to rekindle a new fire burning within? Our Lady’s glorious Gothic presence suggests there is something beautiful and mysterious and unknowable at the center of it all. After attending Gregorian Mass and learning of Notre Dame’s connection to WWII and the Monuments Men, we will gather in the Latin Quarter for a Parisian Brunch. Following, we will tour the Jeu de Paume. This diminutive museum was key to the story of the Monuments Men. Over 20,000 works of art were brought here to be cataloged, photographed, and prepared for shipment to Germany. Yet it was also from within these walls of organized evil where a brave curator smuggled out the shipment records which assisted the Monuments Men to recover and restore the art to its original owners. Pilgrims will have the rest of the day free to explore other gems of Paris. (Brunch) Overnight Paris

Our odyssey of exploration begins in the massive gothic Cathedral of Amiens. Monuments Men had gathered maps and advised Allied Air Force commanders to avoid targeting the cathedral, which had the further protection of strategically-placed sand bags. In the afternoon we will visit the Church of Our Lady in Bruges to witness one of the most storied outcomes of the Monuments Men: the theft, discovery and recovery of Michelangelo’s Bruges Madonna, displayed in the Church’s museum. This was one of two works featured in the Monuments Men movie. In one scene FDR asks Captain Frank Stokes if it was worth risking and losing men’s lives to save mere objects and paintings. The captain responds by recounting a letter he received from a young soldier before his death. The captain explains that people will eventually be able to rebuild their shattered towns and homes, but if you destroy an entire people’s history and cultural achievements, they will never be able to recover from that. Therefore, the fight to preserve their culture was entirely worth it. To close out our day of discovery we will celebrate dinner in the charming historic center of Bruges. (B, D) Overnight Bruges

Today we follow the Monuments Men across once war-weary sites of Belgium to the Doorstep of the Reich. It is a day of recovery and remembering. Starting in the medieval gem of Ghent at the Cathedral of St. Bavo, we learn of a similar storied sacred treasure that was stolen and later recovered – The Mystic Lamb by Jan and Hubert van Eyck, (Ghent Altarpiece.) Less well-known is the tale of the ‘swaying virgin’ in the Church of the Assumption in the village of Le Gleize. During the final days of the Battle of the Bulge, the church burned to the ground. Miraculously, a 14th-century oak statue of the Virgin Mary survived. Through the coordinated efforts of the Monuments Men and local villagers, the statue was moved to a secure location. Nearby is the American Cemetery of Henri Chapelle, where we will hold a prayer service to remember the service and sacrifice of the Monuments Men and the nearly 8000 US Armed Forces who lost their lives in Germany. Our final venue is a visit to the Aachen Cathedral. Now a restored baroque gem, we will learn of the heroic efforts of US Captain Walter Huchthausen and local civilians to reinforce the structure to prevent its collapse, and safely hide the priceless Cathedral Treasury. We close our day in the historic city of Aachen, where pilgrims will be treated to a fine dinner of regional foods. (B, D) Overnight Aachen

Continuing our odyssey, we visit a trio of treasures that offer icons of resilience and rebirth: Cologne Cathedral, Siegerland Museum, and the Wurzburg Residenz. The massive towers of the Cologne cathedral served as guiding lights for allied bombers who tried to avoid the cathedral. The importance of the Siegerland Museum centers around a subterranean tunnel in Siegen discovered by the Monuments Men. Holding hundreds of works of priceless art, it also contains the original score of Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony. In March, 1945, 90% of Wurzburg was destroyed by Allied bombing. Monuments Man Lieutenant John Davis Skilton is credited with saving the city’s greatest treasure -the fresco Allegory of the Planets and Continents painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, located in the Würzburg Residenz. We close our day in Nuremberg, a city key to the Monuments Men story. (B, L) Overnight Nuremberg

As we continue our travels through the heart of Germany, we explore the breath of the Monuments Men’s mission in a single, famed location – the historical city of Nuremberg. First, we descend into the Art Bunker, an expansive underground storage area where the Nazis hid looted art alongside Germany’s most sacred artifacts, including the Imperial Regalia of the Holy Roman Empire. Next we explore the role the Monuments Men played in the Nuremberg trials. By providing photographic albums and inventories of Nazi-looted art, they assisted Allied prosecutors to convict high-ranking Nazi officials—most notably Hermann Göring—of war crimes and cultural theft. After touring the museum, we will visit the Palace of Justice and the very court room where the Nuremberg trials were held. Our day of discovery closes with a festive dinner in the Nuremberg town center. (B, D) Overnight Nuremberg

While the Dachau Concentration Camp was not directly connected to the Monuments Men, our visiting it is a profound, somber, and deeply educational experience. It is here that we confront the realities of the Holocaust as we seek to understand how systemic hatred, the erosion of democracy and complacency can lead to profound human atrocities. Not only do we put faces and names to the stolen art, we also learn of the countless acts of goodwill undertaken by thousands to protect the priceless value of human life. We will also explore the human desire and need for beauty and reverence. More than 2,700 Catholic priests and clergy were imprisoned in a dedicated “Priest Block.” Forbidden from public ministry, they secretly held Masses and fashioned sacred vessels and vestments from everyday materials, which are on display at the Carmelite Convent of the Precious Blood located next to the camp. Here we will celebrate a memorial Mass followed by lunch. Our day ends in the Bavarian capital of Munich. (B, L, D) Overnight Munich

On this penultimate day of our pilgrimage, it is fitting to visit two sites that lift the spirit and cultivate the heart. Our drive through postcard landscapes of alpine countryside builds a sense of anticipatory excitement for the mystery and miracle of their stories. Our first stop is the Salzburg Cathedral. In October 1944, this magnificent baroque structure sustained significant damage when an Allied air raid bomb crashed through its central dome. Overcoming severe postwar material shortages and labor deficits, the community banded together to restore their beloved icon. Today the cathedral towers and dome rise to the heavens like the surrounding mountains and give testimony to the power of hope and human resolve. Just 45 minutes from Salzburg, the Altaussee salt mine served as the Nazis’ primary hiding place for Europe’s most priceless masterpieces. In May 1945, Monuments Men Capt. Robert Posey and Pfc. Lincoln Kirstein discovered over 6,600 plundered artworks there, including Michelangelo’s Madonna of Bruges and the Ghent Altarpiece. Local miners had bravely thwarted the Nazi plot to destroy the art by removing the explosives. We will tour the mine of this heroic and happy tale. After returning to Munich, pilgrims are invited to gather for an evening of Sips and Stories. (B, L) Overnight Munich

Munich served as the central collection point for art works recovered by the Monuments Men. It is fitting that we close our last full day of our sojourn of beauty and reverence with a pair of treasures to celebrate and honor their service. Our day begins with high mass at St. Michael’s Church, a Renaissance masterpiece that was nearly destroyed during an allied bombing. We will also have a chance to visit the tomb of Bl Rupert Mayer, a Jesuit priest who led the Catholic resistance against the Nazis. Following brunch we will tour the Alte Pinakothtek Museum, which holds such sacred masterpieces as Da Vinci’s Madonna of the Carnation, and the Canigiani Holy Family by Raphael. Even though many priceless works were destroyed by the Nazis, our visit reminds us that art is a testimony to the heights of human inspiration and endeavor and is meant for the edification and pleasure of all. No evil or ideology can destroy the human need and desire to encounter beauty. We close our pilgrimage with a special dinner and a celebratory toast to the Monuments Men and all those whose faith and efforts gave us what we behold today and pass on to our children’s children. (Brunch) Overnight Munich

Pilgrims return home or are welcome to stay in Munich for Oktoberfest.