Day 1: U.S. - Berlin
Depart for Berlin.
Day 2: Berlin
On your first day in the capital city, you will then get to see first-hand remnants of Cold War history as you pay a visit to one of Berlin’s ghost metro stations. A ghost station refers to a former U-bahn station closed during the Cold War as movement was restricted between the West & East Berlin, an era of both physical & ideological divide for Berlin. Then, onto the iconic Brandenburg Gate, a place where citizens literally pulled down the Berlin Wall in 1989. The tour finishes at the Reichstag, home to the German parliament.
Day 3: Berlin
Today offers even more opportunity to hear about Berlin’s crucial role in German & European history. One of your first stops will be to Adolph Hitler’s Bunker, or Führerbunker. It is here that you will get an inside look into the last moments of Hitler’s life & reign. Learn more about WWII as you visit the controversial Holocaust Museum. The Museum contains a huge labyrinth of stelae,or monument commemorating those who lost their lives in the Jewish genocide. End the morning at Checkpoint Charlie & hear stories of miraculous escapes from East Berlin when the city was still divided. In the afternoon, visit Museum Island, a complex located on an island in the Spree River & home to 5 of the most famous museums in the Berlin State Museum system. Here you will see Nefertiti, the stunning depiction of the Egyptian Great Royal Wife from nearly 3400 years ago. You will be transported to Ancient Greece at the Pergamon Museum. Visit a temple from the 2nd Century with friezes of colossal giants locked in combat.
Day 4: Potsdam
Today, you will travel to Potsdam, the famous site of the Potsdam Conference in 1945. The conference was a gathering of the three heads of government from the USSR, USA & UK as they discussed conditions & stipulations of post-WWII transition. Potsdam is also home to Frederick the Great's Schloss Sanssouci. You will explore the residence’s gorgeous terraced gardens before touring the New Palace of Sanssouci. The Palace, which has been compared to France’s Versailles, is beautifully designed & decorated. Your overnight this evening will be in Potsdam.
Day 5: Leipzig - Weimar
From Potsdam, travel on to Leipzig, where you can take in a concert of music composed by one of its former famous residents, Bach, Wagner & Mendelssohn. In Leipzig, you will also have the chance to visit the Statsi Museum, a museum dedicated to the Statsi, East Berlin’s secret police agency known for it brutality & repression. From Leipzig you will continue onto the storybook town. Weimar which dates back to 899 & was home to such names as Joann Wolfgang vonGoethe, Joann Christoph Frederich von Schiller & Franz Liszt.
Day 6: Weimar
You are free to explore Weimer as you wish today. It is easy to fill a day in Weimar as it is rich in beautiful architecture, scenery, culture & history. Tour City Castle, Green Castle, Reithaus, or one of the other many castles in Weimar. Take in the wide range of architectural design from medieval to Baroque. You can walk along the River Ilm or you may chose to learn about the city & its seminal role in the German Enlightenment.
Day 7: Bavaria
Today en route to Bavaria, you will travel along the Romantiches Strasse, or Romantic Road. Along your route on Romantic Road, you will stop for photo opportunities in many medieval picturesque towns, fairy tale castles, & views of the awe-inspiring Alps. You'll be snap happy in what is easily the most scenic part of all of Germany.
Day 8: Munich
Munich is known as the “Paris of Germany” & is the heart & soul of the Bavarian state. You will have plenty options as you enjoy your time in the city. Visit one of Munich’s toy museums or see the world famous glockenspiel, a German percussion instrument similar in design to a xylophone. Stop by Munich’s New Town Hall or Olympic Park, the site of the 1972 Summer Olympics. Car fanatics may want to stop by BMW’s headquarters to learn more about famous German engineering. Whatever you decide, there is something for everyone; Munich is as modern as it is traditional.
Day 9: Depart for U.S.
Return flight to U.S.