GRAND CIRCLE TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE

Central Europe’s Past & Present: Berlin to 2021 Learn how to personalize your experience on this vacation

Grand Circle Travel ® Worldwide Discovery at an Extraordinary Value 1 Grand Circle Travel ® 347 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210

Dear Traveler,

At last, the world is opening up again for curious travel lovers like you and me. Soon, you’ll once again be discovering the places you’ve dreamed of. In the meantime, the enclosed Grand Circle Travel Planning Guide should help you keep those dreams vividly alive.

Before you start dreaming, please let me reassure you that your health and safety is our number one priority. As such, we’re requiring that all Grand Circle travelers, Program Directors, and coach drivers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure. Our new, updated health and safety protocols are described inside.

The journey you’ve expressed interest in, ’s Past & Present: Berlin to Prague vacation, will be an excellent way to resume your discoveries. It takes you into the true heart of Germany and Prague, thanks to our groups of 42 travelers (with an average of 30). Plus, our European Program Director will reveal their country’s secret treasures as only an insider can. You can also rely on the seasoned team at our regional office in Bratislava, who are ready to help 24/7 in case any unexpected circumstances arise.

Throughout your explorations, you’ll meet local people and gain an intimate understanding of the regional culture. Join a German family in their home near Wittenberg for a time-honored German tradition— Kuchenzeit, an afternoon of cake, , and friendly conversation with your hosts. You’ll also get an in-depth look at the history of Cold War Berlin, as a local expert guides you through the city and explains how the fractured alliance between the U.S. and the Soviets affected the city after World War II. Plus, a portion of our proceeds goes toward the charitable efforts of Grand Circle Foundation: inside you’ll also see how your travel dollar helps make the world a better place.

We understand that no two people are the same. That’s why more than 80% of our travelers take advantage of the freedom to personalize their experience. Join the 59% of travelers who extend their time abroad. Add the pre-trip extension to Germany: Hamburg, post-trip extension to : Warsaw & Krakow, or both of these extensions to your European vacation.

I hope you find this Grand Circle Travel Planning Guide helpful. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact one of our Travel Counselors at 1-800-221-2610.

Warm regards,

Harriet R. Lewis Vice Chairman Overseas Adventure Travel

P.S. For further peace of mind, please know that we are EXTENDING our Risk-Free Booking Policy through 12/31/21. Learn more at www.gct.com/riskfree-booking.

2 WHAT’S INSIDE

TRIP SUMMARY

It’s Included ...... 4

Departure Dates and Prices ...... 5

Freedom to Personalize Your Experience ...... 6

DETAILED DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY ...... 7

ESSENTIAL TRAVEL INFORMATION ...... 30

Travel Documents & Entry Requirements ...... 32

Rigors, Vaccines & General Health ...... 35

Money Matters: Local Currency & Tipping Guidelines ...... 39

Air, Optional Tours & Staying in Touch ...... 43

Packing: What to Bring & Luggage Limits ...... 47

Climate & Average Temperatures ...... 53

About Your Destinations: Culture, Etiquette & More ...... 55

Demographics & History ...... 68

Resources: Suggested Reading & Movies ...... 74

Health & Safety Measures – Vaccines Required ...... 80

MAP ...... 83

3 New! Central Europe’s Past & Present: Berlin to Prague Germany: Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden | : Prague

Countries: 2 | Cities: 4

T yn Church, Prague, Czech Republic

IT’S INCLUDED 14 days from $3695 • Choose to purchase Grand Circle’s airfare, and your airport transfers, Including international airfare government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges are included. Or, make from New York your own air arrangements Travel from only $264 per day • Accommodations for 12 nights in comfortable rooms with private baths • 22 : 12 , 5 , and 5 dinners 13 days from $2795 • 12 included features: 11 guided tours and 1 exclusive Discovery Series Tour only event: Home-Hosted Visit Travel from only $215 per day • Exclusive services of a local Grand Circle Program Director (assigned to no more than 42 travelers) Single Supplement: FREE • Gratuities on your main trip for local guides and motorcoach drivers • Personal headset for all included and optional tours on your main trip MAXIMIZE YOUR DISCOVERIES & VALUE • Private motorcoach land travel • Baggage handling for 1 piece of luggage per person, including tips OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS • 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your next trip all with FREE Single Supplements Hamburg, Germany 3 nights pre-trip from $895 To get a richer view of the Included Features on this trip, Highlights of Poland: watch our Trip Itinerary video at www.gct.com/ngp2021 Krakow & Warsaw 5 nights post-trip from $1195

Central Europe’s Past & Present: Berlin to Prague 4 CENTRAL EUROPE’S PAST RISK-FREE BOOKING POLICY: RESERVE WITH CONFIDENCE—NOW THROUGH 12/31/21 & PRESENT: BERLIN TO We will waive any change fees if you transfer to another departure date for any reason—up until 24 hours prior to departure. PRAGUE See details at www.gct.com/riskfree-booking. 2021 DATES & PRICES

JUNE; AUGUST- DEPART FROM: APRIL MAY SEPTEMBER JULY OCTOBER New York $3695 $4395 $4595 $4495 $4195

Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Houston, $3895 $4595 $4795 $4695 $4395 Miami, Newark, Philadelphia

Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, $3995 $4695 $4895 $4795 $4495 San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, Washington, DC Additional departure cities are available. Upgrade to Business Class may be available for the international portion of your flight. Call for details.

APRIL MAY JUNE; AUGUST JULY; OCTOBER SEPTEMBER

Land tour only $2795 $3195 $3395 $3295 $3695

NGP2021

Prices are per person. Airfare prices include government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges. All prices and availability are effective as of the date of this publication, and are subject to change without notice. Standard Terms & Conditions apply, please visit our website: www.gct.com/tc. Every effort has been made to produce this information accurately. We reserve the right to correct errors.

For specific departure dates, current availability, and detailed pricing, visit www.gct.com/ngp2021pricing

SAV FREE SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS SHARE YOUR LOVE OF TRAVEL WITH OUR GOOD BUY PLAN on your main trip and extensions. New travelers you refer will instantly The earlier you reserve your departure We don’t charge you more for your save $100, and you’ll earn increasing and pay in full, the more you’ll save—up own room. rewards—up to a FREE trip! to 10%—plus, you’ll lock in your price. Each departure has limited solo space For details, visit www.gct.com/va For details, visit www.gct.com/gbd available—call today.

Publication Date: 1/5/21 1-800-221-2610 • www.gct.com/ngp2021 5 Freedom to Personalize Your Experience Your Choice, Your Trip, Your Way

Extending the length of your stay in a destination can improve your overall travel experience—and allow you to seek out even more eye-opening cultural interactions. Your local Program Director will help to ensure you’re getting the personalized experiences you’re looking for. In fact, 85% of our travelers are personalizing their experience in more than 85 countries.

Call us at 1-800-221-2610 to discuss personalizing your vacation today or visit us online at www.gct.com/ personalize-ngp2021.

Maximize Your Time & Value: 55% of our travelers Back-to-Back Trips: 90% of our travelers who choose to take a pre- or post-trip extension combined two vacations rated it excellent See more of the world and maximize your value by taking Consider combining this vacation with Romantic Villages of advantage of your already-included airfare. On this Alpine Europe. If you’re already overseas, why not see more vacation, you can choose between Hamburg, Germany and of the region and avoid another international flight? Plus, Highlights of Poland: Krakow & Warsaw. you’ll save $250 per person when you reserve two trips right after one another. “Break Away” Options: 30% of our travelers choose to arrive early or stay late in their destination Air Options: More than 50% of our travelers Before or after your main tour or trip extension, “break customize their flights away” anywhere you’d like to go to do more exploring We make every effort to provide you with non-stop entirely on your own. flights and acceptable connection times to and from your destination. You also have several other ways you can Please note: Our Travel Counselors can help you plan your personalize your air itinerary, including choosing your airfare if you’d like to “break away,” however since this option departure city and airline, upgrading your seat, and more. is completely on your own, you will need to plan your own accommodations, meals, tours, and transfers.

S t. Mary’s Basilica, Krakow, Poland

Central Europe’s Past & Present:

6

Central Europe’s Past & Present: Berlin to Prague 2021 14-Day Land Tour

EXTEND YOUR TRIP PRE-TRIP Hamburg, Germany POST-TRIP Highlights of Poland: Krakow & Warsaw

Your Day-to-Day Itinerary

7 GRAND CIRCLE TRAVEL

Grand Circle Travel, founded in 1958 to serve the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP), is the leader in international travel and discovery for Americans over age 50. Grand Circle vacations have been recommended by The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, The Los Angeles Times, Travel + Leisure, The Wall Street Journal, Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel, and others. But our most impressive reviews come from our travelers. More than two million people have traveled with us, and the overwhelming majority say they’d gladly do so again.

LAND TOUR

During your Grand Circle vacation, you’ll have reliable assistance available at all times from an on-site local Grand Circle Travel Program Director throughout your trip. He or she is fluent in English and can give you an inside perspective on your destinations. You will also be supported along the way by local tour guides, who lead you expertly through particular sites and cities.

Many Program Directors are graduates of professional education programs for travel guides. In addition, they receive specialized training directly from Grand Circle, based on what we’ve learned from past travelers about how to make the trip most enjoyable. Your Program Director offers both a deep knowledge of the region and a commitment to make this a very pleasant, informative, and rewarding travel experience for you.

He or she will provide sightseeing trips, handle all travel details, reserve optional tours you choose to take, oversee your Discovery Series events, and provide any other assistance you may need.

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Choose to purchase Grand Circle’s airfare, » Exclusive services of a local Grand Circle and your airport transfers, government Program Director (assigned to no more taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges than 42 travelers) are included. Or, make your own air » Gratuities on your main trip for local guides arrangements and motorcoach drivers » Accommodations for 12 nights in » Personal headset for all included and comfortable rooms with private baths optional tours on your main trip » 22 meals: 12 breakfasts, 5 lunches, » Private motorcoach land travel and 5 dinners » Baggage handling for 1 piece of luggage per » 12 included features: 11 guided tours person, including tips and 1 exclusive Discovery Series event: » 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward Home-Hosted Visit your next trip

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-221-2610

8 WHAT THIS TRIP IS LIKE

GROUP SIZE » Travel by boat on Day 11 » A maximum of 42 travelers, led by a local » Travelers joining us on our optional Grand Circle Program Director Highlights of Poland: Krakow & Warsaw extension will set off on a 6-hour drive PACING from Prague to Krakow on Day 14 of the » 4 locations in 14 days main trip » Return flights often require departing in early morning hours CLIMATE » Daytime temperatures range from 40-77°F PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS during touring season » Included features of this trip may consist of » June-August are the warmest months up to 3-4 hours of physical activities each » Weather can sometimes be rainy or day; travelers should be capable of walking unpredictable 1-3 miles unassisted within 1-2 hours, including stairs and cobblestones. Travelers will also have the choice to participate in additional, optional walks and activities, if desired. » Not accessible for travelers using wheelchairs or scooters » Travelers using walkers, crutches, or other mobility aids must travel with a companion who can assist them » We reserve the right for Program Directors to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group’s experience

TERRAIN & TRANSPORTATION » Diverse terrain and uneven walking surfaces, including steep and unpaved paths, hills, riverbanks, 25-50 stairs without handrails, and cobblestones, which can be slippery in wet or colder conditions » Travel by 45-seat coach

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-221-2610

9 Central Europe’s Past & Present: Berlin to Prague

YOUR DETAILED ITINERARY

BEGIN YOUR TRIP WITH AN OPTIONAL PRE-TRIP EXTENSION 3 nights in Hamburg, Germany

Day 1 Depart U.S. Day 4 Hamburg • Optional Village on the Elbe tour Day 2 Hamburg Day 5 Hamburg • Join main trip Day 3 Explore Hamburg

Day 1 Depart U.S. among locals is Döner, rotisserie sliced meat served either as a plate, pita wrap, or sandwich, Afternoon/Evening: Depart the U.S. on an complete with or , which overnight flight to Berlin, Germany. may include tomato, onion with sumac, chili, and various types of , such as tzatziki Day 2 Arrive in Berlin, Germany (a yogurt-base with cucumbers, garlic, salt, • Destination: Berlin and olive oil added) or a hot . Döner can Imbiss • Accommodations: InterContinental Berlin be found anywhere from a small, local or similar (small stands or street food shops) to full-service . Here’s a tip for you Morning/Afternoon: Depending on your when you go to order: If you’re sensitive to departure city, you will arrive either this , you can always say, “Nicht scharf, bitte” morning or afternoon. A Grand Circle (not spicy, please). representative will meet you at the airport and assist you to the hotel, where you’ll enjoy Evening: You have the freedom to spend the an introduction to the lively surrounding rest of your evening as you wish—ask your neighborhood during a vicinity walk with your Program Director for recommendations. Program Director. You’ll also meet your fellow travelers, including those who are concluding Day 3 Explore Berlin their Hamburg, Germany pre-trip extension. • Destination: Berlin Dinner: On your own tonight. Berlin is home • Included Meals: , Dinner to the largest Turkish community outside of • Accommodations: InterContinental Berlin Turkey, which has greatly influenced the city’s or similar (and nation’s) dining options over the last fifty Breakfast: At the hotel. years. Today, one of the most popular dishes

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-221-2610

10 Morning: This morning, we’ll kickoff our great introduction to German . European vacation with a Welcome Briefing, There are many variations of ; one provided by our Program Director. Afterward, popular preparation style is called Jägerschnitzel we’ll embark on a city tour of Berlin, Germany’s (hunter’s schnitzel), which is topped with a capital and one of the strongest economies in creamy mushroom sauce. this part of the world. Afternoon: The remainder of the afternoon is The second-largest urban area in Europe, free for your own discoveries. Check with your most of Berlin’s iconic sites are relatively close Program Director for ideas. One activity you together. Divided at the end of World War II, may enjoy is a ride through the city in a trabant blockaded by the Soviets during the Cold War, (a classic German car from the mid 1900s). riven by a cruel, grey wall, and finally delivered Your Program Director can help you arrange by the sledgehammers of freedom fighters, this activity, should you be interested. For art Berlin is once again a united city since 1991. lovers, another option is to visit the East Side If you find yourself in the old Soviet sector Gallery, an open-air gallery featuring a series of of the city, keep your eyes open for extant murals depicted on a remaining portion of the Ampelmannchen, the “little traffic light man” Berlin Wall. who adorned East German traffic lights. Dinner: Tonight, get to know your fellow Today, modern Berlin is much more than travelers during an included Welcome Dinner at it’s tumultuous history—it’s a multicultural a local . metropolis, home to revered and budding Evening: The rest of the evening is free for artists alike, trendy tech startups, and a you to spend as you wish. Perhaps you’d like food scene that holds it’s own among the to continue celebrating the beginning of your gastronomic capitals of the world. The city’s journey with your fellow travelers. lakes and forests provide a stark contrast to its urban spaces that exhibit a unique collection of architectural styles. Your city tour today Day 4 Berlin • Allies in Berlin tour will take you by such landmarks as the Kaiser • Destination: Berlin Wilhelm Memorial Church, a 19th-century • Included Meals: Breakfast, church badly damaged in a 1943 bombing raid; • Accommodations: InterContinental Berlin Potsdamer Platz, an important public square or similar in the city center; and Checkpoint Charlie, the infamous crossing point between East and West Breakfast: At the hotel. Berlin during the Cold War. Morning: After breakfast, embark on a tour Lunch: On your own today. Your Program to learn more about Berlin’s Cold War history. Director is a wealth of information and will be Following the defeat of the Nazis in World War happy to suggest a place. If you’re looking for II, Berlin was split among the allied nations into a classic German dish, look no further than four sectors of occupation—American, Soviet, Schnitzel, tenderized meat, pan-fried in flour, British, and French. Your tour today will take eggs, and breadcrumbs. Though it doesn’t you by bus through historic sites of significance originate from here (technically Schnitzel is located in what was once the American sector, ), this dish is commonly enjoyed starting with Schoeneberg Town Hall. It throughout Germany, and if you eat meat, a was here that John F. Kennedy delivered his notorious “ich bin ein Berliner” speech, and a

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-221-2610

11 replica of the liberty bell currently occupies the For more historically important activities, clock tower. Your tour continues with a ride perhaps you’ll visit sites such as the Reichstag past the building where RIAS, or “Radio in the building, a formidable government structure American Sector,” issued its broadcasts, billing dating back to the late 19th century, once itself as “the free voice of the free world,” badly damaged in a fire in 1933. The top of countering the Soviet broadcasts coming from the building is a large glass dome, designed the east. You’ll also travel along the Clayallee, to symbolize the unification of Germany and a road named after American general Lucius D. offering a 360-degree view of the surrounding Clay, who organized the famous Berlin Airlift urban landscape. From the dome, you can in 1948. Later, we’ll visit the Allied Museum, also peer below into the debating chamber of which documents the contributions of the the Bundestag or German parliament. Audio Western Allies during the war. guides can be found on the roof terrace of the building, should you want one. There is even a Lunch: Around noon, you’ll taste a national rooftop restaurant for dining with a view. Check delicacy at a nearby street vendor: currywurst, with your Program Director for details prior to a dish consisting of steamed and fried visiting, as you must follow certain procedures traditionally cut into bite-sized in order to visit this government building. chunks and served alongside ketchup (spiced ketchup with curry powder). Typically Alternatively, for those who wish to delve accompanied by pommes frittes (), deep into Holocaust history, the Memorial of this dish is quintessentially German and can Murdered Jews in Europe is an ever-present be found throughout the country. In fact, it’s reminder of the horrors of this time period. such a cherished part of German gastronomic Opened in 2004, the museum location itself culture that there’s even a museum dedicated is of great historical significance, both as the to it—the Deutsches Currywurst Museum of former site of part of the Berlin Wall “death Berlin, the first and only currywurst museum strip” (which at one point contained hundreds in the world, located in Berlin Mitte near of watchtowers, vehicle trenches, guard dog Checkpoint Charlie. routes, and trip-wire machine guns) and Hitler’s “control center,” so to speak (the Afternoon: After lunch, the afternoon is Chancellery building as well as his former free for your own discoveries. Your Program bunker are nearby). Upon first sight of the Director is sure to have activity ideas if you’d museum, visitors will notice it’s covered in like some. Should strolling down some of the rows upon rows of grey, rectangular stone main avenues pique your interest, you’ll find slabs, closely resembling coffins and arranged shopping and cafés along Kurfürstendamm in a sloping field. A visit to this museum is often and Tauentzienstrasse; small boutiques and an emotional experience for visitors. book shops along Oranienstrasse; and luxury brands in the former entertainment of Dinner: Dinner is on your own this evening. One Friedrichstrasse. If weather permits and you’d classic German dish you may want to seek out is like to optimize your time outdoors, ask your , pork knuckles usually cured and boiled Program Director about sailing on the Spree and traditionally served in Berlin with pease River, which flows through the city. pudding, a spiced legume paste. Of , you’re always welcome to consult with your Program Director for restaurant ideas tailored to your tastes.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-221-2610

12 Evening: After dinner, you’re free to spend the 1942. This meeting was also referred to as the rest of the night as you wish. When the sun goes “Final Solution of Jewish Question in Europe,” down in Berlin, the city comes alive. There are a secretive way to talk about the genocide. events and social gatherings to accommodate Wannsee’s idyllic lakeside setting is at odds just about every kind of socialite here, whether with its tragic past: With white sand imported you prefer a low-key jazz bar or a boisterous from the Baltic Coast along the lake’s shores, Biergarten ( garden). this is Europe’s largest outdoor swimming area on an inland body of water. We may have the Day 5 Berlin • Explore Potsdam • Leipzig opportunity to walk to the lake and learn a bit • Destination: Leipzig about its own significance in the literary world. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Lunch: This afternoon your group will gather • Accommodations: The Westin Hotel Leipzig for lunch in a local restaurant. or similar Afternoon: After lunch, you’ll transfer to our Breakfast: At the hotel. final destination for the day: Leipzig. Morning: After breakfast this morning, Dinner: Tonight, join your fellow travelers for a you’ll transfer to Potsdam, a city on the traditional German dinner. outskirts of Berlin and former residence of Prussian kings until 1918. Here, you’ll Evening: The rest of the evening is free to embark upon a tour of Cecilienhof Palace, a spend as you’d like. For those who wish to taste UNESCO World Heritage Site. Originally the a local treat, ask your Program Director about last palace built by the Hohenzollern dynasty, where to find Leipziger Lerche (which translates and constructed between 1914 and 1917 for to Leipzig larks, like the bird), a shortcrust Crown Prince Wilhelm and his wife Cecilie von filled with crushed almonds, nuts and Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Cecilienhof is now a a cherry. Until the late 19th century, these museum and hotel. It was here that Winston were prepared quite differently; in Churchill, Josef Stalin, and Harry Truman fact, they were filled with meat from the actual hammered out the details of the German bird, the lark, until the hunting of the birds surrender in World War II. The structure was was banned by King Albert I in 1876. Today, built to model an English Tudor manor house it is believed that the cherry in the modern and boasts a whopping 176 rooms. After your interpretation represents the heart of the lark. introduction to this historic landmark, you’ll have some free time to perhaps stroll the Day 6 Explore Leipzig • Optional garden grounds. Naumburg tour Then, you’ll depart for a visit to Wannsee • Destination: Leipzig Conference House, the lakeside villa located in • Included Meals: Breakfast the Berlin suburb of Wannsee, where 15 senior • Accommodations: The Westin Hotel Leipzig government officials and representatives of or similar the Schutzstaffel (a paramilitary organization led by Hitler and the Nazi party) planned the Breakfast: At the hotel. deportation and murder of European Jews in

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-221-2610

13 Morning: After breakfast, depart with a (“We are one people!”), eventually inspiring local guide for a tour of Leipzig, Germany’s other East German cities to form their own fastest-growing city and home to about demonstrations in support of reunification. 600,000 inhabitants. Due to its turbulent Next up, we’ll visit Leipzig’s other major history, push for reunification, and religious site: St. Thomas, a famous Lutheran modern-day progressive politics, this church associated with a number of composers, Eastern German city is viewed as a symbol of including Johann Sebastian Bach, whose tomb connection between the former East and West. resides in this important landmark. A major center for music, world-renowned musician Johann Sebastian Bach lived and Lunch: After your city tour, enjoy lunch on worked here, serving as the music director your own. For a true East German , ask for four prominent local churches. Today, your Program Director where you can find Leipzig is a hip, bustling city with a pleasantly Mutzbraten, a type of pot roast, or Leipziger affordable cost of living (in fact, Leipzig is Allerlei, a dish consisting of peas, consistently ranked as one of the most livable carrots, green beans, crayfish, and morels. German cities). Your tour this morning will begin with a drive by historic landmarks such Afternoon: This afternoon, you’re free to set as the enormous Monument to the Battle of the your own agenda for the day. For more insight Nations, a tribute to the 1813 Battle of Leipzig into former East Germany, visit the Museum in in which Napoleon was defeated, as well as der Runden Ecke (Museum in the Round Corner), various sites associated with a number of other housed in the former Stasi headquarters for the major music composers, including Robert district of Leipzig. Used by the East German and Clara Schumann, Edvard Grieg, and Felix secret service until 1989, the offices remain to Mendelssohn. this today in their original condition.

Later, we’ll make our way to St. Nicholas Alternatively, you may choose to join our Church, one of two major churches of the city Optional Tour to Naumburg and Freyburg. and one of the largest in the state of Saxony. Should you choose to attend, your first stop will Originally constructed in the Romanesque be Naumburg, a small, historic town famous for style in 1165, Gothic and Baroque elements its cathedral which was just declared a UNESCO were added on to the structure throughout World Heritage Site in 2018. Erected in 1028, the 15th and 16th centuries, and the entire Naumburg Cathedral, also known as The Dome inside was remodeled in the 18th century in of St. Peter and St. Paul, served as the former the classic style. Besides it’s architectural parish of the Bishopric of Naumburg-Zeitz qualities, St. Nicholas boasts an important and houses a number of prized works of art, history, by which it’s best known for playing including a life-sized statue of the twelve a key role in the “Monday demonstrations church founders as well as one of the earliest in Germany,” a series of peaceful protests examples of a Gothic monument. Today, the against the German Democratic Republic. Naumburg Cathedral remains a Protestant Tens of thousands of protesters took to the church. After our visit, we’ll continue on for streets between 1989-1991, holding candles a walking tour around the Stadtzentrum (city and shouting “Wir sind das Folk!” (“We are center), including a visit to the market square, the people!”) and later, “Wir sind ein Volk!” surrounded by Renaissance-syle buildings as well as the church of St. Wenzel.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-221-2610

14 The next stop on your Optional Tour is a life. Today, it now serves as the world’s largest nearby vineyard home to Germany’s most Reformation history museum. Afterward, famous champagne brand, Rotkäppchen Sekt you’ll see Wittenberg’s oldest surviving (“Red-capped champagne,” named after Little structure—the twin-towered Stadtkirche Red Riding Hood from the Grimm brothers’ (Town Church) and visit the most important fairy tale). Embark on a walk through the landmarks in the history of Protestantism, vineyard, glass in hand, to appreciate including the Augustinian Monastery, where the view over the quaint, cobblestone village Martin Luther lived with his family following and sprawling fields. Later, enjoy a tour of the his excommunication from the . cellars, where you’ll have the opportunity to Later, your tour will also take you to the All partake in more of the local wine, paired with Saints’ Schlosskirche (Castle Church) where the some and cheese. theologian first posted his 95 Theses criticizing Dinner: Dinner is on your own this evening. the Catholic Church’s practice of selling One traditional dish you might like to try is “indulgences” (-sanctioned absolution for roulade served with potato , gravy, any sin). As an academic who taught theology at and red cabbage. Ask your Program Director for the University of Wittenberg, Luther challenged suggestions on where to find this dish. local church authorities to a theological debate—but the Bishop never responded. By Evening: Tonight, you are free to spend as you the time 95 Theses reached Rome, the document wish. If you’d like to wind down with a drink or had been seen all over Europe. Due to his piece of (cake), be sure to stop by Zum continuing theological criticism of the papacy, Arabischen Coffe Baum, one of Europe’s oldest Luther was officially declared an outlaw and coffee houses. Opened in 1720, this multifloor effectively sentenced to death. He escaped café also contains a tiny museum of more than arrest and returned to Wittenberg in secret, 500 coffee-related objects. where he developed the tenets of Lutheranism. The Church never got its vengeance—30 years Day 7 Explore Wittenberg • after writing 95 Theses, Luther died of natural Home-Hosted Visit causes. He had successfully started a new • Destination: Leipzig denomination of Christianity and inspired • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch others around Europe to do the same. • Accommodations: The Westin Hotel Leipzig Lunch: After our tour, your group will enjoy or similar lunch in a local restaurant. Breakfast: At the hotel. Afternoon: After lunch, you’ll have free time to Morning: This morning, enjoy an included explore Wittenberg on your own. Perhaps you’d tour of the twelfth-century city of Wittenberg. like to visit Melanchthon House, the home Officially known as Lutherstadt Wittenberg, of Martin Luther’s most important colleague the cradle of the Protestant Reformation is and one of the key players of the Wittenberg best known as the town where Martin Luther Reformation, scholar Philipp Melanchthon. lived, preached, and began his philosophical Built in the 1530s, the home was designed dispute with the Catholic Church. Your tour especially for Melanchthon and his family, as begins with a visit of Lutherhaus, Martin a way to persuade him to stay on staff at the Luther’s private home for much of his adult

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-221-2610

15 university. This architectural gem is believed Day 8 Visit Torgau • Dresden by many to be the most beautiful house in • Destination: Dresden Wittenberg. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Late in the afternoon, your group will gather • Accommodations: Bilderberg Bellevue Hotel to join a local family in their home for a special Dresden or similar Home-Hosted Visit—featuring an enjoyable Breakfast: At the hotel. afternoon of German hospitality and culture during an exclusive Discovery Series event. Morning: After breakfast, depart for the town This time of day is sacred for Germans because of Torgau, located on the banks of the Elbe river it usually means Kuchenzeit, which literally in northwestern Saxony. This district capital is translates to cake time—though, don’t be most famous for being the location of what’s deceived by the name: usually ample coffee known as “Elbe Day.” On April 25, 1945, U.S. accompanies said cake. Although this is a and Soviet forces first came together near the longstanding tradition, many German families, end of the Second World War on the city’s particularly in small or rural villages, still banks, marking an important step toward the adhere to it. This is a unique opportunity to end of the conflict. Aside from its paramount learn about a time-honored custom that fosters historical significance, the town itself is a conversation and quality time with friends and remarkably well-preserved example of late family. It’s also an optimal setting to get to Gothic, early Renaissance architectural styles, know your hosts and their overall way of life. evoking the distinct sense of a bygone era. This morning, you’ll begin your exploration on Dinner: On your own this evening in Leipzig. foot, first stopping at Torgau bridge, the exact Check with your Program Director for point where the American and Russian troops suggestions. For something casual, light and first met on Elbe Day. Today, a monument typically German, try a Brezel (pretzel), bread marks the site to honor this decisive moment. most commonly shaped into a twisted Then, you’ll continue on to Castle Hartenfels, knot and covered in salt. You can find one at one of the largest early Renaissance castles practically every Bäckerei or bakery. These in Germany. The castle houses an important pretzels are commonly enjoyed by locals as Lutheran chapel, which was consecrated in or a quick meal on-the-go. 1544 by Martin Luther himself. Afterward, Evening: The rest of the evening is free to your walking tour finishes off at the mid spend as you wish. Perhaps you’d like to grab 16th-century Torgau town hall, which formerly a drink with some of your fellow travelers to adjoined the Church of St. Nicholas before most recap the day’s discoveries. Or, take a walk of it was demolished in the nineteenth century. to see an original East German neon ad: The church’s Baroque-style nave, however, still Hanging 650 feet above the city, this visual graces the town hall courtyard. spectacle of glass tubes depicts a family happily Later this morning, we’ll meet a Torgau local eating soup, earning the ad the nickname for an informative discussion about Germany’s “Loffelfamilie” (“Spoon Family”). role as a pawn between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Our speaker will bring this period of history to life by sharing stories of his or her own experience growing up during the war.

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16 Lunch: On your own in Torgau. Check with your from the ashes to be rebuilt from the ground Program Director for ideas about where to go. up—reclaiming its place as one of Germany’s Torgau is relatively small, so you won’t have to intellectual and cultural hubs. Today, Dresden venture far to find something. is known as an artistic and architecturally important city boasting trendy shopping Afternoon: After lunch, enjoy some time on streets and lively Kneipen (). Your tour your own exploring Torgau. For more historical today begins with Frauenkirche (Church of Our discoveries, visit Bürgermeister-Ringenhain Lady), Residenzschloss (Dresden Castle), the Haus, the former residence of mayor Paul spectacular 18th-century Baroque Zwinger Ringenhain—considered one of the most Palace, and the Semper Opera House—set in a important Renaissance town houses in the large, public square along the banks of the Elbe. country. Built in 1596, the interior features a number of 16th-century wall paintings and Lunch: On your own today. For a true Dresdner frescoes dating back to the time of antiquity. meal, try Sauerbraten mit Rotkraut, a leg of Check with your Program Director for other soaked for several days in herb vinegar, malt ideas, should you need any. beer, bay leaves and , then fried before being put in the oven for a couple of hours. This Later in the afternoon, you’ll make your way dish is traditionally served with red cabbage to the day’s final destination: Dresden. Upon and Knödel (German bread dumplings). arrival, check into your hotel and perhaps relax a bit before dinner. Afternoon: Continue discovering Dresden this afternoon on your own. For auto enthusiasts, Dinner: Tonight’s dinner will be at a local be sure to visit The Transparent Factory of restaurant. Volkswagen, which currently produces the Evening: Free for your own discoveries. Your electric version of the Volkswagen Golf. Here, hotel overlooks the Elbe River, which makes a you’re able to test drive VW electric cars and wonderful spot for a nighttime stroll. explore exhibits pertaining to the automaker’s electric and hybrid technologies.

Day 9 Explore Dresden Dinner: On your own. Please see your Program • Destination: Dresden Director for suggestions, should you want any. • Included Meals: Breakfast For a hearty bowl of soup, you may want to try Sächsische Kartoffelsuppe, a potato, celery, carrot • Accommodations: Bilderberg Bellevue Hotel and onion purée with marjoram and Wiener Dresden or similar Würstchen, Viennese . Breakfast: At the hotel. Evening: The rest of the evening is yours to Morning: After breakfast, you’ll depart for explore Dresden as you please. If you’d like to a bus and walking tour of the Saxon capital finish your day with a typical Dresdner dessert, of Dresden, which was a flourishing artistic ask your Program Director about where to find center until the rise of the Nazis, when it Eierschecke, sheet cake made made with was completely destroyed during World War ( similar to yogurt, commonly II. Writer Kurt Vonnegut, himself a survivor used throughout Germany) and covered with a of the controversial air raids that leveled glaze of cream, egg, sugar and flour. the Baroque city, chronicled the events in Slaughterhouse-Five. Dresden has since risen

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17 Day 10 Dresden • Visit Bastei • water, offering an opportunity to take in the Bad Schandau natural surroundings from a unique vantage point. Throughout the ride, you’ll learn about • Destination: Dresden the strategic importance of the river and how • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch it has contributed to the advancement of the • Accommodations: Bilderberg Bellevue Hotel communities located along it. Our destination Dresden or similar is the small town of Rathen, located not too far Breakfast: At the hotel. from Dresden. From here, we will head back to Dresden. Morning: This morning, you will venture outside of the city today to witness a natural Dinner: On your own. You may want to try phenomena called Bastei rock formation. Kohlrouladen, cabbage rolls typically filled with Located in Saxon Switzerland National Park and beef and various spices. jutting approximately 700 feet above sea level, Evening: You have the freedom to spend the these million-year-old jagged rocks, formed rest of your evening as you wish—ask your through water erosion, provide a panoramic Program Director for recommendations. view of the Elbe River, the nearby village of Rathen, and the surrounding mountains, valleys, and forests. In 1851, a sandstone bridge Day 11 Dresden • Optional Meissen tour was constructed, granting sturdy access of • Destination: Dresden one shelf of the rocks to another. This bridge • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner is known as Basteibrücke (Bastei bridge), a • Accommodations: Bilderberg Bellevue Hotel striking structure consisting of seven arches Dresden or similar and stretching 250 feet across a 130-foot Breakfast: At the hotel. ravine. Across the bridge lies the partially reconstructed medieval castle of Felsenburg Morning: Today is yours to plan as you please. Neurathen, once one of the largest rock castles Perhaps you’d like to spend the day exploring in the region and currently serving as an or relaxing in Dresden. For art and architecture open-air museum. After an introduction to lovers, you may wish to visit Kunsthofpassage the area by your Program Director, enjoy free (art court), a complex of courtyards located in time exploring this geological marvel. Perhaps the Neustadt (new city) featuring each of their you’d like to walk to the castle ruins, or enjoy a own flamboyant designs and themes, such carriage ride around the area. as African wildlife. Another option for today is visiting the Markthalle (Market Hall), an Lunch: Lunch is included at a local restaurant, indoor market featuring various food stalls, a which features a sprawling view of the Elbe restaurant, fitness center and more. Though River in the valley below. part of it was destroyed in air raids toward the Afternoon: After lunch, continue on to Bad end of World War II, this vibrant gathering Schandau, a spa town situated directly on place has been in operation since 1899 and the Elbe River. This relatively quiet town is a continues to serve the community today. wonderful respite for those looking to escape You also have the option to join our Optional the daily grind and relax. Here, you’ll board Tour to Meissen, a small town located on the a traditional, early 19th-century steam boat banks of the Elbe River, known as the home of for a leisurely ride along this iconic body of European porcelain. Often called the “cradle

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18 of Saxony,” Meissen is internationally known symphony orchestra performs out of the for the high-end ceramic material (called Kulturpalast. Philharmonic tickets must be “white gold”) developed here in the early booked in advance. 18th century and manufactured continually for the past 300 years. This morning, you’ll Day 12 Dresden • Visit Melnik, Czech have the opportunity to tour Europe’s first Republic • Prague and oldest porcelain factory, Staatliche • Destination: Prague Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen (State Porcelain Manufacturer of Meissen). First, you’ll begin • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch by exploring the Schauhalle (watch hall), where • Accommodations: Grandior Hotel Prague you’ll have the opportunity to see some of the or similar intricate work produced at the factory. Next, Breakfast: At the hotel. visit the Schauwerkstatt (show workshop), where you’ll learn how these delicate pieces are Morning: Bid auf Wiedersehen to Dresden this created. morning and head toward Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. Along the way, stop in Lunch: For those who do not join the optional Melnik, a quintessential Czech town set at the tour to Meissen, lunch is on your own in confluence of the Elbe and rivers. Melnik Dresden today. Be sure to check with your not only boasts a charming setting, but also Program Director for restaurant ideas before a rich history. is the historical he/she departs for Meissen. For travelers who German boundaries that previously included do join the tour, lunch is included at a local parts of the former Czechoslovakia. Because of restaurant. Melnik’s location in these boundaries during the early 20th century, German influence can Afternoon: For travelers who join the Optional still be found sprinkled throughout the town. Tour, the afternoon is free to continue Upon arrival, your Program Director will lead exploring the riverside town of Meissen. You an informative walk through this small, hilltop may wish to visit the late Gothic Albrechtsburg, village, located in one of the most agriculturally or Meissen Castle, one of the iconic landmarks important areas of the country. to punctuate the waterfront location. For wine connoisseurs, you may care to venture Lunch: Enjoy lunch at the restaurant in Melnik to Schloss Proschwitz Winery, a vineyard Castle, which we will tour after our meal. situated on rolling hills along the river. On the winery grounds sits 18th-century Proshwitz Afternoon: After lunch, embark on a tour of Castle, a former aristocratic residence turned Melnik Castle, the Renaissance-style residence events venue. of the ancient noble family of the Princes of Lobkowicz. This lovely chateau is situated Dinner: Once together again in Dresden, the above a longstanding vineyard, believed by group will enjoy dinner together this evening at many to be from the very first vines brought a local restaurant. to by Charles IV in the 14th century. Here, we’ll have the opportunity to taste some Evening: You have the freedom to spend the of the chateau and learn about their rest of your evening as you wish. Classical significance. Another highlight for visitors music lovers may want to take in a concert at is the terrace located on the far side of the the renowned Dresden Philharmonic, whose

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19 chateau, which offers views of the Elbe river Today’s included city tour begins with a visit below. Grab a glass of víno (wine) and have a to Prague’s historic city center, a UNESCO look as far as the eye can see. World Heritage Site. Among the highlights of your guided walking tour here is the Old Town Later, continue on to your final destination for Square, home to the city’s famous, medieval the evening, Prague. Astronomical Clock—or Orloj—parts of which Dinner: On your own. For a typical Czech dish, date back to 1410, making it the third-oldest you may want to seek out Hovzí guláš (beef astronomical clock in the world. Every hour, ), a hearty, rustic made with meat, crowds assemble below to watch Christ and the vegetables, and typically seasoned with paprika. twelve Apostles appear at two little windows above the clock face, followed by the skeleton of Evening: The evening is free to spend as you Death tolling the bell. wish. If you’d like to continue exploring, ask your Program Director for walking directions Later this morning, you’ll meet with an eye to the famous Hradčany, the castle district witness of the famous Velvet Revolution. surrounding . This 9th-century From November-December 1989, a series of complex was the commanding position of popular demonstrations took place against the kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, and one-party government of the Communist Party presidents of the former Czechoslovakia. One of of Czechoslovakia. These protests put pressure the largest castles in the world, this is perhaps on the government to peacefully transition into the most historical and strategically important a democracy. This is a unique opportunity to landmark in the city. This is an ideal time to speak with someone who has experienced the visit the area, as it tends to be less crowded in pain that stems from such political turmoil, as the evening. well as the power that comes with organization and civic responsibility. You’ll be able to ask any Day 13 Explore Prague questions you may have and hear firsthand how this time period has shaped local culture. • Destination: Prague • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Lunch: On your own. If you’re looking for a substantial meal, ask your Program Director • Accommodations: Grandior Hotel Prague where to find Sekaná pečen, Czech meatloaf, or similar often served with boiled eggs, pickles, or Breakfast: At the hotel. wienerwurst ( sausage) inside.

Morning: This morning, begin your exploration Afternoon: After lunch on your own, enjoy of Prague, “City of 100 Spires.” Prague’s regal the remainder of the day relaxing or exploring beauty spreads on both sides of the winding independently. Perhaps you’ll explore St. Vltava River, connected by 16 picturesque George’s Basilica, with its early tenth-century bridges. Like Rome and San Francisco, the towers. Founded by Vratislaus I of Bohemia, city is built over a series of hills and its varied this is the oldest church within Prague Castle. architecture spans many centuries. Home Alternatively, perhaps you would enjoy a to more than 1 million people, Prague is the stroll along Nerudova Street, named after political, cultural, and economic center of the one of the most prominent Czech poets, Jan country, though it wasn’t always so stable as a Neruda, who resided in this neighborhood result of Nazi occupation and Soviet control in from 1849-1857. Aside from the striking the mid-20th century.

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20 architecture, one remarkable detail about this Evening: The rest of the evening is free for your street, which links Prague Castle and Charles own discoveries. Perhaps you want to continue Bridge, is that the houses all boast unique celebrating with your fellow travelers before signs with elaborate designs. Before a numeric returning home tomorrow. method was implemented in 1770, this was how communities distinguished between residences. Day 14 Prague • Return to U.S. Jan Neruda’s house sign, for example, boasts • Included Meals: Breakfast two golden suns—hence why his house was referred to as “At the Two Suns.” Breakfast: At the hotel.

Dinner: On this final night of your trip, join Morning: Depending on your flight itinerary, your fellow travelers—and new friends—for a depart for your flight home, or begin your Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant. Highlights of Poland: Krakow & Warsaw post-trip extension.

END YOUR TRIP WITH AN OPTIONAL POST-TRIP EXTENSION 5 nights in Highlights of Poland: Krakow & Warsaw

Day 1 Prague, Czech Republic • Day 4 Krakow • Visit Krakow, Poland Czestochowa • Warsaw Day 2 Explore Krakow Day 5 Explore Warsaw Day 3 Krakow • Auschwitz Day 6 Warsaw • Return to U.S.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-221-2610

21 OPTIONAL TOURS

During your trip you will be able to book optional tours directly with your Program Director. He or she will ask you to confirm the payment for these tours by filling out a payment form. Optional tours can only be purchased with a credit or debit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards. We also accept Visa and MasterCard debit cards, but it must be a debit card that allows you to sign for purchases.

In order to correctly process these charges, there can be a delay of 2-3 months from the date of your return for the charges to be posted to your account. Therefore we ask that you use a card that will not expire in the 2-3 months following your return.

Please note: Optional tour prices include gratuities for local guides and motorcoach drivers, are listed in U.S. dollar estimates determined at the time of publication, and are subject to change. Optional tours may vary.

Naumburg Meissen (Day 6 $130 per person) (Day 11 $90 per person)

Enjoy an afternoon in Naumburg and Venture to Meissen, a small town located on German wine country. Your first stop will be the banks of the Elbe River, known as the home Naumburg, a small, historic town famous of European porcelain. In 1710, porcelain was for its recently-declared UNESCO World commissioned to be made by royal decree Heritage cathedral. Erected in 1028, Naumburg from King Augustus II the Strong, and it’s Cathedral, also known as The Dome of St. Peter been produced here ever since. Throughout and St. Paul, served as the former parish of the full day tour, visit one of the most famous the Bishopric of Naumburg-Zeitz and houses porcelain factories in the world, Staatliche a number of important works of art. Later, Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen (State Porcelain we’ll continue on for a walking tour around Manufacturer of Meissen). Explore the the Stadtzentrum (city center), including a Schauhalle (watch hall), and observe some of visit to the market square. Next, venture to the intricate work produced at the factory. a nearby vineyard home to Germany’s most Next, visit the Schauwerkstatt (show workshop) famous champagne brand, Rotkäppchen Sekt to learn about the production process of this (“Red-capped champagne,” named after Little treasured ceramic. Lunch is included. Red Riding Hood from the Grimm brothers’ fairy tale). Walk through the rustic countryside, wine glass in hand, and appreciate the view over this cobblestone village and fertile vineyards before touring the cellars.

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22 PRE-TRIP Hamburg, Germany

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Accommodations for 3 nights » Gratuities for local guides and motorcoach » 4 meals: 3 breakfasts and 1 lunch drivers on your extension and all optional tours » 2 included tours: Hamburg • Schwerin » Exclusive services of a local Grand Circle Program Director » All transfers

PRE-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Hamburg is Germany’s second-largest city—and its greenest. Nourished by the Elbe and studded with lakes and canals, Hamburg is as rich in natural beauty as it is in history and culture. You’ll discover this Hanseatic port, as well as the historic town of Schwerin.

Day 1 Depart U.S. fish in northern Germany—or a fischbrotchen, a simple but savory fish sandwich made of Depart the U.S. today on your flight to pickled herring and flavorful toppings. Hamburg, Germany. Please refer to your personal air itinerary for exact departure and Afternoon: Free for your own discoveries—ask arrival times. your Program Director for recommendations. You may want to relax in the city’s botanical Day 2 Hamburg gardens, or visit one of the city’s museums, such as the International Maritime Museum • Destination: Hamburg for an inside look into Hamburg’s rich • Accommodations: Hyperion Hotel Hamburg maritime history. or similar Dinner: On your own—ask your Program Morning: After arriving at your hotel, join Director for local restaurant recommendations. your Program Director for a discovery walk Continue exploring the local area to try of the area surrounding your hotel and a brief traditional dishes like schnitzel or falafel—both introduction to the city. street food favorites you can find as you stroll. Lunch: On your own—ask your Program Evening: You have the freedom to spend the Director for local restaurant recommendations. rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Perhaps you’ll head to Hamburg’s famous Program Director for recommendations. fischmarkt (fish market) for a taste of local favorites like plaice—one of the most popular

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23 Day 3 Explore Hamburg Day 4 Hamburg • Optional Village on • Destination: Hamburg the Elbe tour • Included Meals: Breakfast • Destination: Hamburg • Accommodations: Hyperion Hotel Hamburg • Included Meals: Breakfast or similar • Accommodations: Hyperion Hotel Hamburg Breakfast: At the hotel. or similar Breakfast: At the hotel. Morning: Join your Program Director and fellow travelers for a Welcome Drink and Morning: Enjoy a morning at leisure in briefing. Then set out on an included tour of Hamburg. Many visitors enjoy the waterfront the city’s highlights, including the Altstadt (Old experience of St. Pauli, one of Hamburg’s Town), which is anchored by the Rathaus (Town 105 quarters (districts), where you’ll find the Hall), a 19th-century neo-Renaissance gem. Landungsbrucken, a 660-foot long structure built of volcanic rock. Or, head 80 feet The Rathaus overlooks the Rathausmarkt, the underground into the Alter Elbtunnel, which plaza used for local festivals and ceremonial connects St. Pauli with the Steinwerder, a events. The surrounding Alstadt offers visitors shipyard island. You might also experience a great window into the past, with its narrow the charms of the other body of water that lanes lined with neo-Gothic and half-timbered defines this riverside city—Alster Lake, which homes from the 1700s, many still occupied by is surrounded by local residences as well as a local families. well-manicured park. Lunch: On your own—ask your Program Lunch: On your own—ask your Program Director for local restaurant recommendations. Director for local restaurant recommendations. Perhaps you’ll dine on specialties that reflect ancient Hamburg’s trade with Scandinavia, Afternoon: Free for your own discoveries—ask such as rote grutze (red berry summer pudding) your Program Director for recommendations. or labskaus (a one-pot dish of corned beef, Or, join us for an optional Village on the Elbe mashed potatoes, and beets). tour. You’ll transfer to Blankenese, a charming river town on the right bank of the Elbe which Afternoon: Free for your own discoveries—ask cheerfully greets ships passing along between your Program Director for recommendations. Hamburg and the North Sea. Here you will be You may want to continue your explorations of joined by a local guide who will lead a walking historic Old Town. Or, visit one of Germany’s tour. Then enjoy free time to relax, followed by most famous attractions—Miniatur Wunderland. coffee and cake at a local café before returning The largest model railway in the world, it by motorcoach to Hamburg this afternoon. features miniature people, buildings, and more illuminated by more than 380,000 lights. Dinner: On your own—ask your Program Director for local restaurant recommendations. Dinner: On your own—ask your Program Director for local restaurant recommendations. Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Evening: You have the freedom to spend the Program Director for recommendations. rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Perhaps you’ll finish the day off with a nightcap Program Director for recommendations. at the hotel bar.

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24 Day 5 Hamburg • Join main trip Cathedral. You’ll enjoy an informative stroll of the city, followed by free time to explore on • Destination: Hamburg your own. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Lunch: Included at a local restaurant in Breakfast: At the hotel. Schwerin. Morning: Check out of the hotel and Afternoon: Transfer to Berlin, where you transfer to Schwerin, the capital and will join your fellow travelers on Day 2 of largest city of the northern German state your Central Europe’s Past & Present: Berlin to of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The town is Prague trip. best known for Schwerin Castle, located on an island, and the Gothic-style Schwerin

OPTIONAL TOUR

Village on the Elbe (Day 4 $90 per person) Spend the afternoon in Blankense, a scenic river town on the banks of the Elbe a few miles west of Hamburg. Here, ships traveling along the Elbe between Hamburg and the North Sea pass by the town, and are regularly treated to a lively greeting from the town’s sea-loving residents. You’ll tour the charming town on a walking tour with a local guide, and enjoy free time before returning to Hamburg later today. Please note: This tour involves walking over difficult terrain for extended periods of time.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-221-2610

25 POST-TRIP Highlights of Poland: Krakow & Warsaw

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Accommodations for 3 nights in Krakow » Gratuities for local guides and motorcoach and 2 nights in Warsaw drivers on your extension and all » 7 meals: 5 breakfasts and 2 lunches optional tours » 4 included tours: Krakow • Auschwitz • » Exclusive services of a local Grand Circle Czestochowa • Warsaw Program Director » All transfers

POST-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Immerse yourself in the highlights of Poland, and discover all that Warsaw and Krakow have to offer. Explore the history and charm of Warsaw’s Old Town, discover Krakow’s rich architecture and culture, and pay a memorable—and moving—visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Auschwitz.

Day 1 Prague, Czech Republic • filled with ingredients like potato, cheese, and Krakow, Poland spinach—or stop at one of the many food stalls in town for a simmering kielbasa (sausage). • Destination: Krakow • Included Meals: Lunch Evening: You have the freedom to spend the • Accommodations: Park Inn Krakow rest of your evening as you wish—ask your or similar Program Director for recommendations.

Morning: Begin your transfer to Krakow, Poland. Day 2 Explore Krakow • Destination: Krakow Lunch: Included at a local restaurant in • Included Meals: Breakfast Olomouc during the drive to Krakow. • Accommodations: Park Inn Krakow Afternoon: Upon arrival at your hotel, join your or similar Program Director for a discovery walk of the Breakfast: At the hotel. surrounding area. The former capital of Poland, Krakow is one of the only cities in the country Morning: Embark on a guided tour of Krakow. that wasn’t destroyed during World War II and The city is a showcase of seven centuries of offers a unique look at pre-war Poland. architecture, as you’ll notice while witnessing highlights like the Wawel Royal Castle Hill, Dinner: On your own—ask your Program site of the cathedral where the former Cardinal Director for local restaurant recommendations. Wojtyla (the late Pope John Paul II) once Now is the perfect time to try some Polish preached. staples, such as pierogies—savory dumplings

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-221-2610

26 Lunch: On your own—ask your Program Morning: Today’s tour may be an emotional Director for local restaurant recommendations. one, as you visit the former Nazi concentration Perhaps you’ll settle in at a local café for a camp at Auschwitz, a UNESCO World Heritage comforting bowl of bigos—a sausage and Site. Grand Circle Foundation has donated cabbage stew favored by the city’s locals. to assist in the expansion of this educational center. Following your guided tour, you’ll Afternoon: Free for your own discoveries—ask return to Krakow. your Program Director for recommendations. You may want to explore the Oskar Schindler’s Lunch: On your own—ask your Program Enamel Factory. Schindler is famous for saving Director for local restaurant suggestions. the lives of more than 1,000 Jews during the Afternoon: Free for your own discoveries—ask Holocaust by employing them in his enamel your Program Director for recommendations. factory. Today, the building is home to two Perhaps you’ll visit the 14th-century St. popular museums, including the Museum of Mary’s Basilica, or sit down for a local craft Contemporary Art and a branch of the National beer at one of the many breweries on the busy History Museum. Florianska Street. Or, join this afternoon’s optional tour, Dinner: On your own—ask your Program which takes you 250 feet underground to Director for local restaurant suggestions. There the eleventh-century Wieliczka Salt Mines, are a variety of restaurant options within a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with walking distance of the hotel—whether you sculptures and chandeliers carved from salt. want to continue sampling local dishes at a Dinner: Included at a local restaurant for Polish restaurant or savor a pizza at an Italian travelers who chose to take the optional tour. eatery, there’s something for everyone. For those who stayed back, dinner is on your Evening: You have the freedom to spend the own—ask your Program Director for local rest of your evening as you wish—ask your restaurant suggestions. Program Director for recommendations. Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Day 4 Krakow • Visit Program Director for recommendations. Czestochowa • Warsaw • Destination: Warsaw Day 3 Krakow • Auschwitz • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch • Destination: Krakow • Accommodations: Mercure Warszawa Grand • Included Meals: Breakfast or similar • Accommodations: Park Inn Krakow Breakfast: At the hotel. or similar

Activity Note: The guided tour of Auschwitz Morning: Transfer by motorcoach to Warsaw, requires approximately two miles of walking. stopping in the city of Czestochowa. Here, you’ll explore the 14th-century Jasna Gora Breakfast: At the hotel. Monastery, home of the famous Black Madonna shrine. Established in 1955, the

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-221-2610

27 Polish-American Roman Catholic shrine was food scene, dining on favorites like baranina erected in honor of Our Lady of Czestochowa (roasted lamb). Finish off with something (the Black Madonna). sweet, such as Polish donuts called paczki.

Lunch: Included at a local restaurant. Afternoon: Free for your own discoveries—ask your Program Director for recommendations. Afternoon: Free for your own discoveries upon your arrival in Warsaw—ask your Program You may want to further explore the delights Director for recommendations. Perhaps you’ll of historic Old Town, or visit Lazienki Park, venture to Old Town. Restored after heavy Warsaw’s largest park and home to the Palace damage from World War II, the square is lined on the Isle—once home to Polish royalty, the with pastel buildings and open-air cafes, with palace now features collections of famous the Monument of the Warsaw Mermaid (the painting and statues. You’ll also find that the city’s national symbol) at its center. city is home to many renowned museum, such as the Warsaw Uprising Museum and the Or, take in an optional piano recital, featuring Museum of the History of Polish Jews, which the works of the famous Polish composer both delve into Warsaw’s turbulent past during Frederic Chopin. World War II. Dinner: On your own if you chose to stay behind Return to the hotel for a Farewell Drink with for free time. For those who join the optional your Program Director. tour, dinner is included at a local restaurant. Dinner: On your own—ask your Program Evening: You have the freedom to spend the Director for local restaurant recommendations. rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Program Director for recommendations. Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Day 5 Explore Warsaw Program Director for recommendations. You may want to relax before tomorrow’s flight • Destination: Warsaw home. Or, celebrate a successful trip with a • Included Meals: Breakfast nightcap at the hotel bar. • Accommodations: Mercure Warszawa Grand or similar Day 6 Warsaw • Return to U.S. Breakfast: At the hotel. • Included Meals: Breakfast

Morning: Embark on an included walking tour Breakfast: At the hotel. of Warsaw. You’ll meet a local guide who is an expert on Warsaw—past and present. Take in Morning: Transfer by motorcoach to the the city’s sights and delve into its rich history airport for your departure home. as you explore.

Lunch: On your own—ask your Program Director for local restaurant recommendations. Perhaps you’ll enjoy your final lunch in Poland continuing your explorations of Poland’s

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-221-2610

28 OPTIONAL TOURS

Wieliczka Salt Mines (Day 2 $130 per person) Join an afternoon tour to the Wieliczka Salt Mines—working mines that have been in operation for more than seven centuries, producing about 700 tons of pure salt per day. There are more than 2,000 caverns on nine main levels here, most of which feature breathtaking chambers, galleries, and salt lakes. These fascinating mines are considered one of Europe’s great wonders and are protected by UNESCO as a historic monument. After exploring the mines, end the day with a typical Polish dinner in a local restaurant, accompanied by a sample of Zubrowka, the famous Polish vodka. Please note: The salt mine tour involves extensive walking inside caves that are not brightly lit. You’ll descend into the caves by stairs that may be slippery and return to ground level via elevator.

Chopin Recital & Dinner (Day 4 $95 per person) In the early evening, you can attend an optional Chopin piano recital, enjoying the music of Poland’s best-known and most beloved musician. Following the concert, you’ll enjoy dinner at a local restaurant before returning to your hotel.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-221-2610

29

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TRIP:

With the planning of any vacation comes the need to research and L^V\`P^_TZY^BPɪ]PSP]P_ZSPW[4Y_SPQZWWZbTYR[LRP^dZ`ɪWWʭYO TYQZ]XL_TZY_SL_Z`]_]LaPWP]^SLaPQZ`YOXZ^_MPYPʭNTLWL^_SPdɪaP prepared for this vacation, on subjects ranging from passports to weather, and currency to recommended reading.

BPɪaPTYNW`OPO_SPZʯNTLW?]LaPW3LYOMZZV_SL_dZ`ɪWW]PNPTaPbSPY you reserve your departure of this trip, which outlines everything you’ll YPPO_ZVYZbMPQZ]PLYOO`]TYRdZ`]aLNL_TZYBSL_ɪ^XZ]PZ`]?]LaPW Counselors will be ready and eager to address any additional questions you may have.

With all of our resources available to you, enjoy peace of mind … and look forward to the incredible discoveries that await.

30 CONTENTS

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS...... 32

RIGORS, VACCINES & GENERAL HEALTH ...... 35

MONEY MATTERS: LOCAL CURRENCY & TIPPING GUIDELINES . . . 39

Top 3 Suggestions

Local Currency

Tipping Guidelines

AIR, OPTIONAL TOURS & STAYING IN TOUCH ...... 43

PACKING: WHAT TO BRING & LUGGAGE LIMITS...... 47

CLIMATE & AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ...... 53

ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE . . . 55

Culture & Points to Know

Shopping

DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY ...... 68

RESOURCES: SUGGESTED READING & MOVIES...... 74

31 TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Your Passport • Must be in good condition

• Must be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the U.S.

• Must have the required number of blank pages (details below)

• The blank pages must be labeled “Visas” at the top. Pages labeled “Amendments and Endorsements” are not acceptable

Need to Renew Your Passport? Contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov for information on obtaining a new passport or renewing your existing passport. You may also contact our recommended visa service company, PVS International, at 1-800-556-9990 for help with your passport.

Recommended Blank Pages Please confirm that your passport has enough blank pages for this vacation.

• Main trip only: You will need 3 blank passport pages.

• Pre- and/or post-trip extension: No additional blank pages are needed for any of the extensions.

No Visas Required Travelers with a U.S. passport do not need any visas for this vacation, including the optional trip extensions.

Traveling Without a U.S. Passport? If you are not a U.S. citizen, or if your passport is from any country other than the U.S., it is your responsibility to check with your local consulate, embassy, or a visa services company about visa requirements. We recommend the services of PVS International, a national visa service located in Washington D.C.; they can be reached at 1-800-556-9990 or www.pvsinternational.org.

Traveling With a Minor? Traveling with a minor may require certain documentation for border crossings. For further detail on the required documentation, please contact the local embassy or state government.

32 Emergency Photocopies of Key Documents We recommend you carry color photocopies of key documents including the photo page of your passport plus any applicable visas, air itinerary, credit cards (front and back), and an alternative form of ID. Add emergency phone numbers like your credit card company and the number for your travel protection plan. Store copies separate from the originals.

If you plan to email this information to yourself, please keep in mind that email is not always secure; consider using password protection or encryption. Also email is not always available worldwide. As an alternative, you could load these documents onto a flash drive instead, which can do double-duty as a place to backup photos during your trip.

Overseas Taxes & Fees This tour may have taxes and fees that cannot be included in your airline ticket price because you are required to pay them in person onsite. All taxes are subject to change without notice and can be paid in cash (either U.S. or local currency). If applicable, you will receive a list of these fees with your Final Documents.

Requirements for the Czech Republic You will need to bring additional documentation for the Czech Republic, so please read carefully.

According to the U.S. State Department and Czech Embassy, all foreign tourists must be able to provide proof of medical coverage, if asked. Not all travelers will be asked—in fact, most travelers won’t—and even some local officials are unaware of this rule. But occasionally, travelers are asked at passport control in Prague or by medical personnel. And if that happens to you, we want you to be prepared.

Specifically, you must be able to show proof of coverage that meets these requirements:

• Be for a minimum of 30,000 Euros (about $37,000 US dollars at the time of writing).

• Cover possible medical expenses and hospitalization charges while traveling.

• Be valid in Schengen countries like the Czech Republic. Schengen countries are the European Union countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement—for example, , France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, , etc.

• Include evacuation or repatriation coverage—it must cover the cost of getting you back home if you need to return for medical reasons.

The good news is that our Travel Protection Plan DOES meet these requirements. So what type of documentation you should bring depends on if you purchased Travel Protection with us or not.

33 If you purchased our Travel Protection Plan: All you’ll need to bring is a copy of the coverage from our plan provider. You can download and print a copy of your coverage for this purpose. Go online to www.gct.com/tpp or oattravel.com/tpp, and follow the links to the plan provider’s website. This will redirect you to where you can print a copy of your coverage. TIP: In our experience, the page from Part B with the schedule of benefits is usually enough to satisfy local officials.

If you did not purchase Travel Protection with us: You will need to bring some other form of proof of coverage. If your own health insurance meets the requirements above, contact your insurer for a letter stating that you are covered. A certificate of coverage or proof of purchase from a private insurer or another Travel Protection Plan will also suffice, as long as the requirements listed above are met. However, Medicare cards are not acceptable, since Medicare does not cover medical expenses abroad.

34 RIGORS, VACCINES & GENERAL HEALTH

Keep Your Abilities In Mind Please review the information below prior to departing on this trip. We reserve the right for our Program Directors to modify participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home if their limitations are impacting the group’s experience.

GROUP SIZE • A maximum of 42 travelers, led by a local Grand Circle Program Director

PACING • 4 locations in 14 days

• Return flights often require departing in early morning hours

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS • Included features of this trip may consist of up to 3-4 hours of physical activities each day; travelers should be capable of walking 1-3 miles unassisted within 1-2 hours, including stairs and cobblestones. Travelers will also have the choice to participate in additional, optional walks and activities, if desired.

• Not accessible for travelers using wheelchairs or scooters

• Travelers using walkers, crutches, or other mobility aids must travel with a companion who can assist them

• We reserve the right for Program Directors to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group’s experience

TERRAIN & TRANSPORTATION • Diverse terrain and uneven walking surfaces, including steep and unpaved paths, hills, riverbanks, 25-50 stairs without handrails, and cobblestones, which can be slippery in wet or colder conditions

• Travel by 45-seat coach

• Travel by boat on Day 11

• Travelers joining us on our optional Highlights of Poland: Krakow & Warsaw extension will set off on a 6-hour drive from Prague to Krakow on Day 14 of the main trip

CLIMATE • Daytime temperatures range from 40-77°F during touring season

• June-August are the warmest months

35 • Weather can sometimes be rainy or unpredictable

JULY & AUGUST DEPARTURES • While the average summer highs are in the 70s, be prepared for heat waves that can spike the temperature up into the 90s.

OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS

• Hamburg pre-trip extension: You will have a transfer of approximately 4.5 hours from Hamburg to Berlin for the start of the main trip.

• Krakow & Warsaw post-trip extension: You will have a transfer of about 6 hours from Prague (end of the main trip) to Krakow.

Health Check Feeling healthy and confident of your mobility is essential to fully enjoy your trip. If you have ongoing medical conditions or concerns about your health, we highly recommend that you schedule a checkup with your personal physician at least six weeks in advance of your departure date.

• Discuss with your doctor any aspects of your itinerary that may affect your health and be guided by his or her advice. (You can use the “Keep Your Abilities in Mind” on the previous page as a guideline to discuss with him or her.)

• You may want to have a dental exam before your trip. A loose filling or developing cavity would be difficult to remedy while you are traveling.

• If you have a condition that requires special equipment or treatment, you must bring and be responsible for all necessary items related to your condition.

Vaccine Required

COVID-19 Grand Circle Travel requires that all travelers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are able provide proof of their vaccination upon arrival at their destination. A full vaccination is defined as having been inoculated at least 14 days prior to departure by an approved vaccine. This requirement is not contingent on the countries the tour visits, but a strict company policy due to the nature of the pandemic.

Other Vaccines The CDC recommends that all travelers be up to date on their routine vaccinations and on basic travel vaccines like Hepatitis A and Typhoid, but these are suggestions only. However, this could change in future so we encourage you to check with the CDC yourself before meeting with your doctor.

36 Traveling with Medications • Pack medications in your carry-on bag to avoid loss and to have them handy.

• Keep medicines in their original, labeled containers for a quicker security screen at the airport and a better experience if you get stopped by customs while overseas.

• Bring copies of your prescriptions, written using the generic drug name rather than a brand name to be prepared for any unforeseen loss of your medications.

We recommend checking with the State Department for medication restrictions by country: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel- Country-Information-Pages.html. (Pick the country and then follow the links to “Local Laws & Special Circumstances”; if you don’t see any medications specifically mentioned, then you can presume major U.S. brands should be OK).

Staying Healthy on Your Trip

Jet Lag Tips • Start your trip well-rested.

• Begin a gradual transition to your new time zone before you leave or switch to your destination time zone when you get on the plane.

• Attempt to sleep and eat according to the new schedule.

• Avoid heavy eating and drinking caffeine or alcoholic beverages right before–and during– your flight.

• Drink plenty of water and/or fruit juice while flying

• Stretch your legs, neck, and back periodically while seated on the plane.

• After arrival, avoid the temptation to nap.

• Don’t push yourself to see a lot on your first day.

• Try to stay awake your first day until after dinner.

Allergies If you have any serious allergies or dietary restrictions, we advise you to notify us at least 30 days prior to your departure. Please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-321-2835, and we will communicate them to our regional office. Every effort will be made to accommodate you.

Water • Tap water in the countries you’ll visit is perfectly safe for drinking, although it may not taste the same as at home.

37 • If you prefer bottled water, it is usually for sale in hotels, food shops, and restaurants.

• Another alternative is to bring a reusable water bottle from home, which you can fill up at your hotel before you set out for the day.

38 MONEY MATTERS: LOCAL CURRENCY & TIPPING GUIDELINES

Top Three Tips • Carry a mix of different types of payments, such as local currency, an ATM card, and a credit card.

• Traveler’s checks are not recommended. They can be difficult to exchange and the commission fee for cashing them is quite high. It’s more practical to view them as a last resort in the event of a special situation.

• You will not be able to pay with U.S. dollars on this trip; you will need local currency instead.

Local Currency For current exchange rates, please refer to an online converter tool like www.xe.com/ currencyconverter, your bank, or the financial section of your newspaper.

Euro Countries The euro is the official currency in many member countries of the European Union. Unless otherwise listed, the countries you will be visiting will use the euro. Euro banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros

• Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents; 1 and 2 euros

Czech Republic Czech legal tender is the Czech crown or koruna (CZK pr Kr.), divided into 100 hellers. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, and 5000 CZK

• Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 CZK

Note that coinage below the crown (i.e. hellers) as well as the 50 CZK note are no longer in circulation. Prices given in CZK and hellers – i.e. Kr. 36.70 – will be rounded to the nearest crown. Although some establishments will accept euros, the exchange rates are usually not favorable, and any change will be in Czech crowns. If possible, use local currency or credit/debit cards.

Poland The Polish monetary unit is the zloty, which is divided into 100 groszy. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 zloty

39 • Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 groszy; 1, 2, and 5 zloty

How to Exchange Money If you want to exchange money before your trip, you can usually do so through your bank or at an exchange office. Your departure airport in the U.S., a travel agent, or an AAA office are also possible outlets. Or you can wait and change money on the trip instead—but it might be helpful to arrive with some local currency in case you run into a bank holiday or an “out of order” ATM.

On your trip, the easiest way is to withdraw funds from a local ATM. The ATM will give you local money and your bank at home will convert that into U.S. dollars.

You can also exchange cash at some hotels, large post offices, and money exchange offices. To exchange cash, you’ll usually need your passport and bills in good condition (not worn, torn, or dirty). New bills (post 2004) are best.

Please note that many banks in Europe will only exchange money for their own customers. One exception is in the Czech Republic, where it is more economical to try a bank first. Never exchange money on the street. All exchange methods involve fees, which may be built into the conversion rate; ask beforehand.

ATMs When using the ATM, keep in mind that it may only accept cards from local banks, and may not allow cash advances on credit cards; you might need to try more than one ATM or more than one card.

Many banks charge a fee of $1-$5 each time you use an out-of-network ATM. Others may charge you a percentage of the amount you withdraw. We recommend that you check with your bank before you depart.

Lastly, don’t forget to memorize the actual digits of your card’s PIN number (many keypads do not include letters on their keys—they only display numbers.)

Germany: ATMs are readily available throughout Germany.

Czech Republic: ATMs are widely available in large cities and small towns.

Poland: ATMs are widely available throughout larger cities and small towns in Poland.

Credit & Debit Cards Even if you don’t plan on using a credit card during your trip, we still suggest that you bring one or two as a backup, especially if you are planning a large purchase (artwork, jewelry). We also suggest that you bring more than one brand of card (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, American Express) if possible, because not every shop will take every card. For example, although the Discover card is accepted in some countries outside the U.S., it is not widely adopted, so other brands will work at a much larger range of stores, restaurants, etc.

Germany: Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in Germany.

40 Czech Republic: Credit and debits cards are widely accepted in the Czech Republic.

Poland: Credit and debit card use is common in Poland.

Chip Cards Many countries have adopted a new type of credit card that has an embedded computer chip. These cards are inserted into the reader instead of swiped. The card owner then authorizes the purchase using a PIN instead of signing.

This new technology is only now gaining traction in the U.S., so occasionally there are machines in other countries that can’t read U.S. cards. Or the machine can read the card, but asks for a PIN. This doesn’t happen often, and is nothing to worry about. You can usually resolve the situation by asking the cashier to let you sign. (If you don’t speak the language, just mime signing on your hand.) If you are not able to sign for a purchase, such as at an automated ticket booth, you can use another form of payment, such as a debit card that has a PIN.

Notify Card Providers of Upcoming Travel Many credit card companies and banks have fraud alert departments that will freeze your card if they see suspicious charges—such as charges or withdrawals from another country. To avoid an accidental security block, it is a good idea to notify your credit card company and/or bank you will be using your cards abroad. You can do this by calling their customer service number a week or two before your departure. Some banks or credit card companies will also let you do this online.

You should also double-check what phone number you could call if you have a problem with a card while you are abroad. Don’t assume you can use the 1-800 number printed on the back of your card—most 1 800 numbers don’t work outside of the U.S.!

Tipping Guidelines Of course, whether you tip, and how much, is always at your own discretion. But for those of you who have asked for tipping suggestions, we offer these guidelines. To make it easy for you to budget, we have quoted the amounts in U.S. dollars; tips can be converted and paid in local currency or in U.S. dollars.

• GCT Program Director: It is customary to express a personal “thank you” to your GCT Program Director at the end of your trip. As a guideline, many travelers give $6-$8 per traveler for each day their Program Director is with them. Please note that tips for your Program Director can only be in the form of cash. If you are taking any of the optional extensions, your Program Director during the extension(s) may not be the same as the one on your main trip.

• Housekeeping Staff: We recommend $1 per traveler, per day.

• Included in Your Trip Price: Gratuities are included for local guides and motorcoach drivers on your main trip, extensions, and all optional tours.

41 Time at Leisure When you are exploring on your own, it’s useful to know when to tip and how much, because local customs often differ from the U.S. Here are a few helpful guidelines for the most common services a traveler might use:

• Taxis: In many cities the tip is included in the fare, and will be announced on a sign inside the cab; otherwise a 10% tip is appropriate.

• Restaurants, cafes, and bars: A service charge is usually included in restaurant and bar bills. If not, it is customary to leave a tip of around 10% of the bill for your waiter or bartender.

• Public restrooms: Most public restrooms in Europe have attendants that take care of cleaning and supplies. It is customary to leave a small tip for them—usually 10 crowns in the Czech Republic or half a euro elsewhere—so hold on to those coins! Some restrooms are pay-toilets; you pay the staff at the entrance to the restroom or drop the appropriate coin into the slot on the stall door. In this case, the fee is set and no tip is needed.

42 AIR, OPTIONAL TOURS & STAYING IN TOUCH

Land Only Travelers & Personalized Air

Quick Definitions • Land Only: You will be booking your own international flights. Airport transfers are not included.

• Air-Inclusive: You booked international air with us. Airport transfers are included as long as you didn’t customize your trip’s dates (see next bullet).

• Personalized Air: You booked international air with us, and have customized it in some way. If you have customized your trip’s dates to arrive early, stay longer, or stop on your own in a connecting city, airport transfers will NOT be included. You must also arrange your own accommodations for any additional nights. For your convenience, a preliminary list of your included hotels is available on your My Account at www.gct.com/myaccount under “My Reservations”.

Airport Transfers Can Be Purchased For eligible flights, airport transfers may be purchased separately as an optional add-on, subject to availability. To be eligible, your flight(s) must meet the following requirements:

• You must fly into or fly home from the same airport as Grand Circle travelers who purchased included airfare.

• Your flight(s) must arrive/depart on the same day that the group arrives or departs.

Airport transfers can be purchased up to 45 days prior to your departure; they are not available for purchase onsite. To learn more, or purchase airport transfers, please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-321-2835.

If you don’t meet the requirements above, you’ll need to make your own transfer arrangements. We suggest the Rome to Rio website as a handy resource: www.rome2rio.com.

Air Inclusive Travelers If you have purchased international air with Grand Circle Travel, there are some points that may be helpful for you to know.

• U.S. Departure: If you are among a group of ten or more Grand Circle travelers who depart the U.S. from your international gateway city, it is our goal to have a Grand Circle Representative assist you at the U.S. airport with the check-in of your flight. Unless there are extenuating circumstances beyond our control, the Representative will be at the check- in counter three hours before your departure time. If you are flying domestically before your international flight, the representative will be stationed at the check-in counter for your departing international flight, not at the domestic arrival gate.

43 • Overseas Arrival: Once you arrive overseas, you’ll need to collect your luggage and clear customs. A Grand Circle Representative will meet you outside of customs and assist you with your transfer to the hotel. Note that depending on the airport, luggage porters aren’t always allowed into the baggage claim area, so you may need to handle your own bags for at least part of the transfer process.

• Flight Delays: Grand Circle Travel is not responsible for flight delays or cancellations. In the unfortunate circumstance that your flight is delayed or changed, please try to reach the regional Grand Circle office (their number will be in your Final Documents) in order to make new arrangements for your transfer. Due to airline regulations our staff is not notified of flight rerouting, and our local representative won’t necessarily be aware of your new arrival time. In these cases you will need to arrange your transfer by taxi to your hotel.

• Porters & Return Airport Transfer: In Germany most hotels do not offer porterage service before 7 am. This means that if your flight home is early enough that your airport transfer is before 7 am, you will be responsible for bringing your own luggage from the room to the motorcoach, where our driver will load it.

• U.S. Return: If you are among a group of ten or more Grand Circle travelers who return to the same U.S. gateway city, a Grand Circle Representative will meet you as you exit Customs and help you find taxis, buses, hotel accommodations, or connecting flights. Again, it is our goal to have our Grand Circle Representative waiting to assist your group. In rare instances, unforeseen circumstances may prevent this service.

• Flying with a Travel Companion: If you’re traveling with a companion from a different household, and both of you are beginning and ending your trip at the same airport on the same dates, let us know you’d like to travel together and we’ll make every effort to arrange this (please note, however, that this is not always possible). If you request any changes to your flights, please be sure that both you and your companion tell us that you still want to fly together.

Optional Tours Optional tours are additional add-on tours that allow you to personalize your vacation by tailoring it to your tastes and needs. And if you decide not to join an optional tour? Then you’ll have free time to relax or explore on your own—it’s about options, not obligations.

What You Need to Know • All optional tours are subject to change and availability.

• Optional tours that are reserved with your Program Director can be paid for using credit/ debit cards only. We accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover credit cards; we can also take MasterCard or Visa debit cards as long as the card allows you to sign for purchases. (You won’t be able to enter a PIN.)

44 • To ensure that you are charged in U.S. dollars, your payment will be processed by our U.S. headquarters in Boston. This process can take up to three months, so we ask that you only use a card that will still be valid three months after your trip is over. The charge may appear on your credit card statement as being from Boston, MA or may be labeled as “OPT Boston”.

• Your Program Director will give you details on the optional tours while you’re on the trip. But if you’d like to look over descriptions of them earlier, you can do so at any time by referring to your Day-to-Day Itinerary (available online by signing into My Account at www.gct.com/myaccount).

Communicating with Home From Abroad

Cell Phones If you want to use your cell phone on the trip, check with your phone provider to see if your phone and service will work outside of the U.S. It may turn out to be cheaper to rent an international phone or buy a SIM card onsite. If you want to use a local SIM, just make certain your phone is “unlocked”, meaning it can accept a local SIM card. If your cell is “unlocked” then you will be able to purchase a local SIM for it and then buy minutes with “Pay as You Go” cards, so that you have a local contact number for your friends and family.

Calling Apps Another option is to use a smartphone app like Skype or FaceTime. These services are usually less expensive than making a traditional call, but you’ll need a Wi-Fi connection and the calls may count towards your phone plan’s data allowance. Many smartphones—and some tablets or laptops—come with one of these apps pre-installed or you can download them for free from the appropriate apps store.

Calling Cards & 1-800 Numbers When calling the U.S. from a foreign country, a prepaid calling card can be useful because it circumvents unexpected charges from the hotel. Calling cards purchased locally are typically the best (less expensive, more likely to work with the local phones, etc.). One reminder: Do not call U.S. 1-800 numbers outside the continental United States. This can result in costly long distance fees, since 1-800 numbers do not work outside the country.

Receiving Calls from Home To ensure you are available during your trip to friends and relatives at home, you will receive two copies of your hotel list, including phone numbers, with your Final Documents. One copy is for you to bring, and one is to leave behind with friends or relatives in case they need to contact you during the trip.

45 How to Call Overseas When calling overseas from the U.S., dial 011 for international exchange, then the country code (indicated by a plus sign: +), and then the number. Note that foreign phone numbers may not have the same number of digits as U.S. numbers; even within a country the number of digits can vary depending on the city and if the phone is a land line or cell phone.

Germany: +49 Poland: +48

Czech Republic: +420

46 PACKING: WHAT TO BRING & LUGGAGE LIMITS

Luggage Limits

MAIN TRIP LIMITS

Pieces per person One checked bag and one carry-on bag per person.

Weight restrictions Varies by airline. The current standard is 50 lbs for checked bags and 15 lbs for carry-on bags.

Size Restrictions Varies by airline. Measured in linear inches (length+width+depth). Generally, 62 linear inches is the checked bag limit; carry-on limit is 45 linear inches.

Luggage Type A sturdy, fabric-sided suitcase with built-in wheels and lockable zippers is recommended.

TRIP EXTENSION(S) LIMITS

Same as the main trip.

REMARKS/SUGGESTIONS

One suitcase and one carry-on bag per person: Due to the space limitations on bus transfers, you’ll be restricted to one suitcase and one carry-on bag per person. This is to ensure that we have room for everyone’s luggage. We ask that you abide by this limit to avoid inconveniencing your fellow travelers and prevent additional airlines luggage fees (which are your responsibility). Most airlines now charge to check more than one suitcase per person for flights to Europe and other international flights.

Luggage rules: Luggage rules and limits are set by governmental and airline policy. Enforcement of the rules may include spot checks or may be inconsistent. However one thing is the same across the board: If you are found to have oversized or overweight luggage, you will be subject to additional fees, to be assessed by—and paid to—the airline in question.

Don’t Forget: • These luggage limits may change. If the airline(s) notify us of any changes, we will include an update in your Final Documents booklet.

47 • It’s a good idea to reconfirm baggage restrictions and fees directly with the airline a week or so prior to departure. For your convenience, we maintain a list of the toll-free numbers for the most common airlines on our website in the FAQ section.

• Baggage fees are not included in your trip price; they are payable directly to the airlines.

Your Luggage • Checked Luggage: Consider a duffel bag or soft-sided suitcase. Look for one with heavy nylon fabric, wrap-around handles, built-in wheels, and a heavy duty lockable zipper. Due to space limitations on our motorcoaches, you are allowed one piece of checked luggage per person. Porterage at airports and hotels is provided for one bag per person. All bags should have luggage tags.

• Carry-on Bag: You are allowed one carry-on bag per person. We suggest a tote or small backpack that can be used as both a carry-on bag for your flight and to carry your daily necessities—water bottle, camera, etc—during your daily activities.

• Locks: For flights that originate in the U.S., you can either use a TSA-approved lock or leave your luggage unlocked. Outside of the U.S. we strongly recommend locking your luggage as a theft-prevention measure.

Clothing Suggestions: Functional Tips • Travel light: A good rule of thumb is to gather together everything you want to bring; then take half of that. To have a varied travel wardrobe, yet keep your luggage light, we recommend you select a color scheme and pack color-coordinated clothing items that can be mixed to create different outfits.

• Pack casual clothes: Comfortable, informal apparel is acceptable at each of your destinations. At dinner, you will not need to don “dressy” clothing; men do not need jackets or ties and women do not need fancy dresses. You may want one or two “smart casual” outfits for the Welcome or Farewell Dinner, but it’s completely up to you.

• Consider clothing designed for travel, sports, or camping: With modern fabrics, lightweight packing for comfort and protection through a wide range of weather is easy.

• Plan to dress in layers. Be prepared for a variety of weather conditions: warm days with sun, chilly temperatures with showers, and evenings that could dip into the 40s or 50s, depending on your travel season.

• Bring rain gear: Regardless of your month of travel, rainfall is certainly a possibility. We suggest you bring a folding umbrella and waterproof shell. Water-resistant walking shoes are advantageous in case heavy downpours pass through.

48 • Good walking shoes are critical. This program features many included tours that follow steep, unpaved or cobbled routes; and even an average day of light sightseeing or shopping can put great demands on your feet. If you prefer more ankle support, take light hiking boots. In case you get caught in the rain, we suggest you bring an extra pair of walking shoes, and rain boots or galoshes.

What to Bring We have included suggestions from Program Directors and former travelers to help you pack. These lists are only jumping-off points—they offer recommendations based on experience, but not requirements. You may also want to consult the “Climate” chapter of this handbook.

Your accommodations will supply soap, body wash, and shampoo/conditioner. If you prefer a certain brand you may want to bring your own, but otherwise you can rely on what they provide. And don’t forget a reusable water bottle—you’ll need it to take advantage of any refills we offer as we are working to eliminate single-use plastic bottles on all of our trips.

Recommended Clothing ‰Shirts: A mixture of short and long-sleeved shirts to layer ‰Trousers, jeans, or skirts ‰Comfortable walking shoes and/or water resistant shoes ‰Light rain jacket/windbreaker with hood ‰Sleepwear ‰Socks and undergarments ‰A jacket or sweater, depending on the time of year

July & August Departures ‰Although average highs are in the 70s, heat waves are common, especially in Prague. Bring at least 2-3 outfits for 90-degree weather.

Essential Items ‰Daily essentials: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, hairbrush or comb, shaving items, deodorant, etc.

‰Spare eyeglasses/contact lenses and your prescription ‰Sunglasses with a neck strap

49 ‰Sunscreen, SPF 15 or stronger ‰Travel money bag or money belt ‰Moisturizer, lip balm ‰Wide-brim sun hat or visor ‰Pocket-size tissues ‰Moist towelettes (packets) and/or anti-bacterial hand lotion ‰Light folding umbrella ‰Photocopies of passport, air ticket, credit cards ‰Camera, spare batteries, and memory cards ‰Plug adapter–see “Electricity” section

Medicines ‰Your own prescription medicines ‰Vitamins ‰Cold remedies: Sudafed/Dristan ‰Pain relievers: Ibuprofen/naproxen/aspirin ‰Laxatives: Senokot/Ex-Lax ‰Stomach upset: Pepto-Bismol/Mylanta ‰Anti-diarrheal: Imodium ‰Band-Aids, Moleskin foot pads ‰Antibiotics: Neosporin/Bacitracin

Optional Gear ‰Washcloth ‰Hand-wash laundry soap (Woolite), clothespins/travel clothesline/stopper ‰Reading materials

50 ‰Travel journal/note pad ‰Swimsuit, if your hotel has a pool or whirlpool ‰Addresses for postcards ‰Photos, small gift for Home-Hosted visit ‰Phrase book ‰Pocket-size calculator for exchange rates ‰Insect repellent ‰Hairdryer: Many hotels will provide hair dryers, but not all. If a hair dryer is essential to you consider a travel-size version.

Electricity When traveling overseas, the voltage is usually different and the plugs might not be the same shape.

Voltage Electricity in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland is 220-240 volts. In the U.S. it is 110 volts. Most of the things a traveler will want to plug in—battery chargers, MP3 players, tablets or computers—can run off both 110 and 220-240. But you should check the item or the owner’s guide first to confirm this before you plug it in. If you have something that needs 110 volts—like a shaver or a hairdryer—you can bring a transformer to change the current. (But transformers tend to burn out, so it might be better to leave whatever it is at home.)

Plugs The shape of plugs will vary from country to country, and sometimes even within a country depending on when that building was built. To plug something from the U.S. into a local socket you’ll need an adapter that fits between the plug and the socket. Even though you’ll only need one type of plug adapter on this trip (Type C fits into a Type E and F outlet), it may be easier to purchase an all-in-one, universal adapter/converter combo. Versatile and lightweight, these can usually be found at your local electronics goods or hardware stores. Sometimes you can buy them at large retailers too, like Target or Walmart. If you forget to bring an adapter, you might also find them for sale at the airport when you arrive at your destination.

51 Different plug shapes are named by letters of the alphabet. Standard U.S. plugs are Type A and Type B. Here is the list of plugs for the countries on this trip:

Germany: C and/or F

Czech Republic: C

Poland: C and E

Type C Type E Type F

52 CLIMATE & AVERAGE TEMPERATURES

Berlin, Germany: Summer in Berlin, between May and August, is pleasantly warm with lots of sunshine July and August, the hottest months, are also unpredictable – with the possibility of going from sunny to rainy very quickly. Winters can be quite cold and damp although extreme weather is rare. Snow, however, is common and days can be cold, clear, and frosty.

Czech Republic: In spring, variable weather reigns: some years it’s warm, in others it’s cool. Summer days are typically very warm, though there may still be some brisk days. Temperatures start to fall in early autumn, and winter weather begins settling in by early November. In general, you can expect average spring temperatures in the low 60s, summer in the 70s, and fall in the 50s. However, if you’re traveling in July or August, be prepared for heat waves that can spike the temperatures up past the average and into the 90s.

Poland: Poland has a long border with the Czech and Slovak Republics in the south and a coastline on the Baltic Sea in the north. Most of Poland has a very similar climate and the same sequence of weather throughout the year. Winter cold increases towards the east and in the southern mountains, while the coastlands of the Baltic Sea have slightly milder winters and cooler summers. Precipitation is well distributed around the year with a summer maximum of rain, often heavy and accompanied by thunder. Much of the winter precipitation is snow. Summer temperatures do not differ very much over the country. It rarely gets excessively hot but fine, sunny spells of weather and occasional droughts occur. Winters are distinctly cold and the length of really cold spells varies considerably from year to year.

Climate Averages & Online Forecast The following charts reflect the average climate as opposed to exact weather conditions. This means they serve only as general indicators of what can reasonably be expected. An extreme heat wave or cold snap could fall outside these ranges. As your departure approaches, we encourage you to go online to www.gct.com/myaccount for your 10-day forecast.

53 Average Daily High/Low Temperatures (°F), Humidity & Monthly Rainfall

MONTH BERLIN, GERMANY PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC

Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall JAN 35 to 26 89 to 83 23 34 to 24 91 to 84 15 FEB 39 to 27 90 to 76 18 36 to 25 92 to 76 12 MAR 47 to 33 88 to 64 20 46 to 32 89 to 63 16 APR 54 to 37 84 to 54 16 54 to 36 83 to 51 16 MAY 65 to 45 78 to 50 15 64 to 45 79 to 53 17 JUN 70 to 53 79 to 55 19 69 to 51 80 to 55 17 JUL 73 to 56 80 to 53 18 72 to 54 81 to 54 18 AUG 73 to 55 84 to 54 17 73 to 53 85 to 53 16 SEP 66 to 50 89 to 59 17 65 to 48 90 to 60 15 OCT 56 to 42 90 to 71 17 54 to 39 91 to 68 16 NOV 45 to 35 89 to 81 22 41 to 32 91 to 83 17 DEC 38 to 30 89 to 86 23 36 to 28 90 to 85 14

MONTH HAMBURG, GERMANY KRAKOW, POLAND

Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) (inches) JAN 38 to 30 92 to 86 12 33 to 22 88 to 82 1.2 FEB 39 to 29 90 to 77 9 35 to 24 88 to 76 1.2 MAR 45 to 34 89 to 69 11 45 to 31 89 to 66 1.2 APR 52 to 37 87 to 60 10 54 to 38 85 to 58 1.6 MAY 62 to 45 81 to 57 10 64 to 46 84 to 58 2.4 JUN 67 to 51 82 to 60 11 69 to 52 85 to 61 3.1 JUL 70 to 55 85 to 61 12 71 to 55 86 to 60 2.4 AUG 71 to 54 88 to 60 11 71 to 54 90 to 61 2.8 SEP 64 to 49 91 to 67 11 64 to 48 92 to 67 2.0 OCT 55 to 43 92 to 75 10 55 to 40 92 to 71 1.6 NOV 45 to 37 91 to 83 12 42 to 32 90 to 82 1.6 DEC 40 to 32 91 to 87 12 36 to 26 89 to 84 1.6

54 ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE

Your Program Director During your exclusive Grand Circle vacation, you’ll have reliable assistance available at all times from an on-site Grand Circle Travel Program Director. Your Program Director is fluent in English and can give you an inside perspective on your destinations. He or she is supported along the way by local tour guides, who guide you expertly through particular sites and cities.

Many Grand Circle Program Directors are graduates of professional education programs for travel guides. In addition, they receive specialized training directly from Grand Circle, training that is based on what we’ve learned from thousands of past travelers about how to make the trip most enjoyable. Your Program Director offers both a deep knowledge of the region and a commitment to make this a very pleasant, informative, and rewarding travel experience for you.

Your Program Director will provide sightseeing trips, handle all travel details, reserve optional tours you choose to take, oversee your Discovery Series events, and provide any other assistance you may need. You will be in the company of a Program Director throughout your vacation.

Germanic and Czech Culture You may be familiar with the persistent stereotypes about Germans being no-nonsense, workaholic, logic-driven rule-followers. But your preconceptions may be challenged when you encounter Germany’s modern multiculturalism; and its largely liberal, free-thinking, sexually open, and party-loving modern citizens. The fact is, the cultural aftermath of Germany’s role in two world wars has prompted the nation to re-assess its traditional attitudes. Along with this, the regionalism that has historically shaped lifestyles has been further enlarged since the reunification of East and West Germany, whose people had very different postwar experiences.

But a few of the generalizations have some basis. . . For instance, Germans are typically very direct, and very honest. So, when they deliver an opinion it will not be ambiguous or sugar coated. For this reason, some people may mistake them for being blunt. But to a German, speaking frankly is not considered rude, it is considered truthful, and the truth is helpful. The opinion being delivered is likely to be well thought out, as Germans place a great value on logic and critical thinking. This is reflected by Germany’s great accomplishments in science, engineering, and technology; and by its pantheon of Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment thinkers, poets, and philosophers. How this manifests itself in daily life is evident in how efficient and punctual everything is—be it public trains, the national health service, or the vaunted trash recycling program. Even the is structurally logical.

Given the control of the Hapsburg dynasty until the 20th century, Germanic culture has been held as the ideal in the Czech Republic. This is often expressed as an appreciation for cooperation, direct honesty, precision, and a certain level of formality. This comes through in the way people appreciate good manners and well-behaved children. You are expected say “good day” (dobrý den) to everyone you meet, and to be polite. If you are not, don’t be surprised if local grandmas cluck their tongues at you. On first impression, may come across as quiet and polite,

55 moreover, reserved and modest. But, once the evening begins, you’ll find Czechs visiting local pubs and taverns to celebrate their love of music, dancing, and beer. Czechs are avid beer drinkers, consuming the highest amount of beer per capita.

In Germany, perhaps the capacity for honesty and critical thinking has helped them in its long process of “Vergangenheitsbewältigung.” It’s a word that describes the nation’s struggle to come to terms with its negative history—specifically, the Nazi era and the Holocaust. Germany has been notably forthright about this. Many cities boast monuments, museums, and centers dedicated to the study of anti-Semitism; while there are no monuments to war heroes of the Third Reich. All school curricula include frank sections on the Nazi era. Reparations have been paid to Holocaust survivors; and overall, Germany’s institutions have been willing to engage in thoughtful, albeit painful conversations about past complicity and present responsibility. Many have linked Germany’s work to confront past guilt to its current welcome of refugees. Though the migrant crisis is not without controversy, most Germans support the government’s liberal policies and the leadership role Germany has assumed here.

Along with different accents, there are different attitudes, traditions, and religious affiliations from region to region both within Germany and the Czech Republic. Metropolises like Berlin and Prague are renowned for alternative lifestyles and tolerance, whereas people in smaller towns are more conservative.

Privacy is highly valued in both countries, so people tend not to divulge a lot of personal information about themselves at first. But Germans and Czechs usually become very open and genuinely warm once they get better acquainted with you. The sentimental streak of Germans comes out when they share gemutlichkeit, a feeling of warmth, affection, coziness, nostalgia and celebration. If you are invited to join in, please do—and enjoy. Resistance is futile.

Taking Photographs The etiquette of photographing most people in Europe is about the same as it would be on the streets of your hometown. You need permission to take a close-up, but not for a crowd scene. Consent is especially important if you want to take a photo of a child or minor—ask their parent for permission first. To get a great portrait, show interest in your subject and try to have a bit of social interaction to put them at ease. Then use sign language to inquire if a picture is OK.

Safety & Security As you travel, exercise the same caution and awareness that you would in a large American city. Don’t be overly nervous or suspicious, but keep your eyes open. If you are venturing out after dark, go with one or two other people.

Carry a one-day supply of cash in your pocket. Carry most of your money, and your passport, in a travel pouch or money belt under your shirt. Replenish your pocket supply when you are in a safe and quiet place, or in our vehicle. Don’t leave valuables unattended in your hotel room. Most hotels will offer use of a hotel safe at the front desk or an electronic in-room safe (for which you can set your own personal number). Please utilize them.

56 Pickpockets may create a sudden distraction. In any sort of puzzling street situation, try to keep one hand on your wallet or money belt. If an encounter with a local turns out to be long and complicated and involves money or your valuables, be very careful. Con artists sometimes target travelers.

German varies greatly from region to region. The southern regions of and Swabia share many dishes among them and with their neighbors to the south, Switzerland and Austria. In the West, French influences are more pronounced, while the eastern parts of the country have much in common with Eastern and there are marked Scandinavian influences in the northern coastal regions. But the region that is often viewed as having the most classic German cuisine is Saxony.

When dining in Berlin (or in other cities) you’ll have no shortage of international options, along with restaurants serving the regional specialties of . Like most regional German , Saxon food is hearty, with an emphasis on sauces and the Klösse or Knödle, that is, the .

The Saxons didn’t invent sauerbraten, a tangy pot roast that is eaten all over Germany. But they do have a distinctive way of making it: Sächsischer Sauerbraten uses beer instead of wine to marinate the beef before its long, slow . Try also Dresdner Wiegebraten, a Dresden meat loaf made with minced pork, and beef bound with eggs, breadcrumbs, anchovies, and herbs that gets slathered with butter before roasting. For something a little lighter, there’s Hochzeitssuppe or “wedding soup.” The chicken-based broth has soft pork and asparagus dumplings garnished with fresh parsley.

Like the rest of Germany, Saxony is partial to potatoes. Try them in Sächsische Kartoffelsuppe (Saxon potato soup), a rich, creamy puree of potatoes and broth studded with onions fried in bacon fat, finely chopped greens, and bacon and sausage bits—all seasoned with ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper. A special version is made with succulent shrimps and shrimp broth. The bounty of the North Sea also enlivens Leipziger Allerlei, a casserole of shrimp or crayfish mixed with cauliflower, carrots, peas, asparagus, and mushrooms, baked with a creamy sauce topped with bread crumbs. For lunch, try Buchweizenpfannkuchen, a buckwheat that may be served with syrup and cranberries, or with salmon and a salad.

Saxons claim to have invented the kaffeeklatsch, the German custom of socializing over coffee and cake. Here it’s called Gaffee un Guchn, and one of the most delicious cakes you must try is the Dresdner Eierschecke, a three-layered cake filled with custard and cream. Another Dresden confection is Dominosteine, a cake of marzipan, gingerbread and apricot marmalade covered in chocolate. Meissner Quarktorte is a light Saxon cheesecake with raisins, almonds and rum.

Berlin is famous for its street food, including the ubiquitous doner kebab. These are savory cones of seasoned meat grilled on a rotisserie and sliced into pita pockets filled with salad. Though Turkish in origin, it’s a Berlin favorite. Try also the iconic currywurst, a flavored with

57 curry, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. It was invented in 1946 by Herta Heuwer, a Berlin housewife who decided to spice up her family’s diet by trading some booze for seasonings from some British soldiers.

Currywurst is a classic example of post-war, East German cuisine—a style that arose during a time of severe shortages, when the people of the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany) had to get inventive with very economical ingredients. Another example of this is Jägerschnitzel, a breaded pork and bacon patty with a creamy mushroom sauce.

Today, there is a widespread nostalgia for these homespun East German dishes, which are popping up on the menus of some of Berlin’s hippest restaurants. The trend is called Ostalgie, a combination of the German words for “east” and “nostalgia”. And even though very few people in the former GDR will be crying in their beer, longing for the good old days, they will be washing down their food with steins of good old Erdinger Weissbier, Sternberg, or Augustiner—some of the most popular produced here.

Where the Rhine enters Germany in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the cuisine blends the heartiness of Westphalia with the Rhinelanders’ love of sweet and sour tastes. An example is Rheinischer Sauerbraten. The regional version of this ubiquitous, marinated pot roast adds raisins and crumbled lebkuchen (gingersnaps) to give the tangy gravy a touch of sweetness. It might be accompanied by Pickert, a with raisins, served with a plum purée.

Another beefy favorite is Pfefferpotthast, a peppery stew. It’s perfect with salted boiled potatoes (Salzkartoffeln), and gherkins or pickled beets. Enjoy Westfälischer Schinken (Westphalian ham), made from pigs raised solely on acorns. The meat is dry cured and smoked over beechwood and juniper. Try some wafer-thin slices on Westphalian pumpernickel, with a smear of malty brown Düsseldorfer mustard. Duck into any Westphalian tavern, and you might nibble on -flavored Nieheimer cheese. It is aged between layers of hops—which makes it go quite well with the local Altbier, Kölsch or Bönnsch beer.

If you’ve worked up an appetite, enjoy the bounty of Westphalia with a Bergische Kaffeetafel. It means “Bergisches Land Coffee Table” and though it includes coffee, the “table” will be set with sausages, ham, cheeses, potato , egg dishes, jams, , pretzels, and pastries.

Heading south into the Rhineland-Palatinate, the signature dish is dampfnudeln, a yeasty steamed dumpling with vanilla sauce. If they are topped with powidl (a plum jam) and sprinkled with poppy seeds, they are called germknödeln. No need to wait for dessert to enjoy this delight, which is often a main course. But if you prefer your dumplings savory, dampfnudeln can be enjoyed with mushrooms and béchamel sauce; or with gravy and rolls of beef stuffed with bacon and pickles called Rouladen. You can also satisfy your carbo cravings with Reibekuchen or Kartoffelpuffer, crispy deep-fried potato patties or pancakes, often served with applesauce.

Another Palatinate specialty is Saumagen, which mean’s “sow’s stomach.” Here, the stomach lining of a pig is used as a casing to hold a mix of minced veal; diced potatoes and vegetables; and spices such as marjoram, cardamon, nutmeg, and parsley. The filled Saumagen is simmered, then sliced and fried. Enjoy it with mashed potatoes, , and a dry white wine. Along the Mosel, try the local Döbbekooche, a crusty potato pie covered with sausage pieces or bacon.

58 The state of Baden-Württemberg is renowned for cuisine, and is home to more than a quarter of Germany’s Michelin-starred restaurants. The region is famous for its delicate white spargel (asparagus), as well as for hearty dishes like Badische Schaeufele, a smoked pork shoulder simmered in wine with garlic, leeks, juniper berries, and other spices. Or perhaps you’ll try a slow-roasted duck breast prepared as the Benedictine monks did, with dates and figs.

Don’t miss Maultaschen, the Swabian region’s answer to ravioli. Here, pockets of dough are stuffed with spinach, meat or cheese; and eaten as a main course or in a beef broth. Another Swabian specialty that is eaten all over Germany is Spätzle, an irregular shaped egg noodle. But the most famous dish of this state is the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte or Black Forest Cake. It’s a chocolate layer cake filled and frosted with fresh cream and cherries soaked in Kirschwasser (cherry ), and decorated with chocolate shavings.

In the state of Hesse, you must pay your respects to the town that gave us the , Frankfurt. But these are not just any old dogs, they are Frankfurter Würstchen, smoked pork sausages in a natural sheepskin casing. There is also a variant made with 100% beef called Frankfurter Rindswurst. If you have it with a curry-flavored ketchup, it is called a Currywurst.

You might need a sense of humor to enjoy this Hessian favorite: Handkase mit Musik. It means “hand cheese with music,” referring to the handmade cheese that is marinated and served with onion, nuts, caraway and typically, a glass of apfelwein, a tart cider. The “music” part comes from the flatulence this pungent fare is said to cause. If you want something more refined, Bethmännchen are exquisite cookies made from marzipan, almonds, sugar and rose water.

In Bavaria is the land of sausages, starting with bratwurst. There are many varieties all over Germany, but in Bavaria you must try Nuremberg or Nürnberger bratwurst. These were the first sausage to receive the European Union’s Protected Geographic Indication (PGI) status. To be labeled as Nürnberger bratwurst, these small, coarsely-ground pork sausages must be 2 ¾–3 ½ inches long; contain mace and marjoram; and be made within the metropolitan Nuremberg limits. The most popular way to eat them is Drei im Weggla or “three in a bun.”

The good news is that you can enjoy so many of these dishes all over Germany, regardless of their regional origins, but sometimes with different names. Case in point: you don’t have to be in Berlin to get a berliner. These deep-fried, yeasty jelly donuts are popular everywhere, though in some Rhine ports they may be called krapfen.

Czech and Like their neighbors, the Czech Republic and Slovakia share a culinary heritage that emphasizes meat, potatoes, dumplings, and fermented vegetables (usually, sauerkraut). These are often served with heavy gravies or sauces, but the high-caloric impact is somewhat mitigated by the fact that most Czechs and Slovaks eat their heaviest meal at lunch, and have a lighter supper of just cold cuts and condiments. You’ll also find that in the major cities, young chefs are experimenting with lighter and healthier versions of the classic dishes they grew up with.

59 One dish everyone in both countries knows is vepro-knedlo-zelo. It’s shorthand for veprové s knedliky a kyselé zeli, a succulent roast pork and dumplings concoction that is often seasoned with caraway, and served with sauerkraut. You will see it on just about every restaurant menu. Dumplings figure in many other dishes. Houskové knedlíky are bread dumplings made with flour, yeast, egg yolks and milk, sometimes with bread cubes added to the mix. After the dough rises it gets boiled or steamed, then sliced. Bramborové knedlíky are potato dumplings, which are heavier. There are even fruit-filled dumplings (ovocné knedlíky) that are often served with cottage cheese as a main course.

Bryndzové halušky are potato dumplings (similar to Italian gnocchi) that are topped with a creamy, soft, Slovakian sheep’s milk cheese that has its own EU protected designation of origin status. It is then topped with crumbled bacon bits and a garnish like chopped chives, onions or dill. The of Slovakia, it’s also popular in the Czech Republic, especially in .

Dumplings are the perfect accompaniment to svicková na smetane, beef that is marinated in vinegar and herbs; then roasted with vegetables; then simmered till tender. The broth and vegetables are pureed with sour cream to make a sauce, and it all gets garnished with cranberries.

Kureci kapsa are chicken breasts stuffed with ham and cheese, and grilled. If you are on the go, grab a párek v rohliku, a Czechoslovakian hot dog. The small parek sausage will be completely enclosed within the bun, like pigs in a blanket.

Don’t leave without trying palacinky, the regional version of crêpes. This delicate, thin pancake can have a sweet filling (such as jam, fruits, ice cream, sweet cheese or chocolate) or a savory one (perhaps spinach, mushrooms, ham, or salmon with dill sauce). Besides being popular entrees, they are sold as snacks at special palacinky stalls.

For dessert you can try laskonky, two crispy filled with caramel or chocolate buttercream. Koláce are pastry wheels filled with cheese or fruit such as prunes or apricots, similar to a danish. Trdelnik is made by wrapping dough around a metal or wooden stick, then roasting it over an open flame. The tubular treat is then dusted with sugar, and topped with nuts and cinnamon. Veternik is a profiterole made of puff pastry filled with vanilla and caramel cream. The whole pastry is then dipped in a shiny caramel icing for a belt-busting grand finale.

Pubs are an integral part of Czech and Slovak life, and the region brews some of the best beer in the world. In the Czech town of Plzen, brewing dates as far back as the founding of the town, in 1295. Plzen is internationally known for its award-winning Pilsener Urquell, and there are numerous other local beers that perfectly accompany the region’s hearty food.

Polish Cuisine As with many European countries, feels the influence of many cultures: Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Jewish, Hungarian, German, etc., as well as a pinch of Russian, Italian, and Turkish. The focus is on meat, especially chicken and pork, and winter vegetables (cabbage in the dish bigos), and spices, as well as different kinds of noodles – particularly the pierogi. Traditionally, Poles take their festive meals seriously, and feast days — like Christmas Eve or Easter Breakfast — can involve days of preparation.

60 Normally the main meal is eaten in mid-afternoon or later, and involves three courses, starting with a soup, such as bouillon or tomato or more festive barszcz (beet) followed sometimes by an appetizer. The main course is usually meaty — a roast or breaded pork cutlet. Vegetables, though now replaced by leaf salad, were traditionally served as ‘surówka’ - shredded root vegetables with lemon and sugar (carrot, celeriac, beetroot) or fermented cabbage. Popular side dishes are now boiled potatoes, and, less commonly the traditional kasha (cereals). Meals often conclude with a dessert such as makowiec, a pastry, or drożdżówka, a type of yeast cake.

Berlin in Brief Berlin is a sprawling city comprised of several smaller towns that joined together over time. The city was largely destroyed in World War II before being occupied and reconstructed by the victorious Four Powers. Berlin served as a powerful symbol of the Cold War, and the Soviets built and maintained an 87-mile-long wall that physically divided the city. Today, only the placid waters of the River Spree separate east from west. In the two decades since the fall of communism, Berlin has reintegrated and remade itself as a unified city, a beacon for the future of Germany. For the most part, Berlin’s wide, well-maintained boulevards form a sensible grid pattern, which makes the city easy to navigate.

Major thoroughfares on the western side of the city include Potsdamerstrasse, Kantstrasse, and most importantly, Kurfurstendamm. The “Ku’damm,” as its known to locals, is Berlin’s answer to the Champs-Elysees: a long, leafy avenue lined with upscale shops, art galleries, department stores, hotels, restaurants, bars, and clubs. The enormous Europa Center, a modern shopping and business complex, forms the easternmost terminus of the Ku’damm and abuts the Tiergarten, a verdant urban park. The Europa Center sits at the extreme southwestern edge of the park; at the extreme northeastern edge, you can find the seat of the German government, including the venerable Brandenburg Gate and the glass-domed Reichstag.

A short walk east from the Brandenburg Gate along Unter den Linden (central Berlin’s answer to the Ku’damm) will take you past the University of Humboldt to the banks of the River Spree. If you follow Unter den Linden over the river, it becomes Karl-Liebknicht Strasse, and a few short blocks later, your path intersects with Alexanderplatz. Here, you’ll find Kaufhof den Westens, an enormous department store rivaled in size and splendor only by Harrod’s in London.

The KaDeWe (Berliners’ name for the Kaufhof) resides in the shadow of the Femsehturm, an iconic television tower built by the Soviets that has become a defining feature of Berlin’s skyline. Just a few blocks to the southwest, you can find the Berlin city hall, Marienkirche, Nikolaikirche, and the magnificent Neptunbrunen fountain. If you cross back over the Spree from Nikolaikirche, you’ll find yourself amid the of the Nikolaivirtel and Fischerinsel neighborhoods, both of which survived the destruction of World War II to preserve a taste of old Berlin.

Local Transportation Berlin has one of the most efficient public transportation systems in Europe, a smoothly integrated network of subway (U-bahn) and elevated (S-bahn) train lines, buses, trams (in East Berlin only), and even a ferry (across the Wannsee Lake), making every part of the city accessible.

61 There’s also an all-night bus service, indicated by the letter “N” next to route numbers. In summer, there are excursion buses linking the downtown area with the most popular recreational areas. For visitors who plan to travel extensively around the city, there is a “Berlin Ticket,” valid for 24 hours and good for all trains and buses.

Berlin Specialities German cuisine is at once local and global. In Berlin, you’ll find examples of what might be considered traditional German fare—currywurst, sauerkraut, Apfelstrudel— alongside dishes imported by Turkish, Italian, and east Asian immigrants. Italian workers arriving to rebuild the city after World War II brought spaghetti and pizza with them, while Chinese and Thai immigrants have popularized their home countries’ cooking in recent decades. But Turkish food holds greater sway over Berliners’ bellies than any other, and the doner kebab is far and away the most popular food in the city. Recently, has experienced a renaissance in Berlin, making a common sight on the city’s menus. The sixth floor of the KaDeWe features gourmet from around the world and is a must-see for anyone seeking to satisfy his gastronomic curiosity. Of course, no visit to Berlin would be complete without a few sips from a molle (glass of beer). Berlin’s bars do not have an official closing time, so patrons while away the hours by nibbling on rollmops (marinated herring filets) and buletten (hamburgers without buns, served with spicy mustard) to wash down some of the best beer in the world. Pilsners are common in Berlin, and if you find yourself in one of the picturesque beer gardens near the River Spree, be sure to try Berliner Weisse, a refreshing, extra light, slightly bitter beer that you won’t find anywhere else.

Dresden in Brief Situated near the Polish and Czech borders, Dresden sits on a wide-open floodplain. The River Elbe flows through the center of town, and unlike most major European cities, civic planners have made the riverbanks accessible to the public, creating broad green spaces in the heart of Dresden. The Dresdner Heide is the largest of several nature reserves within the city, and the Elbe meadows provide a provincial retreat within a major metropolitan area.

Dresden was nearly completely razed by Allied bombers in February 1945; the firestorm caused by the raids reached temperatures of 2700 degrees Fahreinheit and incinerated over 90% of the city. Since then, Dresden has risen from the ashes, a city marked by enlightened urban planning, spacious green areas, and an eclectic blend of neighborhoods.

The Dresden Frauenkirche is perhaps the most vivid example of the city’s reconstruction after World War II. The church was gutted by the Allied firebombing, leaving only one corner of the original structure intact. As recently as 1991, the ruins were overrun with grass, but with the help of sophisticated computer modeling, the Frauenkirche was rebuilt in its original splendor, with the charred bricks of the old church intermingled with the new. The soaring cupola of the Lutheran Frauenkirche, the stately nave of the Catholic Hofkirche, and the regal mixture of baroque and Renaissance stylings of the reconstructed Semperoper and the nearby Zwinger Palance evoke the glory of Dresden’s architectural past. Alongside these reconstructed masterpieces, you’ll find newer Stalinist apartment blocks built during the Cold War, the

62 post-modern New Synagogue, and the sleek glass walls of the Transparent Factory and the UFA Palast. The Botanical and Zoological Gardens in the Grosser Garten park provide a beautiful sanctuary for locals and travelers looking to escape the hustle and bustle of this modern city.

Local Transportation Dresden has long been a world-renowned center of traffic engineering, and its well-maintained autobahnen make the city easy to navigate by car. Public transportation is equally user-friendly, with over 125 miles of tramways providing efficient transportation for Dresdeners and tourists alike. Unlike many cities of similar size, none of Dresden’s trams operate underground, making them a great way to see the city’s center. Germans have a reputation for punctuality, so you can rest assured that your tram will arrive and depart according to the published schedule. Dresden also features two large rail hubs providing commuter service to the city’s suburbs, along with inter-city service to Leipzig, Prague, and Berlin.

Dresden Specialities Typical German cuisine is common in Dresden, but you can find some local Saxon specialities here too. Sauerbraten (marinated braised beef) is the most recognizable Saxon dish, and quark, a soft cheese common in this part of Europe, finds its way into a number of iconic dishes, including quarkkeulchen (sweetened potato pancakes) and eierschecke (similar to cheesecake). Potato stew, sour roast, and lebkeuchen (a soft gingerbread) are considered traditional Saxon fare, but no gastronomic tour of Dresden is complete without a tall glass of Radeberger, an outstanding Pilsner brewed just outside the city.

Prague in Brief Prague, an ancient and historic city, is the capital of the Czech Republic (made up of Bohemia, Moravia, and part of ). The city, located at the crossroads of Europe, is both ancient and modern and possesses a palpable energy. Getting around Prague can be a bit tricky—many of the streets are small, narrow cobblestone paths that seem to wind about endlessly. But the “city of 1,000 spires” is one of the most beautiful you will ever see.

Prague is really a series of five historic towns welded together to form one great city. The river Vltava slices through Prague, giving the city its distinctive bridges. Hradcany, the castle district, is on the river’s west bank with Prague Castle and St. Vitus cathedral nearby. Below this section lies Mala Strana (the Lesser Quarter) with buildings dating back to the 13th century. Petrin Hill to the south offers wonderful views out over the city. On the east bank of the river is Stare Mesto (Old Town) with its large central square. Nearby is Josefov, the former Jewish ghetto. Nove Mesto (New Town, though parts of it go back to the 14th century) stretches around parts of Stare Mesto and historic Wenceslas Square. The Charles Bridge, a city landmark, stretches over the Vltava and links much of the city.

Ruzyne airport is in the western suburbs of the city. The Prague Information Service offers good information about Prague and is located in Old Town Square. The Tourist Office (Cedok) at Na Prikope is also a good place for information and maps.

63 Prague is a lovely city for walking so be sure to stroll the Royal Way, which takes you by some of the city’s architectural treasures, including Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. In Hradcany stop to see the Strahov Monastery and the Summer Palace. If you are a fan of classical music you’ll want to stop in at the Smetana Hall in Obecni Dum. The Museum of the City of Prague in northern Nove Mesto is an impressive and interesting stop. Wenceslas Square in Old Town and Josefov in Stare Mesto both offer excellent walking and sightseeing opportunities.

Local Transportation Subway: Prague’s modern subway system—the Metro—is easy to use and spotlessly clean. It provides the simplest and fastest means of transportation, and most new maps of Prague mark the routes. Subways run daily from 5 am to midnight with trains every two minutes during peak hours, slowing down to every ten to fifteen minutes by late in the evening. There are several lines, each a different color, which intersect at various points in the city center and the route plans are easy to follow. Once inside the Metro, acquaint yourself with these words: vystup means exit, and prestup means connection.

Tram/Bus: You’ll probably stick to the Metro, but a bus ride can be a good way to see some of the city, especially if you want to venture farther out. You need to buy a new ticket every time you change vehicles.

Taxi: These are not recommended, as some drivers try to take advantage of tourists and inflate the price, possibly by driving miles out of the way. If you must take a taxi, it is best to use the hotel’s taxi service—it is a little more expensive than taxis found at taxi stands but it is more reliable. Another choice is to ask the hotel to contact AAA Taxi for you (or call them at 233 113 311)—AAA Taxi is also dependable and they speak English. If you choose instead to use a taxi at a taxi stand or one you hail on the street, definitely agree on a price beforehand!

Punch your ticket on the Metro, trams, and buses: For the Metro, punch the ticket in the station before getting on the escalators; for buses and trams, punch the ticket inside the vehicle.

Krakow in Brief Krakow, for centuries the capital of royal Poland, is today recognized as a valid competitor to the historic charms you’ll discover in Vienna, and Prague. Having escaped serious damage in World War II, and come through the Communist years with minimal impact. The beautifully restored Old Town, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, retains its original Medieval form, and serves as a lovely setting for Wawel Castle. Surrounded by charming streets, a plethora of Catholic churches, and classic examples of historic architecture the formal Rynek Glowny is the huge central square. The Old Town bustles constantly, vibrant with visitors and locals admiring the square, picking up flowers at one of the many florists, stopping for a at the bagel cart or perhaps sitting in one of the restaurants.

64 Local Transportation Krakow’s center is mostly closed to traffic, and is quite compact: with many attractions centrally located, walking in Krakow is both easy and a pleasure. Trams are most convenient for distance travel, and they run from early morning to around 11:00 pm, though it’s best to avoid the trams at rush hour. Buses and taxis are economical, efficient, and simple to use and tough more expensive than the trams, are relatively economical.

Hamburg in Brief

City Layout Sitting beside the Elbe at its junction with the Alster River, Hamburg is Germany’s second largest city and the world’s fifth largest harbor. The Alster forms two lakes in the heart of the city, and the city center is largely situated there. Traveling further out (if you’re here for a while, you’ll want to see city features that are further afield) is easy via the metro system (U-Bahn and S-Bahn).

Hamburg won’t ever be confused with a small town. However, the commercial and shopping district, centered on the Binnenalster (the Inner Alster, separated from the Outer Alster by the Lombard and John F. Kennedy bridges) and the Rathaus (city hall), includes a high density of historic buildings, restaurants and shops, and makes the city center a perfect start for an extended stay or an concise one-day tour of the best of the old city’s highlights. Mönkberstrasse and Spitalerstrasse (pedestrian access only), south of the Binnenalster, are two fashionable streets; and the Jungfernstieg, at the foot of the Binnenalster, is the center of Hamburg’s shopping district. Throughout the area you’ll find stores, restaurants, and cafes. Much of Hamburg’s center was destroyed during WW II, but many historic structures have been rebuilt.

In addition to the Rathaus you’ll find St. Petri church, the restored St. Jacobi church, St. Michaelis church, the Kunsthalle art gallery, and the Hamburgische Staatsoper – Hamburg’s modern opera house.

Venturing further afield, you’ll find the harbor area – which stretches 25 miles along the Elbe, and has been a central port for the European continent since 1198. A harbor tour offers up an interesting view of the city and the part the river has played in making it what it is today. The St. Pauli district is famed for its nightlife and racy entertainment. Split by the Reeperbahn, the district, while toned down from its peak, is still in the business of nighttime diversions, including cafes, sex shows and music halls (this is, after all, where the Beatles honed their hard-edged early version of rock and roll.) Once a stand-alone city, the Altona district has been absorbed by Hamburg and is, on Sundays at dawn, home to Hamburg’s famous Fischmarkt.

Local Transportation An efficient network of buses and two railways serves Hamburg: the U-Bahn (inter-city underground line) and the S-Bahn (suburban above-ground line). The S-Bahn serves Hamburg’s suburbs and outlying areas; the 60 miles of U-Bahn rail (some above and some below ground) serve the city proper. In addition you’ll find about 600 bus routes, and ferries that cross the river

65 Elbe. All public transport is under the control of the Hamburg Transit Authority (HVV), and tickets are valid on all types of transit. A one-day pass – Tageskarte – is an economical way of getting around the city on any given day, since it allows you to mix modes to meet your travel needs. The city center is the Nahbereich zone, stretching between St Pauli and the Hauptbahnhof. The Grossbereich (Greater Hamburg area) zone covers both the city center and communities like Blankenese, and offers the most flexible option for getting around. Taxis are an option as well.

Warsaw in Brief Bisected by the Vistula River Warsaw – the modern capital of Poland – is a very different animal from Krakow. World War II dealt Warsaw a particularly devastating hand – only 15% of the city emerged still standing after being razed by the German occupiers and nearly 60% of the population was either dead or missing. The Postwar years saw Soviet-style city planners, with a blank slate, design and build to their Socialist-Realist palette

Local Transportation Warsaw is quite large, so you can expect to become familiar with the public transportation system. It’s complex, and you should probably seek destination specifics before you set out. Trams are most convenient for distance travel, and they run from early morning to around 11:00 pm, though it’s best to avoid the trams at rush hour. Buses and taxis are economical, efficient, and simple to use and tough more expensive than the trams, are relatively economical.

Shopping: What to Buy, Customs, Shipping & More There may be scheduled visits to local shops during your vacation. There is no requirement to make a purchase during these stops, and any purchase made is a direct transaction with the shop in question, subject to the vendor’s terms of purchase. Grand Circle is not responsible for purchases you make on your trip or for the shipment of your purchases.

Returns If you discover an issue with an item, you should contact the vendor directly. If the shop is outside the country, you should expect that any resolution will take longer than it would in the U.S. We recommend that you keep a copy of all your receipts, invoices, or contracts, along with the shop’s contact information. Keep in mind, local practice may vary from the standards you are used to, so don’t assume that you have a certain number of days after the purchase to speak up or that you are guaranteed a refund.

Crafts & Souvenirs

Germany Popular German buys include Nymphenburg porcelain, cutlery, high-quality cameras and binoculars, loden clothing, goose-down comforters, Rosenthal china and glassware, and chocolate. Munich is Germany’s fashion capital—there are plenty of chic boutiques, especially on Theatinerstrasse, Maximilianstrasse, and Schwabing’s Leopoldstrasse.

66 Value Added Tax: Depending on how much you spend on certain goods, you may be eligible for a partial refund of Germany’s 16% Value Added Tax (VAT). You must obtain a special form for VAT from the store. Ask the shopkeeper or salesperson for details, and be sure to save all receipts for Customs.

Czech Republic In the Czech Republic many stores sell a wide range of crafts and tourist goods, such as Bohemian glass, porcelain, crystal, peasant pottery, wooden toys, jewelry, and folk carvings. Modern artwork and crafts are sold at private art galleries.

Poland Polish folk objects make good mementos and are an excellent value. Some interesting possibilities include embroidery, lace, dolls in folk costumes, prints and engravings, amber, pottery, and woodcarvings. The wide range of chain stores specializing in different local wares makes shopping in Poland relatively easy. Desa stores carry tapestries, painting, sculptures, and porcelain.

U.S. Customs Regulations & Shipping Charges For all things related to U.S. Customs, the ultimate authority is the U.S. Bureau of Customs & Border Protection. Their website, www.cbp.gov has the answers to the most frequently asked questions. Or you can call them at 1-877-227-5511.

The top three points to know are:

• At time of writing, your personal duty-free allowance is $800 for items brought with you. Items totaling more than $800 are subject to duty fees.

• Items shipped home are always subject to duty when received in the U.S. Even when the shop has offered to include shipping and duties in the price, this typically means shipping to the nearest customs facility and payment of the export duties—not door-to-door shipping or payment of the import duties. All additional duties or shipping charges would be your responsibility. Unless an item is small enough to send by parcel service (like FedEx), chances are you will need to arrange shipping or pick-up once the item is in the U.S. and will need to pay customs duties.

• It is illegal to import products made from endangered animal species. U.S. Customs & Border Protection will seize these items, as well as most furs, coral, tortoise shell, reptile skins, feathers, plants, and items made from animal skins.

67 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY

Germany

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 137,846 square miles

• Capital: Berlin

• Languages: German is the official language; Turkish is also spoken in Berlin.

• Location: Germany is bordered by Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, the North Sea, and the Baltic Sea.

• Geography: Located in central Europe, Germany is bordered on the west by the Benelux countries and France, and on the east by Poland and the Czech Republic. Switzerland and Austria are to the south. Germany’s northern coastline is met by the North Sea and the Baltic.

• Population: 80,854,408 (estimate)

• Religions: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, other 28.3%

• Time Zone: Germany is on Central European Time, six hours ahead of U.S. EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is noon in Berlin. Daylight Saving Time begins the last Sunday in March and ends the last Sunday in October.

National Holidays: Germany

In addition to the holidays listed below, 05/01 May Day Germany celebrates a number of national 10/03 Day of German Unity holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter. There are also some holidays that 11/01 All Saints’ Day are not national holidays, but are widely observed. To find out if you will be traveling 12/24 Christmas Eve during these holidays, please visit www. 12/25 Christmas Day timeanddate.com/holidays. 12/26 Boxing Day 01/01 New Year’s Day

Germany: A Brief History For many contemporary travelers, the has been overshadowed by its role in the two World Wars of the past century. But that belies the two millennia of history and culture that is the legacy of Europe’s Germanic people, and which awaits your discovery.

68 During the Bronze and Iron Ages, Germanic tribes from southern Scandinavia and Northern Germany expanded, mixing and clashing with Celtic, Baltic, Slavic, Gaul, and Indo-European people. Settling east of the Rhine and north of the Danube, in a region the Romans dubbed “Germania,” they never unified. But they repulsed nearly all efforts of Rome to colonize them. The Romans were only ever able to subdue Germania’s southern and western flanks.

With the 5th century fall of the Western Roman Empire, Germanic Franks rose as the largest tribal confederacy of the middle Rhine. They spread to Gaul, absorbing all of France; and as far west as Poland. There was no unified German nation but by 800 AD, there was a with the Frankish king as Emperor. For 1,000 years, the Holy Roman Empire mostly controlled Europe, and German prince-electors mostly controlled the Empire.

The Holy Roman Empire became a collection of , principalities, Free Imperial Cities, and ecclesiastical states that spread across the larger kingdoms of Germany, Italy, Bohemia, and Burgundy. In 1440, the Austrian Hapsburg dynasty took control of the Holy Roman Empire (and held it until 1806). But all the imperial states became embroiled in the Thirty Years War (1618–1648), which was sparked by a revolt of Bohemian Protestants, but grew into a deadly struggle between Bourbon and Hapsburg powers. Most of Central Europe was devastated by the conflict.

The prospect of a unified German nation began to coalesce during the Seven Weeks War in 1866, when the Prussian army under Otto von Bismarck defeated Austria. Prussia’s superior firepower convinced other German states that Austria was no longer a force. Bismarck then formed a North German Confederation without Austria—the forerunner to the unified German Empire of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Bismarck fostered alliances and instituted universal health care, pension plans, and other social welfare programs. But after Wilhelm I died in 1888, his grandson Wilhelm II rejected liberal reforms in favor of imperialism, which led to Germany’s involvement in . Its defeat ended of the German Empire with the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.

The punitive provisions of the Versailles agreement opened the door for the Nazis. In 1933, a government was formed with Hitler as Chancellor. By 1934, Hitler took over as Fuhrer and established a totalitarian regime. German Jews were targeted by vicious propaganda and stripped of their rights. By 1939, half of Germany’s 500,000 Jews had fled. The Final Solution was implemented in 1941, and the ensuing Holocaust killed 6 million Jews and 11 million others. Meanwhile, Germany began annexing territories and the world was drawn into war.

The Allies defeated the Axis powers in 1945, leaving a partitioned Germany with a decimated political, social, and economic infrastructure. Yet despite its ruin and enormous burden of shame, the Federal German Republic (West Germany) became a parliamentary democracy, a NATO member, a founding member of the European Union, and one of the world’s richest countries. When the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) demanded reform. German reunification took place in 1990. Since then economic integration of East Germany has been difficult, but progressing. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor since 2005, has helped Germany retain its position as a leader of the EU, and indeed, of the free world.

69 Czech Republic

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 30,451 square miles

• Capital: Prague

• Languages: Czech is the official language.

• Ethnicities: Czech 64.3%, Moravian 5%, Slovak 1.4%, other 29.3%

• Location: The Czech Republic is bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Poland, and Germany.

• Geography: Landlocked in Eastern Europe, the Czech Republic comprises the ancient provinces of Bohemia and Moravia, with a mountainous rim on the German border to the west.

• Population: 10,644,842 (estimate)

• Religions: Roman Catholic 10.4%, Protestant 1.1%, other or unspecified 54%, none 34.5%

• Time Zone: The Czech Republic on Central European Time, six hours ahead of U.S. EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is noon in Prague.

National Holidays: Czech Republic

In addition to the holidays listed below, 07/05 Saints Cyril and Methodius the Czech Republic celebrates a number of 07/06 Jan Hus Day national holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter. To find out if you will be 09/28 St. Wenceslas Day traveling during these holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 10/28 Independent Czechoslovak State Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 11/17 Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day 05/01 Labor Day/May Day 12/25 Christmas Day 05/08 Victory in Europe Day 12/26 St. Stephen’s Day

The Czech Republic: A Brief History Though the Czech Republic is less than 50 years old, its culture dates to the 5th century BC, when groups of Celts calling themselves “Boii” settled in Bohemia, which means “home of the Boii.” By the 6th century, the Celts were replaced by Germanic and Slavic tribes. Around 631 AD, Samo, a Frankish merchant living in the area, formed a coalition of Slavic tribes, became their king, and won victories against the Avars and the Franks. His short-lived kingdom was the first Slavic state.

70 A unified Slavic state continued with the formation of Great Moravia, an empire that included the of Bohemia. The region soon fell under the influence of German dukes, and in 950 became part of the Holy Roman Empire. Fast-forward to the 14th century, the Czech golden age. Under the enlightened reign of Charles IV, who was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1355, Bohemia was a center of power, culture and prestige.

By the 14th century, Jan Hus, a rector at Charles University in Prague, advocated for church reform and against corruption. He gained a huge Czech following two centuries before the Protestant Reformation. Hus was burned at the stake in 1415, and in 1419 his followers stormed Prague’s Town Hall and tossed Catholic councilors out the window in what is called the “Defenestration of Prague.” Bohemia and Moravia remained Protestant strongholds, but as the Hapsburgs consolidated power, they confiscated Protestant lands. The Hapsburgs dominated for 300 years, leaving an ambiguous legacy. Though they suppressed dissent and imposed Austrian culture, they also provided stability. Under Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph, serfdom was abolished, public education was provided, and the region’s Jews gained rights. An industrial middle class emerged. And there was a renewal of and culture.

World War I brought the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the establishment of the first independent Czechoslovakia—a joint state between ethnic , , and Slovaks. Czechoslovakia thrived until Hitler annexed the country in 1939. Bohemia and Moravia became a protectorate of the Reich, and Slovakia became a puppet state. Prague was spared significant physical damage, but the resistance was destroyed and two-thirds of the nation’s Jews were murdered. In 1945, the Nazis withdrew; Czechoslovakia was reconstituted; and in 1947 2.5 million resident ethnic Germans were expelled to Germany and Austria.

The Soviets took power in 1948, sending thousands of Czechs to prison. Resistance emerged in the 1960s with president Alexander Dubcek, who espoused “socialism with a human face.” It smiled upon the world during the Prague Spring of 1968, when there was an outpouring of democratic sentiment. Dubcek loosened restrictions on the press, speech and travel. But in August, 1968, the Soviets invaded with Warsaw Pact troops, replaced Dubcek with a hardliner, and began reprisals against protest leaders (including activist-playwright, Václav Havel).

As Communism fell across Europe in 1989, the most striking revolt was in Czechoslovakia. When Prague police brutally attacked a peaceful student demonstration, dissidents led by Václav Havel negotiated the government’s resignation on December 3, and Havel was elected president. Forty years of Soviet domination were swept aside in what has been called “the Velvet Revolution.” Soon after independence, differences between the Czechs and Slovaks became irreconcilable. So on January 1, 1993, they agreed to a “Velvet Divorce” and split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999, and the EU in 2004. Today, the Czech Republic is a pluralist multi-party parliamentary democracy. The country has held numerous free elections without incident, and the economy has remained relatively robust.

Poland

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 120,728 square miles

71 • Capital: Warsaw

• Government: Republic

• Language: Polish is the official language. It is a Slavonic language. Unlike Russian, it uses the familiar Roman alphabet, but with many additional accents. German, Russian, English, and French are spoken by most members of the travel industry and in hotels.

• Location: Situated in the heart of Europe, Poland’s low-lying plains extend from the Baltic shore in the north to the Tatra Mountains on its southern border with the Czech Republic and Slovakia. To the east of the Polish border are Lithuania, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine; to the west is Germany.

• Population: 38,562,189 (estimate)

• Religion: Catholic 87.2%, Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.4%, other 0.4%, and unspecified 10.8%

• Time zone: The time in Poland is six hours ahead of Eastern Time in North America: when it is 12 noon in New York, it is 6 pm in Warsaw and Krakow.

National Holidays: Poland

In addition to the holidays listed below, 05/01 Labor Day/May Day Poland celebrates a number of national 05/03 Constitution Day holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter. To find out if you will be traveling 08/15 Assumption of Mary during these holidays, please visit www. timeanddate.com/holidays. 11/01 All Saints’ Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 11/11 Independence Day

01/06 Epiphany 12/25 Christmas Day

12/26 Boxing Day

Poland: A Brief History Poland’s sovereignty has never been easy or taken for granted. From its earliest incarnation as an independent state in 966, Poland has been occupied by foreign powers, sandwiched between hostile neighbors and even wiped off the world map for 123 years. But through it all, there have been remarkable leaders and a commitment to cultural preservation that continues to inspire.

The first nation builders were the . Their most prominent clan, the Polanie (“people of the open country”) gave the nation its name, and the . The most important Piast ruler was Duke Mieszko. In 966, he consolidated power by being baptized a Catholic and marrying Doubravka, a Bohemian princess. Mieszko’s son Boleslaw expanded his dominion to an area roughly equivalent to Poland’s current borders. He became Poland’s first legitimate king in 1025.

72 Kazimierz III the Great presided over a period of prosperity and expansion from 1333–70. He was a visionary who promoted legal, educational, and civil reforms. Among them was a law providing privileges for Jews, which set the stage for Poland as a haven for a group that made significant cultural contributions for 600 years. He built universities and founded so many new towns it gave rise to a saying that Kazimierz “found Poland built of wood, but left it in stone.”

When Kazimierz died without heir, the Polish Princess Jadwiga married the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Jogaila. Their two states became the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569. It had a central parliament and local assemblies, and an elected king. But a fatal loophole was that in the absence of a serious Polish contender, nobles could elect a foreigner. This opened the door for rampant bribery and a series of kings whose allegiances were not with Poland.

By the beginning of the 17th century, foreign invaders carved up the kingdom. Most devastating was the Swedish invasion of 1655–70, called “The Deluge.” Next came the Ottomans, but Poland had a bright moment when King Jan III Sobieski defeated the Turks at the in 1683, preventing their further spread into Europe. He was unable to prevent Poland’s collapse: In 1772, the Commonwealth was partitioned by Prussia, Austria, and Russia. It was divided two more times, despite a revolt led by Tadeusz Kosciuszko, hero of the American Revolution.

In 1795, Poland ceased to exist as a nation, its borders erased for 123 years. But its spirit was kept alive by nationalist societies, and by romantic artists like the composer Frederic Chopin. It wasn’t until after World War in 1918 that an independent Polish state came back into existence. The Second Republic only lasted 20 years before the Nazi occupation of World War II. The Germans first targeted Gdansk, then Warsaw, and met fierce resistance. But the Poles were outnumbered and underarmed. The Nazis intended to make Poland their living room by evicting its inhabitants. A million Poles were murdered in camps; nearly all of the nation’s three million Jews were exterminated; and when the Soviets came in 1944, they continued the genocide. By the end of the war, 20% of the Polish population had died, and Poland became a Soviet satellite.

The postwar years saw various protests, but it wasn’t until the Gdansk shipyard strikes of 1980 that change happened. The workers’ main issue was the right to unionize, but in their “21 Demands” they sought far-reaching changes in areas from food supplies to free speech to maternity leave and more. The Solidarity Strike was joined by workers in mines, factories, and more. Through the leadership of Lech Walesa, the protests remained non-violent, but the struggle lasted till the end of the decade. When the Iron Curtain fell, Walesa was elected President, and Third Polish Republic was born. Poland joined NATO in 1999, and the EU in 2004.

73 RESOURCES

Suggested Reading

General Central Europe: Enemies, Neighbors, Friends by Lonnie R. Johnson (History) A panoramic history of Central Europe that provides a comparative analysis of the key events that have shaped Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, , and . The author abandons the Cold War convention of defining Central Europe in the bipolar terms of East and West, and emphasizes the underlying continuities in the region’s history.

Germany In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson (2011, History) Acclaimed historian and author Larson follows the experiences of the American ambassador to Germany in 1933 as he and his family slowly come to realize the menace and danger that is Hitler’s Third Reich.

Dresden: A City Reborn Edited by Alan Russell, Anthony Clayton, and Alan Keith Russell (2013, History) On 13 February 1945, Dresden, one of the most beautiful and historic cities of Europe, was destroyed by British and American air raids. This book traces the city’s history from its medieval birth in 1206 through its world war II destruction and up through the 21st century.

The Woman from Hamburg: and Other True Stories by Hana Krall (2006, Non-Fiction) A journalist from Warsaw born in 1937, Krall reveals the lives and strange trajectories of her compatriots in these stories, profiles and interviews of survivors of WWII.

Tschick by Wolfgang Harrndorf (2014, Fiction) Two unpopular teenagers—one German and one Russian—”borrow” a car and go on a joyride across Germany. Although the protagonists are young, the story seems to delight adults too—it was recommended by the ambassador of Germany has one of the best modern stories from his country.

Before the Deluge: A Portrait of Berlin in the 1920s by Otto Friedrich (1995, History) A noted historian describes the raucous social, cultural and political scene in this most vibrant city, when Christopher Isherwood, Marlene Dietrich, Albert Einstein, Greta Garbo, Berthold Brecht Walter Gropius, Vassily Kandinsky and so many others made their home here.

March Violets by Philip Kerr (1990, Mystery) The first of a series that also includes titles such as The Pale Criminal and A German Requiem. Set in 1930s Berlin, these dark mysteries follow Bernard Gunther, a former police officer now turned private detective who specializes in finding missing people and people who don’t want to be found. The language is very much like a classic noir film from the 30s or 40s.

Berlin by Giles MacDonogh (1998, History) A study of the history, sociology, architecture, food, crime, and theater of one of Europe’s most intriguing cities—on the eve of its return as the capital of the Unified Germany.

74 Peeling the Onion by Günter Grass (2007, Memoir) The Nobel Prize-winning author describes his experiences growing up in Danzig (now Gdansk) and as a soldier in the Nazi Waffen SS. It is a real-life story of the themes he explored with magical realism in his masterpiece, The Tin Drum.

Martin Luther: A Life by Martin E. Marty (2004, Biography) A brief but engrossing biography of the fiery Protestant reformer who transformed western thinking, sending shock waves across Europe’s political as well as religious landscape.

The Silent Angel by Heinrich Boll (1992, Fiction) A German WWII deserter returns to his home town of Cologne after it has been carpet bombed, and encounters a city filled with shell-shocked people trying to survive both physically and spiritually. Nobel Prize winner Boll, a Cologne native, drew from his own postwar experiences to create this moving portrait.

Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse (1930, Fiction) This classic tale reveals medieval Germany through the experiences of two men, one who chooses the monastic life, and the other traveling the world.

Culture Shock! Germany by Richard Lord (2008, Culture/Travel). Learn all you need to know to understand the modern German way of life.

Czech Republic The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Kundera (1984, Fiction) Passion, politics, and philosophy; loyalty and lies; these are just some of the themes explored in this novel, which follows a young woman in love with a philandering surgeon in Prague of the 1960s.

Me, Myself & Prague: An Unreliable Guide to Bohemia by Rachael Weiss (2008. Travel Narrative) When the author uproots herself and moves from Australia to Prague she hopes to reinvent herself in a specific way—as a worldly and chic novelist—but ends up discovering more about who she was all along.

The Garden Party and Other Plays by Václav Havel (1994, Plays) Written by the famed playwright who went on to become the first president of post-communist Czechoslovakia. These absurdist plays blend politics with typical wry Czech humor to capture the mood of a country on the brink of great change.

Love and Garbage by Ivan Klíma (1986, Fiction) When Klíma wrote this book in 1986, it was banned by the Communist regime. Three years later, after the fall of the Iron Curtain, it became a sensation. It follows the ups and downs of a dissident artist forced to be a garbage man in Communist Prague. He collects far more than trash.

Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937–1948 by Madeleine Albright (2012, Biography) Former Secretary of State Albright describes her early life in Czechoslovakia during the Nazi occupation and World War II. Albright spent much of her childhood in exile in London, and was too young to understand the forces at work in her birth country. For that, she relies here on historical research but also the letters, journals, and articles of her remarkable family and their friends. A stellar example of how the personal becomes the political.

75 Poland God’s Playground: A History of Poland by Norman Davies (2005, History) Critics regard this work as the best and most exciting history of Poland, covering 1,000 years in two volumes. The author also offers a condensed version—Heart of Europe: A Short History of Poland.

Gimpel the Fool and Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer (1957, Fiction) From the master of Yiddish literature (and Nobel Laureate), this collection vividly depicts Jewish life in a rural shtetl, while mixing magic and reality.

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly (2016, Historical fiction) Loosely based on the true story of an American who campaigned for a group of concentration camp survivors known as “the Rabbits”, this novel follows the intersecting lives of three very different women—a New York socialite, a Polish teenager, and a German doctor.

Suggested Film & Video

Germany Goodbye, Lenin! (2003, Comedy/Drama) A German boy named Alex pulls off an elaborate scheme to prevent his fragile mother, a dedicated socialist, from experiencing a fatal shock. When she awakens in 1990 after a long coma, Alex strives to keep the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of Communism, and the reunification of Germany a secret.

Bridge of Spies (2015, Drama) Steven Spielberg directed this Cold War thriller based on a true story about a lawyer (Tom Hanks) who must negotiate a delicate prisoner exchange: Francis Gary Powers, a U.S. pilot whose U-2 spy plane was shot down by the Soviet Union in 1960—for captured KGB spy Rudolf Abel. The title refers to the Glienicke Bridge that connects Potsdam and Berlin, where the exchange took place.

Cabaret (1972, Musical/Drama) Directed by Bob Fosse, this movie has it all: a killer Broadway score, a perfect cast, Fosse’s sultry choreography, pointed social commentary, and an electrifying portait of lost souls struggling to survive in Weimar-era Berlin on the cusp of Nazism. It did not win Best Picture, but took eight other major categories including Best Actress (Liza Minelli), Best Supporting Actor (Joel Grey), and Best Director (Fosse).

Das Boot (1981, Adventure) One of the most authentic war films ever made Das Boot is a raw and compelling portrayal of a German Atlantic U-boat crew and captain as they struggle to survive during World War II.

The Lives of Others (2006, Drama) A drama that marked the feature film debut of German filmmaker Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. Set in East Berlin in 1984, an agent of the secret police conducts surveillance on a writer and his lover. As the story unfolds, he finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives. As intoxicating as it is chilling, this film quietly depicts the secret world of German espionage. In German with subtitles.

76 The Marriage of Maria Braun (1978, Drama) A young German woman marries her true love, then loses him when he is sent to the Eastern Front and is presumed dead. When the war ends, Maria must fend for herself, becoming a prostitute and eventually using her wiles to establish a bourgeois existence. But things get complicated when her husband returns. This is an engrossing, dynamic and often funny allegory for the scrappy rise of postwar Germany.

Look Who’s Back (2015, Comedy) Can Germany escape the specter of Nazism? Not according to this biting satire, in which der Fuehrer magically reawakens in 2014 in the square where his bunker once stood. He is horrified to learn that the country is led by a woman, Poland is a free state, and the Fatherland is full of immigrants. An out of work filmmaker thinks this eccentric character is just a comic Hitler impersonator, and he builds a reality show about him. As Hitler becomes a media sensation, others are shown to share his ideas about the future of Germany. Filmed Borat-style, many scenes feature real people reacting to this putschy provocateur.

Immortal Beloved (1994, Drama) After the death of Ludwig van Beethoven (Gary Oldman), the life and loves of the great composer are revealed in flashbacks as his friend and executor tries to solve the mystery of an unmailed letter to a mysterious lover.

Schindler’s List (1993, Drama) Spielberg’s masterpiece about a callow industrialist, Oskar Schindler, whose life is transformed as he gradually, then unceasingly works to save his Jewish workforce during World War II.

The Reader (2008, Drama) Based on the bestselling novel by Bernard Schink, this compelling story is an allegory for Germany’s struggle to come to terms with its Holocaust guilt. It centers on the secret affair of a 15-year old West German teen and a mysterious woman who is 20 years his senior. Fast forward six years, when the young man is now a law student observing a war trial, and is shocked to realize that the defendant is his former lover. Kate Winslet won an Oscar for her nuanced portrayal of the tormented Hanna Schmidt.

Middle Europe The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014, Comedy/Mystery) This film was shot primarily in Saxony (Germany) and it takes place in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka, but it beautifully conjures a rich Mitteleuropa nostalgia and has an uproarious story-within-a-story format—plus a killer cast. Ralph Fiennes is the debonair concierge of a grand hotel who deftly contends with his quirky staff, wealthy guests, fascist agents, and the theft of a priceless artwork. Directed by Wes Anderson at his light-hearted (but always precise) best.

Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Czechoslovakia Ice Mother (2017, Comedy/Drama) Hana, a recent widow, has her spirit nearly crushed by her dysfunctional family, with whom she gathers every Saturday for the traditional dinner. Things get disrupted when she meets Brona, who welcomes her into his quirky club of cold-water swimmers, but warms things up in other ways.

77 Kolya (1996, Comedy/Drama) An Oscar winner for Best foreign Language Film. Kolya is an aging ladies man and professional cellist, after being flippant with Russian officials, he loses his orchestra position. To make money, he marries a Russian woman for pay so she can get her papers. But when the cellist is left with 5-year old son, he changes his tune.

Kafka (1991, Drama) Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Jeremy Irons as the legendary Czech writer Franz Kafka, this unconventional biopic blends events of the author’s life with fantasy scenes from his fiction. Segments of striking black-and-white cinematography add to the moody allure of 1920s Prague.

The Shop on Main Street (1965, Drama). The Oscar for Best Foreign Film of 1965 went to this story about a disillusioned carpenter, Tono, who is appointed the “Aryan controller” of a button shop owned by an old Jewish woman. By Nazi decree, Tono is the shop’s new owner, but the kind Mrs. Lautmann is so senile, she thinks he is just a nice helper. The two end up forging a delicate bond, but when a roundup of Jews begins, Tono must make a terrible moral choice.

Fireman’s Ball (1967, Comedy) Made just before the Prague Spring, this is the last film that the renowned Miloš Forman directed before going into exile in the US. A masterpiece of the Czech New Wave, this veiled critique of Soviet bureaucracy is wrapped in a comic tale about a retirement fete being hosted by some small town firemen. None of the actors were professionals— they were the actual firemen of Vrchlabí, a Czech village.

Anthropoid (2017, Drama) Based on the true story of Operation Anthropoid, an attempt by World War II Czech and Slovak partisans to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, architect of the Final Solution and the so-called “Butcher of Prague.”

Poland The Pianist (2002, Drama) Three Oscar wins for this unforgettable, harrowing and true story of Wadyslaw Szpillman, an up and coming classical pianist who hid and survived for five years in the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto after his entire family was deported to Treblinka.

Man of Iron (1981, Drama) A dissolute journalist is sent to report on the Solidarity movement in the Gdansk shipyards, knowing that his information is being funneled to state police. But as he becomes involved in the lives of shipyard workers, activists, and their leader Lech Walesa, things change. From one of Poland’s premier auteurs, Andrzej Wadja.

78 Useful Websites

Grand Circle Forum (tips from previous World Weather travelers) www.intellicast.com www.gct.com/forum www.weather.com www.wunderground.com Grand Circle Shop www.grandcircleshop.com Basic Travel Phrases (80 languages) www.travlang.com/languages Grand Circle Frequently Asked Questions www.gct.com/faq Packing Tips www.travelite.org International Health Information/CDC (Centers for Disease Control) U.S. Customs & Border Protection http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel www.cbp.gov/travel

Electricity & Plugs Transportation Security www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/ Administration (TSA) plugs-and-sockets www.tsa.gov

Foreign Exchange Rates National Passport Information Center www.xe.com/currencyconverter www.travel.state.gov www.oanda.com/converter/classic Holidays Worldwide ATM Locators www.timeanddate.com/holidays www.mastercard.com/atm www.visa.com/atmlocator

79 VACCINATIONS NOW REQUIRED FOR ALL TRAVELERS, PROGRAM DIRECTORS, AND COACH DRIVERS Plus, updated Health & Safety Protocols for our Land Tours

The health and safety of our travelers is always our #1 priority, and we understand travelers are concerned about exploring the world in light of the unprecedented crisis we are currently facing. To ensure your safety and give you peace of mind, we have worked with our regional team and listened to government guidance and feedback from our travelers to create these health and safety protocols for our trips. As we continue to make changes, we will keep our website updated with the latest information.

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS AND UPDATED HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR GRAND CIRCLE TOURS

• All travelers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure.

To meet this requirement, please bring your original COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card with you on your trip. The white card must display your name, type of vaccine, and the date(s) the vaccine was administered. We also suggest taking a picture of this card to keep for your records as a backup.

• All local Program Directors will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

• All coach drivers will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

We will do all we can to ensure our travelers’ safety and health while on our trips, but we need your help. We expect travelers to follow best health and hygiene practices to prevent the spread of illness as well—from washing your hands regularly, to covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing. By working together, we can create a safer travel experience for everyone.

Learn more at www.gct.com/covid-update

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83 Visit www.gct.com or call us toll-free at 1-800-221-2610

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