WARSAW TO BERLIN FROM THE PRUSSIAN WORLD TO MODERNITY

MAY 8-25, 2017 TOUR LEADER: THOMAS ABBOTT

Warsaw to Berlin Overview From the Prussian world to modernity With extended stays in Warsaw, Krakow, and Berlin, this tour explores these fascinating cities of Central Europe, all enjoying a new Tour dates: May 8-25, 2017 vitality since the fall of the Berlin Wall. In , the attractions of major centres such as Warsaw and Krakow are complemented by country Tour leader: Thomas Abbott estates and centres of religious pilgrimage. In , historic buildings such as Sanssouci Palace, the Reichstag and Dresden’s Frauenkirche vie Tour Price: $9,795 per person, twin share for attention with striking contemporary architecture. The region also boasts some exceptional art and history museums, while Berlin is a centre Single Supplement: $1,790 for sole use of for contemporary arts and is currently enjoying a major cultural double room . First documented in the 13th century, the city has been the of the Prussian Empire, the German Empire, the Weimar Republic Booking deposit: $500 per person and the Third Reich. Since 1989 the city has relished its role as the capital of a unified and re-energised Germany. Recommended airline: Emirates Explore beautifully restored palaces along the Royal Route in Warsaw and Maximum places: 20 its environs, with visits to Nieborow and Lazienski Park and on Wawel Hill in Krakow. Learn about Poland’s extensive Jewish heritage and head Itinerary: Warsaw (4 nights), Krakow (3 nights), down the Weilieczka Salt Mine. Art and music come to the fore on Dresden (3 nights), Leipzig (2 nights), Berlin (5 Germany with performances in Leipzig and Berlin and visits to the Green nights) Vault, and the Gemäldegalerie gallery.

Date published: June 27, 2016 Your tour leader

Thomas Abbott was born in the US but has lived in Germany since 1988. He holds a degree in art history and has led many cultural tours throughout Germany, specialising in the architecture of Berlin, the art of 18th-century Germany and the Bauhaus. He has led two previous tours for Academy Travel, both highly successful, and works for leading cultural travel companies in the UK and Europe. His knowledge, experience and enthusiasm contribute in equal measure to his popularity as a tour leader.

“Our tour leader Thomas was excellent in all ways – his attention to detail and his superb understanding of the art, history and culture on tour. He is a gem and a wealth of knowledge.”

“Tom is the best tour leader I have travelled with. He has incredible knowledge and looks after everyone individually.” Enquiries and Feedback from tour participants on Thomas Abbott’s most recent tour with bookings Academy Travel – Berlin and Beyond, May 2015.

For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Erin Laffin at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email [email protected]

Tour Highlights

Warsaw Four nights in Warsaw, Poland’s bustling capital, spread over a broad area with diverse architecture spanning restored gothic including its palaces, brutalist communist era concrete and modern steel and glass signifying the city's tumultuous past

Krakow Three nights in medieval Krakow, perhaps Poland’s most beautiful city and one of Europe's finest historic centres. Explore the charming atmosphere of the old town including the magnificent cloth hall, focal point of commercial life in the middle-ages

Old Masters’ Gallery The Old Masters’ Gallery, located in the Palace and containing European works from the Renaissance to the 18th century

Charlottenberg The 17th century palace at Charlottenberg, originally built as a modest summer residence and grandly expanded with exotic internal and rococo decorations and extensive formal gardens and woodlands

Potsdam A day trip to Potsdam to admire the period of Frederick the Great and his enormous influence on the Prussian World including his splendid rococo Sansouci Palace, often compared to Versailles

Wealth and warfare in Dresden’s

Sometime in the early 18th century Augustus the Strong, ostrich eggs and the Dresden Green (perhaps the world’s ruler of , decided to commission a suite of rooms to largest, naturally green ). Such precious objects are display his magnificence. Dresden’s castle had been overwhelming by reason of their quantity – but the Green enlarged during the 16th century, and purpose-built Vault also housed ingenious inventions: automaton table chambers on the ground floor of the west wing – with barred services in , which mechanically pour wine or send a windows, walls two metres thick and a vaulted ceiling – had model ship the length of a table to serve diners. A diorama been earmarked for a treasure chamber and palace archive. represents the wealth of Aurangzeb, emperor of the The reinforced vaults of the ceiling were painted a rich Mughals, who receives in miniature myriad dishes of green, leading to the nickname of the Green Vault. coins and gem-studded elephants on his 50th birthday. It is Augustus undertook some reconstruction, but in the Green 58 centimetres tall, and is made of more than 4000 Vault he had a perfect space for his collection of wonder. , a single , , and pearls. It cost Augustus more than the entire castle of Moritzburg. For centuries Europe’s intellectual and ruling elite had assembled cabinets of curiosities, the so-called Today, there are two Green Vaults: the so-called Historic Wunderkammers that simultaneously demonstrated Green Vault and the New Green Vault. The latter is a knowledge, connoisseurship and wealth. There was often a triumph of modern museum display, with sleek, well-lit taxonomic dimension to the collections (animal specimens, cabinets showcasing the craftsmanship of the original for example, or rare minerals), so that these cabinets of objects. It was constructed because, during the Allied curiosities were the forerunners of modern museums. bombing of Dresden in February 1945, much of the original

Augustus’ treasury was no exception, with a dedication to Green Vault was destroyed. Foresight had ensured that the the decorative arts that flourished as he sponsored the majority of the precious works were moved to safety, but the sculptors, goldsmiths and painters who created beautiful Red Army confiscated most of them and they were not pieces. returned to Dresden until 1958. In the meantime, the Historic Green Vault was reconstructed to give a sense of the Ornament is the main theme of Augustus’ collection: original environment’s fusion of artefact and architecture. medieval enamels from Limoges and Renaissance bronzes And since 2013 the New Green Vault allows close from Italy; tiny, detailed artworks carved from or examination of Augustus’ curiosities, opening a window onto (magnifying glasses are supplied for their examination); this celebrated Wunderkammer.

Detailed itinerary

Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D.

Monday 8 May Arrive Warsaw The tour begins at the Sofitel Warsaw Victoria Hotel where we meet this evening for introductory drinks and a light dinner in the hotel. (D)

Tuesday 9 May Warsaw Today is spent exploring the many interesting sites in Warsaw’s centre both, on foot and by coach. This includes the ‘Royal Route, a 10km-long boulevard of palaces, hotels Above: The Mermaid Statue situated in the Old Town is a symbol of and parks linking the royal residences of Warsaw; the walled Warsaw, armed and ready to protect the city and its people Old Town, and the Jewish district of Muranow. In the Below: The red drawing room at Nieborow featuring fine French furniture afternoon we visit the ‘Canaletto Room’ at the Royal Castle. and a portrait of Anna Orzelska, the bastard child of August II; The 20-or-so paintings in the room are of such precise detail bottom, the Palace on the Isle at Lazienski Park started as a baroque bath- that they were an invaluable historical resource in the house in 1680 before being transformed into a palace by Stanislaw August reconstruction of the city after World War II. We share a welcome dinner this evening. (B, D)

Wednesday 10 May Warsaw environs An hour’s drive from Warsaw is Nieborow Palace, built in the Baroque style in 1696 and preserving its original interior, with portraits, furniture, porcelain and a library of the period. The large landscaped garden surrounding the palace is a delight. After lunch in a nearby restaurant we travel to Zelazowa Wola, birthplace of one of Poland’s most famous sons, romantic composer Frederick Chopin, and visit the modest manor house where he lived. We return to Warsaw in the late afternoon. (B, L)

Thursday 11 May Lazienski palace We spend the morning at Lazienski Park and Palace, a complex of 15 buildings and numerous statues standing among trees, ponds and picturesque bridges. Lazienski was planned and built in the 1780s, at the same time Frederick the Great was working on Sanssouci at Potsdam. The afternoon and evening are at leisure. (B)

Friday 12 May Towards Krakow We depart Warsaw this morning and head south, stopping to visit the Tokarni Ethnographic Park, an open air museum comprising historic 18th and 19th-century original wooden buildings exhibiting how life was lived in the region. After lunch in a local restaurant we continue to Krakow where there is time for a short orientation walk before dinner in a local restaurant. (B, L, D) Saturday 13 May Krakow

Krakow, for several centuries the capital of the Polish kingdom, boasts one of Europe’s finest historic centres. We tour the Cathedral and Royal Palace on Wawel Hill, overlooking the city in the morning. In the afternoon we visit Market Square, containing the medieval church of St Mary’s and an impressive cloth hall, focal point of Krakow’s thriving commercial life in the Middle Ages. We also explore the Jewish Quarter and Kasimierz, an atmospheric 14th-century residential district. (B)

Sunday 14 May Environs of Krakow This morning we travel a short distance outside Krakow to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. The mine is a surprising site for visitors, with its salt-crystal chandeliers, sculptures, underground cathedral and even a lake. Salt was mined here from the 13th century until just a few years ago. There are more than 300km of tunnels, reaching a depth of 327 metres – we explore just a few kilometres of them. The afternoon is free to relax in Krakow. (B)

Monday 15 May Into Germany A long day’s coach journey takes us to Dresden in Germany. We make an extended stop in Wroclaw in western Poland. Founded in the Middle Ages, Wroclaw lay at the crossroads of Bohemia, Austria, Prussia and Germany, and only became part of Poland in 1945. Our guided walk includes the 14th-century Town Hall on Market Square, the early 20th-century Centennial Hall – a UNESCO World Heritage Site - and the medieval Cathedral Island. We have lunch in Wroclaw before continuing to Dresden. (B, L, D)

Tuesday 16 May Exploring Dresden Dresden’s historic centre, heavily damaged towards the end of World War II, has been painstakingly reconstructed and today is an impressive sight for visitors. Our walking tour begins with the Old Masters Gallery, located in the Zwinger Palace and containing European works from the Renaissance to the 18th century. Another highlight of the day is the Frauenkirche, the monumental 18th-century church destroyed in the devastating air raids of World War II, restored and re-opened in 2005. This afternoon we cross the Elbe and explore the 18th-century architecture in the New Town. We visit the New Masters Gallery at the Albertinum to view the collection and the works of the 20th-century Dresden-based Brucke Group of expressionist artists. (B)

Images left: The Wawel Cathedral in Krakow is the coronation site of Poland’s monarchs; intricate sculptures carved from salt depict religious and historical scenes at the Wieliczka Salt mine; the Frauenkirche in Dresden stands as a great symbol of resurrection for the city

Wednesday 17 May Dresden – Green Vault

This morning we visit the ‘Green Vault’, located in . The Vault was established in 1723 by King August II, and contains about 3,000 antiquities, precious stones, jewellery, rare Indian sculptures, and some outstanding porcelain. After lunch we drive to the outskirts of Dresden, stopping to view the sandstone canyons before visiting Pillnitz Palace and gardens. We cruise down the Elbe River, returning to Dresden in the evening. (B, L)

Thursday 18 May TO Leipzig Above: Pillnitz Palace, summer residence for the Kings of Saxony sits on We depart Dresden, bound for Halle, the birthplace of George the banks of the Elbe River surrounded by gardens and fountains Frideric Handel. We visit the Market Church of St Mary which Below: The Battle of Nations monument commemorates Napoleons defeat houses ’s death mask, the old town market at Leipzig; the East Side Gallery serves as a symbol of peace through artistic expression square and the Handel house museum. After free time for lunch we continue on to Leipzig with time to relax before dinner at Auerbachskeller (B, D)

Friday 19 May Leipzig We spend the morning exploring the historic centre of Leipzig on a guided walking tour of the town. Sights visited include the Thomaskirche, where composer J S Bach worked and the 16th-century town hall. We also visit the Grassi Museum, with an impressive collection charting over 2,500 years of the decorative arts. After lunch in a local cafe we head to Wittenberg. We visit the Augustinian Monastery where Martin Luther lived and which now houses a museum, the City Church to see the altarpiece of the Last Supper by Lucas Cranach featuring Luther as an apostle and the Castle Church where Luther’s 95 theses were nailed to the door. Returning to Leipzig, we attend a concert at the Gewandhaus this evening (dependent on schedules). (B, L)

Saturday 20 May To Berlin This morning, before departing for Berlin we stop briefly at the monument to the Battle of the Nations, which commemorates Napoleon’s defeat at Leipzig. We arrive in Berlin around lunch time and explore the grounds and Palace of Charlottenberg, constructed as a summer home for Sophie Charlotte, wife of Elector Friedrich III of Prussia. There is time to settle in before dinner in the hotel this evening. (B, D)

Sunday 21 May Berlin’s archaeological treasures Today we explore Berlin by coach and on foot, taking in sights such as the Holocaust Memorial, Jewish Museum, East Side Gallery and Karl Marx Allee and the Brandenberg Gate. We then visit and have lunch at the Reichstag, seat of the re-unified German parliament. After lunch we stroll down Unter den Linden and through historical Berlin. (B, L)

Monday 22 may Potsdam & Berlin’s archaeological treasures

Berlin’s fine museums are our focus today. We stroll to Museum Island, and the Pergamon Museum, containing wonderful pieces from ancient Asia Minor and Persia. We continue to the nearby Neues Museum which houses Egyptian and Greco-Roman pieces, including a famous bust of Nefertiti. The afternoon is free. (B)

Tuesday 23 may Potsdam This morning we travel to nearby Potsdam, to investigate court life at the time of Frederick the Great. Potsdam was the capital of the state of Brandenburg and former royal city. We visit the splendid rococo palace of Sanssouci, which Frederick made his main residence. After lunch in the centre of town we visit Cecilienhof Palace, the last Hohenzollern Palace and the site of the 1945 Potsdam Conference, before returning to Berlin. (B, L)

Wednesday 24 may Fine art in Berlin This morning we visit Potsdammer Platz, a historic square along the border of East and West Berlin. Today the square contains outstanding modern architecture and is the most visible symbol of Berlin’s regeneration after the Cold War. We then visit the exceptional Gemäldegalerie picture gallery in the nearby Kulturforum precinct. The gallery contains an exquisite collection of European Old Masters. The afternoon is free. Tonight there will be a farewell dinner. (B, D)

Thursday 25 may Departure The tour concludes today after breakfast, with transfers arranged for all passengers who have booked their international flights through Academy Travel. (B)

Above: The Holocaust Memorial holds the names of 3 million holocaust Hotels victims; the 3,300 year old Nefertiti bust has become a cultural symbol of Berlin Hotels have been selected principally for their central Below: Cecilienhof Palace and gardens in Potsdam

location.

 Warsaw, Sofitel Warsaw Victoria Hotel (4 nights) www.sofitel.com  Krakow, Holiday Inn Karakow City Centre (3 nights) www.hik.krakow.pl  Dresden, Steigenberger Hotel De Saxe (3 nights) www.steigenberger.com/en  Leipzig, Steigenberger Hotel Hahndelshof (2 nights) www.steigenberger.com/en  Berlin, Radisson Blu Hotel (5 nights) www.radissonblu.com/en/hotel-berlin

Tour Price Fitness Requirements

The tour price is $9,795 per person, twin share (land content of THIS tour only). The supplement for a single room is $1,790 per person. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is Grade Two required to secure a place on the tour. It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this Tour Inclusions tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a Included in the tour price star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature  All accommodation in carefully selected hotels extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater  All breakfasts and selected lunches/dinners in hotels fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider and local restaurants as noted in the itinerary your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour.  All ground transport via private air-conditioned coach  All entrance fees to sites mentioned on the itinerary Participation criteria for this tour  Porterage of one piece of luggage into and out of hotels only This Grade Two tour is designed for people who lead active  Background talks and extensive tour notes lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of  Tips for local guides and drivers and at included meals physical activity per day on most days, including longer walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing Not included stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or  International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below) several internal flights.  Travel insurance  Meals not mentioned in itinerary You should be able to:  Expenses of a personal nature  keep up with the group at all times  walk for 4-5 kilometres at a moderate pace with only short breaks Air travel OPTIONS  stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and The tour price quoted is for land content only. Emirates fly museums  daily to Warsaw with homeward connections through various tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as cold, German ports from Berlin. Please contact us for further humidity and heat  information on competitive Economy, Business and First walk up and down slopes  Class airfares. Transfers between airport and hotel are negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites, included for all passengers booking their flights through which are often uneven and unstable  Academy Travel. These may be group or individual get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train or transfers. boat unassisted, possibly with luggage  move your luggage a short distance if required

Enquiries and A note for older travellers bookings If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, For further information and to secure a place on this tour it is highly likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. please contact Erin Laffin at Academy Travel on You will have to miss several activities and will not get the 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email full value of the tour. Your booking will not be accepted until [email protected] after you have contacted Academy Travel to discuss your situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the Weather on Tour physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour May is a pleasant time to travel in Poland and Germany with are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean spring temperatures ranging on average from the low 20s, we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition. dropping to 8 -10 degrees at night. However you should pack for a few days which are cooler than this, as well as a few warmer ones. Rainfall is fairly evenly spread across the year, and it is reasonable to expect rain on at least a few days, though not enough to disrupt our program.