Berlin – The Cold War Mon 17 – Fri 21 October 2016
Day 1 Monday, 17 October On our arrival in Berlin we see some of Berlin’s most iconic sites, including the Brandenberg Gate and Berliner Dom. We will also see the Reichstag, a building erected in 1871 for the Parliament of national unity. Reichstag displays the aspirations of the new unified Germany, and in 1990, it was the first meeting place of the newly elected Bundestag following German reunification. The building is crowned with a glass dome by the architect Norman Foster. Afterwards, we climb the Berlin Television Tower, built in the 1960s to demonstrate the strength and efficiency of the socialist party, for a view of all of Berlin below.
Day 2 Tuesday, 18 October The Walking Tour captures Berlin’s constantly changing identity, especially the major changes during the 20th century. We will stand above the site of Hitler’s bunker, walk through Brandenburg Gate, and visit a former ‘Ghost Station’ where East German Border guards patrolled deserted platforms. After, we will lunch at Die Eins and then we will visit the DDR Museum. The museum’s hands on approach about life in Cold War East Germany allows visitors the chance to watch TV in a Communist-era living room to a revving Trabant. After, we will interact with Modern day Germany at the Hackescher Markt, and have dinner at Weihenstephaner am Hackeschen market.
Day 3 Wednesday, 19 October We escape Berlin for the day as we visit Potsdam, the capital of the German federal state of Bradenburg, which lies on the River Havel as well as the border of Berlin. We visit the Sancoucci castle, the location of the historic Potsdam agreement between the United Kingdom, United States and USSR for the military occupation and reconstruction of Germany. We will then return to Berlin for dinner at the Hard Rock Café.
Day 4 Thursday, 20 October On our way to the Stasi Museum, we visit Karl Marx Allee to see the only remaining watchtower that guarded the divide, and Treptower Park to see the colossal monument to the Red Army. Next, we visit the Stasi Museum to explore the methodology that made the Stasi the most formidable foe in the Eastern Bloc. There is the Stasi’s spy equipment, the office of the infamous Stasi chief Erich Mielke, and photographs documenting Stasi activity. Finally, we visit the Gedenkstatte Berlin Hohenschonhausen, a sprawling prison run by the Stasi, and a guide will take us through prison cells as well as the interrogation room.
Day 5 Friday, 21 October Today we see Berlin’s Olympiastadion, which was originally built for a 100,000 spectators, when Germany hosted the 1936 Olympics. Since the Olympics, the venue has witnessed Adolf Hitler showcase the political power of the Third Reich, a renovation in 1974, and important football games, such as the 1974 FIFA World Cup. With the expansive use of this stadium, we will feel the battle between the legacy of Hitler and the recreation of a modern Germany. We also stop in at Ritter Sport Chocoworld where we can make our own chocolate in the 1000m2 flagship store and join a workshop, before returning to London.
This itinerary may change due to weather, opening hours, local conditions and the needs of the group.