BERLIN AND BEYOND , DRESDEN & LEIPZIG

MAY 21 – JUNE 3, 2018 TOUR LEADER: THOMAS ABBOTT

BERLIN AND BEYOND Overview

BERLIN, DRESDEN & LEIPZIG Berlin is one of the most interesting and diverse of all the great capitals of , and is currently enjoying a major cultural renaissance. First Tour dates: May 21 – June 3, 2018 documented in the 13th century, the city has been the capital of the Prussian Empire, the German Empire, the Weimar Republic and the Third Tour leader: Thomas Abbott Reich. Since 1989 the city has relished its role as the capital of a unified and re-energised . Tour Price: $7,250 per person, twin share Berlin is home to some internationally renowned cultural institutions – Single Supplement: $1,750 for sole use of such as museums of antiquities and fine arts – and has ongoing double room significance as a centre of contemporary art and design. Berlin is also famous for its musical heritage, with outstanding ensembles such as the Booking deposit: $500 per person Berlin Philharmonic and three major opera houses adding great lustre to the city’s cultural landscape. Recommended airline: Etihad Airways This 14-day tour allows you to take an in-depth look at Berlin, and the Maximum places: 20 nearby cities of Potsdam, Leipzig and Dresden. Daily walking tours, background talks and guided visits trace the history and development of Itinerary: (5 nights), Leipzig (2 Berlin from its earliest days through the glory days of the Prussian and nights), Dresden (2 nights), West Berlin (4 German Empires to the darker days of the early 20th century and its rebirth nights) after 1989.

Date published: May 1, 2017 This tour offers the unique experience of staying in both East and West Berlin. Accommodation starts in East Berlin at the centrally located five- star Radisson Blu Palace. Our five-star hotels in Dresden and Leipzig are each beautifully renovated historic buildings, well located in the old city centres. We end our tour in West Berlin staying at the elegant five-star Steigenberger Grand Hotel Berlin.

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 , the art of 18th-century Germany and the Bauhaus. He has led a number of tours for Academy Travel, all 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.

Enquiries and “Our tour leader Thomas was excellent in all ways – his attention bookings to detail and his superb understanding of the art, history and culture on tour. He is a gem and a wealth of knowledge.” For further information and to secure a place on this tour “Tom is the best tour leader I have travelled with. He has please contact Jemma York at incredible knowledge and looks after everyone individually.” Academy Travel on Feedback from tour participants on Thomas Abbott’s most recent tour with 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 Academy Travel – Berlin and Beyond, May 2015 (outside Sydney) or email [email protected]

Tour Highlights

ART IN BERLIN Berlin has a reputation for being the ‘New York of Europe’, offering a wide range of museums and galleries that hold treasures both ancient and contemporary. Some of the highlights include masterpieces by Botticelli, Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Gemäldegalerie. We spend two days leisurely admiring the remarkable and vast collections at .

EAST AND WEST BERLIN In the quarter-century-plus since the Wall came down, Berlin has re-established itself as Germany’s capital and gone through an urban and social transformation that has made it, once again, one of the most exciting cities in Europe. We explore this fascinating city with walks through the historic neighbourhoods of both East and West Berlin, including the , where east met west during the Cold War.

POTSDAM Spend a full day in Potsdam, known for its 18th-century , especially Frederick the Great’s Park, the former residence of the Prussian royals. The town centre offers historical landmarks, charming boutiques, and café-lined cobblestone streets. Although it was severely damaged by bombing during World War II, much of the city has been restored to its former glory.

LEIPZIG AND DRESDEN Travel through the scenic countryside to the charming old town of Renaissance Leipzig, which Göethe describes in Faust, as “a little Paris”. We spend time too in the elegantly restored city of Dresden, that has risen from the ashes, after devastating World War II bombing, regaining its reputation as “the Florence on the Elbe”. Each city offers impressive art collections at the Grassi Museum and the Zwinger Palace.

REICHSTAG The symbol of Berlin’s mash-up of old and new, the anchors central Berlin with a Sir Noman Foster designed glass dome atop of the 116-year old structure. Our tour ends with a farewell meal at the Reichstag at Restaurant Kafer. Afterwards, walk the gently rising ramp inside the glass dome, taking in the views of Berlin and the parliamentary chamber below.

Detailed itinerary

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

Monday may 21 Arrival Meet tour leader Thomas Abbott at the hotel for our welcome dinner. Overnight Berlin (D)

Tuesday May 22 Medieval to Prussian Today we investigate Berlin’s early history with a walking tour of the , the historic medieval heart of Berlin bordering the River. Though the area was levelled during WWII many of the buildings, including the Nikolaikirche, were faithfully reconstructed for Berlin’s 750th anniversary. We travel by ferry along the Spree to the Palace of Charlottenburg, where we enjoy lunch before taking a guided tour of the richly decorated interior of the palace, constructed between 1695 and 1713 as a summer home for Sophie Charlotte, wife of Elector Friedrich III of . We also visit the nearby Berggruen Museum with its exceptional collection of modern art including Above: the gardens and palace at Charlottenburg, commissioned in works by Matisse, Klee and Giacometti. Overnight Berlin (B, L) the 17th century by Sophie Charlotte, wife of Friedrich III

Wednesday may 23 Below: the famous bust of Nefertiti, now found in the The Prussian City – the new home of the Egyptian Museum This morning we begin with a visit to the German History Museum, a magnificent baroque structure extensively refurbished by I.M. Pei. Our next stop is the Brandenburg Gate, completed in 1795. In the afternoon we visit the stunning Gemäldegalerie. Assembled in the early 19th century, the gallery’s collection represents all the major schools of European painting and includes masterpieces by Botticelli, Raphael, Caravaggio, Breughel, Vermeer and Rembrandt. This evening we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Berlin (B, D)

Thursday may 24 Frederick the Great’s city Today we spend the day in Potsdam, just a short distance from Berlin. The city is closely associated with Frederick the Great (ruled 1740-1786) the monarch of the newly created . Most of the day is spent exploring Park Sanssouci a complex of palaces, gardens and pavilions covering 287 hectares. We will also visit Cecilienhof Palace, the last Hohenzollern Palace and the site of the 1945 Potsdam Conference. After an early dinner in Potsdam we return to Berlin. Overnight Berlin (B, D)

Friday may 25 Museum Island On the site of one of Berlin's two original settlements, this unique complex of five state museums is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a must-visit in Berlin. Today we visit the , which houses an impressive collection of Greek and Roman antiquities, and the Neues Museum, the new home of the Egyptian Museum to see the famous bust of Nefertiti. The afternoon is at leisure. Overnight Berlin (B)

Saturday may 26 Museum Island II Returning to Museum Island today we visit what is perhaps Berlin’s most renowned institution, the . The museum houses Near Eastern antiquities and Islamic art, much of which was collected by the German Kaisers from their close contact with countries such as Turkey, Iraq and Iran in the early 20th century. Rather than fragments, the Kaisers collected and transported entire structures, such as the Market Gate from Miletus (c.120AD), the ‘Lion Gate’ from Babylon (6th century BC) and the vast altar from the Temple of Zeus at Pergamon (170BC) a masterpiece of Hellenistic Art. After a break for lunch we take a walking tour of the Hackesche Höfe, a series of interconnected courtyards bustling with restaurants, boutiques and galleries. In the late afternoon we travel to Leipzig. Dinner in a local restaurant and overnight Leipzig (B, D)

Sunday may 27 Leipzig Above: Kirchner’s (1914) hangs in the Neue This morning we take a guided walking tour of Leipzig, followed Nationalgalerie, Berlin by a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts. The original museum building was destroyed in an air raid in 1943, though many of the paintings had been saved. A new home for the collection, a Below: the Frauenkirche in Dresden stands as a great symbol of contemporary building, opened in 2004, 61 years to the day resurrection for the city after the original museum was destroyed. The afternoon is free, but we recommend you stop in at the Grassi Museum, an excellent decorative arts museum, founded in the late 19th century and with an impressive collection charting over 2,500 years of the decorative arts. This evening we attend a performance at the Leipzig opera house, built in the East German period. Overnight Leipzig (B)

Monday may 28 Dresden via Meissen This morning we visit the enormous ‘Monument to the Battle of the Nations’ – Europe’s largest memorial, on the outskirts of Leipzig. The monument marks the site of the 1813 defeat of Napoleon by a coalition of German forces. We then travel to Meissen for a stroll and break for lunch. Meissen lies on the banks of the Elbe not far from Dresden. This pretty medieval town became famous in the 18th century for its porcelain manufacture for the Saxon rulers of Dresden. After checking in to our Dresden hotel, we take a walking tour of the centre of this city known as ‘Florence on the Elbe’. We visit the Frauenkirche, a massive baroque church destroyed in World War II, lovingly restored and reopened in 2005. This evening we dine in our hotel. Overnight Dresden (B, D) Tuesday may 29 Dresden

This morning we visit the Zwinger Palace, built 1710-28 for August the Strong, elector of Saxony and King of Poland, following his visit to Versailles. The palace contains Dresden’s Old Masters Picture Gallery, with works by Raphael, Rubens and Canaletto. The rest of the day is free to relax, take an afternoon cruise on the Elbe or perhaps visit some of the city’s museums. Music lovers in particular may wish to explore Dresden’s association with composers such as Schumann and Above: a detail of Canaletto’s Dresden From the Right Bank of the Wagner. Overnight Dresden. (B) Elbe Below the Augustus Bridge, 1748, in the Old Masters Picture Gallery, Zwinger Palace, Dresden Wednesday may 30 Below: the Upper Palace of Pillnitz Palace looks over the Baroque Pillnitz palace garden and fountain; and Menashe Kadishman's Shalekhet (Fallen Leaves) in the Memory Void of the Jewish Museum, Berlin. These Today we visit the extraordinary ensemble of architecture and voids extend vertically through the entire museum and represent the landscape gardening that makes up Pillnitz Palace on the absence of Jews from German society outskirts of the city. Built by August the Strong as a ‘Water Palace’, Pillnitz has extensive gardens, water features and many Chinese architectural features in its buildings. After lunch we make our way to Berlin. Evening at leisure. Overnight Berlin. (B, L)

Thursday may 31 Bauhaus and Wilhelmstrasse This morning we visit the Bauhaus Archive Museum of Design, built to an earlier plan by Walter Gropius and housing an excellent collection of items relating to the famous design school. We also visit the New National Gallery, a “temple of light and glass” designed by Mies van der Rohe and housing the city’s collection of 20th-century painting and sculpture. The once divided Potsdamer Platz is our next destination, where we can stroll around what is now the modern heart of unified Berlin. This afternoon we visit Wilhelmstrasse, hub of the Nazi administration, viewing the Luftwaffe Ministry building, site of Gestapo Bunkers, the memorial, and the site of the new Reichs Chancellery and Hitler’s Bunker. Overnight Berlin (B)

Friday June 1 The synagogue and Berlin in the Cold War This morning we visit the Jewish Museum of Berlin, designed by Daniel Libeskind and opened in 2001. We then stroll through the old Jewish district in the north of the city, and visit the ‘’. Significantly damaged on Kristallnacht in 1938, the restored building reopened in 1995. After a break for lunch we investigate Berlin in the late 1940s and 1950s – the height of the Cold War. Our tour includes sections of the , the former Stasi headquarters and Karl-Marx-Allee, a broad lined with Socialist Realist buildings and decorations. This evening we attend a performance by the legendary Berlin Philharmonic orchestra in its home, the Philharmonie. Overnight Berlin (B) Saturday June 2 Contemporary Berlin

On our final day in Berlin we take a walking tour of the modern city, focussing on its recent architecture. Capping our walking tour is a visit to the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum for Contemporary Art. Our time in Berlin culminates with a farewell lunch atop the Reichstag, seat of the German parliament. This building symbolises the struggles and eventual triumph of the city. First opened in 1894, destroyed by fire in 1933, the Reichstag became the first meeting place of a reunified Germany. The reconstruction of the building was completed in 1999 to a plan by British architect Sir Norman Foster. His plan included an extraordinary glass dome at the top of the building, offering 360° views of the surrounding city. Overnight Berlin (B, L)

Sunday June 3 Departure The tour ends after breakfast. Departing group members transfer to Berlin airport for outgoing flights. (B)

Hotels

These five-star hotels have been selected principally for their central location.

 Berlin, Radisson Blu (5 nights) Located in old East Berlin on the river Spree, opposite the Berlin Cathedral and the Museum Island. www.radissonblu.com/hotel-berlin

 Leipzig, Steigenberger Handelshof (2 nights) A thoroughly modern hotel behind a gracious historic facade located in Leipzig city centre. www.steigenberger.com/en/Leipzig

 Dresden, Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe (2 nights) Located in the heart of Dresden, with views of the Frauenkirke church from the hotels large terrace. www.de.steigenberger.com/dresden/

 Berlin, Grand hotel Steigenberger (4 nights) Located in West Berlin, close to the , the Zoo and the shops of Kurfürstendamm. www.en.steigenberger.com/Berlin/

Images right: a performance by the Berlin Philharmonic; the contemporary Sony Centre in Potsdamerplatz; and Berlin’s Reichstag building, topped by Sir Norman Foster’s modern dome

Zwinger pavilion, Dresden

Tour Price Fitness Requirements

The tour price is $7,250 per person, twin share (land content of THIS tour only). The supplement for a single room is $1,750 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  14 nights’ accommodation in carefully selected four star extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater hotels fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider  All breakfasts and selected lunches/dinners in hotels your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour. and local restaurants as noted in the itinerary  All ground transport via private air-conditioned coach Participation criteria for this tour  All entrance fees to sites mentioned on the itinerary This Grade Two tour is designed for people who lead active  Porterage of one piece of luggage into and out of hotels lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of only physical activity per day on most days, including longer  Background talks and extensive tour notes walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing  Tips for local guides and drivers and at included meals stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and Not included a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or several internal flights.  International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below)  Travel insurance You should be able to:  Meals not mentioned in itinerary  keep up with the group at all times  Expenses of a personal nature  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 museums The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour  tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as cold, we recommend Etihad Airways which fly daily to Berlin. humidity and heat Please contact us for further information on competitive  walk up and down slopes Economy, Business and First Class airfares. Transfers  negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites, between airport and hotel are included for all passengers which are often uneven and unstable booking their flights through Academy Travel. These may be  get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train or group or individual transfers. boat unassisted, possibly with luggage  move your luggage a short distance if required Enquiries & bookings A note for older travellers For further information and to secure a place on this tour If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, please contact Jemma York at Academy Travel on it is highly likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email You will have to miss several activities and will not get the [email protected] full value of the tour. Your booking will not be accepted until after you have contacted Academy Travel to discuss your Weather on Tour situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the May is a pleasant time to travel in Germany with spring physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to temperatures ranging on average from the low 20s, dropping refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour to 10 -12°C at night. However, you should pack for a few are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean days which are cooler than this, as well as a few warmer we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition. 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.