Day 1: Arrivals

You are met on arrival in Berlin and transferred to your city centre hotel. Meet your tour director for a welcome talk followed by an included evening meal.

Day 2: Mitte & Spandau

An orientation walk around the very heart of Berlin introduces us to its medieval archaeology, and to its present-day vibe. We then head to the very oldest part of Berlin, the Spandau district, where Slavic tribes settled in about the 7th century. The Germanic Brandenburgs then built a 12th century fortress here which became their seat of government, setting Berlin on its path of greatness. During the 16th century, the Elector of Brandenburg commissioned noted Italian architects to transform the citadel into what has become one of the best-preserved Renaissance fortresses in Europe.

Inside the citadel today there is a history museum and a fascinating display of monuments recovered from Berlin’s cityscape which reveal how different state powers have wanted to shape the city over the centuries. Here we can come to terms with the great symbols of the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, National Socialism and the GDR. Amongst these testimonies to German history we find the Zehnkampfer (The Decathlete) by Arno Breker, said to be one of Hitler’s favourite artists, and a giant head of Lenin, formerly on a colossal statue erected in East Berlin in 1970.

In Spandau we also see the Weidendammer Bridge, an ornate wrought iron bridge across the River Spree which was the scene of desperate break-out attempts by the Nazis after Hitler’s suicide in 1945, when the city was surrounded by allied and Soviet forces. Spandau Prison is famous for the imprisonment of Rudolf Hess until his death in 1987, following which the prison was demolished and build over it with a new shopping centre which has acquired the nickname “Hessco’s”.

Day 3: Museum Island

Today we focus on Museum Island, one of Berlin’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In line with Enlightenment thinking, the rulers of 19th century Berlin sought to make culture accessible to all, eventually leading to a group of five world-class museums beautifully set on an island in the River Spree.

We focus on two of these, which together present one of the most important collections of antiquities in the world; the Neues Museum, home to the world-famous bust of Nefertiti, and the Pergamon Panorama which has part of the original Pergamon frieze on display. There will be opportunity to extend your visit, perhaps taking in another of the island’s museums.

Day 4: Central Berlin

We start today at what is probably Berlin’s most iconic and recognisable site; the Brandenburg Gate. Completed in 1791 on the site of an older gate into Berlin from the original Brandenburg capital, its grandiose neo-classical design was modelled on the Acropolis of Athens, reflecting Prussia’s cultural and imperial aspirations. During the Cold War, the wall between East and West Berlin ran alongside the Gate, and when the wall came down in 1989 this was the setting chosen for the symbolic meeting of the leaders of West and East Germany.

We then come across a succession of significant places; the vast holocaust memorial, the infamous Reichstag building, the Soviet War Memorial, the site of Hitler’s final bunker, the site of the Gestapo and SS Headquarters, and the Memorial to the German Resistance, where the leaders of the assassination attempt on Hitler were executed without trial after the plot failed.

In the afternoon, we take a short drive to Teufelsberg for panoramic views of the city from a hill constructed from the rubble of World War 2. During the Cold War, this was the site of one of America’s most important radar and listening stations, monitoring Soviet and Eastern Bloc communications. The nearby Olympic Stadium is also of interest as the site of the 1936 Olympics.

We end the day by returning to the city centre to see the famous Kaiser Wilhelm II Memorial Church, located at one end of the elegant Kurfurstendamm. The church was built at the end of the 19th century by the last German kaiser, but was virtually destroyed in 1943 and remains now as a memorial to peace and reconciliation.

Day 5: Potsdam

Today we explore the district of Potsdam, which plunges us into two distinct periods: the 20th century Cold War, and the 18th century flourishing of Prussia under Frederick the Great.

At the Cecilienhof we find out all about the Potsdam Conference which took place here in 1945. This momentous meeting between Truman, Stalin and Churchill decided the fate of Europe and Asia, and shaped the future of post-war relations. The day before the conference, US President Harry S. Truman received the news of the detonation of the world’s first nuclear bomb, allowing him to know that his government possessed a weapon that would change the course of human history forever.

We pursue the Cold War further with a visit to the Glienicke Brucke, a bridge across the Havel River which formed the border between East and West and was the setting for several exchanges of spies – hence its nickname of The Bridge of Spies.

Frederick the Great commissioned his summer palace at Potsdam in 1745, conceiving it as a quiet getaway from the cares of ruling the kingdom (hence its name, Sans Souci – ‘without worries’). It was to be his personal sanctuary, and its modest size and intimate rococo design surrounded by extensive gardens reflected this. Neither was this ethos diminished when, twenty years later, Frederick built a second palace (Neues Palais) in the western part of the park. This far larger palace was built in the Baroque style and displayed Frederick’s power and strength to the world, in direct contrast to the relaxed ethos behind Sanssouci. On par with Versailles, the whole ensemble of buildings and parkland demonstrated that Frederick was a cultured leader who could keep up with the French King in all things. Like Versailles too, it is now a UNESCO World Heritge site.

Day 6: Key Cold War Sites

Our last full day sees us take in the key Cold War sites. The Bernauer Strasse Wall Memorial is the central memorial to the victims of the division of Germany following World War II. Preserved here is a full section of wall with its various elements designed to make crossing it as hazardous as possible. One of the most famous sites of Cold War Berlin is Checkpoint Charlie. It was the only crossing point between West and East Berlin that Allied forces and foreigners could use. In 1961, tanks faced off against each other in an iconic moment.

We turn our attention to the Soviet side of the Battle for Berlin with a trip to the Memorial and military cemetery at Treptower. Here there are some 7,000 graves of Soviet soldiers, a fraction of the 80,000 who died fighting to take Berlin. The central sculpture depicts Mother Russia grieving for her dead sons.

The repressive East German regime is the focus of our last two sites. The Stasi, officially known as the Ministry for State Security, was responsible for keeping East Germany’s citizens under watch. It was led from its inception to its disbandment by Erich Mielke, whose office forms the centrepiece of the Stasi Museum. Here we explore the ways in which the Communist regime kept its population in check with surveillance, coercion and rewards. Finally, we move on to a memorial to the brutal side of the East German regime with a visit to the Hohenschönhausen Prison. It was here that the Stasi would confine and interrogate those found guilty of ‘subversive behaviour’. Some of the staff here are former inmates who can give astonishing first hand accounts.

For our final evening together, we enjoy an included farewell dinner to celebrate the knowledge and friendships gained from our exploration of Berlin.

Day 7: Departure

Time to head home for Christmas, or why not stay longer in this intriguing city.