The New Berlin
October 7 - 15, 2022
Itinerary Highlights
Panoramic tour with a local guide, including the “Museum Island,” Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Tiergarten, and Charlottenburg Palace.
Enjoy a boat ride through the heart of the city, on the River Spree.
3 day museum pass to use during your free time in Berlin
Explore the history of Berlin during the Cold War with visits to the Berlin Wall memorial, where we’ll see a section of the Wall preserved in its original state; Bornholmer Strasse, where the Wall came down on November 9, 1989; the Karl-Marx-Allee, a boulevard built as a monument to Stalin; the headquarters of East Germany’s secret police, the Stasi; and Alexanderplatz, the site of the iconic TV tower
A full day excursion to Dresden
A full day of historical visits including the Allied Museum, which shows the military and political scenery of the region from the end of World War II to the reunification, the site of the infamous Wannsee Conference of 1942, where the Nazis planned their “Final Solution” to the Jewish “problem,” Cecilienhof Palace, the site of the Potsdam Conference at the end of the war and then to Sanssouci, the the summer residence built for Frederick the Great between 1745-47, frequently called the “Prussian Versailles.”
Quick Facts
$3,990 per person based on double occupancy, $4850 single occupancy
7 nights’ accommodation in a first-class hotels in Berlin
Arrival and departure transfers and all ground transportation throughout tour
Breakfast daily, 2 lunches, 3 dinners
3-Day Berlin Museum pass
Native Berlin resident, Discover Europe tour guide, Matthias Kort, throughout. Learn more about Matthias here.
Review:
Liz O. - The New Berlin - 2018
There aren't enough adjectives to describe my emotions during the trip and upon my return!
I tagged along with my parents and our best family friend. There was one other couple on the tour, and they were an absolute joy to travel with. All had traveled with Discover Europe before, except for me. The stories they all told about their other trips with Discover Europe were indeed a testimony to how well run the tours are, as well as how wonderful the guides are - with their knowledge, attentiveness, and flexibility.
The pre-trip communications were very informative, and the email we received from Matthias was very helpful. As a native of Berlin (and, in fact, what used to be East Berlin), Matthias shared with us many of his own personal experiences, observations, and sites of historical importance, while taking us around Berlin and the surrounding area.
We were given plenty of time everywhere we went to dig deep into the history and learn about the culture in the past and in the present. As my father said, it may not all have been pleasant or "feel good" moments, but it was necessary to gain a better understanding of Berlin now - by digging into how it has transformed and continues to do so.
The hotel we stayed in was fabulous. The staff were quite friendly, always with smiles on their faces. The bar staff were extremely accommodating, as the group enjoyed relaxing with a drink before and after dinner. Breakfast was a full buffet, and quite delicious. Matthias recommended places to go to when we had our free time, including places to eat so we could enjoy more of the local flavor.
Matthias was well informed historically, culturally, and politically. His unique perspective and ability to explain all sides of different issues really made the tour that much more special.
Honestly, Berlin was not on my bucket list of places to go, and I didn't expect to love it as much as I did! I highly recommend this tour, and highly recommend Matthias as a guide - for this, or any other tour he is a part of. He did a marvelous job - sharing his knowledge, patience with the participants (and meeting their needs in terms of elevators vs. stairs, time to rest, etc.), and his joy of sharing his home town - history and culture - with us. Matthias is truly a gem!