BERLIN AND BEYOND BERLIN, DRESDEN & LEIPZIG OCTOBER 9-22, 2017 TOUR LEADER: THOMAS ABBOTT. Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

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1 BERLIN AND BEYOND BERLIN, DRESDEN & LEIPZIG OCTOBER 9-22, 2017 TOUR LEADER: THOMAS ABBOTT Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

2 BERLIN AND BEYOND BERLIN, DRESDEN & LEIPZIG Tour dates: October 9-22, 2017 Tour leader: Thomas Abbott Tour Price: $7,250 per person, twin share Single Supplement: $1,750 for sole use of double room Booking deposit: $500 per person Recommended airline: Emirates Maximum places: 20 Itinerary: East Berlin (5 nights), Leipzig (2 nights), Dresden (2 nights), West Berlin (4 nights) Date published: February 7, 2017 OVERVIEW Berlin is one of the most interesting and diverse of all the great capitals of Europe, and is currently enjoying a major cultural renaissance. First documented in the 13 th century, the city has been the capital of the Prussian Empire, the German Empire, the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich. Since 1989 the city has relished its role as the capital of a unified and re-energised Germany. Berlin is home to some internationally renowned cultural institutions such as museums of antiquities and fine arts and has ongoing significance as a centre of contemporary art and design. Berlin is also famous for its musical heritage, with outstanding ensembles such as the Berlin Philharmonic and three major opera houses adding great lustre to the city s cultural landscape. This 14-day tour allows you to take an in depth look at Berlin, and also the nearby cities of Potsdam, Leipzig and Dresden. Daily walking tours, background talks and guided visits trace the history and development of Berlin from its earliest days through the glory days of the Prussian and German Empires to the darker days of the early 20 th century and its rebirth after 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 centre of the old city. We end our tour in West Berlin staying at the elegant five-star Steigenberger Grand Hotel Berlin. YOUR TOUR LEADER ENQUIRIES AND BOOKINGS For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Jemma York at Academy Travel on or (outside Sydney) or jemma@academytravel.com. au Thomas Abbott was born in the US but has lived in Germany since 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 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. 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. Feedback from tour participants on Thomas Abbott s most recent tour with Academy Travel Berlin and Beyond, May 2015

3 TOUR HIGHLIGHTS ART IN BERLIN See masterpieces by Botticelli, Raphael and Caravaggio at the Gemäldegalerie. And take two days to explore the vast collections at Museum Island. EAST AND WEST BERLIN Explore this fascinating city with walks through the historic neighbourhoods of both east and west Berlin. POSTDAM A full day in Potsdam, visiting Frederick the Great s Sanssouci and the many other architectural gems of this beautiful town. LEIPZIG AND DRESDEN Travel through the scenic countryside to the charming old town of Renaissance Leipzig, and the elegantly restored city of Dresden, visiting the Zwinger Palace. REICHSTAG After our farewell meal atop the Reichstag, you can circle up the gently rising ramp inside the glass dome, taking in the views of Berlin and the parliamentary chamber below.

4 Above: Museum Island on Spree river, Berlin Museum Island Berlin s Museum Island is home to exceptional collections, including iconic pieces such as the bust of Nefertiti and the Ishtar Gate. From the first museum in the early nineteenth century to the ongoing project of expanding the museums, Museum Island also traces the trials of modern Germany. The first museum, now the Altesmuseum, was designed to house the Prussian royal family s impressive collection of antiquities, which had been scattered among various royal palaces. The consolidation of the collection reflected the desire of the Prussian monarchy to attain a cultural status equal to the military and political clout the new kid on the block had acquired. The museum also reflects the importance of Enlightenment values in the emerging superpower. The Enlightenment placed great value on an educated and informed public as the key to success in all fields of human endeavour. In this regard, the collection was not just made for display: the museum was to be an institution that systematically studied the past and made that knowledge accessible to the public. The idea that a museum should play this role is now commonplace, but it was cutting edge in Indeed, Gerhard, the museum s first curator, pioneered a system of classification based on scientific and historical analysis rather than aesthetics. A scientific approach demanded thoroughness, both in terms of how an item was discovered and the scope of the enterprise. It was no longer enough to have cherrypicked fourteen busts of every Roman Emperor and a host of lovely Greek goddesses. The collection must instead present a more complete picture, including collections from then less well-regarded cultures, such as the Etruscans and Mesopotamians. The growth of the collection this approach prompted, led to the construction of the New Museum (1841) and the Alte Nationalgalerie (1867), and the Bode Museum (1887). The first Pergamon Museum was begun in 1897, and it was to be the crowning glory of the island. Problems in its foundations led to it being demolished, however. Work on the new building started in 1912, but was interrupted by World War I; Germany s reparations prevented it from being rebuilt until The museum was closed in 1939; destroyed in 1945; and rebuilt. In 1958 the USSR returned some of the collection to East Germany. The Island remains an important symbol of postunification Germany. An extensive expansion project began in the 1990s. Interiors have been modernised, exhibition space expanded, and the underground Archaeological Promenade connecting four museums is underway, so that it will be even easier to wander through millennia of human achievement.

5 DETAILED ITINERARY Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D. MONDAY OCTOBER 9 ORIENTATION Meet tour leader Thomas Abbott at the hotel for our welcome dinner. Overnight Berlin (D) Above: the gardens and palace at Charlottenburg, commissioned in the 17th century by Sophie Charlotte, wife of Friedrich III Below: Caravaggio s Amor Victorious ( ), held at the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, shows Eros prevailing over other human endeavours - war, music, science and government TUESDAY OCTOBER 10 MEDIEVAL TO PRUSSIAN Today we investigate Berlin s early history with a walking tour of the Nikolaiviertel, the historic medieval heart of Berlin bordering the Spree River. 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 Prussia. We also visit the nearby Berggruen Museum with its exceptional collection of modern art including works by Matisse, Klee and Giacometti. Overnight Berlin (B, L) WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11 THE PRUSSIAN CITY 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 In the afternoon we visit the stunning Gemäldegalerie. Assembled in the early 19 th 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 OCTOBER 12 FREDERICK THE GREAT S CITY Today we spend the day in Potsdam, just a short distance from Berlin. The city is most associated with Frederick the Great (ruled ) the monarch of the newly created Kingdom of Prussia. 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 OCTOBER 13 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

6 visit the Altes Museum, 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 OCTOBER 14 MUSEUM ISLAND II Returning to Museum Island today we visit what is perhaps Berlin s most renowned institution, the Pergamon Museum. 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 20 th 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 (6 th 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) Above: Kirchner s Potsdamer Platz (1914) hangs in the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin Below: the Frauenkirche in Dresden stands as a great symbol of resurrection for the city SUNDAY OCTOBER 15 LEIPZIG This morning we take a guided walking tour of Leipzig, followed by a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts. 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 plan to attend a performance at the Leipzig Opera House, built in the East German period. Overnight Leipzig (B) Performance details Venue: Leipzig Opera House Program: to be announced Performers: to be announced MONDAY OCTOBER 16 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. 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 This evening we dine in our hotel. Overnight Dresden (B, D)

7 TUESDAY OCTOBER 17 DRESDEN This morning we visit the Zwinger Palace, built 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 Wagner. Overnight Dresden (B) WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18 PILLNITZ PALACE Today we visit the extraordinary ensemble of architecture and landscape gardening that makes up Pillnitz Palace on the 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) Above: Zwinger pavilion, Dresden Below: the Bauhaus Archive in Berlin, designed by Walter Gropius; and Menashe Kadishman's Shalekhet (Fallen Leaves) in the Memory Void of the Jewish Museum, Berlin. These voids extend vertically through the entire museum and represent the absence of Jews from German society THURSDAY OCTOBER 19 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 Neue Nationalgalerie, a temple of light and glass designed by Mies van der Rohe and housing the city s collection of 20 th 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 Topography of Terror memorial, and the site of the new Reich s Chancellery and Hitler s Bunker. Overnight Berlin (B) FRIDAY OCTOBER 20 THE SYNAGOGUE AND BERLIN IN THE COLD WAR This morning we visit the Jewish Museum of Berlin, designed by Daniel Libeskind and opened in We then stroll through the old Jewish district in the north of the city, and visit the New Synagogue. Significantly damaged on Kristallnacht in 1938, the restored building reopened in 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 Berlin Wall, the former Stasi headquarters and Karl-Marx-Allee, a broad boulevard lined with Socialist Realist buildings and decorations. This evening we plan to attend a performance by the legendary Berlin Philharmonic

8 Orchestra in its home, the Philharmonie. Overnight Berlin (B) Performance details Venue: Philharmonie Program: to be announced Performers: to be announced SATURDAY OCTOBER 21 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 OCTOBER 22 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. Above: a performance by the Berlin Philharmonic; and the contemporary Sony Centre in Potsdamerplatz Berlin Below: Berlin s Reichstag building is topped by Sir Norman Foster s modern dome Leipzig, Steigenberger Handelshof (2 nights) A thoroughly modern hotel behind a gracious historic facade located in Leipzig city centre. Dresden, Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe (2 nights) Located in the heart of Dresden, with views of the Frauenkirke church from the hotels large terrace. Berlin, Grand hotel Steigenberger (4 nights) Located in West Berlin, close to the Tiergarten, the Zoo and the shops of Kurfürstendamm.

9 TOUR PRICE The tour price is $7,250 per person, twin share (land content only). The supplement for a single room is $1,750 per person. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to secure a place on the tour. TOUR INCLUSIONS Included in the tour price All accommodation in carefully selected hotels All breakfasts and selected lunches/dinners in hotels and local restaurants as noted in the itinerary All ground transport via private air-conditioned coach All entrance fees to sites mentioned on the itinerary Porterage of one piece of luggage into and out of hotels only Background talks and extensive tour notes Tips for local guides and drivers and at included meals Not included International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below) Travel insurance Meals not mentioned in itinerary Expenses of a personal nature AIR TRAVEL OPTIONS The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour we recommend Emirates which fly daily to Berlin. Please contact us for further information on competitive Economy, Business and First Class airfares. Transfers between airport and hotel are included for all passengers booking their flights through Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers. ENQUIRIES AND BOOKINGS For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Jemma York at Academy Travel on or (outside Sydney) or jemma@academytravel.com.au WEATHER ON TOUR October is a great time to visit Germany. The days are long, rainfall is low and temperatures are mild to warm. Nevertheless, you should bring a light jacket and jumpers for the evenings. FITNESS REQUIREMENTS OF THIS TOUR GRADE TWO 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. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. Academy Travel s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour. Participation criteria for this tour This Grade Two tour is designed for people who lead active lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of physical activity per day on most days, including longer walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or several internal flights. You should be able to: keep up with the group at all times walk for 4-5 kilometres at a moderate pace with only short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and museums tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as cold, humidity and heat walk up and down slopes negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites, which are often uneven and unstable get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train or boat unassisted, possibly with luggage move your luggage a short distance if required A note for older travellers If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, it is highly likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. You will have to miss several activities and will not get the full value of the tour. Your booking will not be accepted until 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 physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition.

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