Independent Germany: Berlin, Cultural Metropolis
Program Number:
19008RJ
Start and End Dates:
9/26/2010 - 10/3/2010
;
Duration:
7 nights
Location:
Germany
Price starting at:
$1,548.00 -
Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type:
Area Studies
Activity Level:
4 (
see description
)
Meals:
8; 6 Breakfasts, 0 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Meal Options:
Vegetarian
From its 200-year reign as the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia to the turbulent era that came to a close with the fall of the Berlin Wall, explore the European Union’s second-most populous city through expert-led field trips and your own independent discoveries. Get to know the city as Europe’s new cultural metropolis and experience all it has to offer with a musical performance, meetings with locals and more.
Highlights
•
Set out with an expert for the Royal city of Potsdam, where you take in the exquisite architecture and gardens of Schloss Sanssouci, the summer palace where Frederick the Great sought refuge from the cares of court life.
•
Walk through Potsdamer Platz with a historian who explains the area’s transformation from a Cold War “no man’s land” bisected by the Berlin Wall bisected into today’s symbol of the new and vibrant Berlin.
•
Meet with Berliners to discuss day-to-day modern life in the city.
Program Particulars
This program offers a planned balance of included group activities and free time for you to pursue personal interests. You may choose to use your free time to explore independently with the help of detailed outlines and the advice of your Group Leader. You may also have the option of participating in elective field trips at an additional cost. See “Free Time Opportunities” at the bottom of the Daily Schedule page for details.
Activity Particulars
Walking up to two miles per day, sometimes over rough terrain and hills; some stairs without railings.
Germany
From warring tribes who put an end to the declining Roman Empire to Charlemagne’s unified Holy Roman Empire; religious divisions ignited by Martin Luther’s 95 theses in Wittenburg to the nation-making force of Otto von Bismarck -- alternating unity and division are the hallmarks of German history. In 1961, a concrete wall divided Germany the world. With the Berlin Wall’s fall in 1989, Germany showed the way for the new, embracing Europe of today.
Meals and Lodgings
MARK HOTEL OR SIMILAR
Berlin, Germany
6 nights
MARK HOTEL OR SIMILAR
Type:
Hotel
Description:
The 233-room Mark Hotel boasts an excellent location near the zoological. Garden and Berlin's famed Kufurstendamm. The hotel is less than a 1.5 miles from the Berlin's "Zoo" train station and approximately 5 miles from Tegel Airport.
Contact info:
Meinekestrasse 18-19
Berlin, 2944 Germany
phone: +212 594-8787
Room amenities:
Rooms have bath with shower or tub, telephone, minibar, tv, radio and alarm clock.
Facility amenities:
Hotel amenities include bistro restaurant, summer terrace and elevator. The hotel does not have air conditioning.
Smoking allowed:
Yes
Elevators available:
Yes
Additional nights prior:
contact program coordinator Additional hotel nights may be requested by emailing us at eh@groupist.com
Additional nights after:
contact program coordinator Additional hotel nights may be requested by emailing us at eh@groupist.com
Check out time:
8:00 PM
Travel Details
Start of Program:
5:00pm You will be staying at
MARK HOTEL OR SIMILAR
that night.
End of Program:
After Breakfast You will be staying at
MARK HOTEL OR SIMILAR
the night before.
Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required. US Passport Holders must have passport valid for 6 months after travel.
Transportation
(For Independent Travelers)
To Start of Program
Location:
Berlin
Nearest airport:
Tegel
From End of Program
Location:
Berlin
(
Additional transportation information same as above
)
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.
Daily Schedule
Day 1:
(Sunday, September 26)
Depart From:
Depart USA
Day 2:
Arrive in Berlin
(Monday, September 27)
Afternoon:
Arrive in Berlin and transfer to our hotel. After some free time to relax, meet our group leader for an orientation walk in the neighborhood.
Dinner:
Tonight our group leader offers an overview presentation before our Welcome dinner.
Accommodations:
MARK HOTEL OR SIMILAR
Meals Included:
Dinner
Day 3:
Explore Berlin's Architectural Gems.
(Tuesday, September 28)
Breakfast:
Breakfast at Hotel.
Morning:
This morning a lecture by our expert introduces us to the city of Berlin and considers its place as Europe’s new cultural metropolis.
Lunch:
Take some time for lunch on your own
Afternoon:
Later we gather for a bus excursion through the city with a focus on its architectural gems. We use architecture as a means of searching out Berlin’s past and considering its future.
Dinner:
Dinner is on your own to sample some of Berlin’s lively restaurants.
Accommodations:
MARK HOTEL OR SIMILAR
Meals Included:
Breakfast
Day 4:
Optional Excursion to Berlin's Museum Island
(Wednesday, September 29)
Breakfast:
Breakfast at Hotel.
Morning:
Today is free for independent exploration. Stroll through the lively streets of the Mitte artist’s district or relax at a sidewalk café or experience the treasures on Berlin’s Museum Island on an optional excursion. Our expert leads us through the island’s best known landmark the Pergamon Museum. The Pergamon’s antiquities collection is home to the famed Pergamon Altar, the Market Gate of Miletus and the Ishtar Gate. At the conclusion of the excursion participants can return to the hotel or stay on their own and visit other collections - a full day pass to all of the island’s museums is included
Lunch:
Lunch on your own.
Dinner:
Dinner on your own to sample local restaurants.
Accommodations:
MARK HOTEL OR SIMILAR
Meals Included:
Breakfast
Day 5:
Optional Excursion of Jewish Berlin.
(Thursday, September 30)
Breakfast:
Breakfast at Hotel.
Morning:
This morning is free to explore on your own or consider taking part in an optional excursion focusing on Jewish Berlin. Join our expert for a visit to the city’s traditional Jewish Quarter. Our route takes us along Oranienburger Strasse with a visit to its impressive Synagogue and finishes at the Museum Otto Weidt, where our expert tells the story of Otto Weidt, a factory owner who employed blind and deaf Jewish employees saving many from the Nazi Regime.
Lunch:
Enjoy some free time for lunch
Afternoon:
Later we meet for a lecture touching on the recent past, the present and the future in this lively city. We round out the afternoon with a chance to talk to Berliners about the joys and challengers of life here.
Dinner:
Dinner is on your own to sample local specialties.
Accommodations:
MARK HOTEL OR SIMILAR
Meals Included:
Breakfast
Day 6:
Explore Berlin's Landscape and Potsdamer Platz.
(Friday, October 1)
Breakfast:
Breakfast at Hotel.
Morning:
This morning we explore Berlin’s Museum Landscape with a visit to the Painting Gallery at the city Kulturforum. With our expert, we seek out the best of the museum’s impressive collection.
Lunch:
Lunch is on your own
Afternoon:
Gather for a walking excursion through Potsdamer Platz. Destroyed in World War II and a “no man’s land” during the Cold War when the Berlin Wall bisected it, Potsdamer Platz is today the symbol of the new and vibrant Berlin.
Dinner:
Dinner on your own to sample local restaurants.
Evening:
This evening enjoy a musical performance at one of Berlin’s many venues.
Accommodations:
MARK HOTEL OR SIMILAR
Meals Included:
Breakfast
Day 7:
Tour the Royal City of Potsdam
(Saturday, October 2)
Breakfast:
Breakfast at Hotel.
Morning:
This morning we set out for the Royal city of Potsdam. Here we have a special insiders visit to Frederick the Great’s beloved Schloss Sanssouci. We take in the exquisite architecture and revel in the lovely gardens where the Frederick’s sought refuge from the cares of the court life.
Lunch:
Lunch on your own.
Afternoon:
Finish up the afternoon with a short city excursion. Return to Berlin where the rest of the afternoon is at your leisure.
Dinner:
Enjoy a festive farewell dinner.
Accommodations:
MARK HOTEL OR SIMILAR
Meals Included:
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8:
(Sunday, October 3)
Breakfast:
Breakfast at Hotel.
Morning:
Transfer to the airport for our homeward bound flights.
Meals Included:
Breakfast
Free Time Opportunities
Berlin
Optional half-day excursion
Optional half-day excursion on Day 4 to Berlin’s Museum Island includes full-day pass to all museums and expert-led visit to Pergamon Museum, $60.
Optional three-hour excursion
Optional three-hour excursion on Day 7 to explore Jewish Berlin along Oranienburger Strasse, $40.
Important information about your itinerary:
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.
You can't find a better value than Road Scholar.
As a not-for-profit organization, we are dedicated to providing all-inclusive educational programs at great value. From lectures to gratuities to field trips to accommodations - the tuition you pay up front is all that you pay.
Specifically, this program includes:
6 nights accommodations
8 meals: 6 breakfasts, 0 lunches, 2 dinners
Expert-led lectures: 2
Expert-led lectures
Led by one or more of our world-class instructors, typically in a classroom setting, lectures come in the form of presentations, discussions or workshops and offer expert insight into your area of study.
Field trips: 2
Field trips
The world is your classroom, as you're on location with an instructor to pursue your educational theme firsthand.
Excursions: 3
Excursions
Not necessarily tied directly to the educational theme of your program, excursions include visits to sites of general interest and may be as much for pleasure as for learning.
Performances: 1
Performances
A performance can range from a night at the opera to a visit from a local performer at your hotel.
View the Daily Schedule to see more
And included with all Road Scholar programs:
Learning led by expert instructors who are authorities in the field of study.
An experienced Group Leader attuned to the needs of Road Scholar participants.
Customary gratuities throughout the program that you would normally pay yourself.
The Road Scholar Travel Assistance Plan, providing 24-hour-a-day emergency assistance coverage.
Taxes
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