Berlin: Two Pasts, One Present

Activity note: Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m. Luggage can be stored at the hotel if you arrive early. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).

Afternoon: Orientation: 4:30 p.m. in the hotel meeting room. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Please note that in Germany it is often expected to pay for using public restrooms with small change; we advise to carry 50c pieces with you during field trips. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: At the hotel restaurant.

Evening: At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach several times; short walks to and standing at field trip sites; cobblestones. The specific sites seen during our motorcoach field trip will depend on schedules and local conditions at the time of the program.

Breakfast: In the hotel dining room.

Morning: This morning we’ll board a motorcoach with another expert for a field trip to see some of the city’s highlights including the Berlin Wall Monument, Checkpoint Charlie, Gendarmenmarkt Square with the restored Konzerthaus and the French and German churches, Paris Square and the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, Holocaust Memorial, Potsdamer Square (the new and old), Memorial Church, and new architecture.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Our expert-led field trip continues aboard the motorcoach including a stop at the Jewish Quarter. Upon our return to the hotel, we’ll adjourn for the day.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Walking up to 3 miles; extensive standing at Reichstag building and climbing flights of stairs.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: This morning we'll have an opportunity to venture behind the scenes of German politics and discuss current political issues in Germany and the European Union with a political expert. We will then take a walking field trip to one of the city’s most famous landmarks, the former Reichstag building that is now the seat of the Deutscher Bundestag, the German Federal Parliament. As we see and appreciate the magnificent architecture, we will also learn more about Germany’s turbulent political past — and that mysterious 1933 fire! — before ascending to the recently rebuilt glass cupola. From here, you can enjoy spectacular views of the parliamentary and government district and Berlin’s sights.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: At leisure to explore on your own. Your group leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy local fare.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off public transportation. Walking up to 3 miles, cobblestones, climbing flights of stairs.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will board the motorcoach for a field trip to the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial. In 1945, the building was converted into a Soviet Secret Police prison for detention and interrogation in East Germany. In 1951, the East German Ministry of State Security (Stasi) took over the prison, added a new prison building in 1961 and, until 1989, used the site as its main remand center. Thousands of political prisoners passed through this jail, including nearly all the prominent figures opposing the GDR regime. The site formed a kind of headquarters of communist repression in East Germany. Afterwards we will meet a local artist who painted part of the Berlin Wall and is one of the founders of the artist collective of the East Side Gallery.

Lunch: We will take the motorcoach to eat at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Leisure time to explore on your own. Your group leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like and sample local fare.

Evening: After dinner we will gather for a presentation and discussion with a contemporary witness from the former GDR.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking up to 2 miles; cobblestones. Walking and other free time activities according to personal choice.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will begin the morning with a lecture by a knowledgeable local expert who will introduce the history of Berlin's famous Museum Island. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Museum Island complex is home to five internationally acclaimed museums. After the lecture, we will go to Museum Island by motorcoach and see one of the exhibitions led by the local expert.

Lunch: At a restaurant near Museum Island.

Afternoon: Free time. You are welcome to remain and continue exploring the treasures of Museum Island.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like and sample local fare.

Evening: We will attend an evening performance.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 50 miles, approximately 4-5 hours riding time with short stops along the way (not including the expert-led walks and lunch); walking up to 2 miles, standing around Cecilienhof Palace and the Allied Museum, climbing stairs.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Our morning field trip via motorcoach takes us to Potsdam and the historic Cecilienhof Palace, the last palace built by the ruling Hohenzollern family from 1914-17 for Crown Prince William and his wife, Cecilie von Mecklenburg-Schwerin. World history was forged when Allied leaders Truman, Churchill, and Stalin met here for the Potsdam Conference in 1945 to discuss the partition of Germany

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: We’ll take the motorcoach to return to Berlin and on the way back we will visit the Allied Museum. First, we’ll assemble in a room at the museum for a lecture on German-American relations from 1945 to the present by an expert. After this, our expert will lead us through the exhibition. Dedicated to the 50-year Allied presence in Berlin, we will explore the museum's permanent exhibits with a focus on the large-scale objects such as the Hastings plane, the French military train and the original Checkpoint Charlie. We also check out the espionage tunnel of "Operation Gold". We'll then return to the hotel.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy local fare.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Taking public transportation. Walking up to 2 miles and standing, walking on cobblestone. Walking and other free time activities according to personal choice.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will ride by public transport to Kreuzberg – a borough of Berlin – to explore the modern day Berlin. Kreuzberg has developed from one of the poorest boroughs of West Berlin to a cultural and artistic hotspot of the city. During the division, it was faced on three sides by the Berlin Wall; after reunification, it went through a significant gentrification process. We will explore the borough with a local expert and learn about the history and current topics of the borough.

Lunch: On your own.

Afternoon: Free time.

Dinner: We’ll take a walk from the hotel to a popular restaurant in the vibrant center. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Activity note: Hotel check-out by 12:00 Noon. See your program’s “Transportation Information” regarding transfers.

Breakfast: At the hotel. This concludes our program.

Morning: If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!