Compare The Rise, Fall & Rebirth of Germany by Road Scholar

Day 1
In Transit to Program
In Flight

Day 2
Introduction & Orientation
Berlin D Maritim proArte Hotel Berlin
Activity note: Check-in available from 3:00 p.m.

Lunch: Explore local fare on your own.

Afternoon: Meet at 3:45 p.m. for an introduction to the program and welcome orientation. Your Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the program theme, the up-to-date Daily Schedule and any changes, discuss safety guidelines, emergency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and answer any questions you may have. Indicated times are approximate. Program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Discover Berlin during an expert-led walking excursion. Walk in the very heart of West Berlin up to the Emperor Wilhelm’s Memorial Church. In the Roaring Twenties, this was the place for artists, writers, journalists, actors, and painters to gather, and includes the famous coffeehouses where Einstein and his ilk got together. Next to the Berlin Zoo is where Marlene Dietrich’s "Blue Angel" originally premiered; this was the district that underwent the most visible changes as the country transitioned from Imperial Germany to the Democratic Weimar Republic and much later the Cold War period.

Dinner: Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant. Unless otherwise noted, dinners on this program are typically a three-course set menu. Please note that water is included in the program cost at all meals.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 3
Europe on the Threshold of the 20th Century
Berlin B,L Maritim proArte Hotel Berlin
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel restaurant. On this program, breakfasts will offer a typical European style breakfast buffet with breads, cheeses, cold-cuts, yogurt, fruit, cereals, juice, milk, coffee, tea and water.

Morning: Attend a lecture about the political situation of 20th century Europe through the lens of German history. Start with the founding of the German Empire in the second half of the 19th century, with Bismarck as the first chancellor. Continue through the Great War, the Weimar republic, and the rise of Hitler. Introduction and overview talk by a local historian. After a coffee break, hear a second presentation on Berlin and its important periods, from Imperial Berlin to a city divided during the Cold War to the unification and its return as the seat of the German government.

Lunch: At the hotel restaurant. Unless otherwise noted, lunches on this program are typically a two-course set menu.

Afternoon: Enjoy an expert-led excursion by boat to Berlin Mitte, the district of the most important landmarks of the German capital. Sailing on the Spree River, we pass Museum Island with the major museums; the Berlin Cathedral, once part of the destroyed Prussian Imperial Castle on the Schlossplatz, the topographical center of the capital; and the government quarter with the German Parliament and the Reichstag Building. The boat ride will be followed by an expert-led walk through the Government District up to Brandenburg Gate and the famous Unter den Linden Boulevard. We will also enjoy a coffee break during the afternoon at the Reichstag Café.

Dinner: Explore local fare on your own. There are many nice restaurants close to the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 4
Discover Berlin Mitte, Walk of Remembrance
Berlin B,L,D Maritim proArte Hotel Berlin
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel restaurant.

Morning: Discover the trendy neighborhood around Hackesche Höfe on an expert-led walk. Stop for a visit to the Otto Weidt Museum Workshop for the Blind, which tells the story of Weidt’s efforts to protect his Jewish workers from persecution and deportation during the Nazi era. As the Nazi threat grew, he found places for some of his workers to hide. The museum is currently housed in one of those former hiding spots. Continue on to Rosenstrasse, where in 1943, a spontaneous demonstration against the Gestapo took place. Proceed to the Rote Rathaus, the city’s old and new town halls, and end your excursion at the Nikolai Quarter, where Berlin was once founded.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Enjoy an expert-led walk through the former Royal Berlin which includes the Unter den Linden Boulevard, Museum Island, and Gendarmenmarkt. Enjoy some free time to explore independently. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities, which can be found in the first Information Packet. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Dinner: At the hotel restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 5
Postwar Berlin - A Divided City
Berlin B,L Maritim proArte Hotel Berlin
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel restaurant.

Morning: This morning, visit and learn about the Hohenschönhausen Prison, a memorial site since 1994. No other site in Germany is so intricately linked with the 44-year history of political persecution in the Soviet Occupation Zone and the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Thousands of political prisoners passed through this jail, including nearly all the prominent figures opposing the GDR regime.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Enjoy an expert-led walk through the “Kiez,” or neighborhood, of Prenzlauerberg, one of the few areas of Berlin that avoided much of the destruction wrought during World War II. The majority of the houses were built in the second half of the 19th century as a district for workers. It was here that Germany’s most well known female artist, Käthe Kollwitz, developed her strong social conscience, which is so fiercely reflected in her work. After the Fall of the Wall, this former East Berlin district became one of the most upscale neighborhoods in Berlin.

Dinner: Explore local fare on your own.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 6
Jewish History, the Holocaust, and the End of World War II
Berlin B,L,D Maritim proArte Hotel Berlin
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel restaurant.

Morning: The day starts with an expert-led visit to the Jewish Museum in Berlin, which introduces visitors to more than 2,000 years of Jewish history in Germany through poignant installations and commemorative spaces. This post-structural building by Daniel Libeskind is world-renowned for its unusual architecture. We continue by private coach to the Grunewald “Gleis 17” Memorial. This railway station is the site where the majority of Berlin Jews were deported to Theresienstadt and Auschwitz. Afterwards, the coach will continue on to Potsdam.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Discover the Cecilienhof Palace, during an expert-led field trip. This palace hosted the Potsdam Conference in 1945 where Stalin, Truman, Churchill, and Attlee determined the fate of defeated Germany. These men eventually agreed upon the Potsdam Protocol which divided Germany. Continue by coach to Sanssouci Palace and its beautiful parks. After a short introduction to the history and architecture of the palace and gardens, you will have some free time to explore and enjoy the beautiful grounds independently.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 7
Berlin Film Industry, Free Afternoon
Berlin B,D Maritim proArte Hotel Berlin
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel restaurant.

Morning: This morning, lose yourself in the glamour of Berlin’s silent movies during an expert-led visit to the Film Museum. As one of the birthplaces of the new media of film, Berlin eventually became known for its silent movies. “Metropolis,” “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” and “M – A City Searches for a Murderer” are just a few of the many movies of this era. Today, Berlin and the nearby film studios of Potsdam Babelsberg produce some of the more recent blockbusters.

Lunch: Explore local fare on your own.

Afternoon: Free time to explore Berlin independently.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 8
Transfer to Nuremberg - City of Crime and Punishment
Nuremberg B,L,D Hotel Burgschmiet
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel restaurant.

Morning: Depart Berlin by private coach to Nuremberg.

Lunch: Packed lunch en route.

Afternoon: This afternoon, you will learn about the Nazi Party Rally Grounds designed by Albert Speer, during an expert-led coach excursion. In the 1920s, Nuremberg was already a place for Nazi meetings and was vital for the rise of National Socialism in Germany. Because of its history with the Nazi party, it became a prominent site for trials of war criminals after the end of the Nazi rule.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: Insider walk through the picturesque center of Nuremberg.

Day 9
Transfer to Munich, European Modernism
Munich B,D Carat Hotel Munich
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel restaurant.

Morning: Free morning to explore Nuremberg on your own. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities, which can be found in the first Information Packet. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Lunch: Explore local fare on your own.

Afternoon: Bus transfer to Munich. Then have an expert-led bus excursion outside of the old town to see famous landmarks such as Nymphenburg Palace, the English Garden, the Opera House, and the Maximilianeum Building - the seat of the Bavarian Parliament. Check in to your hotel before a late afternoon lecture. Take in an illustrated presentation about Munich’s cultural history from the 1880s to 1933. Due to the Royal past of the city and flourishing bourgeoisie, Munich became an early center of European Modernism. As the birthplace of Jugendstil, also known as Art Nouveau, and German Expressionism, Munich attracted many international artists such as Giorgio de Chirico, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Thomas Mann. Sadly, the Nazis put an end to Modernism in the 1930s. This was most devastating to Munich, where Nazi's organized the “Degenerate Art Exhibition."

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: Take a short walk to nearby Marienplatz, the center of Munich.

Day 10
The Political History of Munich
Munich B,L Carat Hotel Munich
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel restaurant.

Morning: This morning, learn about the pre-Nazi and Nazi period of Munich during an expert-led walk. At the end of the second German Empire, Munich faced various revolutions and coups. In this atmosphere of political upheaval, Adolf Hitler managed to form his Nazi party and run for office. Due to his intimate connections with both the city and its citizens, he named Munich “The Center of the Movement.” Megalomaniacal building projects were planned to turn Munich into the true capital of Germany, but these plans, and the Nazi rule in general, provoked resistance. The most famous resistance was the “White Rose,” a Munich based student group.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Introduction and visit to Munich’s City History Museum with special focus on the Nazi period. The remainder of the afternoon is free for further exploration of the museum and Munich.

Dinner: Explore local fare on your own.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 11
"The Blue Rider" in Munich and Murnau
Munich B,L,D Carat Hotel Munich
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel restaurant.

Morning: Enjoy an expert-led field trip through the exquisite Lenbachhaus. Since reopening in May 2013, the former mansion of artist Franz von Lenbach has become the most important museum for the German Expressionist Group, Der Blaue Reiter, or The Blue Rider. You will be introduced to the world’s largest collection of works by the Blue Rider group. We will focus on works by Wassily Kandinsky, Gabriele Münter, Alexej Jawlensky, Paul Klee, and Franz Marc. Afterwards, continue by bus to Murnau, in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Murnau is a charming little town and birthplace of the Blue Rider group. The landscape is picturesque with its romantic lakes and moorlands and served as inspiration to the artists. On an expert-led excursion, discover the Schlossmuseum which houses the most comprehensive collection of works by Gabriele Münter. Afterwards, there will be time for you to explore Murnau on your own. You may wish to walk to Gabriele Münter’s house. In the late afternoon, coach back to Munich.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 12
Bohemian Schwabing, Jewish Munich
Munich B,D Carat Hotel Munich
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel restaurant.

Morning: Enjoy a stroll through the charming streets of Schwabing, a Munich neighborhood known for its bohemian lifestyle. Learn about the influence of Jugendstil on European architecture. Become acquainted with the artists and writers of the early 20th century who introduced new techniques and topics into the arts. In the 1960s, Schwabing became the center of the student movement, which politically and -- through filmmakers like Rainer Werner Fassbinder -- artistically challenged Munich’s establishment. We will conclude our journey with a short visit to the new Jewish heart of Munich. The postwar Community Center and Synagogue have become symbols of Germany’s ability to overcome Nazism, to commemorate the victims, and provide hope for the renewal of German Judaism. Furthermore, they stand for the lessons learned during the turbulent 20th century history of Munich, Germany, and even Europe.

Lunch: Explore local fare on your own.

Afternoon: Free time to explore Munich independently. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities, which can be found in the first Information Packet. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Dinner: Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 13
Departures
In Flight B
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel restaurant.

Morning: Transfer to the airport for departures. This concludes our program. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures.