Group Tour Operator and DMC for Berlin, Germany
Reunified Berlin – Two Sides of the Wall
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The DDR Museum © DDR Museum Berlin
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DDR Museum: Trabi driving simulation ©DDR Museum, Berlin 2017
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1970s East German apartments at the DDR Museum © DDR Museum, Berlin 2017
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Berlin - Trabant car
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Brandenburg Gate ©visitBerlin, Dagmar Schwelle, GNTB
Discover how Europe changed forever and after over 30 years, Berlin remembers reunification
On 9th November 1989, after almost three decades, the Berlin Wall was proclaimed open. 2019 marked the 30th anniversary of the beginning of the end for this physical and ideological barrier. After years of separation, families and friends could once again cross the countries borders. The western world peeked behind the Iron Curtain. Discover the hidden secrets, the tragedies and the jubilation that came with a wall tumbling down on that fateful day in November 1989.
Read MoreDividing a Nation
Built in the early 1960s, the Berlin Wall divided this great city between two countries and two ideologies: democratic West Germany and socialist East Germany. Even 30 years after the fall of the Wall, reunified Berlin still bears reminders of its division. Different architectural styles are evident and the distinctive Ampelmännchen (hat-wearing pedestrian crossing light) guide pedestrians across roads in the former Eastern Bloc. Undoubtedly one of the world’s most fascinating cities, Berlin has a turbulent past which this tour will explore.
Life in East Berlin
Explore almost three decades of division on this Reunified Berlin tour. At the East Side Gallery, see the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall. Artists from around the world have decorated the Wall with murals depicting hope for a future of peace and tolerance. Fans of spy thrillers will delight at visiting Checkpoint Charlie because it featured in the James Bond film ‘Octopussy’ and John le Carré’s ‘The Spy Who Came in from the Cold’. Checkpoint Charlie is the best-known crossing point between East and West Germany and thus the site of many important events. Explore the life of ordinary people in the German Democratic Republic at the engaging and interactive DDR Museum. There, learn about the reality of the ideology. Hear the songs, wear the clothes, sit in the homes and drive the car, all the while under the surveillance of the Stasi.
As Germany remembers it’s past and the ever-evolving consequences that came with global war, why pay homage to those who suffered on all sides with a tour of the battlefields in France and Belgium.
Dates
Dates throughout 2023
Suggested Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive in Berlin
Arrive in Berlin and check in to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure in this historically charged capital.
Day 2
One City, Two countries
Explore the key sites of Berlin on a guided tour. See Checkpoint Charlie, one of the best known crossing points between East and West Berlin. Checkpoint Charlie was a significant Cold War site, the location of many attempts to escape the East, and more recently the setting of many spy thrillers. The East Side Gallery is the longest of the few remaining stretches of the Berlin Wall. After the reunification of Germany, the wall was decorated with political murals by over one hundred German and international artists to mark the beginning of a new era of peace in Germany. Stroll along the wall admiring both the artworks and the views along the river Spree towards the Berlin TV Tower.
Day 3
East Germany: Utopia or Dystopia?
Explore the past in Berlin’s outstanding museums. The DDR museum immerses visitors into the everyday life of East Germany by exploring a recreation of a tower block and ‘driving’ a Trabant. The interactive exhibit allows you to explore beyond the Wall, and learn about the realities of life under socialism and the threat of the Stasi. Museum Island hosts a collection of five world-renowned museums, perhaps explore some this afternoon. Travel back further in history by viewing works of art and historically important artefacts at this UNESCO site.
Day 4
Head West
Time permitting, enjoy some final sightseeing or souvenir shopping. Depart Berlin and begin your journey home.
Featured hotel
Leonardo Hotel Berlin ***
A firm favourite with Greatdays groups!
This 3-star-superior hotel is in Berlin’s district, 100 yards from Bismarckstraße Underground Station, which provides a direct connection to Potsdamer Platz and Alexanderplatz. All rooms at Leonardo Hotel are air-conditioned and have a flat-screen TV, hot drinks facilities, a work desk and a private bathroom. Wi-Fi is available in the whole hotel. The hotel offers a large buffet breakfast and there’s a bar serving drinks and snacks.
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| Leonardo Hotel Berlin | Prices available on request | Prices available on request |
