| 10 Days ~ Germany
& Czech Republic
Tour Pace
This is really three relaxing
city stays linked together with interesting travelling days with important
stops en route like the visit to Colditz Castle. There is the opportunity
for extensive sightseeing & exploration in each city plus ample leisure time
to just sit back & people watch!
DAY 1 – FRI – BERLIN AT
LEISURE
Welcome to Berlin! On arrival
at Berlin’s Tegel Airport, there are complimentary transfers to your
hotel. Spend the afternoon walking along the ‘Ku-damm’, the shopping
street of western Berlin which during 40 years of division became the shop
window of the West and the envy of the East. Get to know your fellow
passengers and Tour Director over a Welcome Drink. Hotel: Berlin.
DAY 2 – SAT – BERLIN
SIGHTSEEING
Sightseeing with a local guide
takes in both parts of this reunited city, seeing monuments from every
period of its history. Start on Museum Island before driving along the Unter
den Linden, seeing the beautifully restored State Opera House. Pass the
Brandenburg Gate, which has become one of the symbols of the city, and, in
the western part of the city, see the Reichstag building, a symbol of
Hitler’s rise to power. Drive through the Tiergarten, the oldest park in
the city, passing the towering Victory Column before returning to your
hotel. The afternoon is at leisure: why not visit the vast collections of
the Pergamon Museum.(Buffet breakfast)
DAY 3 – SUN – BERLIN –
COLDITZ – DRESDEN
Cross the mighty river Elbe to
visit Wittenberg where, in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the
door of the Schlosskirche and set the Reformation in motion; Luther lies
buried in the same church. Continue to the vibrant city of Leipzig, known
for its music and commercial fairs, to visit the tomb of JS Bach in the
world-famous Thomas Church. Drive through rural villages to visit the
forbidding fortress of Colditz, used as a supposedly escape-proof prisoner
of war camp in World War Two. Afterwards, make your own ‘escape’ to the
baroque city of Dresden. Hotel: Westin Bellevue. (Buffet breakfast, dinner)
DAY 4 – MON – DRESDEN
SIGHTSEEING
A tour introduces the
splendours of ‘Florence on the Elbe’, now rising again from the
destruction of horrific air raids in 1945. The most recent example is the
Frauenkirche, which you can view before admiring the ‘Procession of
Dukes’, colossal mosaic on the castle wall. Next door, see the cathedral
and the tiered facade of the Semper Opera House. Visit the Royal Palace to
admire the Green Vault collections, the artistic treasures assembled by the
Saxon princes over the centuries. Later, there is time to shop or continue
sightseeing. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 5 – TUE – DRESDEN –
MEISSEN EXCURSION
Journey to Meissen, home of
fine German porcelain since 1710, and visit the factory’s museum to see
some of the finest examples of their work. Return to your hotel in the
afternoon to relax and enjoy the magnificent views of Dresden and the river
– all from the summer terraces. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 6 – WED – DRESDEN –
PRAGUE
Travel along the valley of the
River Elbe to the sandstone pinnacles and cliffs of ‘Saxon Switzerland’,
one of Germany’s most spectacular natural wonders. Across the Czech
border, pay your respects at the Terezìn Memorial, a former fortress town
which was converted into a concentration camp by the Nazis during World War
Two. Stop in the lovely town of Melnik before reaching Prague, the ancient
capital of Bohemia and the Czech Republic’s leading city. Enjoy a
Highlight Dinner of traditional cuisine, complete with music. Hotel:
Movenpick. (Buffet
breakfast, Specialty Highlight Dinner)
DAY 7 – THU – PRAGUE
SIGHTSEEING
A walking tour introduces the
highlights of ‘Golden Prague’, which spread either side of the Vltava
River. From the heights of Prague Castle, a ‘city within a city’
dominated by the soaring spires of St Vitus’ Cathedral, look down on the
Old Town. Descend to explore the Old Town Square – don’t miss the Four
Apostles appearing above the Astronomical Clock on the hour. The afternoon
is at leisure. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 8 – FRI – PRAGUE AT
LEISURE
The day is set aside for you to
explore this beautiful city at your own pace. Stroll with your loved one
across the romantic Charles Bridge or visit the Jewish Quarter where the
world’s oldest synagogue still operates. Consider joining a tour to one of
the nearby country castles or to the ancient mining town of Kutná Hora.
Alternatively, dedicate the day to two of the most famous Czech products:
fine crystal and beer. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 9 – SAT – PRAGUE –
BERLIN
Travel north across the
Erzgebirge Mountains and back into Germany. Following part of the original
‘Hitler highway’, return to Berlin in time for dinner at your hotel.
Hotel: Hilton. (Buffet breakfast, dinner)
DAY 10 – SUN – BERLIN
Our tour ends this morning
after breakfast. Transfers arrive at Berlin's Tegel Airport at 08.00 & 10.00
hrs. (Buffet breakfast) |
