| New Hampshire & Vermont |
WWII GERMANY September 18/19-29, 2018 |
Join us this autumn as we travel from Munich to Berlin to tour sites pertaining to the rise of Hitler and the Third Reich. We will journey from the Eagle's Nest in the beautiful Bavarian Alps to the beer halls of Munich; from Dachau concentration camp to the Nazi rally grounds and the famous courtroom in Nuremberg. We will visit the Rococo jewel of Dresden that was reconstructed from the ashes. We will spend four full days exploring sites in Berlin that pertain to WWII and the Cold War including the Reichstag; the site of Hitler's bunker; the Cecilienhof Palace, site of the Potsdam conference; the Berlin Wall Memorial; and Check Point Charlie. Battlefield guide Bill McQuade and guest historian Ed Bearss will accompany us on this program.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Tuesday, September 18 Individual departures from the U.S. for Salzburg, Austria. (Note: we have reserved a block of rooms for the nights of September 17 & 18 for those who wish to arrive early in Salzburg.)
Day 2: Wednesday, September 19 Individual arrivals in Salzburg, Austria. Join staff and fellow travelers at this evening’s welcome dinner. Overnight at the Hotel NH Salzburg
Day 3: Thursday, September 20 Drive to Berchtesgaden for a tour of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest that is perched on a mountain peak in the beautiful Bavarian Alps. The retreat escaped damage during WWII so we will see the rooms where Hitler entertained foreign diplomats as well as the red marble fireplace that was a gift from Mussolini. Tour the exhibits on the history of the National Socialism Party at the Obersalzberg Document Center. Continue to Starnberg, situated 15 miles south of Munich. Check into our hotel for a 3-night stay. Overnight Vier Jahreszeiten, Starnberg, Germany
Day 4: Friday, September 21 We will take a walking tour of Munich, the birthplace of the Third Reich. We will see the beer halls where Hitler attended his first party meetings and made his first major speeches. We’ll see the building where Goebbels launched Kristallnacht, the location of the Beer Hall Putsch street battle, and memorials to victims of the Third Reich.
This afternoon, we will tour Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp opened in Germany. Overnight Vier Jahreszeiten, Starnberg, Germany
Day 5: Saturday, September 22 We will take a full-day excursion to King Ludwig II’s Neuschwanstein Castle. During WWII, the Nazis stored thousands of paintings inside the castle as featured in the film Monuments Men. We will also tour Linderhof the “mad” king’s hunting lodge before returning to our hotel. Overnight Vier Jahreszeiten, Starnberg, Germany
Day 6: Sunday, September 23 Check out of our hotel and depart by coach for Nuremberg. We will tour the Nazi Party Rally Grounds, Courtroom 600 where the Nuremberg trials were held, and the historic heart of Nuremberg town. We will visit the Documentation Center’s permanent exhibit “Fascination and Terror” that documents the causes and consequences of Nazi Germany. Overnight Holiday Inn Nuremberg City Centre
Day 7: Monday, September 24 This morning, we will drive from Nuremberg to Dresden. For centuries, Dresden was the royal residence of the Dukes and Kings of Saxony. Dubbed the “Jewel Box” because of its ornate Baroque and Rococo architecture, the old city was destroyed by Allied firebombing towards the end of WWII. Most of the historic buildings have been reconstructed. Following a walking tour of the old quarter, the balance of the afternoon will be free for you to explore the town on your own. Overnight Hilton Dresden Hotel
Day 8: Tuesday, September 25 This morning, we drive to Berlin. Our orientation of the city will include seeing the Brandenberg Gate and Tiergarten. We will tour the Reichstag Building and the German Resistance Memorial and we will see the Holocaust Memorial and the site of Hitler’s bunker. Overnight Holiday Inn Berlin – Centre Alexanderplatz
Day 9: Wednesday, September 26 Today we will focus on the Battle of Berlin, the final major offensive of the European Theater of WWII. We drive east of Berlin to discuss the Battle of Seelow Heights (April 16-19, 1945) where nearly one million Soviet soldiers were deployed to break through “the Gates of Berlin.” We’ll conclude with Berlin’s German-Russia Museum and the Soviet War Memorial in Berlin’s Treptower Park. Overnight Holiday Inn Berlin – Centre Alexanderplatz
Day 10: Thursday, September 27 We will tour the Cecilienhof Palace, site of the Potsdam Conference in 1945 where Truman, Churchill, and Stalin met to decide the fate of Germany and the post-war boundaries for the rest of war torn Europe. See Glienicke Bridge, where spies were exchanged during the Cold War. Proceed to the Allied Museum for a guided tour of exhibits that include the Berlin Airlift. Overnight Holiday Inn Berlin – Centre Alexanderplatz
Day 11: Friday, September 28 Today we will tour the Topography of Terror, a museum located on the site of the Gestapo and SS Headquarters and two Cold War sites: the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the Berlin Wall Memorial. Overnight Holiday Inn Berlin – Centre Alexanderplatz
Day 12: Saturday, September 29 Depart for USA or Paris for our D-Day Normandy tour, October 1-6, 2018. Note: American staff, Ed Bearss & Marty Gane will fly from Berlin to Paris on September 29.
BATTLEFIELD GUIDE: We are delighted to announce that battlefield guide Bill McQuade, will accompany us through Germany as our expert guide. Bill says that his life long passion for military history was first stimulated on his 10th birthday by a present from his grandmother – a book by the RAF hero Guy Gibson entitled, “Enemy Coast Ahead.” Bill was stationed in Germany during the Cold War when he served with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, an armoured regiment. This posting provided Bill the opportunity to visit WWI and II battle sites, many of them still in their war time condition. Upon discharge from the Army, Bill earned his teaching qualification at Wakefield College and began a career in adult education. However, his passion for military history was too strong. He began leading battlefield tours and soon found himself in high demand by documentary film makers. Bill is a student of both ancient and modern warfare including the Battles of Marathon and Waterloo; the Franco-Prussian War; the Great War; the Second World War; the Holocaust; the Cold War; the Arab-Israeli conflicts and Vietnam. Acknowledged by many as one of the finest and most experienced battlefield guides currently operating tours, Bill leads tours of Third Reich Germany 6 to 8 times a year. Bill is a founding member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides.
GUEST HISTORIAN: We have also invited our dear friend Edwin C. Bearss to join us on this trip as our special guest. Author, lecturer and one of our nation's preeminent historians, Ed's encyclopedic knowledge and unflagging energy are legendary. A native of Sarpy, Montana, Ed is a decorated WWII Marine Corps veteran from the Pacific Theater. Ed has enjoyed a 41-year career as an historian for the National Park Service. In 1981, he was named Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service, a position he held until 1994. Ed has led many WWII tours from Normandy to the Rhine River; the Battle of Crete, and the Italian Campaign and he is looking forward to joining us in Germany.
TOUR INCLUDES (12 days/10 nights): * Guest Historian Guide: Edwin C. Bearss is scheduled for this tour * Battlefield Guide: Bill McQuade is scheduled for this tour * Services of a professional tour director: Marty Gane is scheduled for this tour * 10 nights hotel accommodations * Private, air-conditioned, motor coach for all sightseeing * 2 wine/beer receptions, daily breakfast, 7 lunches, and 7 dinners * All admissions, tours and excursions as described in the itinerary * All taxes, baggage handling (one bag per person), & gratuities * Pre-trip notes, reading list and map book
What is Not Included: Airfare; transfers between airport and hotel; trip insurance; personal items such as wines, liquors, a la carte orders, room service, laundry charges; and meals and other items not specifically mentioned as included.
Price does not include airfare, however, we are happy to assist you with flight arrangements. We will post staff flight details shortly in case you would like to book seats on the same flights as Historian Ed Bearss and Tour Manager Marty Gane. COST: 12 DAYS/10 NIGHTS Single Occupancy: $5,895
(NOTE: All costs are based on a minimum of 25 participants.)
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