Duration: 13 Days
This tour of Poland and Eastern Germany is the perfect holiday for those who are interested in World War II. Your tour starts in Warsaw and ends in Munich. Along the way, you’ll visit cities, concentration camps, and places significant to World War II—with overnights in Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Dresden, Berlin, Weimar, Nuremberg, and Munich.
Throughout this tour, visit some of the World War II concentration camps. Walk around the most infamous, Auschwitz and Birkenau, and see chilling reminders of the Holocaust: visit Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar; constructed in 1937, it was one of the largest concentration camps; and visit Dachau concentration camp, which started out as a work camp for German dissidents.
In Krakow, visit the Remuh Synagogue, and the Oskar Schindler Factory, a museum devoted to the wartime experiences of Krakow and made famous in the movie Schindler’s List. Also visit the Memorium Nuremberg Trials and Courtroom 600 (if available), and learn about the background and repercussions of the trials at the original location where they were held, as well as the Documentation Center and Zeppelin Field, where thousands of people gathered for Nazi rallies. These experiences – plus specialty dinners at local restaurants in Warsaw, Dresden and Nuremberg are just some of the special inclusions Globus offers to ensure your holiday is unique.
World War II brought devastation to the cities that were bombed, and you’ll visit some of those cities. In Dresden, participate in a guided walking tour of Dresden badly damaged by Allied bombing in February 1945 and since restored. In Berlin, visit the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, a symbol of reconciliation.
All of this and much more is included in this impressive World War II tour to Poland and Eastern Germany.
Please note: Itinerary is based on 2020, and is subject to change. Full details will be confirmed in September 2020.
Welcome to Warsaw! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and travelling companions, and leave the hotel for a welcome dinner at one of Warsaw's excellent restaurants. (D)
Your Local Guide will tell you about the tormented, often tragic history of this important gateway city between East and West. See the medieval Stare Miasto (Old Quarter) with its market square and 14th-century CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN, the "wedding cake" Palace of Culture and Science, neoclassical Lazienki Palace, and the remnants of the Jewish ghetto. Later, maybe join an optional excursion. (B)
Visit Auschwitz and Birkenau, and see what is left of the notorious World War II CONCENTRATION CAMPS, chilling reminders of the Holocaust. Then, continue to Krakow, for centuries the residence of Polish kings. (B,D) Today's Distance: 311 mi / 500 km
This morning, consider an optional excursion to the Wieliczka salt mines. Back in Krakow, follow your Local Guide for a stroll through Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter, and visit the REMUH SYNAGOGUE. In the afternoon, visit the OSKAR SCHINDLER FACTORY, made famous in the movie Schindler's List. Perhaps join tonight's optional Polish dinner and folklore show. (B)
Guided sightseeing in ancient Krakow features the 14th-century Jagiellonian University, St. Mary's Church, and a walk to the Market Square. See the former Gleiwitz radio station on the way to Wroclaw, historical capital of Silesia. Through the ages, this impressive city belonged to Bohemia, Austria, Prussia, Germany, and (after 1945) to Poland. Hear about its turbulent history during your guided tour, and admire its highlights, such as the cathedral and the MARKET SQUARE with its fine patrician houses. (B,D) Today's Distance: 186 mi / 300 km
Cross the border and arrive in Dresden, former capital of Saxony. Badly damaged by Allied bombing in February 1945, the city has since been restored to its baroque splendour. During your guided walking tour, visit the Zwinger Palace COURTYARD to admire its impressive architecture; the magnificent baroque Semper Opera, originally built in 1841, first destroyed by fire, then destroyed by bombing, and finally restored in 1985; and the newly rebuilt Frauenkirche. Afterward, dinner with local specialties awaits in Dresden's well-known Am Pulverturm restaurant. (B,D) Today's Distance: 205 mi / 330 km
Hear about Joe Polowsky on your way to Torgau then, see the monument commemorating the meeting of US and Soviet forces during World War II. Visit the COURTYARD at magnificent Hartenfels Castle. Continue to Berlin, capital of reunited Germany. Sightseeing with a Local Guide in the once-divided metropolis includes the boulevard Unter den Linden with its historical buildings like the Berlin Cathedral and State Opera House, and the Museum Island. Make a picture stop at monumental Brandenburg Gate, the restored Reichstag, the 210-foot Victory Column in the vast Tiergarten Park, Charlottenburg Palace, and the elegant Ku-Damm. Visit the KAISER WILHELM MEMORIAL CHURCH with its bomb-damaged bell-tower, have a picture stop at the Holocaust Memorial, and pass the former Allied Checkpoint Charlie. (B) Today's Distance: 196 mi / 315 km
A full day at leisure offers the opportunity to join an optional excursion to Potsdam. (B)
Weimar has always been an important city for Germany in many ways, politically and culturally. During your walking tour, see the theatre where the Weimar Constitution that governed Germany between the two World Wars was drafted. It was also the city where great poets like Goethe and Schiller lived and the birthplace of Weimar Classicism, a humanistic cultural movement. In the afternoon, a visit has been included to Buchenwald at the site of the former CONCENTRATION CAMP. Return to Weimar. (B,D) Today's Distance: 199 mi / 320 km
Arrive in Nuremberg and visit the MEMORIUM NUREMBERG TRIALS and COURTROOM 600 (if available), followed by visits to the impressive DOCUMENTATION centre and ZEPPELIN FIELD. In the afternoon, walk through the pedestrian area of the charming Old Town, known for children's toys and gingerbread. Admire the impressive medieval ramparts; St. Sebald Church, painstakingly reconstructed as a monument to peace from the rubble of near-total wartime destruction; and the Schoner Brunnen, a 14th-century fountain dedicated to the Holy Roman Empire. It is said that it brings good luck to spin the two brass rings. Tonight, dinner includes traditional Nurnberger Bratwurste at the Bratwurst Roslein restaurant. (B,D) Today's Distance: 193 mi / 310 km
Visit the site of the former Dachau CONCENTRATION CAMP, which started out as a work camp for German dissidents. Then, continue to Munich, Bavaria's capital, and explore MARIENPLATZ with the Old and New Town Halls, and the gothic Frauenkirche. (B) Today's Distance: 137 mi / 220 km
Today an optional excursion to spectacular Berchtesgaden and Hitler's Eagle's Nest is available. This evening, look forward to a farewell dinner to say auf Wiedersehen to your travelling companions and to share your feelings about this intriguing and emotional encounter with World War II historic sites. (B,D)
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
