Garden Tour of East Germany
(10 days / 9 nights)
Suggested itinerary:
Day 1:
Arrival at Berlin International Airport.
Half-day city tour of Berlin
East Berlin: Visit the Unter den Linden boulevard with some of the most interesting historic buildings in Berlin such as the Zeughaus, the National Opera, the Humboldt University and of course, the Brandenburg Gate. Friedrichstrasse has a mixture of modern buildings and historic facades. The Gendarmenmarkt with its two cathedrals and the concert building is one of the most picturesque places in the city.
West Berlin: Visit the Kurfürstendamm, a boulevard with plenty of shops and cafés, and The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche (Memorial Church) which was destroyed during the Second World War and only partly reconstructed afterwards.
3 nights accommodation at a centrally located hotel in Berlin.
Day 2:
In the morning: Visit Charlottenburg Palace and Park This splendid palace with its superbly decorated halls and its high-class art collection was built between 1695 and 1699 as a summer residence for Queen Sophie Charlotte, the wife of Frederick III. It is open throughout the year, and going on a walk through the beautiful Baroque park is a cultural experience of its own. Here you will find the impressive mausoleum of Queen Louise as well as the former Belvedere teahouse, which displays exquisite porcelain objects.
In the afternoon: Visit of Pfaueninsel: The picturesque Peacock Island, with its quaint little white palace built in 1794, is only accessible by ferry and has thus conserved its insular character. At its northern front you can find a former dairy farm which was built to resemble a Gothic ruin. The landscape garden with its old oak trees was designed by the garden architect Lenné and is, of course, inhabited by lordly peacocks.
Day 3:
All-day excursion to Potsdam, which is more than 1000 years old. Palaces and gardens together with parks and lakes form a charming picture of courtly elegance and Baroque playfulness, in itself a work of art
Visit Sanssouci Palace and Park
Schloss Sanssouci was Frederick the Great's summer residence. It was built in 1745 as a pleasure palace overlooking a vineyard. Within the spacious park of Sanssouci there are other smaller palace buildings such as the New Chambers, the Orangerie, the Chinese House and Charlottenhof Palace.
In the afternoon: Visit the Karl Foerster Garden. Karl Foerster was the great initiator of the naturalistic approach to planting herbaceous plants and grass. Between 1903 and 1907 he designed his own market garden in Berlin, which moved to Potsdam Bornim in 1910. He also gained worldwide fame writing about gardens. He designed the popular Freundschaftsinsel (Friendship Island) located between the banks of the River Havel, and he initiated the first public show-garden in Germany for perennial flower plants, ferns and grasses, which was laid out between 1938 and 1940 and further developed in the fifties and seventies.
Return to Berlin.
Day 4:
Check-out and drive in the direction of the Polish border
Visit the Fuerst Pueckler Gardens. Hermann Prince of Pueckler-Muskau was a brilliant 19th century garden architect and he was obsessed by the idea of designing the perfect landscape garden. The two park and castle estates he created in Bad Muskau and Branitz (Cottbus), are considered to be among the most beautiful in Germany.
Continue on to the the Spree Forest. Welcome to the "Venice" of Brandenburg, where numerous island farmsteads are linked togetherby waterways of all sizes. Enjoy a trip through the water labyrinth in a traditional wooden punt, starting out from one of the many tranquil villages where traditions and handicrafts from days gone by are still kept alive.
Accommodation for 1 night in Luebbenau
Day 5:
We head off to Saxony in order to visit Moritzburg Castle.
This lovely Baroque palace, the former residence of the Saxon king August the Strong, has one of the finest moats in all of Europe. The compact, symmetrical castle and park are positioned in the midst of a natural landscape of lakes and ponds.
Continue on to Meissen, where Saxony’s history began. Enjoy 1.000 years of history in the town centre and at the Albrechtsburg, which is classified as the first German castle. Visit the world famous Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen with the Schauwerkstatt (a demonstration workshop) and the Schauhalle (an exhibition hall built in 1916). The total collection amounts to over 20.000 pieces.
Travel on to Dresden, centre of the Baroque period, where you will spend 3 nights.
Day 6:
In the morning: Half-day city tour of Dresden The harmony between the beautiful and famous Baroque architecture and the River Elbe is impressive. Dresden's highlights include the magnificent palatial buildings around the Theaterplatz and the Brühl Terraces, and the many art treasures at the state museums. Visit the "Green Vault" in the Albertinum - Europe’s greatest treasure house for jewels and precious ornaments.
Continue on to the Royal Baroque Garden Gross-Sedlitz
This nearby garden, where August the Strong once dreamt of creating a second Versailles, is well worth a short detour. This masterpiece of Baroque garden architecture extends over several levels. The original style of a French garden merged with Italian influences forms a truly unusual garden in which visitors will find a variety of fountains, flower beds, sculptures and orangeries in an individual and yet harmonious combination.
Free time for leisure
Day 7:
Full day excursion to Pillnitz Castle, the picturesque former residence of the Kings of Saxony. Enjoy the peaceful and artistic ambiance of this beautiful royal summer residence on the River Elbe. The park deserves particular attention, as it combines the strict forms of the Baroque period with those of an English landscape garden. Amongst the many rare trees, the more than 200-year-old Japanese camellia is a particular magnet for visitors.
Return journey by boat from Pillnitz to Dresden.
Day 8:
Check out and travel to Dessau. The Bauhaus and Master Houses in Dessau are prime examples of the Bauhaus style which shaped the architecture of the 20th century with their cubic design and economic layout. Another feature is the window sills, which are white on the outside and coloured on the inside.
Continue on to Dessasu-Woerlitz Garden Realm
A UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000, the English-Chinese Garden, which is part of the park, is the only surviving one of its kind in Germany. Ever changing garden pictures, wonderfully laid-out patterns, beautiful Classic and neo-Gothic buildings, the most unusual bridges and grottoes as well as a host of tree and shrub specialities influence the character of this 18th-century landscape park.
Romantic trip in a gondola (subject to weather conditions).
Accommodation for 1 night in Dessau.
Day 9:
Travel to Lutherstadt Wittenberg
This UNESCO World Heritage site is literally full of original sites where the great historical events of the Reformation took place. In the 16th century, the great reformer, Martin Luther, made Wittenberg the centre of intellectual and spiritual life in Europe. Look at the famous "Thesentür" (the door on which he published his theses) and visit the house where he lived from 1508 – 1546, the Luther Hall, which is now part of a world-renowned museum for the history of the Reformation.
Continue on to Berlin where you will spend one last night.
Day 10:
Transfer to Berlin International Airport for your return flight.
- End of program -
All services are subject to availability at the time of booking.
Prices vary according to the length of stay, the desired category of the hotel, the size of the group and your choice of additional services.
Contact us today for more information and a quote!
