| Berlin-Dresden-Weimar-Cologne (14 days) |
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Contact : WEICHLEIN TOURS + INCENTIVES DAY 1 DAY 2
Rest of the day at leisure DAY 3 The palaces and parks of Potsdam and Berlin - UNESCO World Heritage Site Over a period of almost four centuries, the rulers of Brandenburg and Prussia commissioned the finest DAY 4 T DAY 5 DAY 6
The bulk of the architectural heritage is found in Dresden's old town, including the Royal Palace, the Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady. Other highlights include Semper Opera House, a stunning 19th century theatre in a High Renaissance style, and Zwinger Palace, one of Europe's foremost late baroque buildings. Brühl Terrace meanwhile, is a magnificent baroque reworking of the mighty fortifications that once lined the banks of the Elbe in Dresden's old town. DAY 7 It all began with Duchess Anna Amalia, who attracted poets and philosophers to the province and DAY 8
Drive onwards to Bad Homburg (north of Frankfurt) for overnight DAY 9 The Upper-Germanic Roman Limes covers a total distance of 550 kilometres. Around 2,000 years ago its Overnight Bad Homburg DAY 10
Overnight Cologne DAY 11 Built between 1248 and 1880, Cologne Cathedral is regarded as a masterwork of medieval Gothic Overnight Cologne DAY 12
Overnight Cologne DAY 13 DAY 14 Contact : WEICHLEIN TOURS + INCENTIVES |
A "temple city of the arts" lies in the centre of Berlin on an island in the River Spree. The Old Museum designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and built in 1830 was the first building on Berlin Museum Island and the first public museum in Prussia. Then followed the New Museum in 1859, the Old National Gallery in 1876, the Bode Museum in 1904 and the Pergamon Museum in 1930. The only collection of museums of its kind in the world with its five temple-like buildings houses treasures from six thousand years of the history of mankind. At the heart of the museum scene in Berlin and the largest cultural investment project in Europe, Berlin Museum Island became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. The Old National Gallery with masterpieces from the 19th century reopened in December 2001. The spectacular reopening of the Bode Museum in October 2006 with its collections of sculptures and Byzantine art became an unexpected hit with the public. In the coming years, the remaining buildings on Museum Island will be gradually restored and remodelled with a new spacious, central entrance area and underground connecting passages. This unique collection of museums will then exhibit a cultural and historical panorama in all its glory, spanning from Ancient Egypt to the end of the 19th century, from Nefertiti and the Pergamon altar to the German and French impressionists. 
artists of the age to create a stunning ensemble of palaces and parks for the royal city of Potsdam. In the 19th century the landscape gardener Peter Joseph Lenné took the palaces and gardens left from time of Frederick the Great, and created a garden landscape that extends from Sanssouci Palace to Peacock Island in Berlin. Built on vineyard terraces between 1745 and 1747, Sanssouci Palace with its 290 hectare park is the oldest of Potsdam's high-calibre cultural attractions, which include some 500 hectares of parks and gardens and around 150 buildings dating from 1730 to 1916. On the World Heritage list are: the palaces and parks at Sanssouci, Babelsberg and Sacrow, Glienicke hunting lodge and the New Garden in the north of Potsdam with the Marble Palace on the Heiliger See lake, and Cecilienhof House. 
he Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz was laid out in the second half of the 18th century. It is the result of Prince Franz von Anhalt-Dessau's extensive endeavours for reformation in the spirit of enlightenment and humanism. A synthesis of nature, architecture and the fine arts, it bears testament to the cultural riches of bygone days. Covering an area of around 142 square kilometres, its palaces, individually designed gardens, sculptures and numerous small buildings sit in harmony with the unspoilt riverside scenery of the Elbe and Mulde rivers. Highlights include classical Luisium palace with its English gardens, Mosigkau's rococo ensemble, Grosskühnau country park, Georgium Palace and the Anhalt Art Gallery, the town palace and park of Oranienbaum and Wörlitz Park. The Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz is essentially the work of two men - Prince Leopold III von Anhalt-Dessau (1740-1817) and his friend and adviser Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorff. 
Dresden Elbe Valley is stretch of land developed in the 18th and 19th centuries, which extends around 20 kilometres from Übigau Palace in the north-west to Pillnitz stately home and the River Elbe island in the south-east. It centres around the historic skyline of Dresden's old town. Dresden Elbe Valley is a synthesis of nature, architecture and cultivated landscapes - the banks of the Elbe are lined with Renaissance forts and late 19th century villas, while palaces and gardens blend seamlessly into the vine-clad landscape. 
brought fame to the town. "Classical Weimar" is the fascinating legacy of Weimar Classicism, a cultural movement that had an enduring literary and scholarly influence. It produced major works that were characterised by their cosmopolitan outlook, accessible nature and humanist approach. Weimar became the focal point of European intellectual thought and was home to writers such as Christoph Martin Wieland, Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Johann Gottfried Herder and Friedrich Schiller. Weimar Classicism ended with Goethe's death in 1832. Reminders of Classical Weimar include the places where the writers and their patrons lived and worked - Goethe's House and the Schiller House, Belvedere Palace, Ettersburg Palace and Tiefurt Palace with their fabulous parks, sites associated with Herder, Wittums Palace, where the illustrious round table assembled, the renowned Duchess Anna Amalia Library and the historical cemetery with its royal crypt, where you can see the tombs of Goethe and Schiller. 
Wartburg Castle, which is almost 1,000 years old, is one of Germany's most well-known and best preserved castles. According to legend, it was founded in 1067, and its history can be traced back to the times of the Landgraves of Thuringia. The surviving 12th century main castle building, a perfect example and a gem of late Romanesque architecture, still bears traces of its former glory. The building underwent restoration and redecoration in the 19th century when the medieval architecture was restored and supplemented in parts with historically informed new constructions. Visiting the extensive grounds today is like opening a book containing 900 years of history. Courtly art from the Middle Ages, St. Elisabeth's life and work, Martin Luther's translation of the New Testament, the German student fraternities' festival and Wagner's romantic opera "Tannhäuser" all combine to make a visit to Wartburg Castle a fascinating and memorable experience. It is not only the archetypal castle, it is a monument to German history and culture and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999. 
forts, watchtowers, walls and palisades protected the mighty Roman Empire from independent Germania. It is the longest and one of the most impressive archaeological monuments in Europe, marking the frontier where the highly developed civilisation of ancient Rome met 'barbaric' Germania. The Limes run from Bad Hönningen/Rheinbrohl on the River Rhine to the Regensburg area on the River Danube. Alongside Roman remains preserved in their original condition, there are restored buildings, excavations and reconstructions. The course of the border wall can still be made out in places as it stretches in long, straight lines across forests and pastureland. Special highlights along the route include the reconstructed Roman fort at Saalburg in Bad Homburg, the Roman museum in Osterburken, the Limes museum in Aalen with archaeology park, fort and Roman baths as well as the Roman museum and Limes information centre in Weissenburg.
Extending 65km from the old Roman town of Koblenz to Bingen and Rüdesheim, this river valley with its castles and palaces on the hillsides where the famous Rhine wines are made is the site of the mysterious Loreley rock. The Germans call the Rhine the "river of destiny" as it not only transports goods and people, it has fostered artistic movements and ideas. Writers, painters and musicians have been inspired by this region. Its profusion of prestigious architectural monuments is among the most impressive anywhere in Europe. 
architecture. It is one of the finest ecclesiastical edifices in the world and the epitome of high-Gothic cathedral architecture in its purest possible form. When it was finally completed in the 19th century, Cologne Cathedral was the tallest building in the world. It has the largest exterior surface of any church in the world, said to be around 7,000 square metres, and is flanked by two huge towers each rising to a height of 157 metres. The cathedral houses a wealth of important art treasures, including colourful stained glass windows; the Ottonian Gero Cross (970 AD), the oldest large-scale sculpture in the western world; the shrine housing the relics of the Three Kings (1180-1225), an outstanding example of Rhenish goldwork; the altar of the patron saints of Cologne by Stephan Lochner (around 1450), a masterpiece of Cologne's painting school, and the organ ensemble. Art historians consider Cologne Cathedral to be a unique orchestration of all architectural elements. Cologne's best-loved landmark rises high above the heart of the city like a gargantuan watchtower. 
In 786 AD Charlemagne dreamed of creating a "new Rome" when he ordered the construction of the Church of St. Mary and its Palatinate chapel in his main residence of Aachen. He thus laid the foundations for one of the most important buildings in Europe, making the city the focal point of his Roman empire in 800 AD. The cathedral is of universal importance in terms of art and cultural history. 30 German kings were crowned there over a period of 600 years (936-1531), and the cathedral treasury is one of the finest in Europe. It houses sacred treasures from the late Classical, Carolingian, Ottonian, Hohenstaufen and Gothic eras, some of which are among the most important artworks of their time. Since the Middle Ages, Aachen Cathedral has been one of the leading pilgrimage sites in the Christian world because of its famous reliquaries - the four holy shrines. Charlemagne was buried in the palatinate chapel following his death in 814. His ancient sarcophagus can be found in the central drum of the Gothic chancel. The cathedral is the town's most famous landmark and its appearance has been shaped over the course of more than a thousand years. 
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