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From the heart of Berlin to the mountains of Bavaria, we will explore the history of modern Germany on foot, by car, and through museums.
The history, context, and significance of all we shall see will be clearly explained by your guide Dr Andrew Thomson (see More About Us).
Our focus in the region is on: Germany's V-weapon programmes of the Second World War; the Allied advance into Germany in 1945, and the role Berlin played in both the Second World War and the Cold War which followed.
Make your own party - do get in touch for an individual quote and to discuss possible dates. Also check out our general prices here.
Tailor-made private Germany tours
Berlin, V-weapons (Peenemünde & Nordhausen), Leipzig, Rhine Crossings, & Hitler's Eagle's Nest (Berchtesgaden)
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Berlin - from 1939 to 1989
A suggested 3-day / 2-night private tour: on-ground arrangements (make your own way there and back)
With your own private guide, explore the fascinating mix of World War II, Cold War and post-Reunification history that this city has to offer. Berlin has a heady blend of reminders of the Cold War alongside spectacular modern architecture, with the World War II heritage less visible but 'underpinning' the rest. Berlin also serves as an excellent base to explore the V-weapon sites of Peenemünde and Nordhausen, and the fascinating city of Leipzig (see below).
Our tour could take in:
(a) Nazi era sights: the Reichstag; the government district around Wilhelmstrasse and the site of Hitler's Chancellery; the story of the 1945 Battle of Berlin; the 1936 Olympic Stadium; the site of Germany's surrender to Allied forces at the Soviet HQ; the ruins of the German Army HQ at Zossen (20 miles outside Berlin)
(b) Cold War sights: remains of the Berlin Wall; the Berlin Wall centre; Checkpoint Charlie; the Allied Museum; Templehof 1948 Airlift Memorial;
(c) present-day Berlin: the beautifully restored Brandenburg Gate; the Holocaust Memorial; the Jewish Museum; the Museum of German History.
See also:
Suggested 3-day itinerary: Berlin
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Dr Thomson's Tours
Tour operator & private guide
Tailor-made private tours of South-East England, France, Belgium & Germany
Above right: The Brandenburg Gate
Below right: With a group in front of the remains of the Berlin Wall in Bernauerstrasse
Hitler's V-weapons
Private excursions from Berlin to Peenemünde and Nordhausen
A rare opportunity for a privately guided tour to Peenemünde where the V2 was developed and first flown. Starting and finishing in Berlin (3 hours away), we will have two nights at the Baltic resort of Karlshagen, exploring the ruins of the rocket research centre, including its excellent modern museum.
There is a separate opportunity to visit Nordhausen in the Harz Mountains, where the V2 and V1 were produced by slave labour following the Allied bombing of Peenemünde in August 1943. We stay 2 nights in Leipzig (2 hours from Berlin), central to the story of the collapse of East Germany in 1989.
See also:
Photo Gallery: V-weapons
A V2 replica at the entrance to the Peenemünde Museum (housed in the former power plant)
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Leipzig
A 2 night extension to a Berlin tour
2 hours to the south of Berlin, Leipzig was central to the story of the collapse of East Germany in 1989. As well as fine Art Nouveau architecture, the city includes a Stasi Museum, a museum of modern German history, and the huge monument to the 1813 'Battle of the Nations' fought nearby. A side trip to Colditz (25 miles away) is also possible.
The inner courtyard of Colditz Castle
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Rhine crossings & the Bridge at Remagen
1 night add-ons after a Market-Garden or Battle of the Bulge tour
A 24-hour extension to our Market-Garden tour would allow a visit to Montgomery's March 1945 crossing points on the Rhine, either side of Wesel.
A 24-hour extension to our Battle of the Bulge tour would allow a visit to the famous bridge at Remagen, which U.S. 9th Armoured Division snatched on 7th March 1945 - the first place that the Allies crossed the Rhine. Additionally it would be possible to follow the routes of British, Canadian or U.S. units in February and March 1945 in the hard struggle across the part of Germany west of the Rhine (Reichwald Forest; Eiffel; Mosel Valley; Trier).
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Berchtesgaden & Munich
A suggested 3-day / 2-night private tour for up to 4 people
We start & finish in Munich, taking in Berchtesgaden (2 hours to the south), the Eagle's Nest mountain-top retreat, and the remains of the Obersalzberg 'Alpine Chancellery' complex. A chance to take in delightful mountain scenery and see the area where the Allies feared that World War II might end in a last-ditch defence of an 'Alpine Redoubt'
Looking down on Berchtesgaden from the Eagle's Nest
Wreckage litters the tunnels of the underground factory at Nordhausen
