Come, and shore excursion experience the best of Berlin along with a stop at one of Germany's first concentration camps. The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp was built in the summer of 1936 by concentration camp prisoners from the Emsland camps. Here, more than 200,000 people were imprisoned between 1936 and 1945. Berlin's combo of glamour and grit is bound to mesmerize anyone keen to explore its vibrant culture, cutting-edge architecture, fabulous food, intense parties, and tangible history. Walk along remnants of the Berlin Wall, marvel at the splendor of a Prussian palace, visit Checkpoint Charlie, or stand in the very room where the Holocaust was planned. Berlin is like an endlessly fascinating 3D textbook where the past is very much present wherever you go.
You will be met by your friendly Warnemunde shore excursion staff member just outside your Warnemunde cruise port who will escort you to the luxury, air-conditioned motor coach for the 3-hour drive through the East German countryside to Berlin. This picturesque route through the flatlands is dotted with lakes and rivers that flow north to the sea. You'll start your Berlin sightseeing at the Charlottenburg Palace, built at the end of the 17th century and decorated inside in baroque and rococo style. Upon arrival, you'll meet your knowledgeable local guide who'll show you the highlights of Berlin. The Reichstag Building was opened in 1894 and housed the Imperial Diet of the German Empire. It was damaged in 1933 after being set on fire. Visit the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial) built with 2,711 concrete slabs to commemorate the approximately 3 million Jewish Holocaust victims. You'll walk along the shadow of the Berlin Wall, demolished 30 years ago, but a reminder of the division in the country. You'll see the famous Brandenburg Gate, the entry to a boulevard lined with linden trees leading to the City Palace of the Prussian Monarchs. You'll cross the border from East to West at Checkpoint Charlie. The most famous crossing point on the Berlin Wall was here and many East Germans used this point to escape to the West. If there's time you'll visit Museum Island, located in the Spree River, and the site of 5 museums. Many important works of art are housed here with one of the most famous being the bust of Nefertiti.
You'll have a short lunch break before you head off to your next stop, Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial, about an hour away. This was the largest camp near Berlin, used mainly for political prisoners, and a prime example of the atrocities of Nazism. Here was the central administration office for all the concentration camps. You can see the camp as it was with its huts, cells, and administrative center. You'll have about 1.5 hours here to learn more about the history of this dark period. Please be advised that this is not an in-depth guided walk of the camp but rather a chance to visit a camp as part of your Berlin experience.
Your Warnemunde excursion guide will give you the history of the many sights you'll visit, and you'll come away with a better understanding of Germany and its dynamic capital of Berlin, then and now. Your excursion ends with a 3-hour ride back to your Warnemunde cruise ship port.
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