„Living History“ Germany, Austria, Poland and Czech Republic, 2006
Educational trip for American high school students
On behalf of Borah High School, Boise, ID www.borah.boiseschools.org
This trip was conceived in 2006 in collaboration with a history teacher from the high school for students, some of whom had taken an advanced course in European history.
The locations chosen covered a period from the Middle Ages to the present day, thus illustrating various aspects of European development and important events in history.
The pupils experienced history up close at original locations as well as in museums, memorial sites and monuments and thus gained a lot of new knowledge and deepened old ones.
In addition, various leisure activities such as cycling, climbing, swimming, and barbecuing were also part of the program.
1 Night Warsaw
3 Nights Krakow
2 Nights Prague
3 Nights Munich with day trip to Salzburg
3 Nights Berlin
Itinerary
Day 1
During the day
Today your educational trip through Germany, Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic begins with your departure from the USA to Warsaw.
Day 2
Morning
Arrival in Warsaw and warm welcome by your tour guide. Afterwards we take the airport train to Warsaw city center and to your accommodation, where you can check in or store your luggage, depending on room availability.
Afterwards
During a city tour you will get a first impression of the rich history and current life in Warsaw.
Noon
Individual lunch break
Afternoon
Free time to rest or to explore the city further by yourself
Evening
Welcome dinner
Day 3
Morning
During a guided walking tour through the former Jewish ghetto and the surrounding streets you will learn a lot about the history of the Warsaw Jews, especially about the time of the German occupation during the Second World War, the living conditions in the ghetto, the transports to the extermination camps as well as about the uprising and the liquidation of the ghetto.
Noon
Individual lunch break
Afternoon
Train ride from Warsaw to Krakow
Afterwards
Arrival in Krakow, transfer to your accommodation, check-in and short break.
Afterwards
We head along the Vistula River to the Dragon’s Cave in Krakow’s Old Town, up the Wawel Hill with the Royal Castle, back down to Jagelonien University, one of the oldest in Europe, and across to the Great Market Square with its street musicians and jugglers, the impressive St. Mary’s Church and the famous Cloth Makers’ Halls with their souvenir stalls.
Evening
Group dinner
Day 4
Morning
During a guided walking tour through the old Jewish district of Kazimierz, you will learn about the rich history of Krakow’s Jews. You will visit a synagogue and the old cemetery and also see places where the film “Schindler’s List” was shot.
Noon
Individual lunch break
Afternoon
We drive to the “Wieliczka” Salt Mine and down into the old mine, which is famous for its beautiful chambers carved into rock salt, underground salt lakes, unique salt sculptures and magnificent room constructions. We are also shown how salt was mined here in the past.
Evening
Individual dinner
Day 5
Morning
Transfer to Oświęcim by coach
Afterwards
During a guided visit to the former Auschwitz concentration camp and the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, you will learn about the cruel history of the camps and the fate of the people imprisoned, forced to work, and murdered there, as well as their legacies.
Afterwards
Return to Krakow
Evening
Group dinner
Day 6
Morning
Train ride from Krakow to Prague
Noon
Individual lunch break
Afternoon
Arrival in Prague, transfer to your accommodation, check-in
Evening
Group lunch
Day 7
Morning
During a guided walking tour of Prague’s Old Town you will see the famous market square, Charles Bridge, the castle and much more. Ever heard of the Prague defenestration?
Noon
Individual lunch break
Afternoon
Free time to rest or to explore the city further by yourself
Evening
Individual dinner
Day 8
Morning
Train ride from Prague to Munich
Noon
Individual lunch break
Afternoon
Arrival in Munich, transfer to your accommodation, check-in and short break.
Afterwards
If the weather is nice, we head towards the Isar River for a swim. On the way we buy ingredients for picnics and barbecue.
Evening
Group barbecue
Day 9
Morning
City tour through Munich. You will not only discover the Viktualienmarkt, the famous glockenspiel at the New Town Hall, but also hear about the Hitler coup at Odeonsplatz and the attack at the 1972 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium.
Noon
Individual lunch break
Afternoon
Now you have time for your own discoveries. Go to the Deutsches Museum, one of the world’s largest natural science and technical museums, where you can see experiments and partly do them yourself, or visit the BMW Museum. Have you ever heard of the Munich surfers? Also worth a visit.
Evening
Individual dinner
Day 10
Morning
Train ride from Munich to Salzburg
Afterwards
During a guided walking tour through Salzburg’s old town you will learn everything about dukes, bishops, and the salt in Salzburg’s name, and of course about the city’s most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Noon
Individual lunch break
Afternoon
We take the cable car to the Hohensalzburg Fortress with its medieval walls and a cool view over town and country.
Afterwards
Return to Munich
Evening
Individual dinner
Day 11
Morning
Today we go for a school visit. German students “adopt” you for a day and show you German school life.
Noon
Lunch in the school cafeteria
Afternoon
Train ride from Munich to Berlin
Evening
Individual dinner
Afterwards
Arrival in Berlin, Transfer to your accommodation, and check-in
Day 12
Morning
On a bicycle tour through Berlin you will get an overview of the diverse history and current life in Berlin. You will hear about the “Old Fritz”, the Nazi era and the Second World War, the division of the city and the Berlin Wall and visit various monuments as well as the Reichstag, the German Parliament.
Noon
Individual lunch break
Afternoon
Continuation of the bicycle tour through Berlin
Evening
Group dinner
Day 13
Morning
Today we are dealing with a special part of German history, which will be explained to you during an interactive exhibition tour, namely the “Development of Parliamentary Democracy” in Germany.
Noon
Individual lunch break
Afternoon
Now you have time for your own discoveries, the possibility to chill, buy souvenirs, go to the TV tower, go to the zoo, explore Berlin or visit a museum again.
Evening
Farewell dinner
Day 14
Morning
Now it’s time to say goodbye and transfer with your own bus to the airport.
Afterwards
Return flight to the USA
