Elbe River

Arrive in Berlin and transfer to our hotel. Meet fellow travelers at a special welcome dinner this evening.

Take a behind-the-scenes tour at the recently reconstructed Reichstag building, seat of the German parliament, and visit the Allied Museum at Tempelhof Airport, symbolically situated to inform today’s public about the significance of peace, freedom and democracy.

This morning, meet with students and faculty at the Berlin campus of Stanford’s Bing Overseas Studies Program. In the afternoon, hear from a local journalist as we tour the East Side Gallery, once the Berlin Wall and now the longest open-air gallery in the world, and the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial, erected in 1994 to commemorate the thousands of political prisoners interned there during the Soviet occupation. Embark the Elbe Princesse and enjoy a special welcome dinner onboard.

Enjoy a special curator-guided tour of Old Master paintings at the Kulturforum’s Gemäldegalerie before reboarding our ship for lunch while we cruise to Potsdam. There, explore the magnificent and gloriously rococo Sanssouci Palace and Park, originally sketched by Frederick the Great and now the largest UNESCO World Heritage site in Germany. Also visit Cecilienhof Palace, site of the historic Potsdam Conference, where Churchill, Truman and Stalin met in 1945. Tour the conference rooms and view the large collection of photos and memorabilia from the era.

After a morning of scenic cruising, disembark in Magdeburg, one of the oldest cities in Germany, to explore on foot or by bicycle. Visit the Gothic-style Magdeburg Cathedral, burial place of the Holy Roman emperor Otto the Great, and the fantastical Green Citadel.

Upon arrival at Wittenberg visit the Castle Church, where Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in 1517, beginning the Protestant Reformation. See Luther’s home as well as Wittenberg’s historic Market Square, spared by the Allies during bombing raids.

Call at Meissen, where the formula for hard-paste porcelain was discovered in 1708. Choose to visit the Meissen Porcelain Museum and workshop where the “white gold” porcelain is still made, take a guided bicycle ride along the Elbe River, or enjoy free time in the town’s historic center. Continue by coach to Dresden for lunch before exploring this city of spires, towers and domes.  Embark on a walking tour of the Old Town, including Theater Square and the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). Also marvel at the glittering displays of precious objects from the late Renaissance and Rococo periods at Dresden Castle’s Green Vault.

Disembark in the charming spa town of Bad Schandau, a popular summer resort for more than two centuries and our jumping off point for exploring Saxon Switzerland National Park. Walk in the German part of the Sandstone Mountains and ascend spectacular Bastei Rock to take in sweeping views of the river and distant mountains. Return to the ship for a relaxing afternoon of cruising through a maze of pinnacles, ravines and bizarre rock formations known as “Saxon Switzerland” on our way to the Czech Republic.

Spend the morning in Litoměřice, a royal enclave with an official history dating to the 10th Century, making it one of the oldest Bohemian settlements. A well-known trading post of the Holy Roman Empire, its old town is now under the protection of the Czech Ministry of Culture as a national cultural monument, and is highlighted by the Baroque St. Stephen’s Cathedral, finished in 1057.  

Depart our ship just north of Prague to spend the morning at Prague Castle, which has been a royal residence since the 10th century and is still the seat of Czech government. Within its walls is the Renaissance-era St. Vitus Cathedral, the soaring hilltop structure that incorporates a unique mix of Gothic and baroque elements. Sample regional specialties during lunch at a local restaurant, then spend the afternoon in Prague’s Old Town Square, home of Prague’s intricately decorated astronomical clock and the iconic pointed spires of Tyn Cathedral. Stroll among the street artists and musicians on the Charles Bridge, which spans the Vltava River and offers spectacular views of Prague Castle and the domes and turrets of Old Town.

Disembark and transfer to the airport for return flights.