Highlights of Germany in Summer –Steam in Berlin and the Harz Mountains 34

Thursday 17th August Potsdam Palaces, vintage tramway and steamboat cruise in River Havel to the “Bridge of Spies” This morning you have free time and the opportunity to see the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag or Checkpoint Charlie, all of which are in close proximity of your hotel. In the afternoon you take a DB double-deck train to nearby Potsdam for a vintage tramway ride through the historic Dutch Quarter, past the Russian Colony and famed old town gates. To cap the day, you once again enjoy a dinner and sunset cruise, travelling on the River Havel aboard the genuine tall-stacked steamboat “Gustav” from 1908. The scenic cruise will take you to the “Bridge of Spies”, where prisoner exchanges were made between East and West during the Cold War. You will also see the site of the 1945 Potsdam Conference, where Churchill, Stalin and Truman met. (B D)

Friday 18th August Rail excursion to Szczecin Poland, private charter cruise on River Odra, sightseeing by vintage tramway Today you add some international flair to the holiday, by making the railway trip from Berlin north-east to the historic Baltic port city of Szczecin in Poland. This will allow you to sample Polish railways, see the city’s historic old town on a privately chartered tramway, before making a private harbor cruise on the River Odra, seeing all of the city’s principal landmarks and expansive port facilities from the water. In the early evening you return to Berlin by service train. (B L)

Saturday 19th August Steam at the Wulheide Park Railway and leisure in Berlin In the southeast of Berlin, the Wulheide district features one of the largest park railways in Germany, built with 600 m gauge. For today’s steam running, you visit the railway and travel over the full length of the network. Like other cities in Central or Eastern Europe, the railway’s stations are operated by Children, under the supervision of adults. Following this delightful steam excursion, you have a final evening to make the most of Berlin and all that Germany’s vibrant capital has to offer. (B) Sunday 20th August Brandenburg River Cruise, arrival to Wernigerode and the Harz Mountains Today the time has come to transfer from the city to the countryside, as you make your way to the Harz Mountains and the charming town of Wernigerode. While your luggage is directly transferred and forwarded to the next hotel by coach, you travel by rail and pause along the way in the historic city of Brandenburg for a lunch time cruise on the River Havel. You then continue by rail via Magdeburg and Halberstadt to the beautiful town of Wernigerode, famed for its well preserved old town, rows of colorful timber-framed houses and impressive hilltop castle. Dinner will be served at the hotel, after arrival (B L D)

Monday 21st to Wednesday 23rd August Steam, nature and culture in the Harz Mountains For the next 3 days you are free to enjoy maximum steam, natural beauty and cultural heritage in the unique setting that is the Harz Mountains. You will have a 3-day unlimited rover ticket, allowing you to travel on all steam services in the Selke Valley and to Mount Brocken. Best of all, standard gauge transfer tickets from Quedlinburg to Wernigerode are also included. Storm to the summit of Mount Brocken as often as you like, enjoy trainspotting and railway photography at the Wernigerode yard with unique observation tower or storm over the steep embankments from Gernrode to Alexisbad. Your Tour Manager will be pleased to advise you of all the timetabled services and best connections, so you can maximize steam or individualize the excursions to best suit your taste. Every evening, dinner will be included back at the hotel in Wernigerode. (B D)

Thursday 24th August Return to London by high speed rail The time has come to return to London. You first have a direct and fast coach transfer from Wernigerode to Hannover Hbf, where you board an ICE service westbound to Cologne. From there you continue by high speed train via Brussels to London St. Pancras. (B)

Tour Summary

First Class £2275 Standard Class £1975 Single supplement £295 Ground only £1775 (Berlin – Wernigerode) Transfer to Hannover Hbf is also available.

Price includes:

• High Speed train travel from London to

Berlin and from Hannover to London • 10 nights accommodation with Breakfast at 4-star hotels in Berlin and Wernigerode • 8 dinners and 2 Lunches • All specially chartered steam trains, rail journeys and boat cruises as detailed in the itinerary • All seat reservations and transfers • Public transport rover tickets • The services of a tour manager

All prices shown are per person based on two persons sharing. Please be advised that First Class travel will be allocated in Standard Premier carriages on Eurostar services. Meals included each day are shown as: B = Breakfast - L = Lunch - D = Dinner

August 2023

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Georg Trueb

Georg Trueb Georg Trueb

Swiss Bernese Oberland

Wednesday 6th September to Wednesday 13th September 2023

Discover the outstanding natural beauty of Switzerland on this tour to the Bernese Oberland, famed for its shimmering lakes and soaring Alpine peaks, including the towering Jungfrau and the magnificent Eiger. • Based in the mountain village of Wengen, you’ll explore the Bernese Oberland on Switzerland´s outstanding railway system. • Enjoy extensive scheduled travel on famous mountain rack railways, including the Brienz Rothorn Railway and Jungfrau

Railway to the ‘Top of Europe’. • Discover the Swiss capital Bern on a two-hour steam tram tour, and enjoy peaceful boat cruises on Lake Brienz and Lake

Thun. • There’s also a thrilling excursion to the Schynige Platte mountain area to enjoy, famous for its outstanding views and wildflower gardens. • Experience unrestricted travel on Swiss trains, trams and buses in tour free time thanks to your complimentary Bernese

Oberland Regional Pass.

Wednesday 6th September London to Wengen via Basel You travel First Class by Eurostar from London St. Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord. Transferring to Paris Gare de l’Est you then journey to Basel in Switzerland via Strasbourg. You join a high-speed service at Basel to Interlaken Ost, before continuing on the narrow-gauge lines of the Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB) to Lauterbrunnen and the Wengernalp Railway (WAB) to the mountain village of Wengen. Here you check into the 4-star Sunstar Alpine Hotel, your base for the tour. A light dinner will be served at your hotel this evening. You’ll also receive your 6-day Bernese Oberland Regional Pass for easy exploration of the surrounding areas. (D) Thursday 7th September Free day for exploration in and around Wengen After breakfast, you can either relax at the hotel and make use of its wonderful facilities or take a stroll through the village where the British allegedly ‘invented’ downhill ski racing. A more energetic option is to hike to one or more of the incredible local viewpoints. Another alternative is to use your Regional Pass to visit the Trümmelbach Falls, a series of ten illuminated glacier-waterfalls inside a mountain, accessible only by a tunnel-lift. Yet another option is to visit the car-free village of Mürren by cable and mountain railway from Lauterbrunnen, with views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Dinner is served at your hotel this evening. (B D) Friday 8th September Lake Brienz Cruise; Steam on the Brienz Rothorn Railway This morning you travel by train to Interlaken to enjoy a leisurely steamship cruise on Lake Brienz to Brienz at its eastern end. You join a steam train on the 800mm gauge Brienz Rothorn Railway (BRB), Switzerland’s oldest rack railway and climb 1,678 metres (5,505 ft) from Brienz to Rothorn Kulm Station, just below the summit of Brienz Rothorn Mountain. After free time at the summit to enjoy lunch, you return to Brienz for an exclusive visit to the BRB depot to view the locomotives and workshop facilities there. In the afternoon you return to Wengen by train where you can relax before dinner is again served in your hotel restaurant. (B D)