Berlin Prague Vienna Art Tour Itinerary

ST IVES HIGH SCHOOL

ART, ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN & CULTURE TOUR

TO BERLIN, PRAGUE & VIENNA APRIL 2018 

DRAFT ITINERARY

SATURDAY 14 APRIL: Depart SYDNEY

Meet at Sydney International Airport at 6.10pm near the Qatar counters ready for check-in at 6.25pm for the flight to Berlin, Germany. Qatar flight QR 909 departs Sydney at 9.25pm.

SUNDAY 15 APRIL: Arrive in BERLIN                    

QR 909 arrives Doha at 5.20 am. We will have a 9 hour stop over with a complimentary hotel. QR 077 departs Doha at 2.25pm, arriving in Berlin at 7.40pm.
Willkommen to Deutschland. On arrival at Berlin airport, meet the driver and coach for transfer to Hotel Seifert am Kurfurstendamm with breakfast and dinner included during our stay.

MONDAY 16 APRIL: BERLIN
Meet the English speaking guide for a half day guided tour of Berlin. We will visit the Brandenburg Gate and Holocaust Memorial and then we'll head south to Potsdamer Platz, a new city quarter that showcases contemporary architecture built in the 1990's. Peruse remnants of the Berlin Wall before we check out Checkpoint Charlie then head off to lunch at the stylish Friedrichstadtpassagen. We will make our way north to Unter den Linden, a boulevard lined by imposing structures built under various Prussian kings and wander through the winding lanes of the Scheunenviertel, Berlin's old Jewish quarter. In the afternoon, we will use the public transport pass and the Museuminsel ticket provided to visit the Pergamon, Neues and DDR Museum. We will have dinner in a nearby restaurant.

TUESDAY 17 APRIL: BERLIN
Enjoy a Street Art Workshop where you will learn a number of street art and graffiti techniques. The workshop location is in an abandoned margarine factory in the district of Lichtenberg where you will get the opportunity to paint and receive instructions on various street art and graffiti techniques from both local and international artists. Visit the Nikolaiviertal and the popular East-side Gallery. In the afternoon, visit the Urban Nation Gallery for contemporary street art. After dinner in a restaurant near the River Spree, walk to the  Reichstag building and enjoy the night time view over the Government district and Museum from the dome.

WEDNESDAY 18 APRIL: BERLIN

Today will involve seeing Modern and contemporary art starting at the Berlinsche Galerie, a Berlin-focused modern art collection, and contemporary design at the Bauhaus Museum. We will visit the Jewish Museum to see its innovative architectural design and its memorable collection, and the Topography of Terror, the original site of the Gestapo and SS Headquarters.

In the afternoon, we will have a break for lunch and some souvenir shopping in the Kurfurstendamm district and also look at the iconic department store KaDeWe. In the evening, we will see the Blue Man Group perform live on stage. Described as intense, innovative, creative and a little crazy. The Blue Man group offers an enthralling mix of rock concert atmosphere, first-class comedy and fascinating special effects.

THURSDAY 19 APRIL: Leave BERLIN for PRAGUE

We leave Berlin by private coach and travel to Prague in the Czech Republic. The four hour journey via Dresden along Germany's autobahn will provide distant scenic views of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park and the fertile lowland pastoral region known as the 'Garden of Bohemia'. On arrival in Prague, we will check in to Hotel IBIS Praha Wenceslas Square and then visit the Mucha Museum, dedicated to Alfons Mucha, a famous representative of the Jugenstil art movement. In the late afternoon, we can visit the famous Hamley's Toy Store and marvel at its designed interior.

FRIDAY 20 APRIL: PRAGUE

Prague is a very attractive city with buildings dating from medieval times to the present day and has fascinating contemporary public sculpture. To appreciate Prague's wealth of beauty, we will take a half day walking tour of the city centre with a local guide including the Old Town Square and the famous Astronomical Clock, Wenceslas Square, Kafka Monument, Charles Bridge, John Lennon Wall and Frank Gehry's famous Dancing House. In the afternoon we will walk to Petrin Tower to see spectacular views over Prague. This evening we will visit the Marionette Theatre for the Don Giovanni performance. Dinner is in a local restaurant.

SATURDAY 21 APRIL: PRAGUE

This morning we will we will take a guided tour of Hradcany Castle and St Veit Cathedral. In the afternoon we will visit the Kampa Museum exhibiting Eastern Bloc art from the 20th century and amazing 'crawling baby' sculptures by David Cerny. In the late afternoon, we will visit the Museum of Communism to see Prague's unbiased historical past and have dinner in a nearby restaurant. 

SUNDAY 22 APRIL: PRAGUE

This morning we will visit the National Gallery (Trade Fair Palace) to see groundbreaking works in video, sculpture and photography as well as iconic European and Czech modern art. Crossing over the Vltava River back to the Old Town, we will embark on a one hour picturesque river cruise to the Devils Channel, viewing Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge before travelling into the canals of Prague's 'Little Venice'. In the afternoon, we will visit the Havelsky Marekt, dating back to 1232. Here we will wander the markets and shop for souvenirs.  We can explore some of Prague's more 'quirky' attractions like famed Czech artist's David Cerny's public sculptures, or visit the Gallery of Prague to see works by Dali, Warhol and Mucha.

MONDAY 23RD APRIL: CESKY KRUMLOV and VIENNA

Leaving the beautiful city of Prague, we will travel by private coach to the UNESCO medieval town of Cesky Krumlov, passing through the scenic Bohemian countryside. We will walk through the crooked cobblestones streets of the city centre where you will see the Krumlov Castle Tower, Baroque Theatre and St Vitus Church. The Vltava River, a favourite of white water rafters, winds through the town. Pick up some lunch from one of the shops in the Old Town and enjoy the atmosphere of this historic place.

On arrival in Vienna we will check into Hotel Resonanz and have dinner.

TUESDAY 24TH APRIL: VIENNA

Spend time with royalty at the UNESCO Schoenbrunn Palace, summer home to the Habsburg dynasty. The palace was later passed on to the Republic of Austria. Walk through the palace on a guided tour, viewing the opulent staterooms and Great Gallery. Comparable to Versailles in France, the extensive palace and gardens projected the empire's wealth and power to the world. The gardens are also home to Europe's oldest zoo. Afterwards, have fun finding your way through the garden maze to a viewing platform at its centre.

In the early afternoon, visit the Chocolate Museum for a chocolate making workshop. Then we will embark on a 3 hour guided walking tour of Vienna, visiting St Stephen's Cathedral among the many sights.

WEDNESDAY 25TH APRIL: VIENNA

This morning we will visit the Belvedere Palace to see Gustav Klimt's famous artwork 'The Kiss'. The Belvedere was originally built as two palaces in a formal Baroque style park. It now houses a great art collection. We will visit the Upper Belvedere to see many famous art works by 20th century Austrian and German artists. Walk through the gardens with tiered fountains, pools, cascades and sculptures.

In the afternoon, we will return to the 'Museumquartier' to visit the Kunsthistoriches Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Leopold Museum to see major European artworks such as the famous Archimboldo paintings, and the Leopold Museum to see artworks from the Viennese Secession.

Spend the evening after a busy day at the Prater Amusement Park including a ride on the Giant Ferris Wheel.

THURSDAY 26TH APRIL: Leave VIENNA for SYDNEY

On our last morning in Vienna we will visit the amazingly colourful and free-formed apartment building Hundertwasserhaus, along with Hundertwasser Village and Kunst Haus Wien (Hundertwasser Museum) where Friedensreich Hundertwasser has created organic buildings with curved and undulating floors. The museum has the only permanent collection of his work in the world.  During the afternoon, we will visit the Museum of Illusion, to challenge what you see and trick your senses. A great way to finish the day for our long flight home. Return to the hotel and collect your bags ready for transfer by coach to the airport for flight QR 186 that departs Vienna on route to Sydney at 10.30pm.

FRIDAY 27TH APRIL: DOHA to SYDNEY

Flight QR 186 arrives in Doha at 4.50am. Proceed to the appropriate departure lounge for the connecting flight to Sydney. QR 906 departs Doha at 8.10am.

SATURDAY 28TH APRIL: SYDNEY

QR 906 arrives in Sydney at 5.15am. On arrival in Sydney, pass through immigration before collecting luggage and clearing customs.