The Treasures of Central Europe
(Germany, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary & Austria)
With Added Excursions to: London, England and Strasbourg, France
(14 Days & 7 Countries)
NVCC Students in London, England NVCC Students in Budapest, Hungary
NVCC Students in Dresden, Germany Groups from Virginia, Texas, Michigan and Puerto Rico in Heidelberg, Germany
Students walking through Grafitti filled tunnel in Budapest Students with Texas Group
Dinner in Vienna, Austria Budapest, City View
Group Picture at the Heidelberg Castle
Departure Date : May 22, 2008
Baltimore-Washington International Airport
Return Date: June 4, 2008
BWI Airport
Tour Highlights
Checkpoint Charlie Museum, Zwinger Museum, St. Vitus Cathedral, Budapest Basilica,
Matthias Church, Birthplace of Mozart, Freud Home, St. Stephen's Cathedral, Rathus,
Hofburg, Schonbrunn Palace, Dachau, Heidelberg Castle Wine Barrel, Potsdam,
Schloss Palace, Danube Bend, Neckar Valley.
Itinerary
Day 1: Overnight Flight to Germany
Day 2: Berlin
Day 3: Berlin
Guided Sightseeing tour of Berlin. See the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedachtniskirche, the Rathaus Schoneberg,
where millions flocked to hear President Kennedy's famous speech in 1963. Visit the Reicstaf,
former seat of the parliaments of the German Empire and the Weimar Republic. Arrive at Brandenburg Gate, once the symbol of the Cold War. See where the Berlin Wall stood. Journey down Unter den Linden, once considered one of the world's most elegant boulevards.
Visit Checkpoint Charlie Museum, devoted to the era of the Berlin Wall. Take optional excursion to Potsdam.
It was here that American, British, and soviet leaders drew up preliminary plans for the postwar
administration of Germany at the Potsdam Conference in 1945. Visit the Sans Souci or
Cecilienhof Palace.
Day 4: Berlin and the Prague
Transfer via tour director-led sightseeing of Dresden and the Zwinger Museum. Pass the renovated
Semper Opera House, and a statue of Martin Luther. Visit the magnificent Zwinger Palace.
Arrive in Prague, the former capital of the Holy Roman Empire.
Day 5: Prague
Take guided sightseeing tour of Prague. Begin at the Prague Castle (Hradcany). Visit the St. Vitus Cathedral,
which took more than 600 years to complete. Stroll the quaint, cobbled streets of the Mala Strana, the
backdrop for Milos Forman's Amadeus. Cross the Charles Bridge. See Market Square, famous for its
15th-century astronomical clock. Visit the Josefov, the traditional Jewish Quarter, home
to the oldest synagogue in Europe.
Participate in EF walking tour of Prague. Pass the concert hall in which Mozart
conducted the premiere of Don Giovanni.
Note: Gestalt Psychologist, Max Wertheimer was born in the Prague on April 16, 1880. At 21 years of age,
Wertheimer went on to study at the University of Berlin and later studied and lived in Vienna and back in Prague.
Known for his work on productive thinking, the laws of perceptual organization, and
the field of perception, Wertheimer has made significant contributions to the field of psychology.
The subfield of the psychology of perception is a fascinating and intriguing field of study that has
been grasped by many professions including artist and the criminal justice system.
Day 6: Prague & Budapest
Transfer to Budapest via Slovakia. Continue on to Budapest, capital of Hungary.
Day 7: Budapest
Take a guided sightseeing tour of Budapest. See Castle Hill, the Royal Palace,
former home of the Hungarian monarchs. Visit the 13th century Matthias Church.
Pass the Hungarian Parliament, modeled on London's Houses of Parliament.
Take walking tour of Budapest. Visit Fishermen's Bastion for a wonderful panoramic view of
Hungary's capital. Hungary played a key role in the democratization of Eastern Europe.
Take Optional Danube Bend--a half-day excursion to the village of Szentendre, where recreations of
peasant and folk life and architecture are displayed for modern interpretation.
Take a season cruise on the Danube.
Day 8: Budapest & Vienna
Arrive in Imperial Vienna. Take the Vienna Orientation Tour. Pass the city's
Opera House and St. Stephen's Cathedral. Also see the Sacher Hotel, the esteemed chocolate
Sachertorte was invented here, by order of Prince Metternich.
Sigmund Freud, physician and psychologist and founder of psychoanalysis and the talking cure lived and flourished
in Vienna until he was forced out of the country by the Nazis. We will be visiting the Freud Museum and actually seeing
where Freud lived and his quarters where he conducted psychotherapy sessions.
You will also see the room of Anna Freud grew up andwhose contributions to psychology have also been substantial.
For more on Sigmund Freud, see my biographical sketch. Freud.
Day 9: Vienna
Take guided sightseeing tour of Vienna. Visit the residence of the imperial court and the dynasty
of the Hapsburgs, a family who once ruled over half of Europe. See the Rathaus (Town Hall)
and the Hofburg, where the powerful Hapsburg dynasty ruled until 1918.
Visit Schonbrunn Palace and gardens, where Marie Antoinette spent her childhood.
Day 10: Vienna & Munich
Participate in the Salzburg Orientation Tour., which is the backdrop for the "Sound of Music."
Walk by the birthplace of Mozart. Mozart is buried in an unmarked
pauper's grave somewhere outside of Vienna.
Arrive in Munich, capital of Bavaria and site of the legendary Oktoberfest.
Munich derives from the city's German name, Munchen, meaning little monk,
so named because the original settlement bordered a monastery.
Day 11: Munich
Take a guided sightseeing tour of Munich. Pass the Olympic Stadium, BMW's headquarters, and the fashionable Schwabing district. You will also see the Residenz (once home to the Wittelsbach dukes of Bavaria),
the Deutsches Museum, the university, and the alte Pinakothek. The tour concludes at Marienplatz,
Munich's medieval heart, home of the city's famed Glockenspiel.
Take excursion to Dachau, the WWII Nazi concentration camp built in 1935 and liberated
by the Allies in April 1945. It is now a memorial museum.
Day 12: Munich & Heidelberg
Transfer to Heidelberg, once of the most lovely and beloved towns in Germany.
Day 13: Heidelberg
Take guided sightseeing tour of Heidelberg, one of Germany's oldest university cities. The university dates back to 1386. See Heidelberg's 700 year old Schloss Palace and its famous Fass (wine barrel), the world's largest. View Neckar Valley. See the Marktplatz, where witches were once burned at the stake.
Writers as diverse as Mark Twain and Goethe praised Heidelberg's beauty.
Take optional excursion to the Neckar Valley.
Day 14: Return to the US
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Download Complete Brochure Here:
Cost of Study Abroad
For Young Adults Under 23 Years of Age
Total Cost of Trip: $2284, plus excursions
(Includes Program Fee-$1890; Departure Fee-$299;Lifetime Membership Fee-$95; Peace of Mind Program-Free;
For Adults Over 23 years of Age:
Total Cost of Trip: $2699, plus excursions
(Includes Program Fee-$1890; Departure Fee-$299;Lifetime Membership Fee-$95;Peace of Mind Program-Free;
and, Adult supplement for double room-$415; )
Additional Excursions:
Danube Bend-$50 ($60 On tour)
Neckar Valley-$45 ($50 On tour)
Potsdam-$65 (Pre-book Only)
Plus optional insurance:
All Inclusive Insurance Plan - $115 (recommended)
Medical and Accident Insurance - $65
Baggage and Property Insurance - $45
*Note: Prices are subject to change.
Program fee valid for all who enroll through Friday, August 31, 2007.
ALL PRICES INCLUDE :
Round-trip airfare;
12 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms;
Complete European breakfast and dinner daily;
Full-time bilingual EF Tour Director;
6 sightseeing tours led by licensed local guides;
8 visits to special attractions;
3 EF walking tours and,
2 EF oreintation tours in Vienna and Salzburg.
To Enroll Online:
1. Visit www.eftours.com and click on the tab “Parents/students”
2. Click on the circle which reads “Enroll”
3. Enter the Tour ID 950820...then follow the directions.
To Enroll Over the Phone:
1. Simply call 1-800-665-5364 (customer service)
2. Note the ID number 950820 and provide information and credit card payment.
Hotels
5/23/2008-5/25/2008
Friederikestr 33/34
Berlin 27 D-1000
Berlin,Germany
+49 (0) 304 36 00 10
* Has Fitness Ctr., Whirlpool, Sauna, Massage,
Table Tennis.
___
5/25/2008-5/27/2008
Horackova 1096/3
Praha 140 00
Prague,
Czech Republic
420 (2) 422 393
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5/27/2008-5/29/2008
Bartok Bela ut 152
Budapest 1113
Hungary
+36 (0) 1 204 00 44
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5/29/2008-5/31/2008
Hernalser Guertel 32
Vienna 1090
Austria
+43 1 4050000
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5/31/2008-6/2/2008
Schlossallee 1
Erding/Aufhausen 85435
Munich,Germany
+49 (0) 812 29 88 00
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6/2/2008-6/4/2008
Hauptstrasse 66
Bammental D-69245
Heidelberg, Germany
+49 (0) 622 356 92
* A family hotel. See photos of surrounding area and town.
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Study Abroad Requirements:
All tour members will designate some aspect of Central European culture, history, art, archaeology, architecture,
political or social system , symbolism or behavior they want to study.
Study tour members are studying on-line and visiting links about the places to be visited.
We will also have one or several half-day meetings in late April to early May.
During the study tour we will keep a journal and take photos for a photographic journal on
our studies and experiences. At dinner, we will spend some time discussing the events of the day.
Students who are studying particular aspects of Central European
culture and behavior will be responsible for developing a report on their specific content area(s).
We will then compile our tour findings with pictures, essays and descriptions for publication
on the course Web site for public education and viewing. Tour participants will receive an
EF backpack and journal for the trip. Students will be asked to write up their summary descriptions on the
trip back home for submission before departing the airplane in the US.
Use this course web site and the Tour web site for study. Enter tour site by going to:
Or, go directly to my tour page (make sure you have the tour number to enter when asked.
On my tour page at EF, you will find links, suggested reading, suggested movies.
Read destination profiles, pack for your tour and travel smart sections. Pay particular attention
to sections on appropriate clothing to take, money/currency, etc.
IMPORTANT TRAVEL LINKS
Related Learning Links
Central Europe
A history of art from the 1400s to the 17th Century.
Central Europe comprises the countries in the center of Europe. It includes the German-speaking countries, four former Warsaw Pact member states that have joined the European Union, and Slovenia, another ex-communist former Yugoslav republic, now also a member of the EU. Only Switzerland and tiny Liechtenstein are not EU member states but share close economic ties with the region.
Think of Central Europe as a New "old" World destination: one sitting pretty at the historic heartland of the European continent, one newly unified by membership in the European Union's club of 25 nations, one chock-a-block full of exciting travel discoveries.
A history and geography of central Europe.
Information on Central Europe.
Czech Republic
A site about the historical city of Prague. Prague also is listed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Register.
The former Count's Chambers of Prague Castle house an exhibition of unique examples of old
European and American toys on two floors. In seven large rooms containing sixty showcases, part
of the family collection of Ivan Steiger, the filmmaker and cartoonist, can be seen. His Toy Museum
in the tower of the Old Town Hall in Munich has already been in existence for ten years and enjoys
great popularity.
Austria
Hofburg Open Air Market Home of Sigmund Freud
Exterior Freud Museum Waiting Room in Freud's Practice at Home
Church Hunderwasser House The Anker Clock in Hoher Market
Located in the Hofburg this museum houses one of the world's finest collections of prints, watercolors, drawings and photographs. The palace once belonged to Maria Theresa's daughter, Maria Christina, and her husband Duke Albert of Sachsen-Teschen, after whom the gallery is named. The museum underwent restoration, including reopening the Habsburg State Rooms for the first time in 200 years. They represent a remarkable example of Neo-Classical architecture and interior decoration, inspired by the Archduchess maria Christina.
Website includes the history of the Albertina and more.
The palace was built by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt as the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy. The Belvedere consists of 2 palaces linked by a formal garden laid out in th French style by Dominique Girard. The Palace also has a collection of the works of Gustav Klimt and the Museum of Austrian Baroque Art is housed in the rooms of the Lower Belvedere, which were used by Prince Eugene for day-to-say living.
A comprehensive presentation of the life and works of Freud, from birth to death.
The artist was born in Milan where he started his career by working on designs for windows for the city’s cathedral. He worked in his hometown, specialising mainly in religious paintings, before being called to Vienna in 1562 by Maximilian, the eldest son of the Emperor Ferdinand I. For the next twenty-five years he served as court painter to the Emperor Maximilian II and his son, the Emperor Rudolf II, both in Vienna and in Prague, before returning to Milan in 1587.
In 1563 he painted a series of depictions of the Seasons that in their strangeness and uniqueness served as the basis for the artist’s fame when he was rediscovered by the Surrealists and Dadaists in the early 20th century. Two of the three extant paintings from this first series of the Seasons are included in the exhibition: “Summer” and “Winter”, both now belong to the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
A museum that celebrates the vibrant Jewish quarter in Vienna that was centered on the square until the explusion of the Jews in 1421. The museum also houses a public database of the 65,000 Austrian Jews
killed by the Nazis and, in the basement the excavated synagogue. See also the Holocaust memorial in Judenplatz.
Museum of the history of art. The collections are based maily on the collections over the centuries by generations of Habsburg monarchs. Originally the works of art were housed in the Hofburg and the Belvedere, but when the Ringstasse was built this museum and the museum of natural history across the garden was built to house the collections of imperial art and natural history.
Acts as a showcase for Austrian decorative arts and as a repository for fine objects from around the world. Originally founded in 1864 as a museum for art and industry, it expanded and diversified over the years to include objects representing new artistic movements. The museum has a fine collection of furniture, including some classical works of the German cabinet-makeer David Roentgen, textiles, glass, Islamic and East Asian art and fine Renaissance jewelry. In 1993 the museum was completely renovated and each room was redesigned by a different leading artist. The result is a series of displays that lend the exhibits a unique, unusual flavor.
Headquarters of the Society of the Friends of Music. It is the home of the great Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra which gives regular performances here and forms the orchestra for the Opera House. The concert hall seats almost 2,000.
About the life and work of Sigmund Freud in his former home in Vienna, Austria, where he also conducted his private practice. You can also see the bedroom of Anna Freud. Freud lived in a wonderful, clean neighborhood in Vienna, with a lovely courtyard in the back of the home. If you get a chance to visit, plan to spend about an hour. See biographical sketch of Freud on my pages by clicking hyperlink--> Freud.
The most prestigious theater in the German speaking world.
A museum that houses the work of Gustav Klimt and his famous Beethoven's Frieze,designed in 1902 as a decorative painting, it covers three walls and is 110 feet long. It shows interrelated groups of figures and is thought to be a commentary on Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
The University of Vienna is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and one of the largest in Central Europe. At present, about 71,000 students are enrolled at the University of Vienna, in more than 130 courses. With close to 8,000 employees, 6,000 of which are scientists and academics, the University of Vienna is also the largest teaching and research institution in Austria.
Was one of the first Ringstrasse buildings to be completed. The opera house opened in 1869.
Wien Museum is a general-purpose metropolitan museum with a wide range of collections and exhibitions – from the history of the city to art, fashion and modern culture, from the earliest settlements to the present day. Because of its general approach and interdisciplinary potential, it occupies a unique position among Vienna’s museums. It has sites throughout the city. Taking the city of Vienna as a model, it explores the general theme of social, cultural and urban change in comparison with other cities.
Germany
The official travel and tourism site of Germany. Includes information on historic towns, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, information on weather and more.
Germany's classical music heritage is second to none: Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner are just a handful of the many great German composers whose music is performed throughout the world.
But Germany's musical life is thriving in other respects as well: a wide range of dynamic modern music can be heard at hundreds of jazz clubs, musical theatres and pop/rock events. These pages are full of ideas, information and concert suggestions to help you plan your trip.
Germany is the country of poets and philosophers. The words of great authors like Goethe and Schiller still touch the heart and the spirit of the people. This counts also for the fairy tales of the Grimm Brothers. But the 20th century has also produced many famous authors. Their works, as well, delight readers and spectators alike.
--Berlin
An information site on placeStateBerlin and its attractions, including Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall and more.
A "temple city of the arts" lies in the centre of Berlin on an island in the River Spree. The Old Museum designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and built in 1830 was the first building on Berlin Museum Island and the first public museum in Prussia. Then followed the New Museum in 1859, the Old National Gallery in 1876, the Bode Museum in 1904 and the Pergamon Museum in 1930. The only collection of museums of its kind in the world with its five temple-like buildings houses treasures from six thousand years of the history of mankind. At the heart of the museum scene in Berlin and the largest cultural investment project in Europe, Berlin Museum Island became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. The Old National Gallery with masterpieces from the 19th century reopened in December 2001. The spectacular reopening of the Bode Museum in October 2006 with its collections of sculptures and Byzantine art became an unexpected hit with the public. In the coming years, the remaining buildings on Museum Island will be gradually restored and remodelled with a new spacious, central entrance area and underground connecting passages. This unique collection of museums will then exhibit a cultural and historical panorama in all its glory, spanning from Ancient Egypt to the end of the 19th century, from Nefertiti and the Pergamon altar to the German and French impressionists. (Source: Website.)
Was considered one of Germany's most beautiful cities. It was once known as the "Florence of the north." The city was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt soon after the war ended.
Dresden Elbe Valley is stretch of land developed in the 18th and 19th centuries, which extends around 20 kilometres from Übigau Palace in the north-west to Pillnitz stately home and the River Elbe island in the south-east. It centres around the historic skyline of Dresden's old town. Dresden Elbe Valley is a synthesis of nature, architecture and cultivated landscapes - the banks of the Elbe are lined with Renaissance forts and late 19th century villas, while palaces and gardens blend seamlessly into the vine-clad landscape. The bulk of the architectural heritage is found in Dresden's old town, including the Royal Palace, the Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady. Other highlights include Semper Opera House, a stunning 19th century theatre in a High Renaissance style, and Zwinger Palace, one of Europe's foremost late baroque buildings. Brühl Terrace meanwhile, is a magnificent baroque reworking of the mighty fortifications that once lined the banks of the Elbe in Dresden's old town. (Source: Website.)
--Martin Luther
An overview of the life of Martin Luther.
Eisleben is home to the house where Martin Luther was born and the house where he died. His birthplace is now one of the oldest museums in the German-speaking world. He was born on 10 November 1483 in what is now Lutherplatz and was baptised the following day in the neighbouring Church of St. Peter and Paul. Eye-catching attractions in Eisleben include the historical market with its medieval architecture and the statue of Luther. A stroll through the old town reveals the house where Luther was born, which was extensively restored in 2006, the baptismal Church of St. Peter and Paul, St. Andrew's market church with its original Luther pulpit, St. Anne's Church with the only stone-carved biblical scenes in Europe and the Luther museum that commemorates his death on 18 February 1546. A world heritage site. (Source: Website.)
From the end of the 15th century Wittenberg was the electoral seat of Frederick the Wise. His astute policies, the university founded in 1502 and the influence of Luther and other Reformers combined to make the town a leading centre of religious and cultural life in Europe. From 1511 Martin Luther lived and worked in the town's Augustinian Monastery as a monk and a scholar. Evidence of the town's Reformation and Renaissance traditions as well as its fascinating past is still visible today. The beautiful old quarter is like an open-air museum with magnificent stone buildings wherever you look, while the town church where Luther preached his sermons is an important location in Reformation history. On 31 October 1517 Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the castle church, which is also significant as the burial site of Luther and Melanchton. In 2017 Germany will celebrate 500 years of Reformation. A World heritage site. (Source: Website.)
www.wittenberg.de
From the PBS site on Martin Luther.
A historical sketch of Marin Luther. Includes early years, reformation, as church leader and his later years.
Midi files on Luther's hymns. You can listen online.
--Munich
A site filled with information on Munich and its attractions. Also includes the history of Munich.
Located in the Marienplatz in the clock high tower of the Munich old Town Hall since 1983. One of three of toy collectors Ivan and Eva Steiger's European Toy Museums--located in Munich, the Prague and the Barbie Museum.
--Potsdam
The palace played an important role in history, when it served as the venue for the Potsdam Conference - an event that played a major part in establishing the political balance of power in Europe following the end of World War II. Churchill, Truman, Stalin: the three of them wrote world history here and discussed how to partition Germany. From 17th June to 2nd August 1945, the victorious powers of World War II met in the venerable halls of Cecilia Court Palace for the Potsdam Conference.
Originally, Cecilia Court Palace was built from 1914 to 1917 for Crown Prince William and his wife Cecilie von Mecklenburg-Schwerin as the last construction of a castle of the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his design plans, the architect Paul Schultze-Naumburg orientated himself towards the English country houses in the Tudor style. Today, the castle is an historic memorial, in which the conference room and the working rooms of the participants in the Potsdam Conference can be visited.
The Brandenburg State Capital and former centre of Prussia with its castles and gardens which are part of UNESCO’s world cultural heritage. Since we will be visiting this site, please study. You can also download maps and other booklets and even save pages to your notebook.
The Park Sanssouci is among the most beautiful palace complexes in Europe. Its name- Sans Souci is French for "without a care." Over the years, the park has been enriched with other palaces and pavilions. Today, the park is made up of small gardens dating from different eras, all maintained in their original style. You will also find Frederick II’s tomb on the castle hill.
Hungary
Everything you want to know about Budapest--news, arts, latest movies in English and much more.
English Language News Sources in Hungary
Information and documents on Hungary, including its cities and towns.
www.visitberlin.de