Northern Germany

The tour starts at 6.00pm on Monday 1 July, at the Barcelo Hotel, Hamburg.

The tour ends at 1.00pm on Sunday 14 July, at Hamburg Airport.

After individual travel arrangements to Hamburg, meet your tour leader, tour manager and fellow travellers this evening for welcome drinks in the hotel, followed by dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Hamburg (D)

Located in a sheltered natural harbour on the River Elbe, Hamburg has long been a busy port, but its prime location and importance made it a prime target during WWII when much of the old city was destroyed. This has meant however that Hamburg now has many, fascinating historical layers and today, after a talk in our hotel, we explore the highlights. We begin with a visit to the Hamburger Kunsthalle whose exceptional collection ranges across eight centuries of art from the Middle Ages to the present, including Caspar David Friedrich’s Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog. After lunch in the museum café, our walking tour takes us to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kontorhaus district, with its striking Brick Expressionist office buildings then on to the extraordinary Elbphilharmonie concert hall, where we enjoy a guided tour of its interior. A ferry takes us up the Elbe to the busy Landungsbrücken piers and we have a chance to enjoy the commanding views over the city from the tall belltower of Saint Michael’s church before returning to the city centre by coach. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Hamburg (B, L)

This morning our coach takes us to the medieval town of Lüneburg, stopping en route at Lauenburg, a picturesque town on the Elbe. Enjoying a monopoly on salt mining and supply, Lüneburg was one of the wealthiest towns of the Hanseatic League. Spared damage from WWII bombing, the city retains much of its medieval Hanseatic charm. We begin our visit at the churches of Johannes and Nicholas, both fine examples of Brick Gothic style, before a private tour of the Town Hall – the largest medieval town hall in Northern Germany and a clear expression of the wealth of the Hanseatic League. After lunch in a local restaurant, we visit the medieval abbey of Kloster Lüne. Founded in 1172 the abbey later became a Lutheran convent, famous for its Opus teutonicum style whitework embroidery. Returning to Hamburg in the late afternoon, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Hamburg (B, L)

The bountiful Altes Land (‘Old Land’) lying to the south of Hamburg has been the centre of German fruit production for over 700 years and its fertile soil and associated prosperity have gifted the region with beautiful landscapes and exceptional vernacular architecture. Our coach takes us to the town of Buxtehude, whose historic centre with traditional half-timbered houses is built around a central harbour on the Este River. The town makes the most of its setting for the Grimm Brothers fairytale, The Hare and the Hedgehog, so look out for the references as we walk around! After time for lunch, we continue to Stade - a bustling seaport on the Elbe during the Hanseatic era and today one of Germany’s prettiest villages. We spend the afternoon strolling through the old town, stopping at the Museum of History and the church of Saint Blaise with free time to explore. Returning to Hamburg the evening is at leisure. Overnight Hamburg (B)

Departing Hamburg this morning we travel to the beautiful 800-year-old village of Worpswede, famous for its association with artists Paula Modersohn Becker and Heinrich Vogler and writers Thomas Mann and Rainer Maria Rilke, active at the turn of the 20th-century. We enjoy a guided tour of this lovely village and its idiosyncratic architecture before continuing to Bremen. A powerful city in the Hanseatic League, Bremen’s status is reflected in the exceptional architecture still found in the historic town centre. After lunch together our walking tour takes us through the old town and market square and along the fascinating Böttcherstrasse with its mix of art-deco and brick building styles. Here we visit the museum dedicated to Worpswede artist Paula Modersohn-Becker, the first in the world dedicated to a female artist and a remarkable survivor given that both the artist’s work and the brick expressionist building were denounced by Hitler as degenerate. Continuing to Lübeck we check in before dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Lübeck (B, L, D)

Situated on the Baltic Coast, the beautiful city of Lübeck was one of the largest and most important cities of the Hanseatic League and we begin our time here with a guided tour of the European Hansemuseum, a space dedicated to the extraordinary 500-year-old history of the Hanseatic League. Following our visit we continue to the commanding brick Gothic church of Saint Jacob, built in 1334 and dedicated to seafarers across the world. After a break for lunch, we make our way to the Behnhaus Drägerhaus Museum, an important collection of German and European painting and sculpture from the 19th to early 20th century, housed in two lovely 18th century mansions which also retain a suite of historic rooms furnished in neoclassical style. Returning to the hotel there is time to relax before dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Lübeck (B, D)

Today we make a short journey out of Lübeck to picturesque Lake Eutin, where we visit Schloss Eutin, a palace set in a beautiful park landscaped in the English style. The original fortress was built in the 12th century for the Bishops of Lübeck, who had moved from the city due to tensions with the townspeople. Following the secularization of the Lubeck Bishopric in the late 17th century the palace became a summer residence for the Dukes of Oldenburg and, after WWII a museum, supported by the family foundation, with much of the historic interior preserved. Our guided tour takes us through the palace and gardens before we enjoy a relaxing lunch in a local café. Returning to Lübeck the evening is at leisure. Overnight Lübeck (B, L)

The UNESCO World Heritage status of Lübeck’s old town acknowledges its beautiful Hanseatic era architecture and the power and the historic role of the Hanseatic League in the region. Our walking tour today begins at Lübeck Cathedral, a short stroll from our hotel. Built between 1173 and 1230 the original cathedral was one of the oldest buildings in Lübeck. While much of the building was destroyed in an air raid in 1942, many of the interior fittings were saved and, after careful restoration over several decades the cathedral was reconsecrated in 1973. From here we make our way to the town square where we visit the beautiful 800-year-old Town Hall, a meeting place that was once the hub of Hanseatic power. Our tour ends at the Niederegger Café and Museum. Lübeck marzipan is famous throughout the world and Niederegger, founded in 1806, make some of the best so here we see their magnificent displays of marzipan artwork and enjoy a coffee with some delicious patisserie. The afternoon is at leisure to explore the Old Town further. Overnight Lübeck (B)

Departing Lübeck this morning we make our way to Stralsund, stopping first at the town of Bad Doberan. A wealthy Cistercian community until the dissolution of the monasteries during the Reformation, the town became the summer residence of the Mecklenburg ducal family and a popular spa town thanks to its proximity to Heiligendamm, Germany’s first seaside resort. Here we visit the magnificent Doberan Minster with its stunning medieval interior and enjoy a walk through the picturesque town centre with free time for lunch. Our next stop is the town of Wismar, beautifully situated on the Baltic coast. This former Hanseatic town fell under Swedish control from 1648-1903 then under Soviet control as part of East Germany until the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989. Our walking tour takes us through the charming, cobblestone streets of the old town, much of which has been preserved. Continuing to Stralsund we have time to check in and freshen up before dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Stralsund (B, D)

Like its neighbour Wismar, the town of Stralsund was accorded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2002, thanks to its exceptional Hanseatic era architecture and a beautiful coastal location which has remained unchanged since medieval times. Also like Wismar, Straslund later came under Swedish then Soviet control and thus, while retaining its charm and many of its original medieval buildings, it also shows the influence of these later periods. This morning’s walking tour takes us through the heart of the old town visiting the old market, the town hall and the Church of St Nicholas, whose many altars and beautiful astronomical clock reflect the wealth and status the town once enjoyed. The afternoon and evening are at leisure. Overnight Stralsund (B)

Today we make our way over the Strelasund Crossing to the island of Rügen, a popular German holiday destination renowned for its sandy beaches and dramatic white chalk cliffs. We stop first in the resort town of Putbus, built in the classical style in 1810 by Prince Wilhelm Malte zu Putbus as an adjunct to his park and grand palace which was sadly demolished in the early ‘60s. Heading across to Binz, we visit the Colossus of Prora, a striking example of Nazi architecture built on the orders of Adolf Hitler as a holiday camp. Unfinished and unused during the Third Reich, parts of the complex are now, somewhat ironically, open as a holiday resort. After a boat trip around the spectacular granite cliffs, a steam train takes us to Granitz Hunting Lodge. Built for Prince Wilhelm (see above) on a high ridge in the middle of a forest between 1837 to 1851 the lodge offers panoramic views across Rügen and an impressive trophy collection. Returning to Stralsund there is time to freshen up before dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Stralsund (B, D)

This morning we make our way south to the island of Usedom. Here we visit the Historical Technical Museum at Peenemünde, described as the German village that changed the war. With a 400km testing range off the Baltic coast the village was identified by Nazi engineer Werner von Braun as the ideal site for developing and testing rockets, including the V2, but maps allegedly smuggled out by Polish labourers helped identify the site and it was repeatedly bombed by the Allies from 1943. After free time for lunch in town, we make our way back to Stralsund via the university town of Greifswald. Here our walking tour includes a visit to the Pommersches Landes Museum, whose varied collection includes a number of major works from Greifswald native Caspar David Friedrich. Returning to Stralsund, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Stralsund (B)

An early start this morning gives us time to explore the lovely town of Gustrow, surrounded by parks, forest and five large lakes. Here our visit includes Gustrow Cathedral where, amongst works of art from the 15th and 16th centuries, we can see “The Floating Angel” created by German Expressionist sculptor Ernst Barlach as a moving memorial to Germany’s dead in the First World War. Originally installed in 1927 the sculpture was deemed degenerate by the rising Nazi powers, removed, and melted down for ammunition in 1941. Barlach died in 1938 but the sculpture was recast from a surviving mould in 1987 and reinstalled in the cathedral. We enjoy the beautiful Gustrow Palace Gardens before making our way back to Stralsund where, after time to freshen up, we gather for our farewell dinner. Overnight Stralsund (B, D)

Our tour end today and we depart Stralsund after breakfast for the coach journey to Hamburg airport, arriving in time for scheduled afternoon departures. (B)

Hotels have been selected principally for their central location. All hotels are a comfortable 4-star standard.

• Hamburg, Barceló Hamburg (5 nights)

• Lübeck, Atlantic Hotel (3 nights)

• Stralsund, Hotel Scheelehof (5 nights)