Greetings! I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for day trips while using Berlin as a home base. In the spring I will be escorting a group of American high school students to Berlin. I have done this trip in the past and we really get a lot out of being in this vibrant city. But I'm thinking about mixing things up for myself this time around. Ideally I would not like to spend all day on the train (two hours or less each way). In my mind Brandenburg doesn't have too much to offer, but I'm wondering if there are any hidden gems that I might not know about. Any recommendations for an excursion that both adults and teenagers might enjoy? Thanks.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32352 posts
David, Will your group have any interest in seeing any of the WW-II or Soviet historic sites in or near Berlin? There will be LOTS to choose from. You might have a look at the website for the Original Berlin Walks, as they offer a really good selektion of walking tours and short day trips. If it wouldn't be too "intense" for them, a day trip to Sachsenhausen may be "educational". I don't know if there are any age restrictions, but the group may enjoy taking a Segway Tour (if your budgets will allow). They're a lot of fun! Have you given any thought to which area of Berlin you might want to stay? I was there last year and found the neighborhood between Bahnhof Zoo and Savignyplatz was great! I'm sure the trip will be an awesome "life experience" for your students. Good luck with your planning!
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Park Sanssouci in nearby Potsdam would be my first recommendations. The adults will love the palaces, and the teenagers will enjoy... umm... the chance to get away from the adults in the extensive parkland... If your visit coincides with a spell of hot weather, you could take them for a swim at Wannsee, and combine it with an educational visit to the Holocaust Memorial at the infamous Wannsee Villa.
Posted by
San Francisco
14980 posts
Hi, Within a radius of 2hrs to 2:15 hrs, you have several choices of where to go for this day excursion: Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Leipzig, Dresden (I include Dresden-Neustadt too), Schwerin (formerly of Mecklenburg-Schwerin), or even Frankfurt an der Oder. But if you want basically to stay within the greater Berlin area and on the S-Bahn, then, as suggested above, I suggest Potsdam, Wannsee (where you might have to transfer anyway, depending on which means RB or S-Bahn you use), on the other side Treptow and Köpenick, esp the Rathaus. Be sure the class gets a briefing on the site's cultural, historical, etc. significance, which is why you're going in the first place.