Cold War School Trip to Berlin
A history school trip to Berlin with a focus on the Cold War will afford your students a far greater understanding of the history of a city in which so many of the 20th century’s key events were played out!
Walk along a remaining section of the Berlin Wall or visit Checkpoint Charlie and the Stasi Museum. The award-winning DDR Museum offers a hands-on experience of history – including the crimes of the State Security, the border defences at the Berlin Wall and the lives of the people under a communist dictatorship. At the Hohenschönhausen Stasi Memorial, guided tours are conducted mostly by former inmates who relate the tour to their own experience in the remand prison, providing insight into a broad spectrum of political persecution in the GDR.
If you're not sure you'll have the numbers to run a school trip to Berlin, why not join forces with your school's German department to make this trip cross-curricular?
Suggested Itinerary (3 days, 2 nights)
Day 1/3

Morning
Flight to Berlin

Afternoon
Checkpoint Charlie and Stasi Museum

Evening
Evening meal
Day 2/3

Morning
Guided tour conducted by inmate of Hohenschonhausen Stasi Prison

Afternoon
DDR Museum and TV Tower

Evening
Evening meal
Day 3/3

Morning
Visit to the Story of Berlin and nuclear bomb shelter

Afternoon
Flight back to the UK
What's included?
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2 nights' half-board accommodation
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Airport tax and passenger duty at current rates
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ATOL protected return flights from the UK
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Comprehensive travel and medical insurance
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Detailed information pack
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Free staff place ratio 1:10
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Itinerary planning service
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Public transport tickets (zones ABC) for the duration of your stay
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Vamoos travel app - giving you access to all your trip documents on your phone or tablet
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VAT at current rates to tour operators
Curriculum Links
A-Level
- Challenges of German nationalism
- Germany: democracy and dictatorship
- Life in Nazi Germany
- West Germany and the DDR
- Origins of the Cold War
- Berlin Wall
- International relations and global conflict
GCSE
- Conflict and tension: WW1
- The inter-war years: 1918-39
- International relations and global conflict
- Germany: democracy and dictatorship
- The impact of total war on German life
- Opposition to Nazi rule
- West Germany and the DDR
- Berlin Wall
Key Stage 3
- Challenges for Europe and the wider world, 1901
Educational activities and visits
Asisi Berlin Wall Experience
Immerse yourselves in 1980s Berlin – a city divided in two by two competing political ideologies. This unique panorama experience… Read More
Berlin Wall Documentation Centre
The Documentation Center on the history of the Berlin Wall provides historical information and educates the public.Beginning with the historical… Read More
Berlin Wall Memorial
This open-air exhibition on the infamous Bernauer Strasse illustrates how the Wall divided the city from 1961 until 1989. The… Read More
Berlin Wall Museum
This interactive museum tells the story of the Berlin Wall and helps to bring to life what life was like… Read More
Brandenburg Gate Museum
Experience history like you are there! This new multimedia museum just 100 metres from Brandenburg Gate shows 300 years of… Read More
Checkpoint Charlie Museum
During the lifetime of the Berlin Wall, this was the only way for non-Germans to cross from one half of… Read More
Cold War Berlin Walking tour
Retrace the often ghost-like trail of the Berlin Wall taking in guard towers and tank traps. Walk along Bernauer Strasse… Read More
DDR Museum
Welcome to one of Europe's most interactive museums!The DDR Museum offers you a hands-on experience of the everyday life of… Read More
Guided Walking Tour - Third Reich and Cold War Berlin
This guided walking tour will give your students the opportunity to see the most important historic sights in relation to… Read More
Hohenschönhausen Stasi Memorial
Between 1945 and 1989 thousands of political prisoners were interned here by the Communist regime. Today, the prison is preserved… Read More
Memories of the Cold War - Meet a Former Political Prisoner
A rare and memorable opportunity to make history come to life. Your students will have the chance to discuss real… Read More
Stasi Museum
Under the GDR, the Ministry of State Security, or Stasi, spied more meticulously on the East German population than any… Read More
Subterranean Berlin
This tour of underground Berlin takes you through World War Two air raid shelters and tunnels used to smuggle people… Read More
Teufelsberg (Devil's Mountain)
A Cold War radio base, hidden away in the Grunewald Forest, which originally used by the Allies to spy on… Read More
The Story of Berlin
The Story of Berlin is a multimedia exhibition with over 20 themed rooms that let you experience 800 years of… Read More
Cultural activities and visits
Berlin Cathedral
One of the principal buildings of the nineteenth-century Berlin, the cathedral was completed at the turn of the century and… Read More
Berliner Fernsehturm (TV Tower)
Visible from almost any point in the city, the television tower was a flagship of east German architecture. From its… Read More
Accommodation
The 2A hostel opened in 2011 with the intention of providing hotel-class accommodation at hostel-level prices.Students sleep in bunk-beds in multi-bedded rooms of 4-8 people, while staff stay in twins. All rooms benefit from en-suite facilities, and all guests have access to WiFi.Breakfast and evening meal are served in the hostel and packed lunches can be provided at a supplement. The hostel also has a terrace and a lounge area equipped with a TV & audio equipment.
This modern hostel is well located on a quiet street near the main train station in central Berlin.Students will generally be accommodated in multi-bedded rooms and staff in twins. All rooms are en-suite and have modern furnishings/ TV.Hostel facilities include a roof-top bar, games room and multiple conference rooms.
Newly opened in April 2012, the Aletto Kudamm offers 3* comfort and is only a few minutes walk away from the Zoological Garden, Kurfuerstendamm, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and the famous KaDeWe.Students will generally be accommodated in multi-bedded rooms and staff in twins. All rooms are en-suite. Rooms are equipped with individually adjustable air-conditioning, Flatscreen TV with satellite television and radio stations, WiFi Internet access, shower-bath with WC, hairdryer and under-floor heating. Other facilities include a pool table, table football and other games. Weather permitting, there is a basketball court, 5-a-side football pitch, table tennis tables and boules area. The combination of a modern design, high quality facilities and excellent location make this an ideal hostel for school groups.
The modern H2 Hotel welcomes its guests to the heart of Berlin 24 hours a day.Groups will generally stay in triple or quad rooms, and group leaders in twins or singles. All rooms are air-conditioned, with flatscreen TVs, private bathrooms with underfloor heating, and free WiFi (available throughout the hotel).The hotel's "fresh island" and shop provide food for the whole day, from breakfast through to the evening meal. Outside of their very flexible mealtimes, coffees and fresh snacks are available too.
Berlin Ostkreuz Youth Hostel offers modern, state-of-the-art amenities and is ideal for school groups. The youth hostel has 445 beds in total. All rooms have en-suite showers and toilets. Students will be accommodated in multi-bedded rooms (maximum 6 per room) and staff in twins or singles.The hostel boasts a welcoming lobby area, cosy bistro and dining rooms where guests can take their meals (breakfast, half or full-board), common rooms for leisure activities and 18 meeting rooms, plus a large assembly hall.
Supporting you every step of the way
1 Creating Your Perfect Trip
We'll tailor make your school trip to meet your specific requirements
2 Launching your trip to parents and students
Head to our resources section for FREE promotional materials
3 After you've booked
Your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will work with you on the finer details of your trip
4 While you're away
You'll be able to reach us 24/7 during your trip if you need our help
5 After your trip
Head back to our resources section to continue the learning
Need help?
Gail Biggins — Tour Adviser
Don’t hesitate to contact me for any advice or further information on how your school trip can be tailored to your requirements.
A fabulous trip. Fabulous opportunity for our students to experience new places, see new things and make amazing memories.— Budmouth Technology College
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- Your trip will be a quality educational experience
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