Itinerary
| Day 1 |
(Thursday): Fly London - Berlin. Check into our hotel in Osterfeld for three nights. |
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| Day 2 |
We spend the morning exploring the battlefield of Jena. We climb above the Landgrafenberg and walk the Windknollen, from where Napoleon began his move against the Prussians. We also visit the villages of Cospeda, Closewitz, Vierzehnheiligen and Isserstedt. This afternoon we tour the field of Auerstadt, fought on the same day as Jena. |
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| Day 3 |
Today we attend the re-enactment of the battle of Jena. Hundreds, if not thousands of re-enactors from all over Europe will participate in recreating a spectacular Napoleonic battle. There will be opportunities to wander through their encampments and get a real feel for what it was like to be a soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. |
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| Day 4 |
Drive to Rossbach to study Frederick the Great´s masterpiece against the French and Austrians during the 7 Years War. Continue to Lutzen (or Gross Gorchen), the site of Napoleon´s victory over a combined Prussian and Russian army on 2 May 1813. It was also the scene, in 1632, of the battle in which the great Swedish commander, Gustavus Adolphus, lost his life. We study both battles and visit the museum to the memory of Gustavus Adolphus. Drive to Dresden and check into our hotel for three nights. |
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| Day 5 |
This morning we visit the battle of Dresden, fought on 26/27 August 1813 before visiting Dresden´s superb military museum, full of weapons, armour, uniforms, dioramas, artillery and tanks. In the afternoon you have an opportunity to explore this famous historic city on your own. |
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| Day 6 |
Drive to the Saxon fortress and artillery museum of Koenigstein, set spectacularly on the rim of the Elbe gorge, where Frederick the Great captured the entire Saxon army in 1756. During the afternoon we visit the battlefield of Bautzen where, on 20 & 21 May 1813, Napoleon got the better of 100,000 Russians and Prussians. It was also here where an impetuous Frederick the Great received a bloody nose during the battle of Hochkirch. |
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| Day 7 |
The massive battle of Leipzig, fought over three days between 16 and 18 October 1813, is the subject of our last full day in Germany. The "Battle of the Nations", as it is known, was fought on a huge scale and cost over 100,000 casualties in total. We explore the southern and northern parts of the battlefield, the latter part encompassing the field of Breitenfeld. Check in to our hotel for one night. Presentation dinner. |
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| Day 8 |
On our route northwards to Berlin for our return flight to London, we take the opportunity to look at some of the lesser actions during the 1813 campaign - that of Wartenburg, Dennewitz and Gross Beeren. |
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