Berlin and Warsaw: Two Capitals Reborn

Information Night

Thursday, September 26, 2024 at 6:00 PM EDT

Learn more about this trip at an upcoming in-person Information Night. Don’t miss your chance to meet the trip coordinator, Margaret Magdziak, the resource person, Prof. Piotr Wróbel, the Worldwide Quest travel agent, and potential fellow travellers.

To attend this meeting and receive the instructions, please register here.

Trip Information

Germany and Poland share a long and complicated history. For over 1,000 years, they have been neighbours, friends, and foes. Their capitals, Berlin and Warsaw respectively, reflect this complex past, but also a vibrant present, and a dynamic future. Join us for an exciting 11-day itinerary that will provide an in-depth introduction to these two inspiring cities.

With six days in Berlin and five in Warsaw, our itinerary will allow you to explore each city at an immersive, yet unhurried pace.

We’ll learn about each city’s fascinating history, and we will explore the charming gardens and magnificent palatial estates that reflect each city’s royal and imperial legacies: Charlottenburg in Berlin, Sanssouci in Potsdam, and Wilanów in Warsaw. Visits to each city’s districts will guide us through the events that occurred during the Second World War and the Cold War and will help us learn more about the exciting renaissance that is underway in each city today.

With urban cores that have been rebuilt and reimagined, Berlin and Warsaw are Central Europe’s largest cities – lively and cosmopolitan cultural and financial centres. Both cities have preserved their complicated pasts while moving boldly forward into the future.

This is ROMTravel’s first trip to Poland, and coincides with the International Chopin Piano Competition, a prestigious competition that happens every five years. Trip participants will be part of the celebration with tickets to the competition’s gala Prize Winners’ concert.

Prof. Piotr Wróbel, the Konstanty Reynert Chair of Polish Studies at the University of Toronto, will accompany our trip, offering expert commentary and insight into our trip experience. Well-loved by his students for his accessible and witty style, he will offer us invaluable insight, a unique perspective, and some great stories.

As with all ROMTravel trips, you will be privy to exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences, stay at luxury hotels and enjoy outstanding cuisine.

Highlights

• Visit Berlin's Reichstag.
• Visit Berlin’s UNESCO-listed Museum Island with a 3-day Museum Pass and a special presentation on the island’s restoration.
• Connect with an eyewitness to the building and fall of the Berlin Wall.
• Delight in an evening at a famed Berlin Burlesque Show.
• Visit Warsaw’s Nożyk Synagogue and meet with Poland's Chief Rabbi.
• Visit Warsaw’s Polin, the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, and meet with a curator.
• Meet with the Deputy Director of Warsaw’s Wilanów Palace for a guided visit to the royal summer residence.
• Enjoy a special presentation on Alexander Gierymski's "Jewess with Oranges", a masterpiece of Polish art, which had been looted by the Nazis and only recently recovered.
• Attend the gala Prize-Winners’ Concert at the 19th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition.

Cost

Double Occupancy: $ 12,595
Single Supplement: $  2,995
International flights are not included.

To request an application form or for more information, please contact the ROMTravel Coordinator or the travel agency.

ROMTravel Coordinator

Margaret Magdziak
Phone 416.586.8034
Email travel@rom.on.ca

Travel Agency

Worldwide Quest International
Celeste Carrington
Email celeste@worldwidequest.com
Phone 416.633.5666 or 1.800.387.1483

ROMTravel is organized by ROM’s Department of Museum Volunteers to provide support for the Museum.