.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
DAYS
5
TOUR CODE
BEGT-27
COST
£2995
DAYS
5
TOUR CODE
BEGT-27
COST
£2995
From Isherwood and Kästner to German cinema of the 'Golden Twenties', this new tour will sweep travellers on a voyage through the history, fiction and cultural legacy of one of Berlin's most mesmerising eras.
Overview
Exhilarating, volatile and haunting, Berlin of the 1920s emerged in the long shadow of the First World War and against the looming terrors of the Second World War. A time of extremes, the era has since acquired an almost mythical status in which economic devastation, depression and political disturbances existed alongside cultural and intellectual flourishing and the breaking of social and societal boundaries. Art – from cabaret and cinema to painting, architecture and literature – has both determined the way the period is remembered and transcended it.
“I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking. Recording the man shaving at the window opposite and the woman in the kimono washing her hair. Some day, all this will have to be developed, carefully printed, fixed”
– Christopher Isherwood, Goodbye to Berlin
There are few better ways to explore the importance of Weimar Berlin than through its groundbreaking creative scene, and our tour will hold some of the era’s most influential writers at its heart while also reaching out to other key mediums. A series of walking tours led by specialist guest guides will illuminate the lives and writings of Christopher Isherwood, Erich Kästner and iconic authors of West Berlin, including Joseph Roth, Walter Benjamin, Vicki Baum and Irmgard Keun. We will visualise some of their former haunts at the sites of famous bars and cafes, while the Romanisches Cafe pop-up exhibition will help to conjure the special atmosphere of this well-known 1920s meeting point for creatives and intellectuals.
Another full day focuses on the cinematic masterpieces of the ‘Golden Twenties’ through a coach tour and visit to the Museum für Film und Fernsehen (Film & TV Museum), newly reopened and home to more than 100 years of German film history alongside 50 years of television history from East and West Germany. Complementing this, we hope to include an evening visit to the Kino Babylon cinema, part of a listed building complex at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz and designed in the Neue Sachlichkeit style, which regularly shows silent films from the 1920s accompanied by a live orchestra.
The influence of German Expressionism – an avant-garde movement which sought to convey emotion and psychological experiences through high levels of contrast, colour, starkness and distortion – was particularly prevalent in the cinema of the era. We will explore its artistic origins in more detail at the New National Gallery, which holds works by the two primary groups working in this field: Die Brücke and Der Blaue Reiter.
As we follow in the footsteps of Isherwood and other visitors to – and inhabitants of – 1920s Berlin, we will paint our own portraits of the era, establishing and questioning the development of these radical movements, the society that gave life to them, and the world-shattering events that came before and after.
WRITING FOR CHILDREN
Initially best-known as a political satirist, Erich Kästner became one of the most successful left-liberal authors of the Weimar Republic and a future Nobel Prize for Literature nominee. One of his most famous works is Emil & the Detectives, among a number of successful books he wrote for children. A staunch pacifist, Kästner believed in the power of childhood to renew and restore, seeking to inspire young people through his work. At the book burning of 1933 in Berlin, which Kästner attended, his books were thrown into the fire to the accompaniment of a ‘fire oath’.
Tour Director
Ian Coyne
Having worked as a guide in Berlin since 2001, Ian Coyne has watched the transformation of the city and gathered over 25 years’ experience designing and leading tours.
Tour Director Ian Coyne is an expert tour leader with a long-held passion for 20th century European history. A highly engaging storyteller, he strives to inform, enthuse and entertain those who join his tours by both sharing his detailed knowledge and the array of personal stories he has gathered over 25 years dedicated to designing and leading tours. A German speaker, Ian’s 20-year career in the Civil Service saw postings to various European cities, including Berlin, which, at the time, had just become the capital of a reunified Germany. Having worked as a guide in Berlin since 2001, Ian has watched the transformation of the city and witnessed how modern Germany’s culture of remembrance uses monuments, education and public debate to ensure the past is never forgotten. Ian will be joined by several specialist guest guides during this immersive and multifaceted tour.
– ACE customer who travelled on a tour in 2025
Our Accommodation
We will stay throughout at a comfortable, welcoming and high quality hotel in central Berlin, well positioned for our visits. Further details about the hotel will be provided nearer the time.
Itinerary
Day 1
Depart London Heathrow 1115 on British Airways, arriving Berlin Brandenburg Airport 1410. Transfer to our Berlin hotel for four nights. Welcome and introduction to the tour: The Origins and Early Years of the Weimar Republic.
Day 2
Writers of West Berlin – Morning walking tour led by guest guide Marcel Krueger, exploring the haunts in West Berlin – including the sites of legendary bars and cafes – of writers including Joseph Roth, Walter Benjamin, Vicki Baum, Irmgard Keun and others. Afternoon visits to the Romanisches Cafe pop-up exhibition (recreating life at this famous 1920s meeting point for creatives and intellectuals) and Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche, followed by free time to explore the KaDeWe (iconic luxury department store founded in 1907). Please note, if the pop-up exhibition is no longer open by the time of our tour, we will replace this with a visit of equal interest and thematic relevance. Opportunity to dine at the Reichstag (rooftop restaurant – subject to confirmation).
Day 3
Isherwood’s Berlin – Morning walking tour led by guest guide Brendan Nash, exploring sites documented by Isherwood in his Berlin Diaries (1929–1933), accompanied by short readings. Afternoon visit to the New National Gallery (German Expressionism). Evening performance or film viewing, for example at the Kino Babylon cinema – subject to scheduling.
Day 4
Cinemas & Coffee Houses – Morning coach tour led by guest guide Arne Krasting, exploring cinema in the ‘Golden Twenties’. Afternoon visit to the newly reopened Museum für Film und Fernsehen (Film & TV Museum – home to more than 100 years of German film history, along with 50 years of the television history of both East and West Germany). Evening talk.
Day 5
Erich Kästner – Morning walking tour with guest guide Dr Finn Ballard, exploring the life and works of Erich Kästner, one of the most successful left-liberal writers of the Weimar Republic and author of Emil & the Detectives alongside other popular children’s literature. Depart Berlin 1645, arriving Heathrow 1740.
Frequently Asked Questions
To read our full list of frequently asked questions please visit our general FAQs here.
What is the maximum group size of this tour?
What is the deposit cost for this tour?
What tour staff will be on this tour?
Am I fit enough to travel on this tour?
Fitness Requirements
The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature. To make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy – there are often several visits included each day. As such, our tours require a certain minimum level of physical and mental fitness, mobility and stamina.
Many visits will involve navigating several steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and could involve embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains and cruise vessels. Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm. Some tours may involve long coach journeys.
It is essential that all customers are sufficiently fit and able enough to fully participate. Furthermore, every tour comprises a group of guests. We cannot allow the entire group to be negatively impacted by one participant, either holding up the pace we reasonably need to maintain or disproportionately requiring the attention and support of the tour staff.
We carefully consider the intensity, fitness and other requirements of each itinerary and describe them on the tour pages of our brochures and website. Please study these descriptions closely. When you call to book, we will reiterate those requirements and ask you to confirm that all group members are indeed fit enough and otherwise able to meet the criteria. It is your responsibility to answer fully and honestly. If it transpires that you are not able to keep pace with the tour and/or it reasonably appears you are negatively impacting (or are reasonably likely to negatively impact) the enjoyment of the rest of the group (including their ability to complete all scheduled visits), we may ask you to sit out certain days/visits, take a taxi at your own expense (if available in the location), or even, if we consider there is no other reasonable alternative, ask you to leave the tour and make your own way home.
A reasonable level of fitness is required for this tour. While we have designed the itinerary to be well balanced and varied, travellers should note that three of our mornings will include a walking tour of up to three hours (including a break partway), taking in important sites connected to 1920s Berlin and the city’s creative output during this era. While a coach will be used for some journeys, we may make use of public transport when this is faster and/or more convenient. Travellers should also be comfortable navigating busy streets and walking and standing in galleries and museums. For more information on our minimum fitness requirements, please see our Booking Terms & Conditions.
As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following self- assessment tests:
- Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest
- Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
- Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes
- Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
- Carry or otherwise move your own luggage
Please ensure you have read and understand our full fitness requirements as described in our terms and conditions.
UK Government Travel Advice
For additional travel information from the UK government please consult the following pages.
Flight Information
For customers who wish to make their own travel arrangements, ACE is pleased to be able to offer a flight reduction of £225.
Cost Details
Portraits of Weimar Berlin: Life & Literature in the 'Golden Twenties'
April 12 - 16, 2027
Included: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, four breakfasts, four dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.
Not Included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £315.
More like this
Caspar David Friedrich & the Age of Romanticism
27th July–2nd August 2027
with Tom Abbott
This tour explores the life and work of the celebrated painter Caspar David Friedrich and the wider context of German Romantic art, on a journey encompassing the Hanseatic towns of Stralsund and Greifswald, the island of Rügen, and Berlin and Dresden.
The Brothers Grimm: History & Landscape
May, 2027
with Caroline Hopkinson-Woolley
Part of our expanding collection of literature tours, this departure will lead travellers on a journey into the otherworldly landscapes of the Brothers Grimm, and the historical, literary and cultural contexts that gave rise to their tales.
Get in Touch
Our sales team are available to help Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm. You can contact us by phone or email or by completing an enquiry form below.
To receive our latest tour details and news, request our most recent brochure or join our email newsletter, use the buttons below.
+44(0)1223 841055
sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk
