Hi All
My friend and I (a Land Rover car mechanic) are working on a series of travel articles and we are looking for travelling companions on some of our journeys.
Our current project is called "The Rise and Fall of Prussia" and involves travelling through northern Poland, mostly following the trail of II World War campaigns, but also looking at the history of the region, including castles built by the Order of Teutonic Knights and possibly a visit in Russian city
of Kalliningrad, former capital of Prussia - Konigsberg.
We will travel by car and are looking for anyone who is interested in the history of II World War and Prussia to join us.
You need to be a car owner (preferably Landy or other 4x4 but it's not neccessary) and free for approximately 10/12 days, preferably in November.
We will try to cover a lot of sights within 10 days, but will also relax in good quality motels, including authenthic Teutonic Knights castle in Gniew.
You would need to budget approximately 450 pounds, which would be inclusive of food, accomodation, detailed itinerary and historical notes, tour guide and entry tickets during any sightseeing.
You pay for your own petrol and ferry tickets.
Here is what we plan to see:
- Dunkerqe (drive along "Evacuation Beach")
- Wannsee Museum - place of the famous conference where the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question" was decided
- Old city of Gdansk - the Polish city of Gdansk was "Freie Stadt Danzig" (Free City of Danzig) before 1939 and was cited by Hitler as the real cause of the war. We will see a completely restored Hanseatic Old Town, including places where shots were exchanged in the first days of the war.
- Malbork (Marienburg) castle - this castle built in XIII century by Teutonic Knights is the biggest brick built castle in the world and a wonder of medieval architecture. It was also a symbol of Prussian militarism and was heavily defended from the Russians in 1945.
- Stutthoh concentration camp - built by the Nazis in September 1939, it was the first concentration camp built outside of Germany. This camp claimed over 85000 victims from all over Europe.
- Wolf's Lair (Wolfschanze) - Adolf Hitler's Eastern Front military headquarters, which was also the site of the failed assasination attempt on Hitler's life in July 1944.
- Mamerki (Mauerwald) - vast complex of bunkers which was the site of headquarters of the German Army (Wehrmacht) during the war.
- Wal Pomorski (Pommernstellung) - complex of fortifications built by the Nazis in 1930's which were heavily denfended in 1945
- Cecilienhof Palace - place near Potsdam where in 1945 the famous conference took place, attended by Churchill, Stalin and Truman, deciding the fate of post war Europe.
- Drive through Berlin, Brandenburg Gate etc.
- OPTIONAL - Russian city of Kaliningrad (Konigsberg) - capital of Prussia, built by Teutonic Knights and completely destroyed in 1945. We will visit bunker which was the German Army defence headquarters during the siege of 1945, medieval cathedral and remains of the castle where the famous "Amber Room" was kept.
Above list is designed in such a way that we will be able to see sights in roughly chronological order but is only for guidance at the moment and we will welcome any suggestions at this stage. More information and direct contact - please email us at: [email protected]
My friend and I (a Land Rover car mechanic) are working on a series of travel articles and we are looking for travelling companions on some of our journeys.
Our current project is called "The Rise and Fall of Prussia" and involves travelling through northern Poland, mostly following the trail of II World War campaigns, but also looking at the history of the region, including castles built by the Order of Teutonic Knights and possibly a visit in Russian city
of Kalliningrad, former capital of Prussia - Konigsberg.
We will travel by car and are looking for anyone who is interested in the history of II World War and Prussia to join us.
You need to be a car owner (preferably Landy or other 4x4 but it's not neccessary) and free for approximately 10/12 days, preferably in November.
We will try to cover a lot of sights within 10 days, but will also relax in good quality motels, including authenthic Teutonic Knights castle in Gniew.
You would need to budget approximately 450 pounds, which would be inclusive of food, accomodation, detailed itinerary and historical notes, tour guide and entry tickets during any sightseeing.
You pay for your own petrol and ferry tickets.
Here is what we plan to see:
- Dunkerqe (drive along "Evacuation Beach")
- Wannsee Museum - place of the famous conference where the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question" was decided
- Ostwall (MRU) fortifications - system of bunkers and tunnels built by the Nazis at the end of 1930's as the protection from the invasion from the East. We will visit the best preserved "Panzerwerk 17", visited by Hitler in 1935 and a place where the Russians broke through on their way to Berlin in 1945.
- Westerplatte - place where the II World War begun. It has a great museum of Polish fortifications and arms used by both sides in 1939.
- Old city of Gdansk - the Polish city of Gdansk was "Freie Stadt Danzig" (Free City of Danzig) before 1939 and was cited by Hitler as the real cause of the war. We will see a completely restored Hanseatic Old Town, including places where shots were exchanged in the first days of the war.
- Malbork (Marienburg) castle - this castle built in XIII century by Teutonic Knights is the biggest brick built castle in the world and a wonder of medieval architecture. It was also a symbol of Prussian militarism and was heavily defended from the Russians in 1945.
- Stutthoh concentration camp - built by the Nazis in September 1939, it was the first concentration camp built outside of Germany. This camp claimed over 85000 victims from all over Europe.
- Wolf's Lair (Wolfschanze) - Adolf Hitler's Eastern Front military headquarters, which was also the site of the failed assasination attempt on Hitler's life in July 1944.
- Mamerki (Mauerwald) - vast complex of bunkers which was the site of headquarters of the German Army (Wehrmacht) during the war.
- Wal Pomorski (Pommernstellung) - complex of fortifications built by the Nazis in 1930's which were heavily denfended in 1945
- Cecilienhof Palace - place near Potsdam where in 1945 the famous conference took place, attended by Churchill, Stalin and Truman, deciding the fate of post war Europe.
- Drive through Berlin, Brandenburg Gate etc.
- OPTIONAL - Russian city of Kaliningrad (Konigsberg) - capital of Prussia, built by Teutonic Knights and completely destroyed in 1945. We will visit bunker which was the German Army defence headquarters during the siege of 1945, medieval cathedral and remains of the castle where the famous "Amber Room" was kept.
Above list is designed in such a way that we will be able to see sights in roughly chronological order but is only for guidance at the moment and we will welcome any suggestions at this stage. More information and direct contact - please email us at: [email protected]
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