The Iron Curtain: From Division to a United Europe
We survived the catastrophe and dreamed of a different future. This journey explores the two Europes that emerged from the war: one chained by ideology, the other seeking unity.
Why this journey
Relevance
This journey explores the history of Europe from its lowest point of division (the Cold War) to its greatest achievement: the creation of the European Union. It is a story of reconciliation, long-term vision, and the building of supranational institutions to safeguard peace.
Learning
You will understand the logic of the Cold War division in Berlin and, in contrast, the founding principles of the EU in Rome and Brussels. You will analyze the world's greatest experiment in multilevel governance and the importance of economic cooperation in achieving political peace.
Today
The ability to build alliances, negotiate in multicultural settings, and lead long-term projects is essential. This journey is a masterclass for leaders in the public and private sectors, diplomats, and strategists on how to turn vision into lasting institutions.
Included
- Accommodation in charming, well-located hotels.
- All breakfasts and the lunches or dinners specified in the itinerary.
- Expert guides and historians throughout the journey.
- Entrance to all museums, monuments and historic sites in the itinerary.
- Comfortable private transport for all transfers between cities and activities.
- Exclusive workshops, tastings and immersive experiences described in the program.
- A welcome pack with reading materials and a travel journal.
- Basic travel insurance.
Not included
- Round-trip international flights to the expedition start/end point.
- Meals and drinks not specified in the itinerary.
- Personal expenses, purchases and souvenirs.
- Optional activities during free time.
- Tips (optional).
Who runs it
Institutions we have worked with
Itinerary
- Day 1 Berlin: The Divided City
Arrival in Berlin. We will walk along the East Side Gallery, the longest preserved stretch of the Berlin Wall. We will visit Checkpoint Charlie and the Wall Memorial to understand life in a city split in two.
- Day 2 The Airlift and the War of Spies
We will visit the Berlin Airlift monument at the former Tempelhof airport. In the afternoon, a spy-war tour will take us to the Glienicke Bridge, the "bridge of spies," to discuss the secret world of the CIA and the KGB.
- Day 3 Life in the East: The GDR Museum
We will immerse ourselves in the everyday life of East Germany at the interactive GDR Museum. From Trabant cars to prefabricated apartments and Stasi surveillance, it is a fascinating look at a vanished world.
- Day 4 Prague: The Crushed Spring
Flight to Prague. We will visit Wenceslas Square, the epicenter of the 1968 "Prague Spring," the attempt to create a "socialism with a human face" that was crushed by Soviet tanks. A dissident from that era will share their testimony.
- Day 5 Rome: The Birth of the Community
Flight to Rome. We will make our way to the Capitoline Hill, to the Hall of the Horatii and Curiatii, where the Treaty of Rome was signed in 1957, creating the European Economic Community. An expert in European studies will explain the vision of the founding fathers.
- Day 6 The Vision of Schuman and Monnet
A seminar on the "Founding Fathers of Europe," such as Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet. We will analyze the 1950 Schuman Declaration and the brilliant idea of beginning integration through coal and steel, the industries of war.
- Day 7 Brussels: The Heart of a United Europe
Flight to Brussels. We will visit the "European Quarter," home to the European Commission and the European Parliament. At the Parlamentarium, an interactive visitor center, we will explore how the European Union works today.
- Day 8 The Fall of the Wall: November 9, 1989
Return to Berlin. We will follow the chronology of the night the Wall fell, from the press conference that set it off to the mass crossing at the Bornholmer Straße bridge. An evening to celebrate freedom and reunification.
- Day 9 The Challenge of Reunification
An expert will speak to us about the enormous economic and social challenges of German reunification. We will visit neighborhoods of the former East Berlin to see the transformation and the problems that still persist.
- Day 10 The Future of Europe and Farewell
A visit to the Brandenburg Gate, now a symbol of a reunified Germany and Europe. A final reflection on today's challenges and the future of the European project. Farewell lunch and transfer to the Berlin airport.