Gay Germany Cultural Tour

Day 1: Berlin – Where Marlene Dietrich was Queen

Arrive in Berlin – one of the most open-minded and culturally exotic, even erotic cities in the world. On this anniversary of the uniting of both East and West Berlin, you’ll be greeted by a modern city that literally has it all -from the world’s finest museums to sleek state-of-the-art transportation. As Berlin’s mayor says: “We may not be as rich [as Bavaria], but we are sexy!”

After a brief orientation by our Public Radio and HE travel host, Cary Harrison, we will head off to a deluxe Welcome Dinner followed by some time to explore Berlin at night.

Day 2: Berlin  – Touring inside and out

Today, we will enjoy touring through Berlin and see how this magnificent city (now joined) is put together. From the iconic Brandenburg gate (made more famous in Showtime’s “Homeland”) to the German parliament dome which offers an architectural experience and 360° views of this part of Germany.

Later, we take you to lunch at the dome “Reichstag” followed by the afternoon to explore the unfolding city. At night, you may prefer an Optional visit to gay Berlin’s famous Laboratory Club – open only on Friday nights for 2 hours.

Day 3: The Berlin Wall and An Island Holding World Treasures 

Today, see the only-surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall still standing, complete with intact graffiti of the time (on the Western side) opposed by a shocking counterpoint on the former East German side in a stunning outdoor museum setting.

We will have day passes to see visit all the top museums on Berlin’s famous “Museum Island”.  (A significant, vast portion of ancient Greece’s actual Parthenon still sits in Berlin and cannot be found on the Acropolis.)

Day 4: Inside a Buried Fortress

VIP Experience: Leveraging his Public Radio access and journalism credentials, we gain access to the devastated underground ruins of a WW2 Nazi Bunker fortress. Cary takes you under the nerve center of the Third Reich into one of the few remaining Nazi bunkers, as it was left intact after the war. Forgotten deep under the streets of East German communists, these (amount still unknown) bunker systems sat, untouched, and remains accessible under special educational license only. We will get an unparalleled glimpse into “underground Berlin” during the air raids that destroyed 80% of the city center – traveling through the twisting passages and rooms, observing countless artifacts from the war that have remained buried there for decades. A still-functioning pneumatic post provides you with an insight into the 160-year-old underground history of Berlin.

Depending on limited permits, we may also see a dazzling underground landscape. Complete with dizzying views seven stories underground where the Führer ordered a gigantic “Flak Tower” built, to fire enormous aerial weapons (some successfully) at Allied aircraft. Though bombed, 8,000 archaeological hours and 1,400 cubic meters of rubble have been removed, opening up an area not before thought to exist.

Next, you may choose to go on your own to Berlin’s famous Queer Museum (Schwulesmuseum) or pay homage at Marlene Dietrich’s elegant but hidden grave. Her headstone is covered in flowers and cigarette butts in holders (inside humor from fans).

Finally, this evening we will enjoy a spectacular dinner view at the very top of the Berlin TV Tower’s rotating restaurant.

Day 5: Munich – The Crown Jewel of Bavaria

We will take our journey to Munich via rail, giving us plenty of time to relax and enjoy the lush countryside. After we arrive and settle into our hotel, we will enjoy a walking tour of the old city of Munich, followed by a delicious dinner at a lakeside restaurant.

After dinner, some may wish (on their own) to visit the 3-story underground gay sauna which is the largest in all of Munich. It’s literally under Die Deutsche Eiche and is celebrated as the premier hangout for palliative steam, soak, or saunter.

Day 6: This King is a Big Queen

Today is fit for a King (or a Queen) as we visit Bavarian Gay King Ludwig II’s Linderhof Palace. This is the famous palace where our gay king floated in grand, golden swans in his blue-lit water grotto.  While King Ludwig was not known to take in visitors (the staff does talk!), he frequently visited the young stablehands below, for hours at a time, ensuring the horses were well-kept.

Next, we will head up – literally up – to Castle Neuschwanstein, made famous by Walt Disney himself in a literal reproduction… the Magic Kingdom. Magic, indeed.

King Ludwig had only a single visitor to this castle, that being his mother.  Lud also had the only working telephone in the world, at the time, which presumably rang to mummy or perhaps to ….

Day 7: Lederhosen Time – Free Day

Some will wish to walk around the vast area preparing for the upcoming Oktoberfest. While it won’t have officially started (until our Sunday “extension” day), the ramp-up can often be barely distinguishable from the real thing.

Maybe visit the Deutsche Eiche’s impeccably-clean gay saunas & cafes (at the sauna) as the saunas peak early, between 5-7 pm, as they are social meeting spots and have an entirely different vibe from what American versions are said to be.

You may wish to visit Nymphenburg Palace (another castle, right in town(ish) and to have sunset cocktails on Hotel Deutsche Eiche’s historic rooftop bar which offers the single best views of Bavaria at Sunset.

Some will wish to visit the English Gardens with lines of German boys literally surfing (on surfboards) on the gushing natural river currents.

You can also visit Munich’s Nazi Dokumention Museum which holds a comprehensive history of the Third Reich.

Day 8: Dachau Memorial

Today we will enjoy a free morning and meet up in the afternoon for a visit to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. Here we’ll learn about the lives of those who were imprisoned here through an exhibition that will take us through the “path of prisoners”. We will learn of firsthand accounts, biographies and more in their historical locations. We will also have the privilege of meeting up with a gay archivist. The afternoon will be free and we will meet up for dinner this evening.

Day 9: Salzburg and Eagle’s Nest

We’ll head to the picturesque city of Salzburg and enjoy a lively Sound of Music themed tour via e-bikes, where we’ll get to see some of the locations where the classic film was shot. Then we’ll head to Berchtesgaden where we will visit the Eagle’s Nest. Located high atop the peak of Kehlstein in the Bavarian Alps, this location offers an incredible view of the surrounding countryside. Tonight we will enjoy a free evening.

Day 10: Munich Third Reich City Tour

We will meet up in the late morning to enjoy a Munich Third Reich City tour. Covering the Nazis’ beginnings in the Bavarian capital, though to their downfall at the end of WWII in 1945. We will view former Nazi buildings, hear about the German resistance movement and see memorials to the victims. Then this afternoon we will have an optional visit to Nymphenburg. Later in the evening, we will enjoy our farewell dinner together at the authentic Bavarian Octoberfest with music.

Day 11: Farewell or onto Oktoberfest!

Enjoy breakfast and then transfer to the airport or your next hotel for Oktoberfest!