Berlin to Leipzig and Weimar: Private day trip

Arrive in Leipzig and discover why filmmakers chose this city for the Hunger Games universe. Visit the imposing Monument to the Battle of the Nations (Volkerschlachtdenkmal), where the film's mentors met their shackled tributes in the monument's crypt. This colossal 91-meter structure, built to commemorate Napoleon's defeat, features giant death mask pillars and dramatic stone corridors that proved perfect for dystopian cinema. Climb the 364 steps for panoramic city views, then explore Leipzig's beautiful Altstadt. The city also served as a location for The Grand Budapest Hotel, which was filmed in the surrounding region.

Continue to Weimar, where the visual revolution began. Step into the Bauhaus Museum and trace how this design school transformed cinema's visual language. The movement's emphasis on geometric forms, bold typography, and functional aesthetics influenced Fritz Lang's Metropolis and continues to echo through contemporary directors like Wes Anderson. Wander Weimar's classical Altstadt, where Goethe and Schiller lived, locations featured in countless cultural documentaries and period films exploring Germany's artistic golden age. The city's dual nature—Enlightenment ideals and proximity to the Buchenwald Memorial—has made it essential for films examining German history.