Human Capital Conference 2012

Running tour through the Tiergarten

Come join our Ernst & Young GmbH German Partner Frank Retzlaff and his team on a five-mile run through the Tiergarten. This run will pass the parks of central Berlin and the river Spree,  and you will see such sites as the Brandenburg Gate, Tiergarten, victory column, Castle Charlottenburg (home of President Gauck), Chancellery (office of Chancellor Merkel), Reichstag and various other landmarks. We will begin in the Hotel Adlon lobby, and the tour will last approximately 90 minutes. Groups will be set up with varying paces to accommodate runners of all abilities.

Guided shopping tour of KaDeWe

Join us for a guided tour through Germany´s most famous department store — the KaDeWe. During this tour, you will hear interesting facts about the past, present and future of the KaDeWe. You will have the opportunity to see “behind the curtains” of various departments, such as the famous Food Hall with its exquisite collection of culinary delights, luxury clothing stores and all other things you could wish for. We will meet in the Hotel Adlon lobby, where a shuttle bus service will take us to the store. This unique experience will last approximately 75 minutes. After the tour, enjoy some free time for your personal shopping.

Discover Berlin by bus

During the 20th century, Berlin housed fascists, witnessed the devastation of war, was separated into two cities, subsequently pieced back together and acted as a symbol for both communism and capitalism simultaneously. Berlin’s colorful history plays into the city as we know it today. This tour weaves through Berlin’s history by visiting landmarks such as the impressive Brandenburg Gate, the notorious Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie and the beautiful Gendarmenmarkt. During the tour, the importance of the government district and the Reichstag building, the TV Tower and Bebelplatz will be discussed, as well as why the city’s struggle with its past is integral to its future. The tour will last 2.5 hours and includes at least two stops.

Tour Jewish Berlin (Jewish Museum visit included)

Learn more about the Jewish history of Berlin, as well as current Jewish life and the revitalized community found in Berlin today. This tour will take you through the old Jewish quarter and other historic places that testify to Berlin’s lively Jewish community before the Nazis took power. The tour will last 2.5 hours and includes a one-hour visit to the Jewish Museum, as well as a walk through the Memorial to remember the European Jews killed during the war (Holocaust Memorial).

Charlottenburg Palace tour

Charlottenburg Palace may be counted among the emblems of Berlin. The most beautiful and the largest extant Hohenzollern residence was built as the summer home of Sophie Charlotte, who gave the palace and the location their names. The tour will include a one-hour visit to the Old Palace with its magnificent, luxurious Baroque halls and the well-known Porcelain Chamber, as well as a walk through the famous palace gardens with the mausoleum of Queen Luise. The tour will last approximately 2.5 hours.

Hackesche Höfe tour

The Hackesche Höfe represents the largest, enclosed courtyard area of Germany and was placed under a preservation order in 1972. The courtyards located across from the Hackescher Markt opened on 23 September 1906. As is the case in many of Berlin's courtyards, the building complex consists of offices, businesses, factories (especially in the first courtyards) and flats. This concept was successfully implemented again when the Hackesche Höfe was renovated in the 1990s. Today, the eight courtyards between Rosenthal and the Sophienstraße provide 27,000 square meters for 40 industrial enterprises, cultural institutions and flats. Lavishly restored, these courtyards are located in the historic Scheunenviertel or “barn district” in the Spandau suburb of Berlin-Mitte. Located around the courtyards are numerous galleries, cafés and boutiques, creating one of Berlin’s most interesting places to visit. The tour will last approximately 2.5 hours and includes a refreshment stop in one of the cafés.