768,000 vs 150,000: Battle for the Seelow Heights 1945
Description
With Berlin’s only World War II tour specialists, embark on a gripping journey as you uncover the earth-shattering battle of the Seelow Heights. You will be captivated by the sheer magnitude and ferocity of the Eastern Front's second bloodiest battle – one that often remains shrouded in obscurity. This unassuming town bore witness to the unstoppable Soviet onslaught – a staggering 768,000 troops, more than 22,000 tanks, artillery, and aircraft – as they clashed with 150,000 resolute German defenders. Delve deeper than any history book and connect with World War II in a way you've never done before. Tour highlights: - Seelow Heights Museum - German Trench Positions - Tank Obstacles - Battlefield Landscape Learning Outcomes: - You will learn military strategy - You will gain insights into the decisions made by Soviet and German commanders - You will understand the human side of the war - You will feel a deeper connection to history
Tour Options
Itinerary
Here your guide will provide a detailed overview of the Berlin-Seelow offensive operation and highlight key exhibitions, including a 3D model of the Soviet 1st Belorussian Front bunker and trench network which will be visited later in the tour. Guests will be able to explore the museum at their own leisure following the introduction.
After the museum, it is a short drive to the next town of Reitwein. This small and unassuming town played a vital role in the Soviet advance and was the starting point for the 1st Belorussian Front assault on Seelow and the future advance on Berlin. The Soviet’s amassed a force of 768,000 Infantry (including 78,556 soldiers of the Polish 1st Army), 3,059 tanks, 16,934 artillery and mortars as well as 3,279 combat aircraft.
A short walk from the town through the forest the tour will come to the bunker and trench network systems, the remnants of which can still be seen today, including Marshal Zhukov’s command bunker and observation point where he commanded the battle.
Following a small excursion through the trench network the tour will continue to Dolgelin Railway station. It was here that Colonel Scheunemann, commander of the 303rd Infantry Division set up his command post in defence of the heights. Here the tour will take stock of the German defensive positions and highlight the immense difficulties the Russian and Polish troops faced in crossing the aptly named ‘shooting gallery’.
From there the tour begins the journey back to Berlin following the original route of the Soviet advance. Passing through the town of Lietzen, the tour will briefly stop at the German field cemetery. It is of meaningful importance as this site has been significantly extended since Unification, as newly found remains are constantly added to the wartime graves. The town also hosts what is said to be Germany’s oldest barn and a manor house built by the Knights Templar dating back to 1252.
The final stop at the town of Jahnsfelde underpins the brutality and desperation of the fighting. Showcasing a sports field, the once site of a German field hospital mercilessly attacked by Soviet aircraft targeting the red cross markings and the last stand of the 3rd Battalion of the Artillery Regiment 18. Caught at the crossroads by advancing Soviet armor during the withdrawal, the Battalion hastily set up defensive positions destroying an estimated 100 tanks at the cost of 8 officers, 163 killed, over two-thirds of the battalion wounded, and all guns lost.
Once back in Berlin your guide will drop you back at your hotel or a central point of your choosing.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(73)
Great guide and so interesting to visit the key sites related to this battle. Terrible and unnecessary loss of life.
Great tour of one of the last eastern front battles. Steve our guide was informative & entertaining.
I would give him higher than a 5 if I could, Steve was amazing. He was knowledgeable and was really a history buff. He was excited to share all he knew about the places we went. He gave additional information about the places we went and answered all of our questions. He enjoyed talking with my son who is also a huge history buff too. He was flexible about stopping for food etc. This was a day well spent seeing the sights and the towns and villages nearby.
Steven Richards was our Guide on a private Tour of the Seelow heights and surrounding Battle Sites. He was Professional and enthusiastic and really enjoyed explaining the sites to us. He included many interesting fun facts which made the day very enjoyable. I would highly recommend Steven to everyone.
Wonderful tour. Really fascinating insight into the scale and intensity of the fighting around Seelow. Certainly worth it if you're in the Berlin area!
Matt was our guide. His passion and knowledge about Seelow Heights has made this one of the best tours I have ever been on, and I am not the military buff, which makes it all the more genuine. The tour started with a lovely drive to the country side then many stops where we got out and listened to Matt lead us along the timeline. He came with maps, pictures and stories and gave me enough detail that I could visualize what happened during the battle. Just before our last stop, we went to a beautiful restaurant where we had the best schnitzel for a decent price and sat around and chatted. Not only did we enjoy this one, I would take another tour with Matt in the future. My husband on the other hand was completely smitten.
Seelow Heights is the last main battleground of WWII European theatre prior to taking Berlin. Severely outnumbered Germans had three defensive lines an inflicted extremely high casulties on the advancing Russians. Nevertheless less the heights were taken by the Russians in 3 days and advanced on Berlin. There is a small informative museum together with various larger military vehicles and guns on display. There is a major vantage point at the top of the heights which gives you a panoramic view as the Germans would have seen it. If you are a historian or interested in WWII this is a must see site.
Good experience and trip for those interested in specific details and wanting to understand more about the Batttle of Seelow Heights.
Steve is an exceptionally knowledgeable and interesting guide, even for a history neophyte like me. My son loved the tour, it was a highlight of our trip
Matt is very knowledgeable and knows the terrain, tactics, and ‚secret spots‘. He takes you from original Oder beach head, then Soviet jumping off lines in the Oderbruch to German defensive trenches at the commanding heights of Seelow and finishes up at one of the breakthrough points on way to Berlin. This would be impossible to do solo / without a guide.
