Eliz_Reece

Taking kids on a World War II trip through Europe this summer. Have everything worked out but need ideas for Dresden and Prague.

FoFoBT

First, how much time are you spending IN Dresden. There is a lot to see and do within the city itself. If you've only got two days in Dresden, don't worry about day trips.

Also, what are their interests? How old are they? I hope this trip isn't ONLY about WW II, seems a shame to give it such a limited focus.

For example, I like Dresden's transport museum and it's just a stone's throw from the Frauenkirche. There are river cruises leaving from downtown or hiking opps in the easily reached "Saxon Switzerland".

If you head out to Leipzig, the city has a very good zoo, especially their tropical rainforest section:
http://www.zoo-leipzig.de/en/theme-worlds/gondwanaland/

(If you've got shopaholic teen-agers in tow, then Dresden and Leipzig have plenty to offer if they want a break from history and culture. Both cities have BIG shopping malls right in town.)

Ingo

I would have the same questions as FoFoBT. I second the recommendations.

Another one *in* Dresden: The Military History museum, biggest in Germany. Openend recently, fascinating mix of old and new architecture (architect: Libeskind), the exhibit covers WWII also. Be prepared that it is an anit-war museum that shows how war affects civil life. Audio guides in English available.

And another one: The German Hygiene Museum. Not only about hygiene, but about human beings and life in general. The current special exhibit is about "passion" - highly interesting.

Day trips: Fortress Königstein, Meissen, castle Moritzburg (steam train!), paddle steamer trip to the National Park Saxon Switzerland.

annhig

another great museum in Dresden is the Stadtmuseum. We went round it when we visited last year and we were the only ones there, but it was fascinating.

and the Zwinger is a fantastic collection of brilliant paintings - rivalling many i've seen in Paris and Berlin. Then there are the boat trips - you can get a boat down the Elbe to admire the beautiful scenery, get off and visit a schloss, get back on again.

you need a week, not 2 days!

[and we never made it there, but if you have an interest in the 2nd World war, the Erich Kästner Museum would be very interesting, i should think].

unclegus

for Prague look up Rienhard Heydrich and the stroy of his asssasination. you can also visit the Jewish area that has a great deal of info on the treatment of the Jewish community during the war and a vist to Terezin should also be of interest to you.

Christina

I visited Leipzig from Dresden and really enjoyed it. I am very interested in classical music, and it has strong connections there, of course.

For Prague, I'd suggest Kutna Hora as a very nice day trip. I also went to Cesky Krumlov as a day trip, using a bus tour. I enjoyed that a lot. I've also been to Hluboka castle as a day trip and really liked that but that is down in the southern end.

It might help if you explained how you intend to get to these places.

Aramis

Bautzen and Goerlitz

lavandula

Just out of Dresden in Radebeul is the Zeitreise-DDR-Museum (a museum of the former German Democratic Republic). It has objects from work and daily life, so you can see what uniforms were worn by various professions, what offices looked like, what an average household was like, what camping was like, what paraphenalia goes with child-rearing, etc. I enjoyed it tremendously, and there is little in the way of obligatory written accompaniment, the focus being on the objects themselves. I think if you were able to explain to your kids, if they are of that sort of an age, it might be of interest. Certainly the vehicles and motorbikes are interesting for little fellas.

In all honesty, growing up as I did in the seventies (not in a Communist country), I remember the world having a lot of that sort of stuff anyway, Communist or not, so it was nostalgia for me too. (I know about the Ostalgie movement, this museum is mecca for Ostalgie enthusiasts.)

There is also a great seventies-style cafe at the beginning of the museum, where I ate hot raspberries and ice-cream (the diet goes out the window during holidays).

Lavandula

FoFoBT

I love the Zwinger and Stadtmuseum as well. With my Goethe Institut student card, I had free admission to those and spend hours and hours wandering through them. However, if either of those kids is young, antsy and/or clumsy ;-), I'd be holding my breath and crossing my fingers while in the porcelain part of the Zwinger. (Ditto for the Meissen shop in the QF shopping center).

The transport museum I mentioned above has several simulators for kids to try their hands a flying planes, steering a river barge, etc. And they can climb in and out of the old trains and trams. The museum is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, so there will be a lot of special exhibitions.
http://www.verkehrsmuseum-dresden.de...d/flyer_en.pdf

Make sure you stop by the CoselPalais (behind the Frauenkirche) to try their fabulous cakes and pastries! I'm partial to the Prater cake - a confectionary hommage to Vienna's ferris wheel, with layers of raspberry filling, sponge cake and buttercream. (what's the icon for drooling in ecstasy??)

Eliz_Reece

thanks to all great ideas and a jumping off place to begin our planning