KipC

My wife and I are independent travelers who have been to many cities in Europe but this is our first excursion to northern Germany. We are especially interested in food, art (Vermeer), architecture, historical sights, museums, churches, and local flavor (primarily what is unique to the area).

Attached is a tentative schedule.

Flying into Frankfurt am Main allowed us to use miles, and we already have the train tickets between the cities.


Day 1 – Leave USA – PM

Day 2 – Arrive – Frankfurt am Main Airport – AM (Jet lagged)
• Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung (Sculpture Museum)
• Lunch - Holbein’s Restaurant im Städel
• Afternoon – wandering around the Altstadt (Old City) ending up at the main tower
• Schirn Kunsthalle (Surreal Objects Exhibit)
• Dinner - Café Grössenwahn

Day 3 – Train: Frankfurt am Main – Dresden
• Afternoon – wandering around the left bank of the Elbe (Old City) ending up at the Verkehrsmuseum (Transport Museum)
• Dinner – Wenzel Prager Bierstuben

Day 4 – Dresden
• Der Dresdner Zwinger
o Gemäldegalerie Alter Meister (Old Masters Gallery)
o Porzellansammlung (Porcelain Collection)
o Rüstkammer (Armory)
• Dinner – Villandry

Day 5 – Dresden
• Residenzschloss (Royal Palace)
o Historisches Grünes Gewölbe (Historic Green Vault) – have tickets
o Neues Grünes Gewölbe (New Green Vault)
o Hausmannsturm (Watchman’s Tower)
• Lunch – Lesage
• Gläserne Manufaktur (Transparent Factory)
• Dinner –

Day 6 – Dresden
• Wander and ride around the Blaues Wunder (Blue Wonder) area
o Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts)
• Lunch - Café-Restaurant Luisenhof
• Dinner –

Day 7 – Train: Dresden – Berlin
• Wander around Mitte’s Scheunenviertel & Prenzlauer Berg
• Dinner – Schwarzwaldstuben Gastronomie

Day 8 – Berlin
• Reichstag
• Unter den Linden & Gendarmenmarkt areas
• Dinner - Ottenthal Restaurant
• Opera - Elektra

Day 9 – Berlin
• Gemäldegalerie
• Potsdamer Platz
• Mauermuseum (Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie)

Day 10 – Berlin
• Museumsinsel
• Pergamonmuseum
• Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung (Neues Museum)
• Berliner Dom
• Spree Waterfront
• Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche
• Kurfürstendamm
• Dinner -

Day 11 – Berlin
• Potsdam
• Dinner -

Day 12 – Train: Berlin – Frankfurt am Main
• Dinner – Gerbermühle

Day 13 – Frankfurt am Main – USA

Please critique:
What am I missing?
What do I have scheduled that is not worthwhile?
Restaurant recommendations!
Etc..

Thanks,

Kip

danon

You are "packing" too much in 3rd days in Berlin .
If you have interest in the WWII, Topography of Terror is a must
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010...-museum-berlin


one of my favorite galleries:

http://www.smb.museum/smb/sammlungen...ID=20&n=1&r=19

Attractions in Dresden are mostly next to each other,
Berlin is a big city . I would take a day from Dresden and add to Berlin.

danon

sorry, I mean day 10... the museums are HUGE (located in the east)

• Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche
• Kurfürstendamm
in the west .

Ingo

Your itinerary sounds good to me.

A few things, though:

Albertinum? The New Masters Picture Gallery and the sculptures collection are well worth a visit (especially the Klinger hall with the Fin-de-Siecle art).

"Kunstgewerbemuseum" refers to Pillnitz Palace. I hope you take some time to enjoy the garden also. Include the Chinese and English pavillions. Try the wine, do some (window) shopping in the art shops. And take a paddle steamer for one way (to or back).

If having lunch at the Lesage you might explore the Großer Garten park a bit - the mini train is fun, inexpensive and will give you a good idea of the park. The central part around the palace is particularly nice (the palace itself was bombed and the interior is not restored yet). Also, the very interesting Deutsches Hygiene Museum is nearby.

Dinner that night - my recommendations would be Alte Meister or Palais Bistro if you want fine dining but not pay an outrageous amount of money.

Wenzels Prager Bierstuben? Really?

I.

KipC

danon

We will visit the Topography of Terror on Day 9 when we are in the area.

We will also get to the New National Gallery, we are fans of Mies van der Rohe.

Our overall schedule is fixed so we are stuck with only four complete days in Berlin, but we may not get out to Potsdam to allow for another day in the city.

We figured that on day 10 we could just use the transit system to jump from one area to another. Is this too optimistic?

Thanks for your suggestions.

Do you have restaurant suggestions.

Kip

KipC

Ingo

We will definitely find time for the Albertinum.

We will allow time for the gardens at Pillnitz Palace and i like your paddle steamer idea.

We will check out Großer Garten park since we will be right there.

I will look into Alte Meister and Palais Bistro.

I guess that Wenzels Prager Bierstuben is not a good idea.

Thanks,

Kip

J62

With the time you have in Dresden I'd cut out some of the minor art museums and try these less frequently visited places.

1. The "1756 Dresden" exhibit at the Panometer - a large 360 degree panorama of Dresden in an old natural gas storage facility.

http://www.asisi.de/en/Panometer/Dre...anoramaprojekt

2. On a nice day take a local train towards the Czech border and hike in the Saxonian Switzerland region & visit the Bastei.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastei

and/or nearby Koenigstein fortress

You can take a paddle steamer downstream back to Dresden if you wish. The trip upstream takes too long. I prefer the train both ways.

3. Visit one of the wineries just outside Dresden for dinner and a wine tasting. I'll have to dig up the name of the several I've been to if you are interested.

As for restaurants, I've been to Luisenhof quite a few times and while view is great I'm not overly impressed with the food. If you do go, see if you can get up the tower to the roof.

I think a better choice for food is the Villa Marie (www.villa-marie.de), right near the Blue Wonder. A Dresden classic, also right next to the bridge is the Schiller Garten (www.schillergarten.de) for lunch or dinner at the restaurant, or just a beer in the beer garden. On a nice afternoon the best restaurant seats are outside near the river, but those may need a special reservation.

danon

We figured that on day 10 we could just use the transit system to jump from one area to another. Is this too optimistic?"
The areas are not that far, it is just that museums are huge.You might just pick things you wish to see and move on. I have only seen parts of • Pergamonmuseum.
(I am interested in more recent history and art)

I visited Berlin in 2009 for 5 days , 2010 for 4 and
and going again in July for a week. There is sooo much to see (hope to visit Potsdam and Wannsee this time)
.
We really liked Gendarmenmarkt area and enjoyed beer and lunch at Augustiner.
For change ( from German food), we eat a few times at
Galeries Lafayette on Friedrichstraße.

If you go north on
Friedrichstraße, you will get to the river - number of
restaurants right there.
Sorry, German food is not my favorite.
Beer - for sure.


"We will visit the Topography of Terror"

There is an outdoor exhibit, but the "real thing" is in the Pavilion.

danon

p.s

right next to the Pavilion is Martin- Gropius - also worth seeing.


http://www.museumsportal-berlin.de/e...opius-bau.html

nz101

The Information Centre beneath the Jewish Memorial in Berlin (near the Brandenburg Gate) is just outstanding, and its free. Also the German History Museum is great. Personally I didn't like the Pergamon - think I'm one of the few that don't.

KipC

J62

The 360 degree panorama of Dresden is similar to one of the North Sea we saw in Den Haag. We will make sure to get there.

We like the idea of Museum Passes so we do not feel that we need to stay in one museum to get our money's worth.

I will take your advice and include Villa Marie in the schedule.

Hiking is not possible since this is our first trip since my two new hips. I can walk fairly well on flat pavement, but am not ready yet to go off road.

Thanks,

Kip

Cowboy1968

The Reichstag dome and viewing platform are still free, but need (free) advance reservation now.
http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/visits/kupp.html
The English-language text is a bit vague, but the German original text states more clearly, that on 4/21 this new access regime will start.

111op

Is there any reason why Staedel in Frankfurt is missing, if you like museums?

KipC

111op

Isn't it under renovation and the better paintings are away?

If not I will not miss it.

I know the Vermeer is in Japan.

Kip

111op

I think you're probably right. I remember reading that the Tischbein was somewhere, but I forget where. I forget that there's even a Vermeer at Frankfurt!

quokka

The Städel is currently a construction site but they are having an exhibition with highlights of their collection in some rooms that can still be used until June 26. More: http://www.staedelmuseum.de/sm/index.php?StoryID=835

KipC

quokka,

Thanks for the link.

With the 50% reduction with the Frankfurter Tageskarte it should certainly be worth a visit.

Kip

mes2525

If you like walking tours, check out the Original Berlin Tours in English company. I've done two outstanding walks with them. I really like Potsdam - I've spent almost two full days there and still haven't seen everything. Charlottenburg Palace and grounds are interesting and the tour is self-guided. I'm also very fond of the Fassbender chocolate shop with the gigantic chocolate bunny and various architectural models and the food floor at Ka-Da-We Dept. Store (foodie heaven).