sorry, I forgot to put a trip report "thingy "..

With your title, I expected a question as to whether or not one could go traveling for two weeks with only one pair of shoes! LOL

Interesting to hear your take on these three cities. I have loved Prague since my first visit 12 years ago and, altho I also like Berlin, I think I can see why you didn't "love" it. Prague is a hard act to follow IMHO. It has the great advantage of not having been serious scarred by either world war and not divided by a wall; granted it had way too many years of being behind the Iron Curtain.

Enjoyed your report. I'm especially intrigued by your impressions of Dresden-- more detail please.

I must admit I went a little gaga when looking through my mom's photos after a trip and noticed that Rick Steves had been standing right behind me.

Kristinelaine on Aug 1, 09 at 04:02 PM

With your title, I expected a question as to whether or not one could go traveling for two weeks with only one pair of shoes! LOL"

I know, I am sorry I forgot the report sign

"
MademoiselleFifi on Aug 1, 09 at 04:15 PM

Enjoyed your report. I'm especially intrigued by your impressions of Dresden-- more detail please."

It was a rather short stay - from 6 P.M. on July 22nd to 2 P.M. July 24th.
In the Old Town , where the attraction are, there are several very lovely old buildings . I had mixed feelings about Frauenkirche : on one hand it is a brilliant reproduction of the bombed church, on the other - it is still a new building. Most of the hotels , restaurants and bars are right near the church ( or a few blocks away).
I walked into the New Town ( across the bridge) the first night - it seemed poorly lit, more of a local hang -out, sort of depressing ( I had just arrived from "buzzing" Prague).
I am usually not very interested in art objects, but the Vaults were highly recommended . I must admit, the exhibited articles were incredibly crafted : gold, ivory, ebony, precious stones, jewelry ..).
I mentioned the tour of the Opera designed by Semper , who also designed the original synagogue destroyed during Kristallnacht . The new synagogue looks very modern , I did not see inside of the building.
The last morning , I took a look at the Gallery of Old Master at the over the top baroque Zwinger and visited Katholische Hofkirche.
Although the town was full of tourists ( many of whom older Germans)there was something empty , unfinished about the place.
Maybe, after 3,900 tons of high-explosive bombs and incendiary devices dropped on the city in 1945 and
years of East German socialism, it is no wonder...

I think I rather agree with you about Dresden. One additional "downer" to me was the blackened exteriors of many buildings. We were told it was something to do with the way that kind of building materials ages -- but it just looked dirty and not the least bit sparkling. An acquaintance had told us that Dresden was the most beautiful city in Germany, so I guess our expectations were very high.

In spite of the above, I think Dresden is absolutely worth visiting and I'm not sorry at all that we went there. We heard a classical concert in the Oper which was especially wonderful.

"In spite of the above, I think Dresden is absolutely worth visiting and I'm not sorry at all that we went there. ."

I agree.
It was not the opera season, although there was a touring "Porgy and Bess" playing at the Opera . I have seen it before so I did not go.

Thanks for this report, danon. You can contact the Fodors editors to add a trip report tag to this (click on the grey triangle in the grey horizontal bar and use the pop-up form to send your email).

I can't wait to visit Berlin & Dresden! (Prague will have to wait...!)

danon, I forgot to ask, were your shoes comfortable? If yes, may I ask which brand/model?

thanks for the info..
It was a pair of 3 years old Mephisto black suede shoes with gray trim - sort of ballet flats but with much more support than their ballet flats have now ( I have a pair of those too).
I have been looking to buy another pair of the same shoe all over Europe but Mephisto does not make that model anymore.
I wear skirts all the time , most comfortable footwear looks goofy with skirts.
When I travel with my husband I take another pair of shoes because he can help with bags, but on my own .. if I cannot lift the luggage with ease, something stays home.

p.s.
yk, when in Berlin check what is showing at Berliniche Galerie , I saw 2 fantastic exhibits ( both over by 31st of August). One was John Heartfeild (" photomontage 1918-1938"), the other , posters and photos by Klaus Staeck who works in the tradition of Berlin Dada (was elected president of Berlin Academy of Art in 2006).

- Most of Hamburger Bahnhof was closed for some reason... check before going

- if you are booking the restaurant at Reichstag , dinner time view may be more spectacular (?)

Great tips, danon. I'll check those exhibition sites before my trip.

I was just thinking the other day, that perhaps we should have dinner at the Reichstag restaurant on our last night in Berlin ... I looked at the menu and it's not outrageous, however, someone on TA mentioned he/she spent 110 euros on lunch for 2 (!).

I agree with the mixed feelings on Dresden. I was first there in '94 and there was a decidedly maudlin feeling in the air for the very legitimate reasons noted earlier. Arrived by train from Prague and the grim station immediately evoked scenes from WWII and Cold War movies. The darkened exteriors of the buildings didn't help. Frauenkirche was then on the ground with numbered pieces of wreckage awaiting reassembly. The visit undoubtedly gave me my best understanding of the terrible effects and devastion of the 1930-1989 period. For that I will be forever grateful.

I agree with your thoughts re Prague and the Czech Republic - many of my best memories are, when traveling solo in the same mode as you do, of wandering about via bus and train in the "outlying" areas. I found the people to be fun and terribly kind to a newcomer to the country with no Czech or German skills. BTW: Surely there must by now be some shorthand phrase for "The Czech Republic". Czechia? CZ? We need something.

Finally: Thanks for the pointed, succinct report. You made it easy to learn the essentials!

Thank you for the insightful report. We leave on August 12, and our first stop, after arriving in Frankfurt, will be Dresden. After two days, we will go on to Prague. That sounds like a better sequence of cities, after reading your report. I'll hope to write a report after our return on Aug 28. Oh, we will go from Prague to Munich, then to Cochem on the Mosel and fly back from Frankfurt.

thanks for your comments..

"he/she spent 110 euros on lunch for 2 (!)."

well, people can spend a lot if they order a lot ..., you know how it is .. I had just the main course ( it was the mot expensive thing on the menu: 22E ) and a Pellegrino, so the bill was 26E.
I am not a big eater anyway... The food was so-so, but it was the location that was worth it.

"I was able to print Dresden-Prague. On D-P line I was asked to produce the CC I used to pay for the ticket."

sorry, should be Dresden - BERLIN... and D-B line

Interesting report, thanks for posting.

I personally don't care much for Prague for several reasons. Too crowded, often tourists are ripped off more or less cleverly, I don't like the Czech food etc. That's very subjective, I know.

I am surprised about the comments on the 'blackened exterior' of buildings in Dresden. It is indeed a natural process of aging (actually a layer that protects the sandstone). Due to the bombing in 1945 and the slow (almost inexistent) process of reconstruction during the communist era you find many empty spaces in the city centre. For someone who lives here it is extremely exciting to live in these times, to be an active part of rebuilding. On the other hand, tourists feel differently, of course. Btw, due to limited time tourists rarely visit the really very beautiful areas along the river, the 19th century residential areas upstream from the old town. And they rarely set a foot into the Outer Neustadt where locals (especially younger crowd) hang out after work and at night. Not that I mind - leaves that for us locals

I.

" due to limited time tourists rarely visit the really very beautiful areas along the river, the 19th century residential areas upstream from the old town.'"

it is true for most cities.
We stayed in a residential part of Barcelona and experienced a rather different side of the city than people who come for 3 days and hang- out around Ramblas.
In Prague, I stayed in a lovely residential area with parks, good restaurants, and not a tourist in sight.
The crowds in the center of Prague did not bother me - there are always side streets and beer halls frequented by the locals.( One can get a meal and beer for
150K). I did not care much for either Czech or German food
- not enough green stuff on the plate for my taste....

(although, German cakes.. yummy!)

Awwww - you just went to the wrong German restaurants! I admit that what non-Germans associate with German food is not very appealing to someone who likes green stuff. Times have changed, though. Decent restaurants serve much green stuff and more and more organic food.

Just saw you stayed in a private apartment in Vinohrady district. Good choice.

danon, I forgot to ask, did the crosstown S-Bahn service disruption in Berlin cause you a lot of trouble? I'm following the news closely and hope things may get better by the time I leave. (I've read that *some* service will restart tomorrow, but still far from normal.)

I used S- Bahn only once without a problem, but when I tried another time ( it was after 10 P. M.) I was told it was "kaput"( was kind of funny ... one had to be there) As much as I could understand .. there was a DB train
instead. It was only a few stops from my hotel - I took a cab. BTW, one cannot hail a cab on the street.
My hotel was so close to everything I walked, or I mostly used U-bahn. It seemed I had to wait much longer for trains on Sunday. I was able to buy a ticket on buses (with Kasse sigh on the bus).
As you know , tickets are purchased at Metro stations from machines and have to be validated. I did not buy any kind of a pass ( you might wish to look into it ..)
I bought either a short ride ticket ( 3 station, no transfers) for 1.30 E or a " regular", in town ticket for 2.10E.( 4 for 8E) .
A couple of times I took a taxi - it was not expensive.
I hope someone local will be able to give you much more useful and complete info.
Anything else I can answer... be glad to.

Thanks, danon. We are buying the 7-day pass. The Crosstown S-bahn line is quite crucial for getting across town, and I've read that DB is allocating regional trains to run that line to alleviate the situation. The S-bahn trains on the X-town line were not inspected regularly and many cracks were found on the wheels, so all trains were pulled out of service once the problem was found. I believe many high up officials have been fired due to this debacle.

The time I was told S-Bahn was "kaput", DB trains seemed
crowded and running less frequently than S- Bahn.. but I could have been wrong.
Hope the situation does not affect your stay in Berlin.

Thanks for this very interesting report, danon. We are leaving on the 12th to go to Berlin for the IAAF track meet so I have been trying to follow the S-Bahn debacle along with others. Today I found the following website that states "All routes are expected to be restored at a reduced capacity by August 9" but I am not really sure what that means! http://www.thelocal.de/national/20090803-20991.html

Friends have been urging me to do a day trip to Dresden from Berlin. Is it worth it? We don't have a lot of time. After Berlin we have a few days in Prague plus a day trip to Cesky Krumlov. Kathleen

"a day trip to Dresden from Berlin. Is it worth it? "

If you are tight for time, you might consider taking an early train to Dresden ( check out DB schedule http://www.bahn.de/international/view/en/index.shtml ), stay a day in Dresden , continue to Prague in the evening. The main attractions are all in the same area. If you decide to go, book the time for the Green Vault. There are guided tours of the Opera every half hour, Frauenkirche opens at 10 A.M., Zwinger is next to the Opera and worth seeing for the buildings alone.
It all depends how much time you have all together,
but if you can do it , I think it is worth it.

KJSTUMP, if you go to Tripadvisor's Berlin Forum, they have a sticky thread there regarding the S-bahn issue and latest news.

While I haven't been to Dresden yet (going in 2 months), I must say based on what I've read, it's definitely "worth" it - however, not sure if I'd still go unless you can get tix for the Historic Green Vault. The early train departs around 6:30am and arrives in Dresden just before 9am. The next direct train is 2 hours later.

Most sites open at 10am, but there are sights you can visit before then, such as the Procession of Princes and the Brühl Terrace.

In any case, for me, one day is not enough in Dresden, because I also *have* to visit Dresden's Old Master Painting Gallery, which is full of famous paintings, in addition to the Historic Green Vault and New Green Vault...

I had the ticket for HGV, but it seemed some people were able to buy tix on the spot.
For NGV ( and the rest of the place) you have to buy another ticket.
BTW, I think the exhibited object in the NGV are stunning as well (green diamond for example).
The Old Masters Gallery was much larger than I expected.

yk -- Altho we did have tickets for the HGV, I think Dresden is "worth it" even if you didn't get to see those treasures -- there is so much more there. JMHO

I agree with PP.