Here is what we have planned/reserved so far:

London 9/17 - 9/20
Copenhagen 9/20 - 9/23

Our flight back to Chicago leaves from Berlin Tegel on 9/29 at 11 am.
Obviously, we must find our way through Germany into Berlin by then.

In general, our philosophy with this trip is to sample a few different
cultures and a few great cities. We understand that this will not be our
only trip to Europe in our lives, and therefore are trying not to do too
much. On the other hand, we have limited vacation time from work, so we are
trying to get a good primer on Europe.

Being an architect, I am intrigued with the built environment in Germany and
would probably be satisfied spending a fair amount of time seeing great
buildings, both modern and medieval. My wife is less interested in buildings,
but likes people watching and participating in the culture. I too enjoy the
cultural aspects. We are less interested in typical "touristy"
attractions and recognize that this vacation is not necessarily of the "rest
& relaxation" type.

What would be your recommendation as to a route / itinerary to lead us from
Copenhagen on 9/23 to Berlin on 9/29?

I have read of significant modern building in Berlin since 1988 and would
love to see Reichstag and Potsdamer Platz as well as other significant
works. I think it would be good if we were able to spend some time in a smaller German city too, because I think that is important. Any thoughts?

I have toyed with the thought of trying to make it all the way to Bavaria
and Munich for Oktoberfest but I think that may be trying to see too much in
too little time. What are your thoughts with that?

Given our constrained schedule and philosophy, do you think staying in
Northern/Central Germany would be a good idea? Can you recommend any cool, smaller German cities en route from Copenhagen to Berlin?

We are seriously considering a Eruo-rail pass for Germany.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I hope my thoughts help shed
light on what we are looking for.

I thought you posted this same one this morning?

Northern Germany is beautiful. I spent three weeks there this summer. Of all the cities I went to, Hamburg was my favorite. Lots to see and do, even in the rain.
Since your coming from Copenhagen, Lucbeck, on the coast might be fun. They had an exhibit called Sand World. It may still be there, and it is worth at least a day there. Lots of huge sand sculptures based around the history of the Olympics.
Berlin is a great city. There is so much to see and do there. I would highly recommend going to Potsdam and seeing Sanssouci. It is a bit of a S-Bahn ride, but truly worth it. Just don't go on a Monday, as it is closed to tours.
There are so many little places to stop and visit on the way. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to e-mail me. Have fun most of all. Such a beautiful country and wonderful people.

Being an architect you would definitely enjoy the Bauhaus Museum and Archive in Berlin. Another architectural gem is the Jewish Museum. Have a wonderful trip- you will find Berlin fantastic.

Hmmmm..being an architect doesn't mean you'll necessarily like what you see in Berlin..but, hopefully, you'll find it at least thought provoking...and believe me, there is PLENTY of "new building" to see! They used to say the (construction) crane is the "state bird of Berlin" although on my trip there in June this year I didn't see quite as many as I did in 2003.

If you are at all interested in historical buildings then you can easily zip out to nearby Potsdam for the Nieuw Palace and the Sans Souci.

I cannot advise on an actual itineray although you might be interested in either Hamburg and/or Hannover as possible stops along the way (are you driving or traveling by rail?).

As much as I love Munich and Bavaria which are about as different from Berlin as it can possibly get, particularly in political outlook of the people..think New Wave vs. the "Bible Belt"...going there during Oktoberfest can be a blast but unless you made hotel reservations MONTHS AGO in Munich I would save that wonderful area for a separate trip.

I would plan on spending SEVERAL days in Berlin which some would tell is THE most vibrant place in Western Europe right now.

If you are interested in smaller German cities, I would second the suggestion of Luebeck with its medieval Old Town in the center.

I don't think that a trip to Northern Germany would be complete, though, if you skip Hamburg.
Especially for an architect, there should be several interesting buildings worth taking a look at.
There is a restoration area within the port called HafenCity (PortCity) that might be of particular interest. Other modern buildings include a string of properties along the River Elbe opposite the container quays that provide new apartments, lots of hip restaurants and offices.
Hamburg is base for famed arcitects such as e.g. Volwin Marg of Gerkan Marg and Hadi Teherani, so quite a few of their buildings can be seen here.
If you are interested in cultural activities, Hamburg being Germany's second largest city, and due to its port quite a liberal and open minded one, sure offers quite a few possibilities along with some very fine restaurants.
Living in the city (and thus possibly being a bit prejudiced, for full disclosure), I will gladly provide some suggestions, if you should be interested.

Cheers
hsv

If you get near Frankfurt, there is a village on the Rhine, about 40 minuters drive from the FRA airport, called Assmanshausen. Within that village, accessible by train, is a hotel called Krone. It is one of the most delightful experiences that we have had, both in terms of the location and the restaurant.

I agree with gradyghost that Hotel Krone on the River Rhine is a great hotel and restaurant- in a pleasant old fashioned way. True German hospitality. It is, however, pretty far off the track from Copenhagen and Berlin - you've got to make a decision yourself.

I'm a member of the bat-out-of-hell school of travel, but even I wouldn't try to drive across northern Germany and still expect to have enough time to appreciate Berlin.

You could fly Easyjet from Copenhagen to Berlin for $36.00, and do an overnight trip for a couple of days out of Berlin and still have three days to appreciate and enjoy Berlin. Travel tim via train to Hamburg is three hours. You could also do day trips to Potsdam and/or the spreewald.