Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Eastern Germany Travel Plan-Your Reviews, Comments?

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)

- Europe (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/)

- - Eastern Germany Travel Plan-Your Reviews, Comments? (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/eastern-germany-travel-plan-your-reviews-comments-204269/)

Eastern Germany Travel Plan-Your Reviews, Comments?

This is our tentative travel plan. We have a rental car for the week, so we aren't terribly constrained by schedules. I'd appreciate any reviews, comments, or suggestions for sightseeing along our route. Thanks, everyone! Day 1: arrive Berlin mid-day Day 2: Berlin Day 3: Berlin Day 4: Berlin to Leipzig Day 5: afternoon: Leipzig to Dresden Days 6, 7: Dresden (conference) Day 7 evening: Dresden to Goerlitz Day 8: Goerlitz to Schloss Reichenow (castle) just north of Berlin, passing through Meissen and Eisenhuttenstadt Day 9: Berlin, Potsdam Day 10: Alas, return to US

I aqppreciated getting this question as an e-mail from you, and I hope you can get better answers than I can provide here, as my experience is limited. My sole experience in the former East Germany was driving from Berlin to Weimar in 1992, where we had a wonferful 22 hour stay, then moved on to Ulm. So I cannot comment on your itinerary all that much, other than to say that it looks very appealing to me. I would love to go to all of these places. I've been back to Germany many times since, but I haven't been back to Berlin since 1992. I probably wouldn't recognize the place - - the most construction-intense zone in all of Europe, if I understand correctly! Best wishes, Rex

Berlin: I found Berlin to be incredible. From the Tiergarten to the Charlotten castle complex. There’s a great museum complex south west of Berlin a little, who’s name escapes me now. Seeing the change around Checkpoint Charlie was pretty incredible. I got a kick out of the styling salon “Hairpoint Charlie” within a stone’s throw. The fine art museum was closed for remodeling when I was there, but they had much of its art exhibited in another building. They even had a mini-Guggenheim modern art museum. The cathedral was beautiful. Had a late lunch in the restaurant up in the telecommunications tower: decent food, incredible view. I enjoyed walking around the former East part of downtown Berlin. It was incredible to see everything being changed. There were two-feet diameter red pipes running like a puzzle throughout much of the area. Had no idea what they were. Finally someone was able to explain that they carried a sand slurry. There was so much construction going on that dump trucks on the city streets couldn’t possibly bring in enough sand so they went with this arrangement. Dresden: The Zwinger Museums were very nice: fine arts, natural history, armor, ceramics and scientific instruments, something for almost every interest. I liked the natural history the least, but only because I was comparing it to the others. The opera house is beautiful. Take a tour if you can, or better yet see a production if your lucky enough to have one playing when you are there. The Frau Kirche was under construction all three visits. The cathedral was spectacular. It was fascinating to realize that Dresden had been “fire-stormed” in WWII and virtually everything was rebuilt. Leipzig: The JS Bach house is interesting and so is the nearby church where he worked. There are several other beautiful churches in the downtown are. They have a very extensive musical instrument museum just east of downtown. The massive Battle of Leipzig monument a little south is a piling of stone that is different to see. A very orderly red/green light system keeps the narrow staircase to the top flowing smoothly. A nice little Egyptian Antiquities museum exists. The train station has been recently done into a huge shopping mall complex. All kinds of shops, stores, restaurants and bars are there. A university building just to the southwest of the opera house has a fascinating elevator. It's a continuously running loop of 2 person boxes that you just step into and out of. The art museum was under reconstruction every time I was there. Wittenberg: Stopped between Berlin & Leipzig one trip to see the doors where Martin Luther nailed his thesis. I spent a total of 6 weeks in Eastern Germany in the Springs of ’98, ’99 and ‘00. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it interesting and relatively off the beaten path for a lot of tourists. You’ll have a wonderful time.

What a great reply, David. Now you see why I wanted you to post your question here, Victoria. My answer was trivial. I find myself quite unable to answer MANY unsolicited questions e-mailed to me. I get so many comments about how knoweldgeable I am. People forget that every respondent self-selects those questions he/she knows something about. Most of "us" have little to contribute, and (often no interest) in 60-80% of what is posted here!

David gave very good information. I enjoyed the Reichstag, Brandenberg Gate, Templehof Airfield (not much to see but the history of the airlift), Pergamon Museum with entire ancient ruin, symphony, Kurfurstendammstrasse with KaDeWe Department Store, Unter der Linden, Olympic Stadium. The 100 bus has good self site-seeing. Dresden is very close to Meissen and there are some seconds stores in case you like them.

David, I am overwhelmed. Victoria, I just want to add some thoughts: In Leipzig do not miss the café “Coffee Baum”, one of the oldest in Europe. It is near the church where JS Bach worked. You should also stroll along the pedestrian zone in the centre. Have a look at the shops in the arcades. In one of them, “Maedler Passage”, you find the restaurant “Auerbachs Keller” which is famous because it is mentioned in Goethe’s “Faust”. Dresden: I respectfully disagree with David, only the main sights were rebuilt. You will rarely find a civil building in Renaissance or Baroque style built before WWII in the centre – they were the reason for Dresden to be considered one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. Now they decided to rebuilt 60 % of the houses around the Frauenkirche church in old style. We will see if this will bring the atmosphere back. More sights not to be missed in/around Dresden: castles with large forests, lakes, gardens (Moritzburg, Pillnitz). “Grosser Garten”, a large and beautiful garden with palace and restaurants/cafes near the centre. “Hygiene”-museum, a museum about the biology of human being and animals (“transparant human being”, “transparant cow”). The funicular from the bridge “Blaues Wunder” to the best viewing point (with restaurant) “Luisenhof”. Goerlitz: It seems to me, your time here is a little too tight. The city is wonderful. So many old houses in Renaissance and Baroque style with patios, two great churches, the best preserved founder time quarter in Germany, rests of fortifications, the nearby convent St. Marienthal, the nearby hill Landeskrone with a beautiful view … A pity that you do not have time for Bautzen, a 1000 years old town half way between Dresden and Goerlitz. I recommend to leave the motorway at Bautzen-West, pass the town to see the gorgeous silhouette (fortifications, cathedral, castle above the gorge of the river Spree) and use the motorway again from Bautzen-Ost. It takes only 20 minutes I think. Meissen: You will need at least 3 hours to see the main sights (castle, cathedral, china manufacture). Eisenhuettenstadt: I would avoid this town. Nothing to see there. Ugly socialist architecture. Potsdam: The castles are UNESCO world heritage. Especially Sanssouci is great. But you should not miss the Dutch quarter in the centre of the city. Ingo

I'd forgotten about the Hygiene Museum. When I was there they had a special exhibition on the mind. It had unusual exhibits displayed in small rooms off a long, dim, narrow hallway. The doors were sprung to close quickly and loudly. And the men's room was bathed in an odd shade of green light. Between all this my friend and I got to laughing so hard we had to settle down a bit on one of the benches in the near-death experience room. I had the pleasure of dining at "Auerbachs Keller" in Leipzig and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's more expensive dining but well worth it. Thanks for the memory jog, Ingo!

Many thanks for the suggestions. Perhaps I'll make a day trip to Bautzen or Meissen during the time in Dresden? I'm a little disappointed to read that Eisehuettenstadt is not worth it-I guess I had different visions for this "model city." Dresden has a Music Festival while we are there, so hopefully we can obtain tickets to the opera. And now the Hygiene Museum is on the list!

Victoria, doing a day trip to Meissen or Bautzen sounds very good. Eisenhuettenstadt was founded in 1953 and the government intended to make it an ideal socialist style city. If you want to see it - it is your choice, but in my opinion the result is terrible. I asked at the selling point for Music festival tickets. It looks very, very bad. There are only a very few, sold on May 6 for the week May 21-26 and on May 13 for the week May 27 to June 2. They told me you will have no other chance to obtain a ticket. My suggestion: I can go there and buy tickets for you if you tell me when, what you want to see/listen and the max. price. It is no problem for me because the selling point is only 2 tram stops away from my office. Ingo

topping this incredible thread!

Didn't read the whole thing, but in Dresden definitely do not miss the "Grunes Gewolbe", which is a collection of jewelry - the most ornate things I have ever seen (almost bordering on perversion). They have incredibly beautiful artifacts, and the level of detail is incredible - you looks at some pieces through a magnifying lense.

Ingo, thank you very much for offering to look for theater tickets. I've learned that the conference organizers have tickets available, so we'll get tickets when in Dresden. Dave, the Grunes Gewolbe museum sounds like a must-see. Thanks for the suggestion!

Victoria, glad to hear you will get tickets. Now I know who bought all the tickets :). The Gruenes Gewoelbe is indeed a must. But do not miss the museums in the same building (Albertinum): the sculptures collection and the picture gallery of new masters (Caspar David Friedrich!!!). BTW, you will have the fortune that the scaffold will disappear from the facade of the Frauenkirche church. Ingo