Germany, May'16: Four seasons in three weeks.
Aug 18th, 2016, 11:39 AM
#81
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Twenty-first day - May 20th, Friday. Loreley song over slow river ...
We got up early. No car, no luggage, we just picked up our backpacks, had breakfast and checked-out at 8. There was almost nobody at that time in the morning on the waterfront, except for the joggers. We viewed the villas, the monuments and other sights overlooking the promenade and admired the flower beds.
We got back to the Deutsches Eck, took turns climbing the monument to William, and took the pictures of each other. Being on top it looked like we were standing on the bridge of the ship. There were the flags of all the German federal lands, even those that no longer exist or do not belong to Germany, along a “ship” perimeter.
In the morning the merge of Rhine and Moselle was visible especially well: Mosel on the left, darker, and Rhine o the right, lighter.
Rhine river cruise "Nostalgia" from Koblenz to Bacharach.
Website: http://www.kdrhine.com/kdrhinegoethe.htm
Price: 31 € (all day pass on the route Koblenz-Mainz and back)
After walking around, we came to the pier, picked up our tickets and boarded the boat early to get better seats on the upper deck. Our boat was famous "Goethe" operated by company "KD Rhine" specializing in Mosel and Rhine cruises. They have a very large fleet of ships, but "Goethe" is the only remaining steamboat. The boat had recently been renovated, so although it looked old-fashioned, but very well-maintained and stylish.
The last stop was Rudenhaym, but we decided to disembark in Bacharach, as we heard a lot of good things about this town. First, we wanted to explore the town for couple of hours, and then take another boat to Mainz, and from there by train to Frankfurt. But after reading reviews saying that after Bacharach there is nothing interesting to see, we decided to go to Frankfurt directly from Bacharach. WE actually were flexible and thought about making a final decision on a spot, as our tickets were sort of hop off-hop on the boat between Koblenz and Mainz.
Today we were lucky with weather again, although it was cloudy, but the sun was on and off, and it was a light breeze. In general, not cold not too hot, ideal.
Festung Ehrenbreitstein
This fortress was directly against the Eck across the Rhine. There was a cable car straight from Koblenz waterfront to the fortress.
Schloss Stolzenfels
Schloss Stolzenfels was the first castle we saw. Cream-colored walls of the castle looked very nice on the background of thick dark green foliage. Current building actually has little in common with the original one, that was completely burned. The new castle was restored in the 19th century.
Schloss Marksburg
Schloss Marksburg was a castle we had originally planned to visit the day before, but strained by the luggage pickup we resorted to viewing it from the river. This is the only castle on Rhine River stretch that has never been damaged and retained its original appearance. From 12th century, no less!
City of Boppard
The next big stop was the town of Boppard. Located on the bend of the river, Boppard seems gathered all the features of the picturesque landscape of the Rhine. There were timbered houses and elegant church surrounded by vineyards, woodlands and farms. However, this town is known primarily by the ruins of a Roman military camp Bodobrik.
City of St.Goar
But the biggest fortress on the river was the Burg Rheinfels in the town of St. Goar, with its 13th century runis, part of which was converted into a hotel and wellness center.
Another St.Goar ’s attraction was the majestic Burg Katz. As turned out it did not belong to our family physician, Dr. Katz
, rather abbreviated from Katzenelnbogen, which loosely translated to Cat's Castle, built in the counterweight of the Burg Maus in Trier.
But what this town is famous for was certainly Lorelei Rock. According to legend, the sailors heard her song, floated and crashed on the coastal rocks. The legend is alive and is now attracting the masses of tourists, fortunately without loss of life.
Here on in St.Goar the large group of elderly Germans boarded our ship, who immediately went to the restaurant on the lower deck, took the beer began choral singing. So the rest of our cruise was accompanied by the German songs.
Schönburg
Another neo-gothic castle, currently used as a hotel. I read very good reviews, but was not able to cram the night in the castle into busy schedule!
Burg Pfalzgrafenstein
Cruising on the Rhine, we noticed rows of trees growing right from the water. And then we saw the whole castle, standing in the middle of the river. It was built in the shape of a ship and served a custom in the past.
Finally, we saw a first view of Bacharach and Burg Stahleck, towering over the town, surrounded by cascading vineyards. This picture reminded me very much of Peru, where the Incas also grew their crops on cascading steps.
City Bacharach.
Website: http: //www.bacharach.de/tourismus/
When we landed, almost the entire boat went ashore, that is how popular Bacharach is with its unique historic housess, fortress and other interesting buildings. First we took a details map of hiking trail in the CD kiosk CD. We hiked the "yellow" route which started from the Market Square, passing the fortress walls and back to the main street of the city, the Obershtrasse.
St.Peter Kirche
This church cannot be missed, as it is located on the market square in the heart of the historic city center, surrounded by beautiful buildings, restaurants, cafes and hotels. The Church was built to replace the old one, which was burnt, but its remains were still there, behind the hillside. WE came to the church, and guess what: the TErman elders who were singing on a boat , actually were rehearsing. And now they performed in the church. So we unexpectedly got on a small concert.
https://youtu.be/8SXmTwWnxWs
Do not miss this church, be sure to go inside, and not only to enjoy a refined interior with a variety of parts and details. If you want to take a rest and hide from the noise of other tourists, this quiet oasis in the heart of the city is the place to be. It's just simply a quiet place to spend a few minutes in silence and tranquility. Of course, when there are no choral singing
After the church, we went up the Bluhershtrasse and came upon a very cozy place: a courtyard with a small stream surrounded by half-timbered houses.
Burg Stahleck
There we found the steps leading to the very top of the hill, to the viewing platform of the fortress. The trail up is quite steep, but no worries, for a healthy person it is not difficult to walk. We have a normal level of fitness for the 50-year-olds, and we fully enjoyed this walk. On the way we came across a road split: to take a longer but less steep path, or could climb the short but steeper. We decided to take the former, which proved to be correct. The Dutch family who decided to go on a short trail, climbed only half when we were quickly overtaken them over a longer path.
When we got to the viewing platform, we realized that all the efforts were worth it, regardless of the path chosen. Spectacular views of the city and the river!
We descended on the other side of the fortress and watched the locals in the courtyards of their houses. We went back to Obershtrasse and came upon a lovely cafe "Rusticana" with tables outside. After having a nice lunch we walked along a quiet street Mainzer and sat on a bench on the promenade watching the river and barges. And here was our "Goethe" going back in the opposite direction!
Arrival to Frankfurt.
We took a 18:30 direct train to Frankfurt. As expected, the station was just a small stop with 2 vending machines for tickets and a bench on each side. Train trip took us a little more than an hour, so we mentally said goodbye to the beautiful Rhine, sent a kiss to Lorelei and cam to our last city in Germany.
In Frankfurt, we stayed at the hotel Jumeirah (https://www.jumeirah.com/de/hotels-r...rah-frankfurt/) because of the convenient location. We did not have any plans for the next day except for shopping and this hotel was located next to the largest shopping street Zeil.
Jumeirah Hotel Chain owned by Emirates companies, and most of its guests were from the Middle East. WE certainly did not blend well with the rest being in jeans and t-shirts unlike other women wrapped in a hijab. But the service in this hotel was excellent, we were given a beautiful room with a gorgeous view of the Frankfurt skyline and personal greeting on the screen.
In the room everything was automated from curtains and exterior shutters to light and a TV with built-in panels, each on the table, which took us a lot of time to get used to.
We strolled through the evening city not far from the hotel, had a dinner at a local inexpensive restaurant and returning to the hotel exhausted, did not even want to go to the sauna. The day was a long and full of memories.
We got up early. No car, no luggage, we just picked up our backpacks, had breakfast and checked-out at 8. There was almost nobody at that time in the morning on the waterfront, except for the joggers. We viewed the villas, the monuments and other sights overlooking the promenade and admired the flower beds.
We got back to the Deutsches Eck, took turns climbing the monument to William, and took the pictures of each other. Being on top it looked like we were standing on the bridge of the ship. There were the flags of all the German federal lands, even those that no longer exist or do not belong to Germany, along a “ship” perimeter.
In the morning the merge of Rhine and Moselle was visible especially well: Mosel on the left, darker, and Rhine o the right, lighter.
Rhine river cruise "Nostalgia" from Koblenz to Bacharach.
Website: http://www.kdrhine.com/kdrhinegoethe.htm
Price: 31 € (all day pass on the route Koblenz-Mainz and back)
After walking around, we came to the pier, picked up our tickets and boarded the boat early to get better seats on the upper deck. Our boat was famous "Goethe" operated by company "KD Rhine" specializing in Mosel and Rhine cruises. They have a very large fleet of ships, but "Goethe" is the only remaining steamboat. The boat had recently been renovated, so although it looked old-fashioned, but very well-maintained and stylish.
The last stop was Rudenhaym, but we decided to disembark in Bacharach, as we heard a lot of good things about this town. First, we wanted to explore the town for couple of hours, and then take another boat to Mainz, and from there by train to Frankfurt. But after reading reviews saying that after Bacharach there is nothing interesting to see, we decided to go to Frankfurt directly from Bacharach. WE actually were flexible and thought about making a final decision on a spot, as our tickets were sort of hop off-hop on the boat between Koblenz and Mainz.
Today we were lucky with weather again, although it was cloudy, but the sun was on and off, and it was a light breeze. In general, not cold not too hot, ideal.
Festung Ehrenbreitstein
This fortress was directly against the Eck across the Rhine. There was a cable car straight from Koblenz waterfront to the fortress.
Schloss Stolzenfels
Schloss Stolzenfels was the first castle we saw. Cream-colored walls of the castle looked very nice on the background of thick dark green foliage. Current building actually has little in common with the original one, that was completely burned. The new castle was restored in the 19th century.
Schloss Marksburg
Schloss Marksburg was a castle we had originally planned to visit the day before, but strained by the luggage pickup we resorted to viewing it from the river. This is the only castle on Rhine River stretch that has never been damaged and retained its original appearance. From 12th century, no less!
City of Boppard
The next big stop was the town of Boppard. Located on the bend of the river, Boppard seems gathered all the features of the picturesque landscape of the Rhine. There were timbered houses and elegant church surrounded by vineyards, woodlands and farms. However, this town is known primarily by the ruins of a Roman military camp Bodobrik.
City of St.Goar
But the biggest fortress on the river was the Burg Rheinfels in the town of St. Goar, with its 13th century runis, part of which was converted into a hotel and wellness center.
Another St.Goar ’s attraction was the majestic Burg Katz. As turned out it did not belong to our family physician, Dr. Katz
, rather abbreviated from Katzenelnbogen, which loosely translated to Cat's Castle, built in the counterweight of the Burg Maus in Trier.But what this town is famous for was certainly Lorelei Rock. According to legend, the sailors heard her song, floated and crashed on the coastal rocks. The legend is alive and is now attracting the masses of tourists, fortunately without loss of life.
Here on in St.Goar the large group of elderly Germans boarded our ship, who immediately went to the restaurant on the lower deck, took the beer began choral singing. So the rest of our cruise was accompanied by the German songs.
Schönburg
Another neo-gothic castle, currently used as a hotel. I read very good reviews, but was not able to cram the night in the castle into busy schedule!
Burg Pfalzgrafenstein
Cruising on the Rhine, we noticed rows of trees growing right from the water. And then we saw the whole castle, standing in the middle of the river. It was built in the shape of a ship and served a custom in the past.
Finally, we saw a first view of Bacharach and Burg Stahleck, towering over the town, surrounded by cascading vineyards. This picture reminded me very much of Peru, where the Incas also grew their crops on cascading steps.
City Bacharach.
Website: http: //www.bacharach.de/tourismus/
When we landed, almost the entire boat went ashore, that is how popular Bacharach is with its unique historic housess, fortress and other interesting buildings. First we took a details map of hiking trail in the CD kiosk CD. We hiked the "yellow" route which started from the Market Square, passing the fortress walls and back to the main street of the city, the Obershtrasse.
St.Peter Kirche
This church cannot be missed, as it is located on the market square in the heart of the historic city center, surrounded by beautiful buildings, restaurants, cafes and hotels. The Church was built to replace the old one, which was burnt, but its remains were still there, behind the hillside. WE came to the church, and guess what: the TErman elders who were singing on a boat , actually were rehearsing. And now they performed in the church. So we unexpectedly got on a small concert.
https://youtu.be/8SXmTwWnxWs
Do not miss this church, be sure to go inside, and not only to enjoy a refined interior with a variety of parts and details. If you want to take a rest and hide from the noise of other tourists, this quiet oasis in the heart of the city is the place to be. It's just simply a quiet place to spend a few minutes in silence and tranquility. Of course, when there are no choral singing
After the church, we went up the Bluhershtrasse and came upon a very cozy place: a courtyard with a small stream surrounded by half-timbered houses.
Burg Stahleck
There we found the steps leading to the very top of the hill, to the viewing platform of the fortress. The trail up is quite steep, but no worries, for a healthy person it is not difficult to walk. We have a normal level of fitness for the 50-year-olds, and we fully enjoyed this walk. On the way we came across a road split: to take a longer but less steep path, or could climb the short but steeper. We decided to take the former, which proved to be correct. The Dutch family who decided to go on a short trail, climbed only half when we were quickly overtaken them over a longer path.
When we got to the viewing platform, we realized that all the efforts were worth it, regardless of the path chosen. Spectacular views of the city and the river!
We descended on the other side of the fortress and watched the locals in the courtyards of their houses. We went back to Obershtrasse and came upon a lovely cafe "Rusticana" with tables outside. After having a nice lunch we walked along a quiet street Mainzer and sat on a bench on the promenade watching the river and barges. And here was our "Goethe" going back in the opposite direction!
Arrival to Frankfurt.
We took a 18:30 direct train to Frankfurt. As expected, the station was just a small stop with 2 vending machines for tickets and a bench on each side. Train trip took us a little more than an hour, so we mentally said goodbye to the beautiful Rhine, sent a kiss to Lorelei and cam to our last city in Germany.
In Frankfurt, we stayed at the hotel Jumeirah (https://www.jumeirah.com/de/hotels-r...rah-frankfurt/) because of the convenient location. We did not have any plans for the next day except for shopping and this hotel was located next to the largest shopping street Zeil.
Jumeirah Hotel Chain owned by Emirates companies, and most of its guests were from the Middle East. WE certainly did not blend well with the rest being in jeans and t-shirts unlike other women wrapped in a hijab. But the service in this hotel was excellent, we were given a beautiful room with a gorgeous view of the Frankfurt skyline and personal greeting on the screen.
In the room everything was automated from curtains and exterior shutters to light and a TV with built-in panels, each on the table, which took us a lot of time to get used to.
We strolled through the evening city not far from the hotel, had a dinner at a local inexpensive restaurant and returning to the hotel exhausted, did not even want to go to the sauna. The day was a long and full of memories.
Aug 23rd, 2016, 04:46 PM
#82
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Chapter VIII. Farewell to Germany.
The twenty-second day - May 21st, Saturday. The loop is closed.
Well, here we were back to Frankfurt, where exactly three weeks ago, we started our journey. On that first day, it seemed like the holiday would be endless… And although we loved Germany, today we, for the first time, realized that we want to go home, couldn’t wait to see our son and parents, we missed our apartment…
Tomorrow we were ready to go home and the next day come back to work, but we still had one day! It was a day when we just decided to go shopping, to visit (for the last time in Germany!) the sauna and relax, and had a nice dinner on our last night, so the story today would be short.
In the morning we went to the pool. The pool itself was great but something was missing, like little annoying details. For example, for towels we had to go to another floor (!). Lounges were set facing the huge window, seemed like a good idea, but the view outside the window was and unfinished roof of the flow below. Somehow it seemed strange for the 5-star hotel. In general, we did not like it.
Breakfast was good, it had a set of Arabic dishes in addition to usual German food, nice touch. After hearty breakfast, we went to check out local shops.
Shopping in Frankfurt.
Of course, for shopping, we had chosen the right location: within one block of our hotel there were big shopping malls like MyZeil, Galeria Kaufhof, Zeilgalerie, and plenty of smaller boutiques. But first we went into the Birkenstock shoe store, specializing in shoes for the medical staff, where Dima finally picked up a comfortable shoes for the hospital. The next was Jack Wolfskin, where we got new clothes for hiking: fleece shirts and trousers. And then we came upon a store for hunters Waffen-Bock (http://www.waffen-bock.de/index.html) showcasing a great variety of firearms and knives. Of course, we did not buy any shotguns, but the knives were the perfect gifts for all male members of our family. Knives in that store were really cool, as was this store in general.
Then we came by a bicycle shop Fahrrad Thöt, where Dima got stuck (he is a bicycle enthusiast) , so I left him there and went to the Kleinmarkthalle market (http://kleinmarkthalle.de) next foor, just for fun. Smells there certainly were amazing, a lot of Middle Eastern spices, which we love. Of course, a wide variety of meat products. At one point I noticed a long line of people for the sausages. I did not get what was so different from the same-looking sausages from other vendors, but opted not to stand in this line to find it out. I bought sweets similar to those I had in my childhood, would have them tomorrow in the plane.
Then we went into a large mall MyZeil, Frankfurt's shopping mecca. Incidentally word "mecca" was very suitable there: big percent of shoppers were ladies from Muslim countries.
Prices are, of course, were much higher than in New York for identical goods. The only thing I bought there was my favorite perfume Miracle from Lancome, because the European recipes is much better then US (there is some ingredient, banned in US, which makes perfume last longer), therefore I always try to buy perfumes outside the United States. Dima found a great jacket, so we did not leave empty-handed.
Most of all in this shopping mall I liked the futuristic architecture, making me even bigger fan of German modern architecture.
Last night in Germany.
When we returned, we packed all purchases in suitcases. By the way, the day passed so quickly, it was already 5 pm. It was too early for dinner, so we decided to visit the sauna and spa at our hotel. Sauna was good, but separate (the only gender-separate sauna during our entire stay in Germany), probably due to the large number of Muslim guests and their cultural preferences. But it was very stylish with views of the city and insanely delicious fragrant tea we got treated with. We also decided to rejuvenate and have a massage in the spa. It was very nice, exactly what our old bodies needed.
Where to go for dinner? We definitely wanted to have a traditional German food on our last night in Germany, but not too far from the hotel. Concierge suggested "Leib & Seele" (http://leibundseele-frankfurt.de), which was an excellent choice: close by, German food, reasonable prices, outdoor seating. WE sat there relaxed, drinking beer, ate pork with potatoes and sauerkraut, and looked at our photos, remembered the three wonderful weeks in this beautiful country.
On our way back to the hotel, suddenly we heard the Italian songs popular during our youth. As turned out it was a day of German-Italian friendship, so today drinking beer was accompanied by the old songs of Toto Cutugno and Adriano Celentano.
That was all for today. At that moment, all our thoughts were about home ...
The twenty-second day - May 21st, Saturday. The loop is closed.
Well, here we were back to Frankfurt, where exactly three weeks ago, we started our journey. On that first day, it seemed like the holiday would be endless… And although we loved Germany, today we, for the first time, realized that we want to go home, couldn’t wait to see our son and parents, we missed our apartment…
Tomorrow we were ready to go home and the next day come back to work, but we still had one day! It was a day when we just decided to go shopping, to visit (for the last time in Germany!) the sauna and relax, and had a nice dinner on our last night, so the story today would be short.
In the morning we went to the pool. The pool itself was great but something was missing, like little annoying details. For example, for towels we had to go to another floor (!). Lounges were set facing the huge window, seemed like a good idea, but the view outside the window was and unfinished roof of the flow below. Somehow it seemed strange for the 5-star hotel. In general, we did not like it.
Breakfast was good, it had a set of Arabic dishes in addition to usual German food, nice touch. After hearty breakfast, we went to check out local shops.
Shopping in Frankfurt.
Of course, for shopping, we had chosen the right location: within one block of our hotel there were big shopping malls like MyZeil, Galeria Kaufhof, Zeilgalerie, and plenty of smaller boutiques. But first we went into the Birkenstock shoe store, specializing in shoes for the medical staff, where Dima finally picked up a comfortable shoes for the hospital. The next was Jack Wolfskin, where we got new clothes for hiking: fleece shirts and trousers. And then we came upon a store for hunters Waffen-Bock (http://www.waffen-bock.de/index.html) showcasing a great variety of firearms and knives. Of course, we did not buy any shotguns, but the knives were the perfect gifts for all male members of our family. Knives in that store were really cool, as was this store in general.
Then we came by a bicycle shop Fahrrad Thöt, where Dima got stuck (he is a bicycle enthusiast) , so I left him there and went to the Kleinmarkthalle market (http://kleinmarkthalle.de) next foor, just for fun. Smells there certainly were amazing, a lot of Middle Eastern spices, which we love. Of course, a wide variety of meat products. At one point I noticed a long line of people for the sausages. I did not get what was so different from the same-looking sausages from other vendors, but opted not to stand in this line to find it out. I bought sweets similar to those I had in my childhood, would have them tomorrow in the plane.
Then we went into a large mall MyZeil, Frankfurt's shopping mecca. Incidentally word "mecca" was very suitable there: big percent of shoppers were ladies from Muslim countries.
Prices are, of course, were much higher than in New York for identical goods. The only thing I bought there was my favorite perfume Miracle from Lancome, because the European recipes is much better then US (there is some ingredient, banned in US, which makes perfume last longer), therefore I always try to buy perfumes outside the United States. Dima found a great jacket, so we did not leave empty-handed.
Most of all in this shopping mall I liked the futuristic architecture, making me even bigger fan of German modern architecture.
Last night in Germany.
When we returned, we packed all purchases in suitcases. By the way, the day passed so quickly, it was already 5 pm. It was too early for dinner, so we decided to visit the sauna and spa at our hotel. Sauna was good, but separate (the only gender-separate sauna during our entire stay in Germany), probably due to the large number of Muslim guests and their cultural preferences. But it was very stylish with views of the city and insanely delicious fragrant tea we got treated with. We also decided to rejuvenate and have a massage in the spa. It was very nice, exactly what our old bodies needed.
Where to go for dinner? We definitely wanted to have a traditional German food on our last night in Germany, but not too far from the hotel. Concierge suggested "Leib & Seele" (http://leibundseele-frankfurt.de), which was an excellent choice: close by, German food, reasonable prices, outdoor seating. WE sat there relaxed, drinking beer, ate pork with potatoes and sauerkraut, and looked at our photos, remembered the three wonderful weeks in this beautiful country.
On our way back to the hotel, suddenly we heard the Italian songs popular during our youth. As turned out it was a day of German-Italian friendship, so today drinking beer was accompanied by the old songs of Toto Cutugno and Adriano Celentano.
That was all for today. At that moment, all our thoughts were about home ...
Aug 23rd, 2016, 05:02 PM
#83
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Last Day - May 22nd, Sunday. Epilogue.
I want to summarize and share my last thoughts and what we liked the most:
The best city - Dresden
The best palace - Würzburger Residenz
The best castle - Eltz in Mosel valley
The best park - at Nymphenburg palace
The best cathedral - Berliner Dom
The best church - Wieskirche near Fussen
The best museum - Jüdisches Museum in Berlin
The best Art Gallery - Neue Pinakothek in Munich
The city where we felt “like locals” - Nuremberg
The biggest surprise - the small towns in villages of Schwarcwald
The biggest disappointment - the weather at the Zugspitze
The most unusual experience - baths in Baden-Baden
The most interesting tour - the Mercedes factory tour
The best hotel - Charles Hotel in Munich
The most delicious restaurant - Tizen in Bernkastel-Kues
The most beautiful architecture (old) - the palaces of Potsdam
The most interesting architecture (new) - shopping mall in Frankfurt
The city, that remains in my heart - Berlin
1 car
2 people
3 weeks
4 seasons
10000000000 ..... memories
I want to summarize and share my last thoughts and what we liked the most:
The best city - Dresden
The best palace - Würzburger Residenz
The best castle - Eltz in Mosel valley
The best park - at Nymphenburg palace
The best cathedral - Berliner Dom
The best church - Wieskirche near Fussen
The best museum - Jüdisches Museum in Berlin
The best Art Gallery - Neue Pinakothek in Munich
The city where we felt “like locals” - Nuremberg
The biggest surprise - the small towns in villages of Schwarcwald
The biggest disappointment - the weather at the Zugspitze
The most unusual experience - baths in Baden-Baden
The most interesting tour - the Mercedes factory tour
The best hotel - Charles Hotel in Munich
The most delicious restaurant - Tizen in Bernkastel-Kues
The most beautiful architecture (old) - the palaces of Potsdam
The most interesting architecture (new) - shopping mall in Frankfurt
The city, that remains in my heart - Berlin
1 car
2 people
3 weeks
4 seasons
10000000000 ..... memories
Aug 24th, 2016, 11:05 AM
#86
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Fetinia-your trip report has been immensely helpful in planning our trip.........in a week! Thank you!
Would you mind elaborating on the why's for these three:
The best museum - Jüdisches Museum in Berlin
The best Art Gallery - Neue Pinakothek in Munich
The best city - Dresden
We have chosen Potsdam as our day trip from Berlin because of so many recommendations but also, if I remember correctly, this is a city not destroyed during the war?? You at least gave Potsdam the Best Architecture award.
We will probably follow your day on the bike verbatim w/ the exception of your last stop at the Jewish Museum...how long did you spend there? We are not Jewish either, yet you went and were glad you did, so it might stay on the itinerary.
I too was considered staying at the Marriott Potsdamer Platz but the Hilton overlooking Gendarmenmarket won out w/ price.
Would you mind elaborating on the why's for these three:
The best museum - Jüdisches Museum in Berlin
The best Art Gallery - Neue Pinakothek in Munich
The best city - Dresden
We have chosen Potsdam as our day trip from Berlin because of so many recommendations but also, if I remember correctly, this is a city not destroyed during the war?? You at least gave Potsdam the Best Architecture award.
We will probably follow your day on the bike verbatim w/ the exception of your last stop at the Jewish Museum...how long did you spend there? We are not Jewish either, yet you went and were glad you did, so it might stay on the itinerary.
I too was considered staying at the Marriott Potsdamer Platz but the Hilton overlooking Gendarmenmarket won out w/ price.
Aug 24th, 2016, 02:01 PM
#88
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foolforfrance,
I am jealous, you are going to Germany in a week! Enjoy!
Regarding your questions:
The best museum - Jüdisches Museum in Berlin
I used to be an architect back in Russia, and even nowadays my work has nothing to do with architecture, I still appreciate the good design. This museum is a masterpiece of architecture, interior design, integrated fully with the exhibits. Besides we learned a lot of facts we did not know. We spent 2 hours in that museum.
The best Art Gallery - Neue Pinakothek in Munich
I liked this gallery because it was not relatively small , I liked Dresden gallery for the same reason. My opinion, visiting small galleries gives you more time to enjoy paintings, unlike huge museums, like Louvre, Hermitage ir Mtropolitan where you need several days to cover, I am getting really tired after 2-3 hours. I preferred Neue Pinakothek to Dresden gallery, because it had my favorite impressionists.
The best city - Dresden
I liked Dresden the most because it is almost fully renovated, it is charming and full of life. Every corner, every street opened absolutely amazing picturesque sceneries, waterfront was very beautiful. This city is vibrant. Also, all main attractions are right there in a city.
We did not have a chance to explore Potsdam besides the Sansussi palace, which is remote to the city center and more isolated than Dresden's Zwinger.
Some Potsdam's pavilions still in in need of serious renovation, some of them in pretty bad shape. Potsdam is absolutely a must to visit, as well as Dresden.
I am jealous, you are going to Germany in a week! Enjoy!
Regarding your questions:
The best museum - Jüdisches Museum in Berlin
I used to be an architect back in Russia, and even nowadays my work has nothing to do with architecture, I still appreciate the good design. This museum is a masterpiece of architecture, interior design, integrated fully with the exhibits. Besides we learned a lot of facts we did not know. We spent 2 hours in that museum.
The best Art Gallery - Neue Pinakothek in Munich
I liked this gallery because it was not relatively small , I liked Dresden gallery for the same reason. My opinion, visiting small galleries gives you more time to enjoy paintings, unlike huge museums, like Louvre, Hermitage ir Mtropolitan where you need several days to cover, I am getting really tired after 2-3 hours. I preferred Neue Pinakothek to Dresden gallery, because it had my favorite impressionists.
The best city - Dresden
I liked Dresden the most because it is almost fully renovated, it is charming and full of life. Every corner, every street opened absolutely amazing picturesque sceneries, waterfront was very beautiful. This city is vibrant. Also, all main attractions are right there in a city.
We did not have a chance to explore Potsdam besides the Sansussi palace, which is remote to the city center and more isolated than Dresden's Zwinger.
Some Potsdam's pavilions still in in need of serious renovation, some of them in pretty bad shape. Potsdam is absolutely a must to visit, as well as Dresden.
Aug 24th, 2016, 05:49 PM
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Fetinia-I guess Dresden will be our day trip on our next trip to Berlin. So I guess I am wrong about Potsdam not being damaged during the war. You visited Cologne....wasn't it spared?
The Neue Pinakothek in now on the itinerary.
The Neue Pinakothek in now on the itinerary.
Aug 25th, 2016, 02:14 PM
#92
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Thank you, all! I really glad you found my report interesting. Of course, everything is subjective, including my "awards", but I hope it helps to whoever reads my report to crate their own itinerary visiting this wonderful country.
