rushngal

I am a big WW2 history buff. We want to see the Reichstag, brandenburg gate, checkpoint charlie, remnants of berlin wall. But what else is there to see in Berlin? We will have a car, so should we maybe go out of the city? we are then thinking of doing:-

2 nights dresden
2 nights Prague
2 nights vienna
2 nights Salzburg

which then leaves us about a week to drive along the rhine before we reach Frankfurt to fly out for New York.

Is that a good itinerary or can someone suggest something better.

I am open to all suggestions.

many thanks.

lavandula

In Berlin, how about

•the television tower (a remnant of Communist days): http://www.tv-turm.de/en/
•the Holocaust Memorial (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memoria...Jews_of_Europe)
•visit the Museum Island
•eat Currywurst at Konnopkes Imbiss

?

Lavandula

InSituTravel

Are 4 days too much for Berlin? It depends on what kind of pace you want to keep and what else you want to see besides the things you listed. On a super tight/fast schedule you could see all of the things on your Berlin list in one day. But Berlin has SO much more to offer. As already noted, it's got world class museums (on museum Island and elsewhere). If you're even slightly interested in Greek history, you'll want to check out the Pergamon museum. Truly amazing. And if you want to get a better sense of the city (the neighborhoods, etc.), definitely spend another couple of days in Berlin. And if you're also interested in cold war history, give yourself time for that too, there's more to see than just checkpoint charlie and remains of the wall. Check out a guidebook and you'll see a list of all the cold war related things in Berlin to see and visit.

While you're staying in Berlin, don't waste your time driving in and out of the city. You're planning on going south after your visit anyway, so you could visit the countryside on your drive to Dresden. You could stop at the palaces at Sanssouci or check out the canals and river-ways of the Spreewald on your way to Dresden if you like.

As for the rest of your trip, you've got a car, so you might consider going places other than just big cities. There are many, many great things to see along your route. Ceske Budejovice & Cesky Krumlov (Czech), towns along the Danube (Austria), etc. The point is, you're going to have a car for a couple of weeks, you might as well use it too it's best advantage. You're current itinerary with just big cities, could be easily, if not better be done solely by train.

If your focus is seeing WWII history, maybe start from that perspective and plot out locations that you'd like to visit related to their history. There are many historical sites in Germany alone to fill up most of your vacation time.

Good luck and have fun with your planning!

Cowboy1968

Places and sights with re. to your interest in WW2 history (in random order, not ranked)

- The Unterwelten tours of bunkers from WW2 and Cold War (starts near the Humboldthain high-rise bunker)
- Sachsenhausen concentration camp memorial (north of Berlin in Oranienburg)
- The Allied Forces museum in Dahlem (SW Berlin)
- The Air Force museum on the former British military airbase Kladow
- the German-Russian museum in Karlshorst (E Berlin, on the site of the former Soviet military HQ)
- The Soviet/Russian memorial (park) in Treptow (SE Berlin)
- House of the Wannsee conference
- Cecilienhof Palace in Potsdam (place of the Potsdam conference)
- the battlefield site of the Seelow Heights (50kms east of Berlin, near river Oder), though there is not that much to see but a statue on the bluff
- one of the many guided tours you will find via the TI's website
- the ruins/foundations of former Gestapo quarters in Mitte, now an exhibition called Topography of Terror
- the Jewish museum

And odd items like:
- Mohrenstr. subway station, decorated with the red marble from Hitler's chancellory
- a massive concrete cylinder which was a test site to see if the soft Berlin soil could bear the massive weight of the gigantomanic buildings planned for Germania, the new capital (after a won WW 2, 3 and 4 probably). This thing is located near Tempelhof airport, probably the still most visible relict of Nazi architecture

I think you will have no problems filling your four days.

Mainhattengirl

I would do a walking tour or 2 or 3, to cover much of Berlin, giving you a good overview and intensifying the historical aspect of this fantastic city. Themed tours are available from many different companies. My suggestion is to look on Trip Advisor for the top rated ones. Most cost about 12-15 euro.

You might want to consider a day trip to Potsdam or to the Sachsenhausen & Ravensbruck Concentration Camps.

Have been to Berlin 3 times already and still haven't come close to seeing everything I want to see. Just spending a couple of hours in a 2 or 3 museums eats up a whole day.

rushngal

WOW dear people, thank you so much for all your advice. I now realise that 4 days will not be enough in berlin but at least its not too much. I thought we may be spending too much time there. Thank you for telling me all the places to see regarding WW2 history and the towns of cesky krumlov and the other cesky (LOL)

but can someone suggest a town closer to prague as the 2 cesky towns go past prague for about 2 hours. And the same with Vienna, is there anywhere cheaper to stay just outside of vienna? looked into hotels in prague and the hotel parking fees are around $40AUD!! I thought the czech republic would be cheap but its not!! Also thanks for telling me about the concentration camp. I didnt know ravensbruck camp wasnt too far away.

Many many thanks!!

Ingo

Personally, I'd skip Vienna entirely as it is out of the way - drive from Prague via Cesky Krumlov directly to Salzburg and add the two Vienna days to other destinations.

On the drive from Dresden to Prague I suggest to drive via the Elbe river valley (National Park Saxon Switzerland, road B 172). VERY scenic, even more so if you drive some minor roads between Pirna and Bad Schandau (and a great place to spend one of those Vienna nights ;-) ) After crossing the border to the Czech Republic continue following the river valley (Decin - Usti) and don't miss the picturesque town Litomerice. Near Litomerice is the former concentration camp and WWII site Terezin - very moving and right on the way to Prague.

InSituTravel

Great advice from Ingo... on all points: exclude Vienna, the driving route on the Elbe, etc!

valtor

I would like to add a suggestion for Berlin: visit the royal palace Charlottenburg (of Hhenzollern family). It has splendid baroque and rococo interiors.

So, I would stay 6 days in Berlin and I would skip Vienna (as you plan to stay there 2 days, which is not enough). Visit Vienna in another trip!

kfusto

We love Berlin and could easily spend a week there each year as it is constantly changing and has so much to offer. The suggestions made above all are good advice.

I suggest you look into the Berlin Welcome Card, good for unlimited local transport. We have found it to be a bargain and purchase it with the Museum option.

I also agree to drop Vienna and add those days to Berlin and Prague.

Pegontheroad

If you're a history buff, you might be interested in seeing the Bendler Block, where von Staufenberg and other conspirators were executed.

There is a Checkpoint Charlie museum, which I found interesting. It's a bit cheesy, but it nevertheless is chock full of history.

You can also see the memorial to the book burning at the Bebelplatz. The memorial is an underground room filled with empty bookshelves. The room is covered by a plexiglass window and is flush with the pavement, so you have to look for it.

How about Haus der Wannsee Konferenz, where top Nazis decided on the final solution?

There are also numerous museums of all kinds. It's a fascinating city for history.

I've been to Berlin numerous times, both prior to the fall of communism and recently, and I feel that I still have lots to see.

Dukey1

Adding both palaces in Potsdam as possibilities as well.

Delaine

I would skip Vienna (not that I don't like it; I've been twice) and add the time to Prague and Cesky Krumlov. They are personal favorites and provide quite a contrast to Berlin.

As posters have mentioned, there are great museums in Berlin. The Gemaldegalerie has wonderful old masters paintings. The Pergamon Museum is on the Museum Insel (Island) along with the Bode Museum (sculpture) and others. The famous bust of Nefertiti was housed in the Altes Museum when I visited in 2006, but it may have been relocated by now.

nytraveler

Four days are not too much for Berlin. There are a host of great museums, shopping, dining etc (and I think missing the Peragmon is close to a crime - esp the Ishtar Gate). But - are you aware that Berlin was flat as a pancake at the end of WWII. Eveything there now (outside of museums) is new since then - from the Reichstag on down. And The Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie are not from WWII - but afterward.

rushngal

So, it seem the general consensus is to forget about vienna. There wont be other trips to europe for us after this one as its our third trip to europe in 5 years and we are australians so its too expensive and too far for us mid 50's couple to come again unless we win the lottery.

I knew that berlin was flattened during the war but i didnt know the reichstag was rebuilt!! But i knew Dresden has been entirely rebuilt and that The berlin wall and checkpoint charlie are from the cold war but that fascinates me also.

When i look at the map, vienna is a bit off to the side and i cant even think of 1 thing to see there except that i know its pretty, so i think we will by pass it. The route that INGO suggested is a good one and Terezin is something i would really like to see. I saw a documentary about it years ago. ANd the Palace is something i would like to see also.

Has anyone stayed in the town of KLADNO?? its 38 minutes to prague and seems a nice play to stay to visit Prague.

Thanks once again for all your suggestions. I will be printing out this page to take with us.

MANY MANY THANKS EVERYONE!!

Cowboy1968

If the Wall also interests you, you should see the Wall memorial and museum at Nordbahnhof S-Bahn station. Or the East Side Gallery near Oberbaum brücke/ bridge. Both are for free.
Checkpoint Charlie is not that much to see anymore. You can get your photo taken with a fake border policeman, though ;-)
The (somewhat pricey) museum at Checkpoint Charlie focuses mostly on the effects of the Wall, i.e. the sometimes successful, sometimes lethal endaveours to get across the border. So it's not exactly a history museum. But they show what they have pretty well on their website, though.

annhig

i can't really compete with all the great advice above, but my tip would be that on your way to Dresden, don't miss Potsdam. not just the Sanssouci palace but we liked the whole town - a very good place to spend a night, and if you do, don't miss having a meal at the Alter Stadtwaechter next to the Brandenburger Tor.

http://www.alter-stadtwaechter.de/

here's the official tourist board website for Potsdam:

http://www.potsdam-tourism.com/detai...theme/a-z.html

Woyzeck

I also just wanted to point out that the Rhine isn't on the way to Frankfurt from Salzburg - it's beyond Frankfurt.

rushngal

hi woyzek, we are in salzburg now and i only found out about a week ago where the rhine is. I am a dumkof!! we are heading to nuremburg tomorrow and then on to boppard or st goar. had a really great trip so far but the lighter for the gps has broken ?? and we are going to salzburg airport to see avis car rental to get it fixed or a new car. such a little thing but the gps means a hell of a lot to us!!