16:00  Follow my Berlin guidebook's Communist East Berlin Walk (the final third of the "Berlin City Walk" / "Best of Berlin Walk"). 13:00  Grab a quick Currywurst lunch near Museum Island. Travelers enjoy a privileged way to hear it — and sometimes an up-close chance to witness history in the making. Jerked around too much by their politicians in the past century, Germans are determined to keep a closer eye on them from now on. I vowed right there, in my work as a travel writer, that I would expect my readers to be engaged…and made smarter by their travels. No more fascism. The former headquarters of the Stasi (the East German equivalent of the KGB) is now a museum and an archive where former East Germans can come to explore their files. Anytime you’re surrounded by teary-eyed Germans, something exceptional is going on. The Reichstag dome is a powerful architectural symbol. Traveling across Germany, we learn how fascism rose and then fell, taking millions of people with it. 11:30  Follow my guidebook's Unter den Linden Walk (or the second third of the "Berlin City Walk" / "Best of Berlin Walk"). Pages: 458: Sales rank: 1,182,842: Product dimensions: … 15:00  Your choice: Take bus #200 to City West for sightseeing and dinner, or head to the Jewish Museum and/or Berlinische Galerie, then to Kreuzberg for exploring and dinner. The Story of Fascism: The Allies Defeat Fascist Germany, Defeating Hitler and Mussolini took total war — a massive and heroic effort led by Britain, the USA, and the Soviet Union. 18:30  Head back to Prenzlauer Berg (tram #M10 or walk along the rest of the memorial) for dinner. Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof . It had a fancy bar on top, but the best thing East Berliners could say about it back then was, “It’s so tall that if it falls, we’ll have an elevator to freedom.”. Here’s another one of my favorite travel memories — a reminder of what’s waiting for you in Europe at the other end of this crisis. 18:00  Return to Prenzlauer Berg (tram #M10 or walk along the rest of the memorial) for dinner. Germany's Hamburg and the Luther Trail . Daily Dose of Europe: The Castles of Boyhood Dreams . Rick Steves' Europe | Episode | Germany’s Fascist Story. With Rick Steves’ Germany and Austria 2007, travelers can experience Rick's favorite destinations in Munich, Bavaria, Baden-Baden, Rothenburg, Würsburg, Frankfurt, the Rhine Valley, Dresden, Berlin, Vienna, the Danube Valley, Salzbu Berlin. 15:30  Take the U-Bahn to Senefelderplatz and stroll the heart of Prenzlauer Berg, from Senefelderplatz to Kollwitzplatz to Kastanienallee, Oderberger Strasse, and the Mauerpark (with my Berlin guidebook, follow its Prenzlauer Berg Walk). Free shipping on orders over $35. Posted on February 21, 2019 February 21, 2019. When the Reichstag first reopened, I climbed to the top of the dome and found myself surrounded by teary-eyed Germans. 14:30  Follow my guidebook's Communist East Berlin Walk (or the final third of the "Berlin City Walk" / "Best of Berlin Walk"). Across from a very busy Starbucks is one of the “ghost” subway stations that went unused through the Cold War and now feels like a 1930s time warp. sold out. His mission: to empower Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. Home / Blog: Cameron's Travels; Destination: Berlin. the first third of the "Berlin City Walk" or "Best of Berlin Walk" in my Germany guidebook, Best of Germany guidebook, and Northern European Cruise Ports guidebook, and available as a free audio tour). Slices of the Berlin Wall hang like scalps at the gate to the Sony Center, the audacious office park at Potsdamer Platz. This clip is excerpted from my new one-hour special “Rick Steves’ The Story of Fascism in Europe.” Check your local listings for air times — and if you don’t see it, please ask your public television station to add it to their schedule. I remember staying there during the Cold War, when a West German five-Mark coin changed on the black market would get me and my friends drinks all night. the first third of the "Berlin City Walk" or "Best of Berlin Walk" in my Germany guidebook, Best of Germany guidebook, and Scandinavian & Northern European Cruise Ports guidebook, and available as a free audio tour). 11:30  Follow my Berlin guidebook's Unter den Linden Walk (or the second third of the "Berlin City Walk" / "Best of Berlin Walk"). No more division. sold out. Buy the Paperback Book Rick Steves Germany 2019 by Rick Steves at Indigo.ca, Canada's largest bookstore. Skip to main content. There's plenty to see and do here. Home / Blog; Destination: Berlin. My new book is called “For the Love of Europe” — and this is just one of its 100 travel tales. You can also find clips related to this story at Rick Steves Classroom Europe; just search for Berlin. Expanding your trip? Rick Steves' Europe. Afternoon:  Explore Hackescher Markt and nearby sights (laid out as the "Scheunenviertel Walk" in my Berlin guidebook), then visit the Palace of Tears; with additional time, choose from the "Days 4–7" options, below. Rick Steves Germany is famously a work in progress — as is the nearby Netherlands — and that includes their sightseeing attractions. Amazon.ca: rick steves guidebooks germany. Germany is blessed with some of Europe's most high-powered sights. January 24, 2007 | $11.99. The magic of Europe can make any traveler feel like a kid again. 19:00  Have dinner in the Scheunenviertel. ISBN-13: 9781631218286: Publisher: Avalon Publishing: Publication date: 12/18/2018: Series: Rick Steves' Travel Guides Series: Edition description: 2nd ed. I enjoy it, too. Morning:  Binge on your choice of Museum Island area museums: Pergamon, Neues, Old National Gallery, German History Museum, or DDR Museum. A city of leafy boulevards, grand Neoclassical buildings, world-class art, and glitzy shopping arcades, it's vibrant with youth, energy, and an anything-goes-and-anything's-possible buzz. The Story of Fascism: The Allies Defeat Fascist Germany Defeating Hitler and Mussolini took total war — a massive and heroic effort led by Britain, the USA, and the Soviet Union. My Account. Most restaurants offer it (often as the cheapest thing on the menu), but it’s more commonly eaten at take-out fast-food stands. And the glass dome capping the bombed-out Reichstag is where, on the rooftop on May Day 1945, Russian troops quelled a furious Nazi last stand. Toss in 80 stores and local subway lines, and it’s a city in itself. $11.99. (This story is excerpted from my upcoming book, For the Love of Europe — collecting 100 of my favorite memories from a lifetime of European travel. Defeating Hitler and Mussolini took total war — a massive and heroic effort led by Britain, the USA, and the Soviet Union. Across the street, statues of Marx and Lenin (nicknamed “the Pensioners” by locals) look wistfully at the huge TV tower East Berlin built under communism. Even if we’ve had to postpone trips to Europe, I believe a daily dose of travel dreaming can actually be good medicine. Powerful forces find it convenient when we’re dumbed down. The amazing story of Berlin swirls through my head: Speer’s vision, Hitler’s burning body, the last stand on the rooftop…the communists, the heroic American airlift, when the Communists attempted to starve a free Berlin into submission…Kennedy’s speech, followed 24 years later by Reagan’s demand to “tear down this wall”…the euphoria-turned-challenge of Germany’s reunification, and the gleaming city visitors marvel at today. Travel can broaden our perspective, enabling us to rise above the advertiser-driven info­tainment we call the news to see things as citizens of the world. But like Berlin, it's definitively Protestant. 16:30  Take tram #M10 to Nordbahnhof and tour the Berlin Wall Memorial. 18:00  Head to Hackescher Markt (take the S-Bahn from Alexanderplatz, or walk from Museum Island) and explore the market and nearby sights (laid out as the "Scheunenviertel Walk" in my Berlin guidebook). These suggested itineraries from my Berlin guidebook will help you prioritize Berlin's many sights, whether you're spending one day, two days, three days, or up to a week in Berlin. Smaller text Larger text. Lit from inside at night, it gives Berlin a kind of lantern celebrating good governance. But for anyone fascinated by 20th-century tumult, the city is hog heaven. If you have more time, spread out these activities to give yourself some breathing room. Terms of Service | Privacy, Scandinavian & Northern European Cruise Ports guidebook, City West sights: Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Käthe Kollwitz Museum, strolling Ku'damm, and browsing KaDeWe and Bikini Berlin stores; with more time, extend your explorations into the adjacent Schöneberg district, Kreuzberg (you could add on Treptower Park or Tempelhof Field), Charlottenburg Palace and nearby modern art museums, Friedrichshain and 20th-century sights: East Side Gallery, Stasi Museum, and/or Karl-Marx-Allee; Treptower Park is also nearby, Day-trip to Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum, Day-trip to the Martin Luther sights in Wittenberg. Above that is the hotel balcony where Michael Jackson famously dangled his baby (according to local guides, it’s the sight of greatest interest for most American tourists). If you're spending only a few days in Berlin, Rick Steves Germany is all you're likely to need. And if you take freedom for granted, you can lose it. You can also find clips related to this story at Rick Steves Classroom Europe; just search for Berlin. In 1933, this symbol of democracy nearly burned down. With every visit, I remember my spooky first time there in 1971, when tour buses returning to the West were emptied at the border so mirrors could be rolled under the bus to see if anyone was trying to escape with us. 14:30  Choose from these Museum Island area sights: Pergamon, Neues Museum, Old National Gallery, German History Museum, or DDR Museum. The Berlin Cathedral, built in the exuberant generation after the creation of Germany, towers over those museums. In Prague, Rick explores the historic Royal Way and tries to learn a little Czech. I wave down a cab and hop in. Rick Steves' Germany, Austria, and Switzerland Map: Including Berlin, Munich, Salzburg and Vienna Ci: Written by Rick Steves, 2007 Edition, (1st Edition) Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing [Map]: Books - … Rick Steves' Europe. When we travel, we have the opportunity to see history as it’s unfolding. Nearly everyone had a file. History buffs could be on cloud nine without ever looking at a single canvas. 0:26:16 | Episode. But a knowledge of its past gives it far deeper meaning. December 10, 2014. They capped it with a glorious glass dome, incorporating modern architectural design into a late-19th-century icon, and opened it up to the people. If Kennedy, after one day, could say ‘Ich bin ein Berliner,’ then I guess I can say I am a Berliner, too.”. My suggested plans incorporate a bit of everything. When he turns to me, I realize he’s Turkish, which makes me feel a little foolish. The Berlin Wall. For tourists unaware of history, it was just a new dome to climb, offering another vantage point on the city. Buy Online. By Rick Steves While most European capitals have a handful of clear-cut "must-see" sights, Berlin is more of a "choose your own adventure" destination. Paperback. Lowlife characters sell fake bits of the wall, WWII-vintage gas masks, and DDR medals. (This clip is excerpted from my new one-hour special “Rick Steves’ The Story of Fascism in Europe.” Check your local listings for air times — and if you don’t see it, please ask your public television station to add it to their schedule. Earn 60 plum ® points. Nearby is the American Embassy, famous for taking security concerns to new heights. Since 1973, Rick Steves has spent about four months a year exploring Europe. Rick Steves' Europe. Posted on July 23, 2012 June 11, 2017. The victory party rages on at Checkpoint Charlie. His mission: to empower Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. While most European capitals have a handful of clear-cut "must-see" sights, Berlin is more of a "choose your own adventure" destination. There are many memorials, including one to the six million murdered Jews of Europe and another to the first victims of Hitler: 96 men, the German equivalent of congressmen, who spoke out in the name of democracy against his rule in the early 1930s. 13:30  Do an "express tour" of the Pergamon, Neues Museum, and Old National Gallery; or, if you prefer history, tour the German History Museum and/or DDR Museum. Whatever the case, he used the fire as a convenient excuse to frame the communists and grab total power. Rick Steves takes us through the city, showing us highlights throughout its history. It offers more in-depth sightseeing information, several additional self-guided city walks and museum/sight tours, and more specifics on shopping and entertainment. That’s something a lot of travelers don’t take advantage of…and it’s never been more important. From fairy-tale castles and alpine forests to quaint villages and modern cities: with Rick Steves on your side, Germany can be yours! Germany. Tour Account › Travel Forum › Home / Travel Forum / Germany; Please sign in to post. S11 E1104: Germany’s Fascist Story. (This clip is excerpted from my new one-hour special “Rick Steves’ The Story of Fascism in Europe.” Check your local listings for air times — and if you don’t see it, please ask your public television station to add it to their schedule. They respected the building’s cultural roots and renovated it. 11:30  Take my guidebook's Unter den Linden Walk (or the second third of the "Berlin City Walk" / "Best of Berlin Walk"). Berlin, Germany: Trendy Prenzlauer Berg – Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide – Travel Bite . Buy the Paperback Book Rick Steves Germany 2020 by Rick Steves at Indigo.ca, Canada's largest bookstore. Standing at the historic Brandenburg Gate, I face Berlin’s fashionable new heart: Pariser Platz. 10:00  Follow my Berlin guidebook's Reichstag & Brandenburg Gate Walk (a.k.a. ©2021 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Rating: Amazon Price: $19.99 $11.76 You save: $8.23 (41%) (as of September 18, 2020 12:58 am – Details). Smaller text Larger text. Considering all this, the clash of history and today’s vibrant city is almost overwhelming. And this dome is designed to let them do exactly that. Next door, the DDR Museum is filled mostly with East German tourists rummaging through the nostalgia on display from their parents’ dreary lives under communism. I thought, “I’m living in a dumbed-down society.” And it saddened me. It’s coming out in July, and available for pre-order. 18:30  Ride tram #M10 to Prenzlauer Berg for dinner. 17:00  Take tram #M10 to Nordbahnhof and tour the Berlin Wall Memorial. 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