We made a whirlwind car trip across Germany and the Czech Republic on a long weekend in late October. It started with a 6 hour drive to Berlin. After a restful sleep at night and a hearty breakfast in the morning, we embarked on exploring Berlin- 3 adults and 1 toddler.
We bought a group ticket for a day (just 16 euros!) at the nearest S-bahn. It was the easiest and cheapest way to get around. Although I would have loved to try out an hop-on-hop-off or some other sight-seeing bus option, I have been advised against this by many a traveler!. So, using a tourist map and public transport, we went around exploring Berlin.
Our first stop was Brandenburg Tor (Gate). It was just above the subway station. It is a beautiful 12 pillared monument, that has come to be the hallmark of Berlin. Atop the gate is a beautiful "Quadriga" or a 4 horse drawn chariot driven by the Roman goddess of victory- Victoria. The gate was built in the 1780s, as a symbol of peace, but has witnessed anything but that!.
The gate is walking distance from the German parliament- Reichstag. We walked the short distance to the Parliament house. The Reichstag is an imposing building in the midst of manicured lawns, with the words "Dem Deutschen Volke" proudly engraved on the front. There is a wonderful glass dome atop the parliament, which supposedly offers a bird's eye view of Berlin.
From the parliament, we headed back towards the Holocaust memorial, also within walking distance. On the way we passed a simple monument dedicated to the memory of the Sinti and Roma ("Gypsies") who were also killed in large numbers in the genocide. It was a deep black pit with constantly flowing water, situated in a clearing of trees in the vicinity of the Reichstag. In that quaint, unassuming setting, one does get a feeling of sadness for the meaningless of of lives. There is a simple poem etched on the walls of the pond..
We bought a group ticket for a day (just 16 euros!) at the nearest S-bahn. It was the easiest and cheapest way to get around. Although I would have loved to try out an hop-on-hop-off or some other sight-seeing bus option, I have been advised against this by many a traveler!. So, using a tourist map and public transport, we went around exploring Berlin.
Our first stop was Brandenburg Tor (Gate). It was just above the subway station. It is a beautiful 12 pillared monument, that has come to be the hallmark of Berlin. Atop the gate is a beautiful "Quadriga" or a 4 horse drawn chariot driven by the Roman goddess of victory- Victoria. The gate was built in the 1780s, as a symbol of peace, but has witnessed anything but that!.
The gate is walking distance from the German parliament- Reichstag. We walked the short distance to the Parliament house. The Reichstag is an imposing building in the midst of manicured lawns, with the words "Dem Deutschen Volke" proudly engraved on the front. There is a wonderful glass dome atop the parliament, which supposedly offers a bird's eye view of Berlin.
From the parliament, we headed back towards the Holocaust memorial, also within walking distance. On the way we passed a simple monument dedicated to the memory of the Sinti and Roma ("Gypsies") who were also killed in large numbers in the genocide. It was a deep black pit with constantly flowing water, situated in a clearing of trees in the vicinity of the Reichstag. In that quaint, unassuming setting, one does get a feeling of sadness for the meaningless of of lives. There is a simple poem etched on the walls of the pond..
"Sucken in face
Extingushed eyes
Cold lips
Silence
A torn heart
without breath
without words
no tears"
Simple words that describe great emotion!.
The Holocaust memorial was no less poignant. The ground work of grey colored rectangle stone in different sizes doesn't strike a chord initially. But when one enters the underground museum, you are flooded with the sheer magnanimity of the criminal genocide. The stories of families torn apart are truly heart rendering. This place was seriously eye-opening. Every war must have a similar story.
It was nearly lunch time and in vain we searched for the elusive "Hitler's bunker"- the place where he supposedly committed suicide. But after a brief search, we were told that the place had been detonated and no longer existed!. It was now a underground parking lot for an apartment!.
Famished we sunk into the welcoming chairs of a Italian pizzeria for a meal of pizza and pasta. The wonderful thing about Berlin, was the food(international), the people (who converse with you in English) and the historical monuments.
Post lunch, we walked towards the Pergamon museum. We underestimated the distance from the Holocaust memorial, and had to walk quite a bit!. The museum is situated on a museum island (similar to Munich). The beautiful Berlin cathedral is situated close by and was a wonderful background for some memorable photographs.
Pergamon was worthy of the effort and expense to see it!. It had a superb collection, the most memorable were the frieze of the Pergamon altar and the Ishtar Gate of ancient Babylon. But my toddler was in no way awed by Pergamon and it was difficult to keep him out of trouble!.
Nearly dusk, we headed to the nearest subway. Our last stop for the day was the Berlin Wall memorial. Reaching the site after dark, we were disappointed to find the museum attached, had very little in terms of interactive media. The wall (or the last remaining remnant) was right outside the museum. Scribbled with graffiti, it wasn't much of a sight.
The next day, we headed towards Dresden by car. Starting out late(nearly afternoon), we couldn't hope to see much of Dresden. We spent some time in the military museum of Dresden. It was a huge place, with lots of information, but not for a tourist in a hurry!. The city of Dresden has a terrible world war history, being a major military base of the German army. It was bombed by allied forces, where more than 90% of the city was destroyed!. The city has been reconstructed since. Driving through the city at dusk, it is little wonder that this hidden gem of Germany, was once called the "Florence-on-the-Elbe"!.
A few hours of drive from Dresden, is Prague or Praha. Our last stop for the trip, we arrived tired and weary, late into the evening. We checked into a small hotel in the old town district, which had got rave reviews on Trip advisor, and it was not disappointing!. It was a refurbished mansion, now a star hotel, which was decorated with all kinds of stuff. It was warm and cozy. The view from the hotel window was awesome!- the beautiful Prague castle light up with bright lights and a host of other historical monuments!. It was like living in a medieval land of castles and mansions.
We had a scrumptious dinner, not far from the hotel. Food in Prague, like Berlin, was terrific on taste!. Walking through the narrow alleys of Prague's old town, I was struck by how wonderfully architecture had been preserved down the ages.
The next day morning, we embarked on yet another city tour. Prague is a city made for the tourist!. Everything, from the shops to the people to the food, is inviting the tourist and in fact screaming for attention!. Charles bridge is an iconic bridge built over the river Vltava and was our first stop. There were scores of artists and musicians selling their wares. Its the sheer activity of the place that one finds most appealing. This time we climbed on a short two hour long bus tour with an audio guide, that showed us the landmarks of the city. It is the best way to see a lot of the city in a short span of time. We stopped for a brief time at the Prague castle, just in time to witness the change of guard. There was a beautiful cathedral inside the castle compound, that boasted of breath-taking stained glass paintings.
The most memorable vision of Prague was the famous astronomical clock, near which we settled down fro lunch. Every hour, it chimes and the twelve apostles of Christ can be seen, acknowledging the masses from their window above the clock!.
Post lunch, we walked towards the Pergamon museum. We underestimated the distance from the Holocaust memorial, and had to walk quite a bit!. The museum is situated on a museum island (similar to Munich). The beautiful Berlin cathedral is situated close by and was a wonderful background for some memorable photographs.
Pergamon was worthy of the effort and expense to see it!. It had a superb collection, the most memorable were the frieze of the Pergamon altar and the Ishtar Gate of ancient Babylon. But my toddler was in no way awed by Pergamon and it was difficult to keep him out of trouble!.
Nearly dusk, we headed to the nearest subway. Our last stop for the day was the Berlin Wall memorial. Reaching the site after dark, we were disappointed to find the museum attached, had very little in terms of interactive media. The wall (or the last remaining remnant) was right outside the museum. Scribbled with graffiti, it wasn't much of a sight.
The next day, we headed towards Dresden by car. Starting out late(nearly afternoon), we couldn't hope to see much of Dresden. We spent some time in the military museum of Dresden. It was a huge place, with lots of information, but not for a tourist in a hurry!. The city of Dresden has a terrible world war history, being a major military base of the German army. It was bombed by allied forces, where more than 90% of the city was destroyed!. The city has been reconstructed since. Driving through the city at dusk, it is little wonder that this hidden gem of Germany, was once called the "Florence-on-the-Elbe"!.
A few hours of drive from Dresden, is Prague or Praha. Our last stop for the trip, we arrived tired and weary, late into the evening. We checked into a small hotel in the old town district, which had got rave reviews on Trip advisor, and it was not disappointing!. It was a refurbished mansion, now a star hotel, which was decorated with all kinds of stuff. It was warm and cozy. The view from the hotel window was awesome!- the beautiful Prague castle light up with bright lights and a host of other historical monuments!. It was like living in a medieval land of castles and mansions.
We had a scrumptious dinner, not far from the hotel. Food in Prague, like Berlin, was terrific on taste!. Walking through the narrow alleys of Prague's old town, I was struck by how wonderfully architecture had been preserved down the ages.
The next day morning, we embarked on yet another city tour. Prague is a city made for the tourist!. Everything, from the shops to the people to the food, is inviting the tourist and in fact screaming for attention!. Charles bridge is an iconic bridge built over the river Vltava and was our first stop. There were scores of artists and musicians selling their wares. Its the sheer activity of the place that one finds most appealing. This time we climbed on a short two hour long bus tour with an audio guide, that showed us the landmarks of the city. It is the best way to see a lot of the city in a short span of time. We stopped for a brief time at the Prague castle, just in time to witness the change of guard. There was a beautiful cathedral inside the castle compound, that boasted of breath-taking stained glass paintings.
The most memorable vision of Prague was the famous astronomical clock, near which we settled down fro lunch. Every hour, it chimes and the twelve apostles of Christ can be seen, acknowledging the masses from their window above the clock!.
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