After a long day of filming our new TV episode on Berlin, I decided to take my own audio tour — the newest self-guided tour on our free Rick Steves’ Audio Europe app. You likely won't recognize any specific paintings, but it's still an enjoyable stroll through German culture from the century in which that notion first came to mean something. With its motto, "To the German People," it's the symbolic heart of German democracy. 1. This is my neighborhood, really, you know? ▲▲ Jewish Museum Berlin Engaging, accessible museum celebrating Jewish culture, in a highly conceptual building. If, however, you're spending four days or more in Berlin, the extra information in Rick Steves Berlin can be worthwhile. Today’s Berlin is vibrant with youthful energy, and it’s changing fast. Exhibits line up along several long blocks of Bernauer Strasse, stretching northeast from the Nordbahnhof S-Bahn station. You grab a lounge chair from the stack, set it where you like, and enjoy your drink. Series: Rick Steves' Europe Berlin. Rate. I' m headed back to both cities for return trips this September , myself . ▲▲ Gendarmenmarkt Inviting square bounded by twin churches (one with a fine German history exhibit), a chocolate shop, and a concert hall. You can discover even more European destinations with "Rick Steves' Europe" every weekday at 7:30 p.m. Berlin Wall Memorial The Berlin Wall divided capitalist West Berlin from communist East Berlin from 1961 to 1989. And the last room celebrates the happy ending, the euphoric days in 1989 when people-power literally tore down the Wall. Thanks for joining us. After 1945, the bombed out building stood like a ghost through the Cold War. Explore the fun and funky neighborhoods in the former East, packed with creative eateries and boutiques trying to one-up each other. (photo: Cameron Hewitt) The Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum offers a sobering reminder of the 50,000 lives lost at the concentration camp just 20 miles north of Berlin. Once you enter the memorial, people seem to appear and then disappear. It was right here, deep in his underground bunker, that Hitler committed suicide…on April 30, 1945. Rick: A huge building project. Sightseeing through its turbulent 20th century is an enriching experience. While most of the complex just feels big (the nearby shopping arcade is like any huge, modern, American mall), the entrance to the complex and Sony Center are worth a visit, and German-film buffs will enjoy the Deutsche Kinemathek museum housed inside. These slim guides offer all of Rick's up-to-date advice on what sights are worth your time and money. Escapees would hide, crammed into tiny cars. Holger: Absolutely, yes. I ran across it on Google maps as I planned a walk from the the Köpenick S station to the Friedrichshagen S station that included the Spreetunnel Friedrichshagen, a 1927 pedestrian tunnel that goes under the Spree river. If you're spending only a few days in Berlin, Rick Steves Best of Germany is all you're likely to need. This stark, gray, boxy building is one of the few memorial sites that focuses on the perpetrators rather than the victims of the Nazis. Terms of Service | Privacy, Berlin, Germany: Brandenburg Gate and Museum Island, Berlin, Germany: East Berlin's Communist Propaganda, Berlin, Germany: History of the Reichstag, Berlin, Germany: Potsdamer Platz and Alexanderplatz, Berlin, Germany: Reminders of a Troubled Past, Berlin, Germany: The Wall and Checkpoint Charlie. But for Germans, with their dark recent history, the view that matters most is inward, looking down, literally over the shoulders of their legislators. Berlin, Hitler's capital during World War II, was essentially destroyed in 1945. The statue of a pietà, Mother with her Dead Son, is by Käthe Kollwitz, a Berlin artist who lived through both World Wars. Only a couple of these still stand. This cathedral, while Protestant, is as ornate as if it were Catholic. S11, Ep5. Nearby is a sight with nothing to see: a parking lot — vacant…yet thought-provoking. And I don't need to bring up my bucket of coal anymore. A man of the Enlightenment, his vision was to create not just a military power, but a land of high culture…"a new Rome." And, while you could read this story anywhere, to take this in atop the Gestapo headquarters is a powerful experience. Just down the street, an exhibition called the "Topography of Terror"is built upon the bombed out remains of the notorious SS and Gestapo buildings. For any Berliner under 30, their world has always been capitalistic, democratic, free, and peaceful. It was desecrated by Nazis on Crystal Night (Kristallnacht) in 1938, bombed in 1943, and partially rebuilt in 1990. See more ideas about Rick steves, Europe, Rick steves travel. 10. ▲ Deutsche Kinemathek Film and TV Museum An entertaining look at German film and TV, from Metropolis to Dietrich to Nazi propaganda to the present day. Stepping inside, you can see how the first German Emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm, ordered up bombastic decor, which seems to declare "we're here to stay." Let's do the Time Warp again! Intentionally disorienting? Back in the 1850s, '70s, Industrial Revolution comes along, the population of Berlin doubled within the space of 30 years, from one to two million, so people needed apartments, people needed space to live, so that's why all these buildings were built. Since tastes and interests vary from person to person , and there is a great deal to see in each city , it is best for you to get some basic focus and then return here for specifics . This one drove six people to freedom before finally being discovered. While it's overseen plenty of war, the Brandenburg Gate was designed as an arch of peace, crowned by a majestic four-horse chariot with the Goddess of Peace at the reins. Rick Steves' Europe. In the latest edition of this top-selling guidebook, Rick covers the best of Europe's big cities and inspiring countrysides. I would go on one of the many themed walking tours on offer in Berlin: Cold War, 3rd Reich, Jewish Berlin, Berlin Underground. With the emperor's lead, this ornate style came into vogue, and anyone who wanted to be associated with the royal class built this way. In order to compete with Austria, France, and Russia — all of which had lots more people — Prussia became a virtual military boot camp. But even with massive housing projects and lots of clever propaganda, it took a wall to keep the people of East Berlin from leaving. Inside you'll find:Comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring BerlinRick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favoritesTop sights and hidden gems, from the colorful East Side Gallery, to the Memorial of the Berlin Wall, to cozy corner biergartensHow to connect with local culture: Raise a pint with the locals … The memorial, open to the sky, incorporates the elements — sunshine, rain, snow — falling on this modern-day pietà. Five hundred years ago, this boulevard was just a carriageway connecting the Prussian emperor's palace in the city center with his hunting grounds — today's sprawling park, the Tiergarten. This wonderful example of communist art is on the north side of the German Finance Ministry (on Wilhelmstrasse, under the portico at the corner with Leipziger Strasse). Find everything you need for packing — and planning your dream trip to Europe. Inside you'll find: *Comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring Berlin The articles 10 great books about Berlin and 10 great books about the Berlin Wall have more than the "usual suspects." The mural shows the communist ideal; the reality is portrayed in an enlarged photograph in the ground in the courtyard in front of the mural — showing a 1953 uprising here against the communists…quite a contrast. Notice how the Fascist architecture is monumental, making the average person feel small and powerless. In their attempt to exterminate the Jewish race, the Nazis killed six million Jews. (11:35). We explore the totalitarian society Hitler built, and see the consequences: genocide and total war. 0. Join Rick and his team of travel-savvy teachers every Monday night on Zoom as we explore Europe (and beyond) together. Rick Steves’ Europe. Visiting actual locations — from Munich to Nürnberg to Berlin — we trace the roots of Nazism in the aftermath of World War I, when masses of angry people were enchanted by Hitler. Snapshot guides are a great choice for travelers visiting a specific city or region, rather than multiple European destinations. The rise and fall of fascism in Germany; tracing the roots of Nazism after World War 1, from Munich to Nuremberg to Berlin; exploring the totalitarian society built by Adolf Hitler. Join Rick and his team of travel-savvy teachers every Monday night on Zoom as we explore Europe (and beyond) together. German cities were idealistic God-fearing centers of high culture. It's entirely up to you to derive the meaning, while pondering this horrible chapter in human history. The Berlin Cathedral, built in the exuberant generation after the creation of Germany, towers over those museums. Freeing to fleedom. Heroic struggles were waged for the fatherland. In Berlin, it’s clear that history is not contained in a book — it envelops the entire city. Rick Steves' Europe. Consecrated in 1866, this was once the biggest and finest synagogue in Germany, with seating for 3,200 worshippers and a sumptuous Moorish-style interior modeled after the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. The adjacent museum, the House at Checkpoint Charlie, shows how desperation drove East Berliners to all kinds of creative escape attempts — over, under, and through the Wall. Learn about Rick Steves' small-group tours with more than 40 great itineraries for 2021! Prenzlauer Berg was bordered by the Berlin Wall. Until next time... Keep on travelin'. It's a fine example of how Berlin developed. In early 1945, as Allied armies advanced on Berlin and Nazi Germany lay in ruins, Hitler and his inner circle retreated here. 8. There's no central gathering point; it's for individuals, like death. A week later, the war in Europe was over. Imagine, Germans fighting Russians on its rooftop. This island is filled with some of Berlin's most impressive museums (all part of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin). The tenor of the times these days — with the city rebuilt and thoroughly reunified — is peaceful and that's the feeling here on a lazy summer afternoon. You grab a lounge chair from the stack, set it where you like, and enjoy your drink. With the Wall gone, the two Berlins were mended together and the scars of the Cold War began to fade. In Rick Steves Berlin you'll find in-depth Rick-tested information on: Practicalities Easy-to-follow maps (including color maps of Germany, Greater Berlin, Central Berlin, and Berlin's public transportation network) Trip planning: When to go, pretrip checklist, festivals … A walkway winds all the way to the top. Checkpoint Charlie — the most famous border crossing between the East and West — stood about here. And Berlin has emerged as one of Europe's top destinations. And since then, this once thoroughly divided city has tackled the challenge of reunification, and, after a massive and costly rebuild, has effectively woven itself back together. From the Matterhorn to the Jungfrau to Appenzell, we savor both the country’s jaw-dropping alpine beauty and the rich and resilient culture of its people. But after World War I, the German Republic was proclaimed from right here. Holger: And we call them Ampelmännchen. You can enter two different museums plus various open-air exhibits and memorials, see several fragments of the Wall, and peer from an observation tower down into a preserved, complete stretch of the Wall system (as it was during the Cold War). Rick: And today, today they're paying rent? Then, in 1933, a mysterious fire gutted the building, giving Hitler a convenient opportunity to blame the communists for the blaze in order to consolidate his hold on power. By Rick Steves. This Holocaust memorial, consisting of 2,711 gravestone-like pillars (called "stelae") and completed in 2005, was the first formal, German government-sponsored Holocaust memorial. This huge square, Alexanderplatz, was a commercial center of East Berlin in the communist days. Don't be tempted. We enjoy its now-trendy east side, its people-friendly riverfront, and its vibrant social scene. Rooms recall the artful diplomacy of the age, including President Reagan's famous speech. 4. So that's pretty much survived here. Consider a kitschy trip to the observation deck for the view and lunch in its revolving restaurant (mediocre food, horrible lounge music, reservations smart for dinner). Terms of Service | Privacy, Upcoming Holidays and Festivals in Germany, Berlin Looks to the Future, Remembers Its Past, Pomp and Consequence: Visiting Europe’s 20th-Century Fascist Sites, Seeing History Unfold at Berlin’s Reichstag, Unter den Linden: Berlin’s Main Drag Comes Back to Life, Music Appreciation for Travel: Part I Rate. Today’s Berlin is vibrant with youthful energy, and it’s changing fast. And artists and intellectuals here were all about legitimizing the notion that Germany should be a single, independent nation. Holger: Well, this is Prenzlauer Berg. Holger: Yeah, that's one thing people here really kept from the communist times, and they really fought for them. Once a tense and foreboding place, it's now a garish commercial free-for-all. There's plenty of picnicking and lots of entertainment. Rick Steves' Europe Haarlem, Netherlands: Herring and Heritage 4m 39s Haarlem is a “Dutch Masters” kind of town, with plenty of 17th-century architecture. 5. They're so jaunty. The earliest building — the Altes Museum — went up in the 1820s, and the rest of the complex began taking shape in the 1840s under King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, who envisioned the island as an oasis of culture and learning. Under its inspiring dome, heroes of the Reformation — like Calvin and Luther — stand vigilant, fingers pointing to the scripture as if to guard their theology. It's an essential part of the Rick Steves tour experience. But for anyone fascinated by 20th-century tumult, the city is hog heaven. Hit Europe's can't-miss art, sights, and bites with RICK STEVES BEST OF EUROPE! It's cool, people come in with money, the creative people move out, and now you've got comfortable, desirable apartments. ©2021 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | It's the site of Hitler's vast underground bunker. Posted on October 3, 2020 October 12, 2020 by Rick Steves Daily Dose of Europe: Ghosts in Berlin In Berlin, it’s clear that history is not contained in a book — it envelops the entire city. 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