Berlin - Europe's Hidden Gem

What a “hidden” gem.  I say hidden because as I have talked to people about where to visit in Europe, the answers are pretty much the same … Paris, London, Rome, Italy, France and in some instances, Amsterdam.  Never has anyone said Berlin.  I highly encourage you to visit.  It has significant history and sites to visit.

We started by taking the tour bus at Alexanderplatz, a first for us, just to get a layout of the city.  At the farthest point, we hopped off at Charlottenburg Palace, the largest surviving palace in Berlin.  We hopped back on to go to Potsdamer Platz, Checkpoint Charlie, Jewish Memorial, Brandenburg Gate.  The following day we visited the Pergamon Museuem and the Reischstag.  The Pergamon was very interesting as German archeologist brought the actual ruins to Berlin and reconstructed the structure – truly fascinating.  The dome on the Reischstag gave wonderful views to the city.

For the most part, Berlin’s architecture is modern.  As you have seen from many photos, I am not a “modern” enthusiast.  I will say, though, that I was captivated by Berlin’s modern buildings.  They weren’t just steel, glass, box structures.  They had character and style.

Rhine River Day 2

We drove up the Rhine on the second day and toured Rheinfels Castle at St. Goar. It was started in 1245 by Count Diether V of Katzenelnbogen. After expansions, it was the largest fortress in the Middle Rhein Valley between Koblenz and Mainz.

Later in the afternoon, we took a short walk into the vineyard at Bacharach and had some fantastic views from the top of the tower.

Rhine River in September 2012

I am late in sharing our Sept. 2012 experience in Germany.  We spent the first few days touring the Rhine River, took a train to Berlin, and then enjoyed cosmopolitan Berlin.  We invited Chase, Rachel and Camryn to join us.  What a hoot!  Camryn did just great.

The pictures below are from the Rhine River.  There are so many, I've had to split into to different posts.  We stayed in Bacharach on the river.  The town is goes back to a least the 11th century.  There are few buildings dating to the 13th century.  It was a lovely, small town geared towards the tourist trade.  On the hillside, there are numerous vineyards sporting the regional Riesling wines.  More on Bacharach

 The Rhine River begins in Switzerland and terminates in the North Sea.  It is the 12th longest in Europe and the longest in Germany.  The attraction of the Rhine are the castles - 40 of them.  Typically, they demanded a toll for ships and barges passing by.  One castle sits in the middle of the Rhine!

We took the cruise for the day.  Hopped on at Bacharach, slow meandering ride up to Koblenz.  We walked in Koblenz for 45 minutes, then RAN back to the dock to catch the last boat to Bacharach.  It was very relaxing, but at times a bit chilly.