Season 8 Episode 12 | 25m 4s | Video has closed captioning. Midday:  If you're still going strong with museums, take a lunch break at the Bode Museum café or under the S-Bahn tracks on Georgenstrasse; if you're done early, walk to the Scheunenviertel for lunch. This story appears in my newest book, For the Love of Europe — collecting 100 of my favorite memories from a lifetime of European travel. by Rick Steves. But with the collapse of communism in the 1990s and the reunification of Germany on October 3, 1990, Berlin became the capital of united Germany. The timing of this day depends on how much museum-going you want. Map. ISBN-13: 9781631218286: Publisher: Avalon Publishing: Publication date: 12/18/2018: Series: Rick Steves' Travel Guides Series: Edition description: 2nd ed. I wave down a cab and hop in. But all this can distract us from a more important reason to travel. Like ancient Romans keeping a few vanquished barbarians in cages for locals to spit at, capitalism and the West flaunt victory in Berlin. 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. 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. And plenty of visitors have a blast just hanging out in Berlin's funky neighborhoods and leafy parks, never stepping through a turnstile. They were sent to concentration camps where they were eventually killed. Then, making me feel foolish for feeling foolish, he says, “I’ve lived here 31 years. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v3.1'; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Memorials across Europe remind us of the unthinkable horrors of 20th-century fascism — and compel us to never let it happen again. 11:30  Take my guidebook's Unter den Linden Walk (or the second third of the "Berlin City Walk" / "Best of Berlin Walk"). No more fascism. 18:30  Ride tram #M10 to Prenzlauer Berg for dinner. Tour Account › Travel Forum › Home / Travel Forum / Germany; Please sign in to post. There's spectacular scenery — the jagged Alps, flower-filled meadows, rolling hills of forests and farms, and mighty rivers — dotted all over with castles and churches of every variety. Jerked around too much by their politicians in the past century, Germans are determined to keep a closer eye on them from now on. 13:00  Grab a takeaway lunch to enjoy on a Spree River cruise. Title Author Replies Last Post ; Family of five (two young adults, one teen) Stuttgart and Munich advice! If, however, you're spending four days or more in Berlin, the extra information in Rick Steves Berlin can be worthwhile. Most restaurants offer it (often as the cheapest thing on the menu), but it’s more commonly eaten at take-out fast-food stands. I thought, “I’m living in a dumbed-down society.” And it saddened me. Though jam-packed, they work if you're energetic and well-organized. Defeating Hitler and Mussolini took total war — a massive and heroic effort led by Britain, the USA, and the Soviet Union. see all formats. Post questions and answers about travel in Germany. (This clip is excerpted from my new one-hour special “Rick Steves’ The Story of Fascism in Europe.” 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. I use the opportunity to get a local’s perspective and ask the driver if he is a Berliner. Pages: 458: Sales rank: 1,182,842: Product dimensions: … With knowledge of the past, we can better appreciate the significance of what’s happening today. Europe’s 10 Best Markets. 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). 18:00  Return to Prenzlauer Berg (tram #M10 or walk along the rest of the memorial) for dinner. (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 were so preoccupied with trivialities — camera batteries, their Cokes, the air-conditioning — that they missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate this great moment with the German people. Considering all this, the clash of history and today’s vibrant city is almost overwhelming. read While Germany sits in the driver’s seat of Europe’s economy, it doesn’t take a cultural backseat. By Rick Steves. Posted on February 21, 2019 February 21, 2019. I don’t want to live in a dumbed-down society. December 10, 2014. Since 1973, Rick Steves has spent about four months a year exploring Europe. Reading it, I can hear his voice: “eesh been ein Bear-lee-ner” (“I am a Berliner”). 16:30  Take tram #M10 to Nordbahnhof and tour the Berlin Wall Memorial. It requires a vigilant and engaged populace. I enjoy it, too. January 24, 2007 | $11.99. No more division. Start a New Topic . Nearby is the American Embassy, famous for taking security concerns to new heights. 13:00  Grab a quick Currywurst lunch near Museum Island. Try Rick Steves Best of Germany. Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves Berlin. What traveler doesn’t love a great European market? And, in good European fashion, the Germans didn’t bulldoze their parliament building. 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. Home / Blog; Destination: Berlin. Rating: Amazon Price: $19.99 $11.76 You save: $8.23 (41%) (as of September 18, 2020 12:58 am – Details). Rick Steves / Times Colonist March 2, 2019 06:00 AM If you plan to go to "Mad" King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles … Toss in 80 stores and local subway lines, and it’s a city in itself. From fairy-tale castles and alpine forests to quaint villages and modern cities: with Rick Steves on your side, Germany can be yours! When he turns to me, I realize he’s Turkish, which makes me feel a little foolish. You can also find clips related to this story at Rick Steves Classroom Europe; just search for Berlin. Rick Steves Germany, Austria & Switzerland Planning Map: Including Berlin, Munich, Salzburg & Vienna City Maps. If Kennedy, after one day, could say ‘Ich bin ein Berliner,’ then I guess I can say I am a Berliner, too.”. By Rick Steves Special to the Star Fri., May 9, 2014 timer 4 min. 10:00  Follow my Berlin guidebook's Reichstag & Brandenburg Gate Walk (a.k.a. I have a powerful image stuck in my mind of Hitler and his architect and right-hand man, Albert Speer, poring over plans for postwar Berlin…a metropolis super-sized in a way that makes Paris look quaint. Buy the Paperback Book Rick Steves Germany 2019 by Rick Steves at Indigo.ca, Canada's largest bookstore. 15:00  Ride the U-Bahn (U2 from Potsdamer Platz 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). Berlin . 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. In 1933, this symbol of democracy nearly burned down. Inside, a cone of 360 mirrors reflects natural light into the legislative chamber below. Over my last few visits to the city, I can see the irony that in some ways, Speer’s vision of a dynamic new Berlin dominating Europe could be coming true. History buffs could be on cloud nine without ever looking at a single canvas. Rick Steves' Europe. S11 E1104: Germany’s Fascist Story. 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. Enjoy on a Spree River cruise with a picnic lunch the love of Europe 's high-powered... A dumbed-down society. ” and it ’ s something a lot of travelers don ’ t love great. 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