nmm Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 yoim heading off to europe before fall semester with some peepsive planned to hit London, Paris, Barcelona, and one German citythe question is: What is ONE German city i could visit, so as i can get the "feel" of Germany? Time is short, and each city has something unique about it. But i want to hit up that "one" city that defines Germany in terms of culture, history, people, dining, tourism, etc - I was thinking Berlin, or Frankfurt. What do yall suggest? and any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciatedthanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 Skip Germany and head to Prague. If you must do Germany, hit Dresden or Leipzig.Berlin and Frankfurt are worse than Dallas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trophy Property Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 Skip Germany and head to Prague. If you must do Germany, hit Dresden or Leipzig.Berlin and Frankfurt are worse than Dallas.I agree that prague is a fantastic city. I spent a week there back in 95. I heard it has changed a lot since then, but when I was there it was dirt cheap and the nightlife was out of this world.I traveled through Germany as well. By far my favorite city was Munich. The Beer Gardens are so much fun. I agree that Frankfurt and Berlin were over rated and seemed like any other big city. If you hit Munich and are interested in the horrible history of the holocaust I would strongly reccomend taking a day trip to Daccau (sp). It is where one of the biggest concentration camps was located. I was with 3 other people and we all split up and walked the grounds alone. I got a real sense of the horrible attrocities that occured. Very somber day, but one I will never forget. There is also an hour film that shows the history of the site. Very enlightening. Have a great tip and send us some pics. The cities you mentioned are great, Barcelone is a wonderful place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 Prague is nice. Enjoy it while it's still not the E.U. I had a great lunch at a truck stop near Brno once. Huge meal with soup, salad, entree, two sides, and dessert -- cost me 20 cents American. This was back in 2003 though. The country's been going through Eurocreep since then.If your heart is set on Germany, I hear good things about Munich. Most of the other cities have become very Americanized.If you really want to have an authentic German experience -- go to Austria. Austria is like Germany's Canada. And just like going north of the border is like stepping back in time, visiting Austria is all the goodness of traditional German life without the 20th Century influence.(I was married in Vienna, and honeymooned in Prague.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 Plsen (home of Pilsner Urquel (original)) is worth a day trip from Prague. Bohemia rocks, home of the Zatec hops, and they love us! Streets are named Roosevelt and Amerika (Liberated by USA as Russia drove West). The trip from Praha to Pilsen reminds me of the Hill Country.Karlsetin was also nice day trip from Prague with a real German feel.But Munich is your best bet if you must visit The Fatherland. I have never been, but my travelling friend loves it. He used to work there with Compaq. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeebus Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 I've had friends tell me to see Munich as well. When I finally get to go, I'd like to see Munich, Vienna, Prague, & Krakow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trophy Property Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 If your heart is set on Germany, I hear good things about Munich. Most of the other cities have become very Americanized.(I was married in Vienna, and honeymooned in Prague.)I agree. I loved Austria much more than Germany (with the exception of Munich). Salzberg and Vienna were beautiful cities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 In Germany, Berlin. Munich was pretty, but a little too pretty and cutesy and tourist-ized. Berlin has a lot more of an edge to it, plus fascinating history and architecture. It takes a little longer to appreciate it, but I don't think I've ever enjoyed any city I've visited more. Berlin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krix Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Well, there is no one city that defines Germany, given Germany's long tradition of particularism and regionalism since the Middle Ages. So it really depends on what you wanna see, so if you can give me more criteria, I could help you better. Let me try to give you my opinion on the major German cities: I. Berlin (~3.4 million). The capital, the old capital of Prussia. Here you can find a lot of buildings connected to the past, from the Prussian kings and emperors to the Weimar Republic, the Nazi era, and the Cold War and the reunification. If history is your thing, Berlin is the place to be, also they just opened a great exhibition on 2000 yrs of German history. Also, directly after the reunification, Berlin was where the buzz was, meaning it had an extremely lively clubbing scene, young people moving there, you had a vibrant techno, gay and arts scene. With the transfer of all main government institutions and the influx of thousands of politicians and bureaucrats, this culture has suffered a bit in the last few years, but it is still very lively. They had a lot of construction, building all these exciting new buildings, they just finished the new Central Station, it is a great thing some pictures here (and if you click on "Video", it should show you a video of the light show) Potsdam is basically a suburb of Berlin now, it used to be the residential summer home of the Prussian kings and is full with palaces. II. Hamburg (~1.6 million). I might be biased since this is my hometown, but Hamburg has a long tradition of seeing itself as a gateway to international commerce (which largely meant England and Holland). It is the second-biggest city and biggest port. Different than Berlin, Hamburg was never a residential city and thus lacks the palaces but was a city of merchants, a so-called free and Hansa city. Hamburg has a very lively club scene (the Beatles played there before they hit it off) and a big red-light district near the harbor. Also, it is very convenient to go see the beaches of the German North Sea and Baltic Sea from there (Sylt, the biggest island in Western Germany, is what Galveston is to Houstonians, only with nicer beaches and cooler weather). III. Munich (~1.3 million). The capital of Bavaria, it stands for all things Bavarian. You have to understand that Bavaria is the Texas of Germany, with a very distinct identity, often inviting animosity from other regions. (And like Austin, Munich is by far the most liberal city in Bavaria ) In all fairness, Bavarians have also been better at preserving their customs and traditions... For a Northerner like myself, I really find Munich pretty and nice to visit, but I really feel like in a foreign country down there and far too far away from the sea breeze. Munich is also conveniently located for visits to Augsburg, Rothenburg and F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trophy Property Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Great post from a true German. Great Info !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Great informative post. Thanks! I was in Leipzig very briefly after reunification and it seemed a bit depressing. I have read that it has had a turnaround. Funny what you said about Bavaria. I was just working with a number of Germans, mostly from Frankfurt, and they did indeed have some attitude about Bavarians. There was one girl from Munich who was a little upset about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Berlin and Koln!!! (Cologne) Must see the dom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmm Posted June 23, 2006 Author Share Posted June 23, 2006 Hmm...ima need more then one week to tour Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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