On the last leg of yet another journey, we plan on driving from Berlin to Prague to Vienna. Are there any points of interest we should see that are not more than 20 kilometers off the beaten path? After Vienna, and a stop at Melk, we will go directly to Erding for a flight home. We've been to Salzburg and throughout Bavaria, so we don't have to see any more of that area, and are flying from Erding because it's cheaper to return the car in the same country where it was rented. thanks.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8339 posts
Don't forget about the incredibly beautiful Dresden and the Elbe River Valley. It was perhaps the most beautiful city in Europe until Allied bombers tried to level the city at the end of WWII. They've made great headway in reconstruction since the Wall came down in 1989.
Posted by
Berlin
3089 posts
A lot of tings on the way. Depends on focus. Nature wise Spreewald and Saxon Switzlerland are on the way. Also smaller towns have highlights, e.g. Meissen or Freiberg.
Tip 1: Cars are absolutely not meaningful in these European cities. More a burden than a benefit. Prague for example use new cam-based parking check technology - so never forget to buy a parking ticket.
Tip 2: Do not forget the country and season specific requirements to a car in these countries (e.g. Vignette, winter tyres, etc.).
Tip 3: Not all rental car companies allow to drive their cars or all car classes into Czech Republic.
Posted by
Germany
868 posts
Keep in mind that it only makes sense to rent a car if you want to explore the countryside. If you mostly want to see big cities a car is a expensive hindrance.
Anyway. Good stops between Berlin and Vienna are:
- Spreewald - area in which the river Spree meanders in thousands of small waterways through meadows and forests. Home of the Sorbs, a small Slavic minority
- Meissen - cradle of Saxony, very picturesque old town, impressive castle, porcellain
- Freiberg - once a rich medieval mining town, picturesque old town, nice cathedral, mineral collection (more interesting than it sounds)
- Dresden - small reconstructed centre with world-class sites and museums
- Pirna - small historic town with a nice centre
- Saxon/Bohemian Switzerland - most picturesque mountains of Central Europe
- Königstein fortress - one of Europes biggest fortresses
- Litomerice - picturesque old town aboce the Elbe, nearby is KZ Theresienstadt
- Melnik - (very) small historic old town with a nice castle surrounded by vineyards
- Telc - small and cute historic town with the most beautiful town square of the CR
- Trebic - historic centre with a Jewish quarter
- Brno - big and beautiful historic centre with many sites
- Mikulov - beautiful historic centre, Jewish quarter
- Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape - castles + English landscape parks