Itinerery - starting in Hanover, ending in Rome

If you are going to be in Hannover, then consider a visit to Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp which is near-by. I would also recommend visiting Celle.

Excellent, will look into it; thank you! Also, have you ever been to Eagle's Nest?

I've been to the Eagles Nest three times, the first time for me, the other two times to show it to someone else. I feel it is worthwhile for its historical significance. Sitting in that octagonal room out at the end, knowing it is where Adolph Hitler "entertained" world leaders, is an awesome feeling.

But, the Dokumentation Center, at the base of the mountain, is itself a very worthwhile visit, with its exhibits expaining how the Nazis took over.

Much WW2 history can been seen in Munich, where the Nazi party got its start. For a quick overview, look at the Third Reich in Ruins website; and for deeper study, get a copy of Where Ghosts Walked - Munich's Road to The Third Reich by David Clay Large. There's lots to see in Nürnberg, as well. Before going there, watch the chilling 1935 propaganda film Triumph of The Will by director and dedicated Hitler follower Leni Riefenstahl.

Hi,

If you do decide on going to the Belsen camp, you'll go northwards through Celle, a town that escaped the war unscathed. See the Garnison-Museum in Celle if you're interested in seeing history. But, I have the feeling that from Hannover you're going south instead of doing a detour northwards. If you were to go west of Hannover towards Minden an der Weser (did a day trip in 2013), I would heartily suggest staying a night , well worth history museum there and other sights as well.

You don't necessarily have to visit Bergen-Belsen (and Celle), which are both in the opposite direction. To the south of Hannover are Mittelbau-Dora, where the V2 was assembled, and KZ Buchenwald. Along the way are the Harz mountains, which offer several preserved towns with literally thousands of half-timbered houses (here is a gallery of the area with 130.000 pics). Two of them, Goslar and Quedlinburg, are World Heritage Sites. Buchenwald is on the outskirts of Weimar, which is also a World Heritage Site, just like Wartburg castle, historically the most important German castle. And between Wartburg castle and Weimar (with KZ Buchenwald) is Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia, which Rick Steves calls a "untouristy Rothenburg odT".

Thank you Ms. Jo and Fred, for the information about the Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp near Hannover. I wasn't aware it was so close. We will arrive in Hannover this Wednesday afternoon and will be spending 4 nights there at my aunt's house. That will be something I can suggest we go do.

You're welcome. The camp is closer to Celle than it is to Hannover. See if the explanations include that of the Belsen Trial.