Prague to Berlin itinerary advice: Add extra city?

Dresden is on your way. Stop there for two nights. Do some day trips from Prague (castle Karlstejn) and from Berlin (Potsdam). Rothenburg is far from Prague and far from Berlin.

I agree that Rothenburg is way off your natural path, while Dresden is a very worthwhile stop along the direct train line between Prague and Berlin.

Rothenbrug odT isn't unique enough (despite what RS says) to justify such a far detour.

If you wanted to go slightly out of your way for some great old preserved towns, look into the Hartz mountain region of Sachsen-Anhalt, particularly the towns of Goslar (actually in Niedersachsen), Wernigerode and Quedlinburg.

Besides Dresden, if you wanted to add another city, don't miss Leipzig, particularly if you like zoos. Leipzig has one of the best.

Mark from Berlin (who frequently contributes to this site) can probably make some recommendations in Saxony and Brandenburg.

Bobby,

I agree with the others. Rothenburg ODT is too much of a detour and will have a cost in both time and money. Dresden would be an excellent place to stop for a couple of nights (I was there in September). A lot of rebuilding has been done and especially the area around the station is very modern. It's a vibrant and interesting city with lots to see, but plan your touring carefully so you don't waste any time.

Dresden is the obvious choice, but it isn't a romantic, preserved small town like Rothenburg. Dresden is a big city, the old town was completely leveled in WW2, and only a small part was reconstructed in the last 50 years. What makes Dresden special are the world-class museums and the surroundings.
If you would like to spend a night or two in a small preserved town consider Meissen, which is the cradle of Saxony and just 30min away from Dresden. Here is a gallery: click me.
The best town between Prague and Berlin however is Görlitz, on the German-Polish border. Görlitz is probably Germanys best preserved town, with more than 4.000 listed buildings. The Grand Budapest Hotel, Inglorious Basterds or The Reader were filmed there. To get there you have to take the bus to Liberec, from there the train to Zittau, and in Zittau switch the train to Görlitz. All in all ~3:30h. In Görlitz I recommend Frenzelhof, a hotel in a perfectly preserved merchants house from the late 15th century with a private chapel.

But 6 nights for Berlin isn't too much. Berlin is much more than just WW2 and the Cold War, especially if you do some day trips too. Potsdam for example is a must, the the city is much more than just Sanssouci, which is just one of many royal parks. It's a huge park landscape. Youc an also do a day trip to Schwerin, the former capital of the duchy of Mecklenburg, which offers a preserved old town surrounded by lakes and the Neuschwanstein of the north. Or how about a day trip to the Spreewald, where you can rent a canoe or do a tour on punted barges?

Second the recommendation for Meißen. Nearby Moritzburg (for the huge Jagdschloss) and the Saxon wine region are also worth a little exploration. You can ride a steam train that gently moves through the countryside.

Thanks for all the insights and recommendations...they are really helpful! I'll remove Rothenburg from the plan and most likely stay in Berlin 6 nights, with day trips to Potsdam or elsewhere (with the assumption I will return sometime in the future for more!).

I appreciate the recommendations for Meissen and other smaller cities - I'll keep those for future reference.

Thanks again,
Bobby