Traveling Munich to Berlin: via Prague or via Nuremberg

On the new fast train it is 90 minutes from Munich to Nuremberg and 3 hours from Nuremberg to Berlin.
It is 5 hours from Munich to Prague, and 4 hours to Berlin from Prague.
https://www.bahn.com/en/view/offers/index.shtml

Prague survived WWII mostly intact. Nuremberg was rebuilt and its city center has been faithfully reconstructed (similarly so has Munich and Berlin). Caveat: We lived just north of Nuremberg for three years so I like it a lot. Nuremberg was the home of the Nazi party rally grounds. It has a brilliant Documentation center focused on "How did the Nazi's happen to Germany?" The Nuremberg Trials courtroom can be visited on the weekend (the courtroom itself is still a courtroom during the week) but the top floor of the building has an excellent Museum about the trials. The Germanishes National Museum in Nuremberg is quite nice as well, if a bit dusty in parts. There are many other smaller museums as well. And St Sebaldus Church has been kept as a war memorial that is a sobering reminder of the town's history despite the rebuilding. The rebuilt castle is a castle. Plus Franconian food galore (Nuremberg is in the part of "Bavaria" called Franconia and you might just as well call North Carolina South Carolina as call Franconia Bavarian. Side trips into the Franconian Schweiz (Franconian Hill Country) northeast of Nuremberg can be great fun, although a day hire of a car would make getting around much easier.

Prague has a gorgeous castle, Cathedral, Old Town, cultural sites and as many Stag Parties/Hen Parties as can fit in the bars. You can't go wrong with either.

I haven't been to Prague, but I lived in Nuremberg for 3 years and commuted to 4 different locations weekly for my job. It's all that's been mentioned and more.

You have a lot of time to research and that's a good thing. Googling will help you to learn about the city and its history.

Here's a link to get you started. And here's another one.

I lived there from 1982 to 1985 in an apartment building that amazingly escaped the bombing. I took my husband there in 2009 and showed him my apartment building.

There was a young couple outside washing off their bikes. The man came over and asked why we were staring at the building and taking pictures. I told him about living on the top floor and working for the US Army.

He was only vaguely aware of the US presence there then and had no idea that Americans lived in the city and not on post at the time. Shoot, he probably wasn't even born back then.

Before the Rally Grounds were turned over to the German government, it was used as playing fields for the Army. We were invited to explore the interior structure. I was the only person who went. It was fascinating. The place was trashed and a mess. Except for an occasional klieg light and safe too heavy to move, there wasn't much there but rubble.

However, there was graffiti on the walls done by mostly US soldiers. I loved seeing their names, where they were from and the date they were there. I hope that historical record is still there and that the interior I saw can still be seen, but maybe made a little safer for visitors.

If you go, eat some Nuremberger bratwurst and Schäufele mit Knödel for me.

Two full days plus a few hours is very, very little time in Berlin. It's a spawling city with a lot of historic sites and museums (many of them quite large). The amount of time you are planning there may prove frustrating.

Lots of good advice in this thread. I agree that Nuremberg makes the most sense for an intervening town, but I also agree whole-heartedly with acraven that the limitations on time in Berlin may be frustrating, especially for a WWII history buff. I can easily spend 9 days in Berlin (and have!). Any chance you can add an extra day or two to the trip to get more time in Berlin?

Hi,

You're interested in WW2, how much time will you have in Prague?

If time permits, I suggest that you go to the Army/Military Museum in Prague...displays of tanks, on the war, etc.

Each of the central and east central European capitals, Vienna, Budapest, Warsaw, and Prague has it Army/Military Museum. Well worth you time in Prague.