30 Day Germany and E. Europe Itinerary Advice Wanted

We'll be flying in and out of Berlin. Got a good price of less than $800 RT from Los Angeles. Arriving in Berlin on June 11. Jet lag has not been an issue. Day One. June 10-11. Fly to Berlin. Catch a 5 hr train to Warsaw. Sleep. Day Two-Day Four. June 12-14. Warsaw. Chopin Museum. National Museum. Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Warsaw Uprising Museum. Jewish Ghetto. Royal Castle. Day Five-Day Eight. June 15-18. Train to Krakow. Aushwitz-Birkenau. Salt mine. Wawel Cathedral. Wawel Castle. Jewish Quarter. Schindler's Factory. Day Nine-Day Twelve. June 19-22. Fly to Budapest. Mathias Church. Memento Park. Hospital in the Rock. Parliament. Great Synagogue. Opera House. House of Terror. Heroes Square. Holocaust Memorial Center. Day trip to ? ? ? Day Thirteen. June 23. Train to Bratislava. Take Rick's Walking Tour. Day Fourteen-Day Seventeen. June 24-27. Boat to Vienna. Opera House. Classical Concert (not opera). Hofburg Palace's Imperial Apts. St. Stephen's Cathedral. Palace's Treasury. Kunsthistorisches Museum. Royal Apts. New Palace Museums. Haus der Musik. Augustinian Church. Judenplatz Memorial and Museum. Day Eighteen. June 28. Train to Brno. Capuchin Crypt and Church. Spilberk Castle. Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. Old Town Hall. Freedom Square. Day Nineteen. June 29. Train to Kutná Hora. Sedlec Bone Church. St. Barbara's Cathedral. Silver Mine. Day Twenty-Day Twenty-three. June 30-July 3. Train to Prague. Jewish Qtr., Museum of Medieval Art. Museum of Communism. St. Vitus Cathedral. Castle. Church of St. James. St. Vitus Cathedral. Day Trip to Terezín.

Day Twenty-four-Day Twenty-five. July 4-5. Train to Leipzig. Museum Runde Ecke. Gondola Ride. Nikolai Church. Thomas Church (we'll miss the Bachfest by a week). Voelkerschlachtdenkmal. Gewandhaus. Day Twenty-six-Day Twenty-nine. July 6-9. Train to Berlin. Second time to Berlin. First time there, we went to Memorial to Murdered Jews of Europe. Pergamon Museum. Egyptian Museum. Old National Gallery. Walked along much of where the Berlin Wall stood. Checkpoint Charlie. Jewish Museum. New Synagogue. Day tripped to Wittenberg. This time we'll make reservations for Reichstag. Any day trips? Already been to Dresden. Can we do Hamburg in a day? Day Thirty. July 10. Fly home from Berlin. All the cities are must dos, with the exception of Brno and Kutná Hora. We wouldn't mind staying in a small town for a day, if anyone has a jewel to recommend. As you can see, Berlin is pretty much wide open, we just need to end up there for the last couple of days. Looking forward to everyone's input.

What have you found in the way of flights Krakow to Budapest? The Ryanair Midnight Express? What sort of a budget are you on? Do you have room for a splurge? If you do you might look at driving (or being driven) across Slovakia with an overnight along the way. Of course that trashes all your planning. I've never been to Bratislave so I have nothing bad to say but it has never peaked my interest enough to want to make the time. My taste would be to swap Bratislava for the Banska towns in Slovakia (which I do know). In June the palace at Godollo makes a nice half to full day trip. The gardens will be in bloom and based on your input you might enjoy the place. Szentendre is a good half to full day trip as well. Take the commuter train up and the river taxi back. You can do Eger or Lake Balaton in a day but it's a tough day. Gyor and the Archabbey make a good full day trip; better if you stop on the way to Vienna.

Honestly, with your interests I would spend the time in Budapest. We have been traveling back several times a year for a decade and still don't run out of new experiences. Buda is a day (Mathias Church, Hospital in the Rock, Castle Hill in general, Memento Park), District V (Vaci ut, the Market, Parliament, St. Stephen's, Shoes, Glass House, Danube Embankment) is a day, District VI (Andrassy ut, Opera, City Park, Bath House, Hero's square, House of Terror) is a day, and District VII (Jewish quarter, Synagogue, Holocaust Center, Gozsdu Courtyard, Rumbach Synagogue and a foray into district VIII) is a day. The only place on your list in Budapest I haven't been is Memento Park. Again, hasn't peaked my interest. Too museum like and I prefer living environments over stuff preserved. But I understand its quite interesting and never heard anyone say they regretted going. Last year we did visit Kerepesi Cemetery which was outrageously fascinating and we also took a walking tour called the Juice of District Eight which was also wonderfully interesting. If the whole Jewish plight is interesting to you then you might want to consider that tour.

Oh, when you get to the Czech Republic check out Cesky Krumlov. One of my favorite towns. And remember you can always get an open jaw ticket and travel in one direction without having to loop back to Berlin.

Hi, You're considering dropping either Bratislava (Pressburg) or Brno (Brünn) as a day trip? If it were left up to me, I would choose Brno and see that town and the surrounding villages, esp. in light of the history interest....my two bits. It's also on the Berlin-Vienna route going through CZ.

I agree with Fred about history interests in Brno. There is a city bus going to village of Prace then little walk and you get to the Museum and Memorial of the battle of Austerlitz (in Czech Slavkov). On Mendel Square in Brno there is a monastery where the founder of genetics J.G.Mendel did his experiments.
If you are into architecture then visit villa Tugendhat in Brno. It's under UNESCO heritage sites.

This is not a travel advice but suggest you read Hana's Suitcase a lovely story about a little girl who died in a concentration camp. It is a true story and I think very moving. Also read about Corrie Ten Boom and The Hiding Place set in Haarlem.

James: Airberlin has flights for $150 each. Just considering that, as the hour flight is a big time saver. In a drive from Krakow to Budapest, how convenient is it to stop at Banska Brystrica? That could be a possibility. Cesky Krumlov is gaining a lot of consideration, and we may rent a car. Jewish Budapest is a definite interest for us. As far as trashing plans, that's the beauty of doing this 6 months ahead. I can reshuffle the deck several times. But since I have to have most everything planned out (that just works better for us), a month before the trip most everything will be in place. Fred and Ilna: The more I read about Brno, the more intrigued I become. Bratislava may soon be off the agenda. Gail: I bought Hana's Suitcase a couple of months ago. As soon as I complete Rawhide Down (fascinating account of the assassination attempt on Reagan), I'm going to read that one.

James: Airberlin has flights for $150 each. >Direct? Excellent. Ryanair use to run a flight buy only in the high season and it was a midnight flight. Just considering that, as the hour flight is a big time saver. In a drive from Krakow to Budapest, how convenient is it to stop at Banska Brystrica? That could be a possibility. >The Banska towns are doable from Krakow. We will be heading up to the High Tatras in Slovakia, very near the border crossing to go to Krakow, in a few months and will come back through Banska Brystrica. This will be the third such trip. Cesky Krumlov is gaining a lot of consideration, and may rent a car. >Maybe we overdo it, but we hired a car and did an overnight from Prague when we went to Cesky Krumlov. I would suggest the overnight stay because from about 11 am until about 3 pm the town is chock full of day tourists; then the busses leave and the place is really enjoyable. Jewish Budapest is a definite interest for us. >When you get things tied down a little better let me know as I can give you some background and ideas on Jewish Budapest. One of the most fascinating aspects of central and eastern Europe. As far as trashing plans, that's the beauty of doing this 6 months ahead. I can reshuffle the deck several times. But since I have to have most everything planned out (that just works better for us), a month before the trip most everything will be in place. >I understand completely. Our spring trip is going to take place sometime between mid march and late April and will include fishing in Slovakia for sure (fishing), then a stop in southeast UK is possible (fishing) or a trip to the western edge of Ukraine is possible (more fishing) or Kiev is possible or southern Poland (more fishing) or some combination thereof. But always ending in Budapest for at least a full week.

Budapest / Hungary Book and Movie List Books 1. The Forbidden Sky: Inside the Hungarian Revolution by Endre Marton – Cold War Historical Account 2. The Great Escape: Nine Jews Who Fled Hitler and Changed the World by Kati Marton – WWII Historical Account 3. Enemies of the People: My Family's Journey to America by Kati Marton – Cold War Historical Account 4. A History of Hungary by Laszlo Kontler – General History 5. When Angels Fooled the World by Charles Fenyvesi – WWII Historical Account 6. Revolution 1989: The Fall of the Soviet Empire by Victor Sebestyen (Hungarian) – Cold War Historical Account 7. Central Europe: Enemies, Neighbors by Lonnie Johnson – Cold War Historical Account 8. The Sword and the Crucible. Count Boldizsar Batthyany and Natural Philosophy in Sixteenth-century Hungary by Dora Bobory - History 9. Budapest: A Critical Guide by Andras Torok, Andras Egyedi and Andras Felvideki – General History 10. The Paul (Pal) Street Boys, Ferenc Molnar – Historical Novel 11. The Invisible Bridge, Julie Orringer – WWII Historical Novel 12. Under the Frog by Tibor Fischer – Cold War Historical Novel 13. A Taste of the Past: The Daily Life and Cooking of a Nineteenth-Century Hungarian-Jewish Homemaker by András Koerner – Golden Age Historical Account 14. Nobody Knows The Truffles I've Seen by George Lang – WWII / Cold War Historical Account 15. The Smell of Humans: A Memoir of the Holocaust in Hungary by Ernö Szép –
WWII Historical Account

16. The Budapest Protocol by Adam LeBor – WWII Historical Novel Bridge at Andau by James A. Michener – Cold War Historical Account 17. Budapest 1900: A Historical Portrait of a City and Its Culture by John Lukacs – Golden Age Historical Account 18. The Envoy: The Epic Rescue of the Last Jews of Europe in the Desperate Closing Months of World War II by Alex Kershaw – WWII Historic Account 19. Kasztner's Train: The True Story of an Unknown Hero of the Holocaust by Anna Porter – WWII Historic Account 20. Ligeti, Kurtág, and Hungarian Music during the Cold War (Music in the Twentieth Century) by Rachel Willson – Cold War Historic Account 21. Film 1. Gloomy Sunday – WWII / Cold War 2. Kontroll – Social Commentary 3. Freedom's Fury – Cold War Documentary 4. Budapest Retro – Cold War Documentary
5. The Journey – Cold War Historical Story (1959, Yul Brynner, Deborah Kerr)

Tim, Like Bratislava (Preßburg) Brno (Brünn) was also a province capital. Historically, I was refering to what is suggested above...that you can take the bus northwards to Slavkov (Austerlitz) and its connection to Napoleon. About Hamburg: I don't recommend doing a day trip, r/t, even a superficial one, unless you're going to hit something specific historically or culturally depending on the level of your interest. Lutherstadt Wittenberg is not far away from Berlin, ca. 40 mins or so, and on a trunk line, ie., it's connected by the ICE train. Warsaw has more than one train station, which I didn't know when I got there in 2001. You want the second one Centralna. That Berlin-Warsaw ride, its scheduled arrival time notwithstanding, could take longer. So, be prepared to arrive 30 mins or more late. It's the terminus anyway. I found that ride through the former East Brandenburg once you cross the Oder through the province of Poznan (Posen) to the main train station in the city of Poznan (Posen) most interesting and intriguing.

Hi Fred,
That tip on the Berlin to Warsaw train schedule will certainly help. I don't know if I would have read about that elsewhere, so I appreciate the info. As far as Brno goes, the more I read about it and the surrounding area, the more I'm thinking of making that a 2-nighter. I'm looking into Austerlitz tonight. Looks like we'll do Hamburg another time . . . others too have suggested it's not a day-trip.

Hi James,
I will be taking you up on your offer regarding Jewish Budapest. I just ordered "The Great Escape". Thanks for the suggestion. What do you do with all those fish you catch? Or are you one of those fishermen who couldn't care less if he catches anything?

Hi, It was in the summer. Thunder storms happen. When they do the rail tracks could be obstructed by fallen branches. That was the explanation given as to why the train just stopped en route to Warsaw. The tracks had to be cleared.

Since there's a lot of talk about Budapest, and Brno, and Bratislava,... an not so much talk about Vienna, here are my two cents about this region: Brno and Bratislava were two provincial towns inside the Habsburg empire. Bratislava was once also the capital of Hungary, but you can't see that much of it anymore. Budapest became important only in the 19th century... inside the Habsburg empire, which was ruled from Vienna. Budapest has almost no old town, Brno and Bratislava have significant old towns, but Viennas old town is huge. Brno and Bratislava have insignificant 19th century quarters, Budapests 19th century quarters are huge and beautiful, but so are Viennas (only less visited by tourists, who rarely leave the old town). Vienna offers more churches and palaces than all three other cities combined. This is also true for museums and music. And while Brno and Bratislava are great for Czech/Slovakian cuisine, and Budapest for Hungarian, Vienna offers the cuisine of the entire former empire.
For a long while it was popular to describe Budapest as a hidden gem or underrated city, that's why everyone still thinks he has to go there. But while Budapest is indeed very beautiful, the city can't compete with the number of attractions Vienna offers, and as long as there isn't a specific interest in Budapest people should spend more time in Vienna. Especially someone who's interested in history, religion, art and music. So, I would recommend to visit either Brno or Bratislava to win at least one day for Vienna.

Paris, London, Rome, Vienna, Budapest, Prague; which is better? It's all a matter of preference, taste, interests and on and on and on. My observation of Prague is that the place is like a stagnant museum latterly packed with people checking off their viewing lists. There is a place for that sort of thing and I am glad it exists but that's not what I vacation for. My impression of Vienna is that it is overly restored with a real lack of tangible connections to the history that created it; I mean outside of the display cases in the museums. Again, it's a wonderful place. I enjoyed it and will probably return. My observation within the context of who I am is that Budapest is a fuller and richer experience. This can't be expressed in 2000 characters or less, but in Budapest I immediately felt a closer involvement with the culture, the history and the people. But again, that's just me and I would be wrong to call one or the other over rated or under rated or better or worse. If I had to draw comparisons then I would say that at a cultural level if you love the Germanic culture you will be inclined to find a lot you will enjoy in Vienna. If you enjoyed Paris I would suspect you might enjoy Budapest a little more. The best I can come up with for Prague might be Las Vegas; but no, that's not right either.

As for the technical facts. Prague's old town in general 15th century to late 18th century which makes it is late medieval to baroque. The bulk of Vienna's great imperial architecture that tourists come in contact with was constructed in the 18th and 19th centuries but there is some still standing that dates back to the 13th century. Still the general feel and impression of Vienna's tourist districts is very much 18th century and later. The Budapest you see today was almost entirely constructed between 1849 and 1920. Thanks to the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, WWII and the Soviet Occupation what existed in 1920 for a large part still stands as it did 100 years ago. Interestingly the circumstances of the last half century have also done an interesting job of slowing cultural change which creates an atmosphere that is somewhat unique.

Tim, the first three books on the list are my favorite. Two by the daughter one by the father. Wonderful stuff. Feel free to write if i can help.

I will also add my subjective opinion about three classical cities (Prague, Vienna, Budapest) James mentions. That way we will be closer to objective. I will skip opinion about London, Paris, Rome because Tim is not going there. IMHO Prague is the most picturesque and medieval city out of those three mentioned. It was mostly spared damage in WWII while Vienna and Budapest suffered significant damage. Budapest suffered another one in uprising 1956. Neither in Vienna or Budapest there is such a large medieval center like in Stare Mesto (Old Town) and Mala Strana (Little Quarters) in Prague. Most of the buildings there are from the 13th to 15th century. Center of Prague is very crowded for several reasons. It gets the most tourists out of those three cities. The area where the most sights are is relatively small. The streets in Old Town are very narrow. It is the closest to Germany where the most tourists come from. In order to enjoy center of Prague without crowds it is necessary to get up earlier. I walked through the Old Town, across the Charles Bridge up to the Castle around 8 am. No crowds whatsoever. Vienna is magnificent, grandiose being the capital of the former big empire. But lacks the scenic views across the river which Budapest and Prague have. Budapest is even bigger city than Vienna with wide boulevards, big buildings, scenic views across Danube at Buda Hill. All three cities have famous classical Coffee Houses with the best being in Vienna. Budapest cuisine is probably the best being enriched by Turkish influence when Turks were occupying Budapest for about 100 years. I like hungarian folk and gypsy music in Budapest. How much money: the most expensive is Vienna then Prague then Budapest. The exception is beer which is the cheapest in Prague and also the best. I hope that another subjective opinion will help to arrive closer to more objective view.

Tim, Ordinarily, I would skip Hamburg this time as a day trip to be visited on another trip, unless you want to go there for very particular reason to hit a specific museum, two of which on Prussian history in the greater Hamburg area, not in the city itself but in the outlying villages/towns, and esp if you read German well. True, that given a wartime situation Prague fortunately escaped pretty much undamaged, whereas Vienna was a target for American bombers and fought over to stem the Russians. Budapest was even worse vis-a-vis war destruction. The very last German offensive was in the East directed against Budapest to stop the Russians. Make the time to see all three, Prague, Vienna, Budapest.

Danni, Budapest like Prague? Naaaa, never happen. Prague attracts a lot of great people, but it also attracts a lot in two groups that will never find a hard footing in Budapest; first, the English Stag Party groups and second, the box tickers.

So many choices... so many opinions, so I'll throw mine in the ring. Loved Cesky Krumlov and would definitely do an overnite or two if you want the village life for a few days. Also, in order of preference for me... Budapest, Prague (really close 1st and 2nd) and 3rd place Vienna. I think Ilja nailed it when she said Vienna lacked that beautiful river view that both Budapest & Prague share. I enjoyed Vienna but did not feel the same connection that I felt with Budapest & Prague. While it may be smaller, it certainly felt bigger to me. Somehow both Prague & Budapest felt more intimate... and I loved the food in Budapest. I am sure you will have a great trip.

Both Buda and Pest got pretty heavily pounded by American bombers. Interesting is that they are still digging up unexploded bombs at the rate of one or two a year. Fortunately for Pest the Germans pulled back to the Buda Hills for their defensive stand and Pest was taken by the Russians without a lot of additional damage. They say 90% of the buildings in Pest were damaged but only 5% were bad enough to require demolition. Having walked two thirds of prewar Pest I think that's a pretty fair statement. Buda on the other hand was left in ruins and the bridges were destroyed. Most of what you will see when you visit Buda exists because of extensive restoration. One of the giveaways is the dome on the palace. It was Gothic before the war and was rebuilt Romanesque after the war.

The history in Both Buda and Pest is more current and as a result more relevant for some people than Vienna or Prague. The layers of history are easily definable and pretty much in your face if you just take a brief second to look around. The Chain Bridge from the age of the birth of the Dual Monarchy is still the center of attention in Budapest. The coffee houses patronized by some of the greatest minds of the 20th century are again open, many in their original grandeur. The grand boulevards, buildings and monuments of the 1896 Millennium Celebration stand and invite just as they did 117 years ago. The Jewish deportation ghetto stands and is once again inhabited by Jews. Here are the kosher restaurants, synagogues, alleys and courtyards that were once within the walls constructed by the Nazi's. The cold war prison that housed the dissidents and innocents is there (and still in use, although with better purpose). The bullet holes from the '56 revolution are evident in many buildings. Most remarkably none of this is under glass in a museum, it remains functional and in use by the population and its part of the fabric of the culture and it makes for a fascinating experience. Prague and to a lesser extent Vienna are best "seen" while Budapest is best "experienced".

James keep it up and you are liable to make Bud. the next Prague :) Lets hope not by the way :) Seriously though I have never been to Vienna but out of the other two Budapest is my favorite, being subjective... I think Budapest is one of those places you either like or don't. If you like history don't miss Saints Cyril and Methodius Cathedral in Prague. I also like the beautiful (really) Kerepesi Cemetery (try to get a tour) and the Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park in Berlin.

Excuse me Kerepesi Cem. is in Budapest. and also the German-Russian Museum at Karlshorst Berlin.

Yes, I heartily recommend going to Berlin-Karlshorst for the German-Russian Museum, one of those esoteric museums in Berlin not visitd by Americans....at least, that was the case over ten years ago.

James I really hope so.