And, among earth's rulers, he was the embodiment of absolute power and endless wealth. They are well connected by train, bike and pedestrian paths and highways. We'll visit the two great cities of the region: the capital city of Dresden, with the opulent palaces and art treasures of the Wettin dynasty, and Leipzig, with its Bach heritage, a massive monument to the day Europe beat Napoleon, and museums remembering its communist heritage. Gisa: This is the symbol for the Ministry for State Security — Staatssicherheit — "Stasi." With half a million soldiers and 100,000 casualties, it was the largest battle in European history until World War I. Posted by Jon (San Diego, CA, USA) on 04/02/07 05:38 PM. Germany is one part of a longer trip and is the piece we've both agreed on as definite. Try Rick Steves Pocket Munich & Salzburg. (The tour works great. Fantastic advice, great travel tips, amazing details, thorough explanations, and insider information that I wouldn't have had access to elsewhere. Back then, jousting was something rich guys did when there was no war to fight. Rick: So eventually these Monday prayer services for peace spilled out of the church and into the city at large? Start a New Topic . Services . Get it as soon as Mon, May 11. Rick: That would be enough to send them to jail? It's eastern Germany, and you're in for some monumental travel experiences. Posted by David. ISBN 13: 9781631216695 . For most visitors, the rich pastries, wine, and beer provide the fondest memories of Germanic cuisine. Leipzig's beloved St. Nicholas Church played a pivotal role in the people's successful fight for freedom. Saxony, part of the former East Germany, remains a secret to most travelers. Until next time, keep on travelin'. In those desperate post-war years, the stability and security provided by East Germany's communist government was appreciated. Berlin: A City of Memories — and Memorials — from a Horrible War . The former headquarters of the Stasi (the East German equivalent of the KGB) is now a museum and an archive where former East Germans can come to explore their files. WWII bombs destroyed much of Leipzig and the Communists followed that with four decades of neglect. Rick Steves' Europe. I’m really tuned in to the churches and the other physical reminders of the courageous accomplishments of the Reformation. Paperback $21.99 $ 21. Learn how much time to spend in each place, how to travel smoothly between them, and which side-trips are worth adding. The collection offers an unusual chance to see armor not standing at attention, but displayed in action. Inside Rick Steves Germany 2018 you'll find:. This art moment — a sampling of what we try to incorporate in our tours — is an excerpt from the full-color coffee-table book Europe’s Top 100 Masterpieces by Rick Steves and Gene Openshaw. This poor fellow, repressed by both regimes, with his head scrunched down, seems to represent individuality under siege. Hi, I'm Rick Steves, back with more of the best of Europe. The show is produced by Back Door Productions and Oregon Public Broadcasting and distributed by American Public Television. A doorway in the corner leads to the Coin Cabinet, a beautifully presented collection of historical coins — one of the best and largest in Europe, and organized to tell the story of how money as we know it came to be. Film Adaptation Face Off: 'Rebecca' Ranked. Longer than a football field, this mural on the outside of Dresden's Royal Palace illustrates the evolution of weaponry and fashions over seven centuries of Saxon royalty. More than 25,000 people were killed — in just one night — and 75 percent of the historical center was destroyed. Its inviting and tree-lined main drag, Hauptstrasse, opened in 1979. People seemed more hardscrabble, less exposed to the world. Rick Steves Best of Germany includes lightly condensed coverage of Rothenburg, the Romantic Road, and the Rhine, as well as brief coverage of Frankfurt, Würzburg, Cologne, and the Mosel Valley's Burg Eltz — enough for a quick trip. The Battle of the Nations marked the turning point in the fight against Napoleon. This ensemble — designed for formal parades, not actual battle — is considered the prize of the collection. Across the street, statues of Marx and Lenin (nicknamed “the Pensioners” by locals) look wistfully at the local Space Needle-type TV tower East Berlin built under communism. In this episode we'll visit two great German cities bombed and then rebuilt after World War II. Please use a different section of our forum to ensure that others can find and respond to your question. His royal festival complex, called the Zwinger, is an example of how the king's extravagance made Dresden a European capital of culture. Rick Steves Best of Germany: With Salzburg (Rick Steves Travel Guide) Part of: Rick Steves Travel Guide (32 Books) | by Rick Steves | Nov 12, 2019. My Account. Today the Zwinger is filled with fine museums. Above the door is the largest organ in Saxony, which booms out 45-minute concerts each Saturday evening. Rick Steves' Europe. Decades later, the museum and its committee are still going strong. In the early 1700s, Bach was the organist and choirmaster right here, at St. Thomas Church. Rick Steves Classroom Europe® is a free resource allowing teachers to share the best of European art, history, and culture with their students and fellow educators. Last year when I traveled to Italy I ONLY took a Rick Steves book with me and was fine for 3 weeks. It grew into the royal family's exquisite trove of ivory, silver, and gold treasures, displayed in rooms as opulent as the collection itself. In Berlin, Germany, socialist realism — the art of the communist era — actually went beyond censorship. I'm looking for some recommendations for lodging in east Berlin. Saxony, part of the former East Germany, remains a secret to most travelers. [It's] a Lutheran church, but built at the peak of the Baroque period — it seems the artistic style of the age trumped the Lutheran taste for simplicity. The collection was begun by Augustus the Strong — featured here surrounded by ancient Roman emperors on the base of an obelisk. Switzerland draws travelers from around the world for its legendary mountains. And, ahead of them, the royals, with 35 names and dates marking 700 years of Wettin family rule. This simple inscription recalls that "after the air raids…the bodies of 6,865 people killed in the bombing were burnt on this spot.". Rick Steves' Europe is an American travel documentary television series created and hosted by Rick Steves. As they rebuilt the city center, one feature that survived was the tradition of inviting shopping galleries that burrow through office blocks. 8 days in Germany. Modeled after the Soviet Union's secret police, the notorious KGB, the Stasi recruited over half a million informants from every walk of life. This time we're in Saxony — the great cities of Dresden and Leipzig. Share a table and strike up a conversation. Rick visits the two great cities of the region: the capital city of Dresden, with the opulent palaces and art treasures of the Wettin dynasty, and Leipzig, with its Bach heritage, a massive monument to the day Europe beat Napoleon, and museums remembering its communist heritage. Jump to bottom. These machines enabled agents to steam letters open, read them, and then reseal them. Above them, four enormous statues represent the virtues of the German people during wartime. Its purpose? - Rick Steves It’s a fast, tasty staple of the Germanic diet. It’s fun to actually give these tours a whirl after we produce them. Gisa: Eventually the wall came down in Berlin, the borders were opened, and the people had gained their freedom. Just outside of Leipzig is a gigantic monument to an earlier struggle. see our FAQ. Getting around the city by tram is easy, and a quick ride over the river takes us into a lively district called Neustadt, or the "New Town.". Saxony, part of the former East Germany, remains a secret to most travelers. The Wettin family's extravagant trove is displayed in rooms as opulent as the collection itself. Inside, the church sports a pastel pink-and-green color scheme and fluted columns that sprout green fronds at the top. Terms of Service | Privacy, Dresden, Germany: Reconstructed and Rewarding, Dresden, Germany: Zwinger and Parade of Nobles, Leipzig, Germany: Monument to the Battle of the Nations. The Stasi stole millions in West German hard currency (sent to struggling East Germans by West German relatives). Rick uses Ethiopia as a classroom for understanding global hunger and extreme poverty. Each had a tough 20th-century history. Berlin: 3 nights Stay in the city center, the “Mitte”, for easy walking access to most sites. When completed in 1743, this was Germany's tallest Protestant church. Posted by Russell on 01/06/18 04:23 PM. of the Nazis, and the proletariat's raised fist from the communist era. After visiting a beloved church that rose from those 1945 ashes, we'll go further back in time and brush up on some Saxon history with its royal palaces and their porcelain, jewels, and armor. See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks. Leipzig remembers its tough 20th century with a little whimsy. But I took notes on the gaps where I needed to pause my iPhone. And today they're coming back with a special vibrancy. Rick Steves also does not mention Ulm, which is the birthplace of Albert Einstein and has the largest Evangelische Cathedral of any in Germany. My Account. Social. ... I’m looking for somewhere to go in Central Germany (east of Frankfurt), a smallish place with walks and other outdoor things to do and family friendly. Hamburg Big port city with emigration, World War II, and Beatles history — and Las Vegas-style nightlife. Try. The design is typical of Soviet-bloc architecture — from Moscow to Bucharest. This glittering Baroque treasure collection is the sightseeing highlight of the city. Support GBH. Home / Blog; Destination: Berlin. Edition: Fol Pap/Ma. A synthesis of the arts as an expression of wealth and absolute power. Posted by JetteTheRealtor (Monterey California) on 09/06/18 07:37 PM. The exhibit is modern and well-presented, although there's little in English (translations sometimes available at the gift-shop counter where you enter — ask). There is so much history, so many cultural sites and resources: the land of Martin Luther (Eisenach), Johann Sebastian Bach (also Eisenach and Leipzig) Goethe, Schiller and so many more. The Ivory Room does the same for elephant tusks, with some strikingly delicate carving. The artist carefully studied armor and clothing, accurately tracing the evolution of weaponry and fashions through the centuries. But of course people eventually insist on freedom. The big draw here is the Saxon treasuries: the Historic Green Vault and the New Green Vault (royal treasures in contemporary display cases). Some of the galleries retain an Old World elegance with venerable shops and restaurants. Please sign in to post. The dogs smelled the item, and then smelled the jars. I'm Rick Steves. It feels religious, but it's strikingly secular — a powerful monument to more than a battle: to the power of nationalism and to the fact that war leaves even the winners saddled with grief. In the 1980s, Leipzig's oldest church became a major staging ground for the Peaceful Revolution that would ultimately topple the East German Communist regime. Auf Wiedersehen. In Rick Steves Berlin you'll find in-depth Rick-tested information on: Practicalities Easy-to-follow maps (including color maps of Germany, Greater Berlin, Central Berlin, and Berlin's public transportation network) Trip planning: When to go, pretrip checklist, festivals … Posted on July 20, 2012 January 5, 2018. Rick: Stasi — "state security.". Then they head into Transylvania, where they visit fortified churches, cobbled merchant towns like Sighisoara, and castles made famous by an imported German king and the real-life Dracula. Exploring the Nile Valley from north to south, we see the highlights of Egypt. By Augustus' time, the Zwinger was a venue for Saxon court celebrations. The snow capped Alps are at the south end of the lake. Out of the squalor came a forced uniformity and, if you played by the rules, life was not miserable. Inside, the clean, stripped-down interior reflects the Protestant aesthetic of an uncluttered church. Rick Steves Best of Germany: With Salzburg (Rick Steves Travel Guide) Part of: Rick Steves Travel Guide (32 Books) | by Rick Steves | Nov 12, 2019. The wine (85 percent white) is particularly good from the Mosel and Rhine areas. East Berlin Lodging Options. Gisa: Exactly. Public Libraries of Suffolk County, New York. Rick Steves Germany 2020 (Book) : Steves, Rick : Grand Central PubFrom fairy-tale castles and alpine forests to quaint villages and modern cities: experience Germany with Rick Steves! The remnants of the destroyed church were fitted together like a giant jigsaw puzzle, with about a third of the darker original stones placed lovingly in their original spots. We'll ponder a massive war memorial from the time of Napoleon. The Mathematics and Physics Salon features scientific gadgets from the 16th to 19th century. Rick Steves' Europe. Dazzling, original, centuries-old armor fills one long room called the Giant's Hall. Rick visits the two great cities of the region: the capital city of Dresden, with the opulent palaces and art treasures of the Wettin dynasty, and Leipzig, with its Bach heritage, a massive monument to the day Europe beat Napoleon, and museums remembering its communist heritage. An event like this is a perfect chance to meet locals. Rebuilding of the church finally began in 1992, following carefully considered guidelines: Stay true to the original design, use as much original material as possible, avoid using any concrete or rebar, maximize modern technology, and make it a lively venue for 21st-century-style worship. Rick Steves really knows his stuff and I'm truly thankful for this book. It collected mountains of data on its citizens. Navigate; Linked Data; Dashboard; Tools / Extras; Stats; Share . The Saxon ruler was one most powerful people in Germany — he was one of a handful of nobles who elected the Holy Roman Emperor. It's ringed by more soldiers, in front of giant death masks, heads respectfully bowed to honor the sacrifice of those lost in battle. The Stasi had hundreds and thousands of informants, so they were colleagues, friends, family members spying on people, and then it was very difficult to choose: Do I want to know what information the Stasi kept on me, or would I also — I would also find out who spied on me. The color scheme is pastel, to emphasize the joy of faith and enhance the uplifting atmosphere of the services held here. This is the largest collection of 16th-century Europe's leading armor designer, Anton Peffenhauser. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. Prager Street, a bombed-out ruins until the 1960s, was rebuilt as a showcase for communist ideals. This well-worn area has emerged as the city's trendy people zone. Most of the treasures are not behind glass. Art was legitimate only if it actively promoted the state. Rick Steves' Europe. The reconstruction cost more than €100 million, 90 percent of which came from donors around the world. Rick Steves Best of Germany: Rick Steves: 9781631218057: Books - Amazon.ca. That same building — once the Stasi headquarters — now houses a humble but worthwhile exhibit about the Stasi's activities. In the Alps of Austria and Italy, we celebrate both nature and culture. Augustusplatz is a busy people zone and a hub for the city's trams. Saxony, part of the former East Germany, remains a secret to most travelers. Using Airbnb.com and booking.com, stayed at centrally located pensions and small hotels. Nearly everyone had a file. Posted by greggavin25 on 04/18/15 09:27 PM. Today, this Baroque masterpiece is filled with fine museums. It’s a big step for us. Please sign in to post. You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in Germany.This guidebook takes you from fairy-tale castles, alpine forests, and quaint villages to the energetic Germany of today. Its old headquarters now houses a museum dedicated to telling the Stasi's dirty deeds. It also is transected by the Donau River (Danube). The Preachers’ Church — 500 Years After Luther. This golden coffee service from 1700 is pure gold, iced with enamel, crusted with thousands of precious stones, and crowned by a coffee pot filled with symbolism. … In the nearby Royal Palace — the official residence of Saxon rulers since 1485 — is Dresden's Historic Green Vault. Generally what they had was what their neighbors had — children all had the same blocks, books, and cuddly stuffed pets. It's once again the heart of the city — alive with people and cafés. Next door, a little DDR Museum is filled with mostly East German tourists rummaging through the nostalgia on display from dreary life under communism. Services . European royal families aspired to have their own porcelain works. Its vast, uniform apartment blocks goose-step up the boulevard to this day. In this amazing ivory frigate, tiny sailors climb the gold wire-rigging — all supported by Neptune and his horses. Any advice at all would be much appreciated! Rick Steves is America's most respected authority on European travel. The curves help create a feeling of community. Year: 2018. ksps 7.3 Create 10/19 20:00: Saxony, part of the former East Germany, remains a secret to most travelers. The museum is not fancy — basically one long hallway and a few rooms, with dusty hand-lettered exhibits — but fascinating to those interested in this dark chapter of German history. Not miserable sat in ruins for decades it offers a fascinating look at what it took to control the.... 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