We work hard to protect your security and privacy. It's the only major Hitler-era building that — somehow — survived the war's bombs. Voltaire said, "Some countries have an army and in Prussia the army has a country. The design of this memorial has no explicit meaning.

The mural shows the communist ideal; the reality is portrayed in an enlarged photograph in the ground in the courtyard in front of the mural — showing a 1953 uprising here against the communists…quite a contrast. 4.6 out of 5 stars 100. 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 … It faces Germany's parliament building, or "The Reichstag has a short yet dramatic history. If you're pressed for time, visit after dinner, when most other museums are closed.The new Potsdamer Platz was a vision begun in 1991, the year that Germany's parliament voted to relocate the seat of government to Berlin. End the day with a walk through hip Prenzlauer Berg before raising a mug at a classic beer garden.Rick's candid, humorous advice will guide you to good-value hotels and restaurants.

Hello! It's young, it's vibrant, it's Berlin. Since then, Sony, Daimler, and other major corporations have turned the square once again into a city center.

It's hoped that each visitor will find their own.There's no central gathering point; it's for individuals, like death. Once you enter the memorial, people seem to appear and then disappear. My first trip to Berlin - Rick's suggestions on walking tours, his background information on the sights & his historical backstory was so helpful. Per Rick Steves, you buy his Regional book and tear our the section you need. Typical Steves. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. Rick Steves Pocket Rome works best for people taking a short trip, or perhaps a return trip, to Rome.

Then, with reunification, the parliament moved back to Berlin. It raised Europe's largest army, Berlin was a military metropolis, and goose-stepping was in. Spanning three floors, it focuses on art (mostly paintings) from the 19th century: Romantic German paintings (which I find most interesting) on the top floor, and French and German Impressionists and German Realists on the first and second floors.

It was easy to read and convenient to carry with us as we toured the city. Just strolling through delightful parks and neighborhoods gives a fun glimpse into today's good times. The remains of the hated wall are now a showcase for counter-culture graffiti artists — a canvas for free-spirited spray-painters.

That's what the East German government called this Wall. Rick Steves Pocket Amsterdam works best for people taking a short trip, or perhaps a return trip, to Amsterdam. Peruse the city's world-class museums, then pedal along the Spree riverfront before sitting down to nurse a stein of brew or dive into a cheap Fleeing to freedom in the west.Berlin's an old city with a young past. The architecture comes with a message: the people are determined to keep a wary eye on their government.Berlin is dotted with memorials and reminders of its troubled 20For a man with such megalomaniac ambitions, it's striking how little survives of the world Hitler created. Since 1973, Rick Steves has spent about four months a year exploring Europe. Around the gate, information boards with pictures show how this area changed throughout the 20th century. This cathedral, while Protestant, is as ornate as if it were Catholic. Book construction is fine. Turns out he now sells smaller specific guides and this is the section for Berlin. Travel with Rick on this video guide to Berlin, Germany and find out what to do on your next trip.

And, while you could read this story anywhere, to take this in atop the Gestapo headquarters is a powerful experience. After 1945, the bombed out building stood like a ghost through the Cold War. Intentionally disorienting?

Rick Steves Berlin [Steves, Rick] on Amazon.com. Great for planning our next European adventure. The set also includes Rick’s thought-provoking shows on Israel and Palestine.Feast on history, art and culture in Berlin; be lost for words at the treasures in St Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum; and soak away your cares in the Blue Lagoon near Reykjavik; all with

Rick Steves never disappoints! Art was legitimate only if it actively promoted the state.

Warning: The area has become a Cold War freak show and — as if celebrating the final victory of crass capitalism — is one of Berlin's worst tourist-traps. A city of leafy boulevards, grand Neoclassical buildings, world-class art, and glitzy shopping arcades, it's vibrant with youth, energy, and an anything-goes-and-anything's-possible buzz. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. I'm Rick Steves. When inaugurated in the 1890s, the emperor dismissed the new parliament building as a "house for chatting." It's a youthful culture of people with no living memory of communism. A symbolic cemetery?

I carried it with me as we visited the Gemaldegalerie to make sure I saw the famous works of art there.

This huge square, Alexanderplatz, was a commercial center of East Berlin in the communist days.