Our guide Gabi took us around for us to see firsthand the sites favored by Hitler for his parades and speeches. Hitler had a particular fondness for Nuremberg, where he constructed or planned several grand structures. Our first stop was the Hall of Honors, initially built to commemorate WWI soldiers, but repurposed by Hitler as a stage for his large gatherings. Despite its name, it is not an actual hall but an outdoor pavilion bordered by posts that once held flames for the d

Spending two days in Nuremberg was just the right amount of time to explore the city and grasp its history, which dates back to the Middle Ages and gained further significance as the location of the Nuremberg Trials.   We stayed at The Grand Hotel/Meridien, part of the Marriott group, which is ideal for those who collect points. The hotel, originally built in 1894, has been updated and maintains a classic style. It is situated directly across from the train station on the new

We met our guide Robert, an expert on the Holocaust, who has a book set to be published by Fordham University later this year. As you can tell, the guides we hire from Context are all highly knowledgeable individuals who enriched our experience beyond merely touring the sites. Jewish Berlin has a rich history dating back to 1671, though few physical reminders remain. Remarkably, in the 1930s, Berlin, with over 4 million residents, had about 160,000 Jews, of which 55,000 were

Deciding where to eat can often be more difficult than choosing which site or museum to visit. With so many options and limited time, Berlin presents a wide range of choices, requiring some discernment when making reservations. I usually book in advance for major cities if I'm worried about last-minute availability, but I also enjoy getting recommendations from the local concierge. Our first night's dinner was at a trendy, small restaurant called Barra , where we sat at the b

Berlin is loaded with art from old masters to modern. Even the Berlin Wall is a work of art as after it was taken down, artists and just plain folk were given the opportunity to paint on a section of the wall and it became known as the East Side Gallery. The Old Master Museum is known as the Germaldeggalerie. We got our fill of old masters and what we loved about this museum, was that there were very few visitors, so it was a joy to hang with Botticelli's, Vermeer’s, Rembrand

Our hotel, SO/ Berlin Das Stue, was a boutique establishment adjacent to the zoo and a large park known as the Tiergarten . We enjoy boutique hotels for their smaller size and interesting design elements, and this one certainly met our expectations. Notably, it was originally the Royal Copenhagen Danish Embassy, constructed in the 1930s but left vacant during WWII. It was converted into a hotel around 2008. The hotel is stylish and the staff were attentive. Berlin is a larg

We took a half-day trip from Berlin to Potsdam, where Frederick II built his summer palace, Sans Souci. The town is small and elegant, with many buildings restored to their historical appearance, much to the dismay of our guide Robert, who thought it gave the town a Disney-like feel. However, as Scott pointed out, without these restorations, we might not have visited what would otherwise be an unremarkable city. After seeing numerous Baroque and Rococo structures throughout E

Today, we spent 7 hours exploring Berlin with our guide Aaron, originally from Great Britain, who moved here after meeting his wife, calling himself a "love refugee." Aaron, educated as an archaeologist, has a clear passion for history. Strolling through Berlin with him was enjoyable, as he was a rather cheeky fellow, always entertaining and a walking encyclopedia on everything Berlin, both past and present. We began at the iconic Brandenburg Gate and concluded our day at the

We embarked on a Bauhaus and Architecture tour led by a woman named Nina, whom we hired through Context Tours. For this trip, we booked all our Berlin tours with Context and used ToursByLocals for the other cities. A notable difference is that with Context, we met our guides at the starting point of the tour, whereas with ToursByLocals, they picked us up at the hotel before proceeding. Both organizations provide knowledgeable and informative guides. Nina is a sculptor origin

We stayed at the Relais Chateau Hotel Bulow , which didn't meet our expectations compared to the Andaz Prague. It was somewhat disappointing, as we've previously enjoyed other Relais Chateau hotels, but this one could use a bit of refreshing. We discovered a fantastic bakery just half a block from the hotel called Elias . The bread and pastries were excellent. Starting the day with a sourdough baguette, serrano ham, arugula, and a double shot cappuccino was perfect! Scotty, h