The ship sailed gracefully along the winding waters of the Danube toward Passau, our final Bavarian stop before we would journey onward to Austria. This charming city, known as the "City of Three Rivers," boasts a rich history that dates back to its founding in the year 1219. Nestled at the confluence of the Danube, Inn, and Ilz rivers, Passau is steeped in cultural heritage and stunning architecture. During our exploration of this picturesque city, we visited the magnificent St. Stephan’s...

Munich boasts numerous museums, and for us, traveling is all about art and architecture. I always relish the opportunity to see both old and new masters, especially pieces we haven't encountered before. Fortunately, Munich managed to protect its art during the war. We visited the Alte Pinakothek , which houses a vast and significant collection of old masters and contemporary art. Highlights included works by Rembrandt, van Gogh, da Vinci, Raphael, Botticelli, Lippi, El Greco, Rubens, Titian,...

Munich, established in 1158, serves as the capital of Bavaria, one of Germany's 16 states. Throughout its history, Munich has been a significant center for culture, politics, and economics. The city boasts numerous historic buildings, although many were destroyed by Allied bombings during WWII and have since been reconstructed, similar to other cities we've visited on our tour. We like to begin our visits to each city with a half-day tour. Once again, we chose ToursByLocals. We met our guide,...

The Nuremberg Trials commenced a mere six months following the conclusion of World War II, marking a pivotal moment in history where justice sought to confront the atrocities committed during the conflict. Our visit to Court Room 600, the very venue where the major trials unfolded, was an overwhelming experience. This courtroom became the stage for the prosecution of the highest-ranking Nazi leaders, who were held accountable for their roles in orchestrating the war and the subsequent...

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 murdered, while...

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 large city and 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 originally from Poland....

This is our second river cruise, and it's also our second with AMAWATERWAYS. Our initial trip with them was on the Rhine in September 2022, traveling from Basel to Amsterdam. Now, we're spending a week on their newest and largest ship, the AMAMagna, cruising down the Danube from Vilshofen, Germany, to Budapest, Hungary, with stops in Austria and Slovakia.   The AMAMagna is significantly wider than the previous ship, and we booked one of their “junior suites,” which was just perfect. There...

Dinner on day #1 in Munich was at The Charles Hotel at their restaurant, Sophia’s . Scotty started with white asparagus soup and I had ravioli stuffed with asparagus; it is still asparagus season. For our mains, hubs had tagliatelle with red sauce, and I had stuffed turbot. On the second day, we had dinner at Neo-brasserie Hoiz . Scotty began with the grilled Caesar salad, while I opted for the spicy fried calamari with Asian influences. Scott ventured to try an ox steak accompanied by fries,...

We stayed at The Charles Hotel , which is part of the Rocco Forte hotel chain. I believe it is one of our favorite reliable hotel groups, consistently offering elegance, great style, and excellent service. In the past, we have stayed at their hotels in Edinburgh, The Balmoral , and in Sicily, Verdura . They truly embody the 5-star experience and do it exceptionally well, earning my highest recommendation.

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 dramatic...

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 bar, watched the...

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 Europe, Sans Souci...

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, however, became a...

On the first day, we took a brief hike up a hill to visit the Benedictine Abbey Schweiklberg Monastery. Burning calories is a bit more challenging when you're on a boat and focused on the next meal.

When we decided to tour Germany, my goal was to gain a deeper understanding of modern Germany and to visit a concentration camp firsthand. I wanted to hear from Germans about the post-war rebuilding years and to be assured that such events would never repeat. I left feeling confident that it wouldn't happen again in Germany, though we all recognize how unpredictable our world is and that world peace isn't imminent. Interestingly, it wasn't until the '60s that Germans began to recognize the...

Spending two days in Nuremberg provided two evenings to delve into the local cuisine. The first night's dinner was at a traditional Franconian restaurant called Albrecht Duerer Stube . The setting was as authentic as imaginable, featuring timbered walls, various knick-knacks, and waitresses dressed in dirndls. Albrecht Duerer, a painter and printmaker from the late 15 th century, hailed from Nuremberg, and his former house still stands. However, you're likely more interested in the food than...

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 newer side of the...

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, Rembrandts, Caravaggio’s,...

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 Berlin Wall,...