12-Nights Poland, East Germany & World War II

Weimar

Weimar, Germany, which is 177 mi/285 km southwest of Berlin and can be seen in a day, has a strong connection to Germany's most famous poets and philosophers (primarily Goethe and Schiller).

Though it was never the nation's capital, Weimar lent its name to Germany's government between the world wars (the Weimar Republic) after the new democracy's constitution was signed there in 1919.

Among the sights in Weimar are the Goethe National Museum and Private Residence, the tomb of Goethe and Goethe's Garden House. There's also the beautiful Park an der Ilm along the Ilm River, just south of the city center, which was partly designed by Goethe himself.

Places connected to Schiller include the Schiller House and his tomb in the Historischer Friedhof, where Goethe is also buried. There is also Liszt House (where Liszt wrote his Hungarian Rhapsody) and Tiefurt Palace northeast of the city.

Also nearby is the Buchenwald National Memorial, at the site of a Nazi concentration camp.

Nuremberg

The second largest city in Bavaria, Nuremberg is a glowing testament to medieval culture as evidenced in its historic monuments, Gothic churches and elegant patrician houses. Take a walk around the 13th-century city walls, complete with moats, watchtowers and gateways. Then experience "shopping" as it was in the Middle Ages at the Handwerker Hof, a charming "mediaeval mall". Don't forget to sample the city's famous Bratwürste annd Lebkuchen.

Berlin

Berlin is without doubt the most fascinating city in Germany. Covering around 341 square miles Berlin is a unique landscape. With its numerous parks, lakes and wooded areas it is sometimes easy to forget that Berlin is the capital of Germany. The troubled history of this celebrated capital has for many years attracted tourists from around the world. It is estimated around 80% of Berlin was destroyed during the Second World War; landmarks like the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church stand as a lasting reminder of the mass destruction this city once endured. Perhaps one of Berlin's most famous landmarks is the Berlin Wall, the 'iron curtain' that divided this great city into two halves between 1961 and 1989. The East was governed by communism while the West was allowed to flourish under a democratic capitalist government. Even now, over a decade after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the differences between the former East and West are still very apparent. Berlin has an undeniable air of mystery that has always been and always will be a major draw for tourists from around the world.

Wroclaw

After capital Warsaw - Wroclaw is the second largest financial center of Poland.

The city is traditionally believed to be named after a person called Wrocis?aw/Vratislaw, often believed to be Duke Vratislav I of Bohemia. It is also possible that the city was named after the tribal duke of the Silesians, or after an early owner of the city called Vratislav. There is also another story which holds that the city was named after a Polish duke named Wrócis?aw, whose name means "he will return famous" in the old Polish language.

The name of the city today may be an issue among German and Polish nationalists, although the city's municipal website uses Breslau for the German-language version of the site.

Warsaw

Warsaw is not the cold and dead city it used to be under communism rule. Today with bustling Polish economy and freedom from communist rule - the city has undergone a huge transformation process. Many old communist buildings gave way to modern sky scrapers, dilapidating old town was restored, entertainment and services transformed to match that of other western capitals. Crime rate is lower than that of big cities in the United States. Today Warsaw boasts GDP per capita more than 75% of European Union average.

Dresden

Dresden is located along the river Elbe in the German state of Saxony and is known as a center for fine arts and science. Beautiful landscaping along the Elbe can be seen in the Elbe meadows and slopes.

The Altmarkdt (Old Market Square) dating back to the year 1370 has a rebuilt town hall and 18th century Landhaus where the state museum is housed.

Grober Garten Park is the largest central park in Dresden that boasts a zoo and botanical gardens.

The Zwinger is Dresden's baroque showpiece that houses the Old Masters Picture Gallery, Porcelain Collection, and Zoological Museum.

The Frauenkirche Church, Semper Opera House, and Royal Palace are historical monuments that can be seen in Dresden as well.

Munich

Home of tworld-famous Oktoberfest, the Hofbrauhaus and beergarden-experience, Munich has become one of the most modern and prosperous cities in post-war Germany. Munich offers museums, art galleries, concert halls and historical buildings, beergarden athmosphere on a warm summer night and the hottest dance hall scene in Germany. The area around Munich has mountains, lakes, fairy-tale-castles, wintersport centers and treasures like the monastery-and-brewery of Andechs. Among "must-sees" in Munich, are a walk on the high-level-shopping mile of Maximilianstrasse, a visit of Monopterus building and the "Chinesischer Turm" beergarden on a warm summer day, a match of two main local soccer clubs in Olympic stadium, a visit to "Deutsche Museum", a beer in the students' pubs, and an afternight breakfast in the cafe "Schmalznudel" at Viktualienmarkt. For history, go to a museum, visit the castle of Nymphenburg or get confronted with the dark side of German history in Dachau concentration camp memorial site.

Krakow

Top attraction and the premier tourist destination in Poland, Krakow (dated English spelling ‘Cracow’) is a vibrant city, proud of its long and glorious history, rich heritage, and architectural beauties. For centuries Krakow was the capital of the Polish kingdom. Today it remains the southern Poland’s metropolis and the seat of the Malopolska provincial government. Important as a crucial center of business, culture, and education, Krakow is also famous for its restaurants and clubs. Krakow is Poland’s capital of culture and was named a European City of Culture in 2000. The city boasts the best museums in the country and some best theaters. It counts two Nobel Prize winners in literature among its residents. It is also home to one of the world’s oldest and most distinguished universities.