By Chris Meyer

Berlin and Prague, two cities we visited prior to our Danube River Cruise, are exciting, optimistic places at the forefront of forging modern Europe. It’s clear that European Union drama that makes headlines these days is mild compared to the tortuous 20th Century.

Alicia, our excellent Berlin bike tour guide, told us at the outset that we would explore multiple layers of the fascinating city’s history. And layers there were.  The Brandenburg Gate, Humboldt University and the gathering of the German state with Prussia as driving force. Two cataclysmic world wars and the atrocities of the Nazis captured by the unmarked site of Hitler’s bunker and the nearby Memorial to Murdered Jews.  A remnant of the wall that once divided the city and symbolized the Cold War. And today’s Berlin, once again capital of a unified Germany with  Potsdamer Platz gleaming in an area that was bombed out and then a Berlin Wall no-man’s land, and The Reichstag (parliament) building crowned with a glass dome portraying government openness.

Our Fat Tire Bike Tour seemed the perfect way to get a good overview of Berlin. You can cover more territory than by walking, but you still get a ground-level, not a drive-by, experience. Fat Tire is highly rated and Alicia, from Alberta, Canada, lived up to my expectations. We cruised the streets of the flat, bike-friendly city to visit key markers of the layers.

The tour began at the TV Tower, a clumsy Communist concrete icon meant to project power and propaganda. Checkpoint Charlie, once a key gateway between East and West Berlin,  is a tourist trap with faux American and Soviet soldiers posing for photos for a fee.  Neither is named Charlie, which was derived from military ordering, as in alpha, bravo, Charlie for A, B, C. McDonalds and KFC loom here, as if to emphasize which side won the Cold War.

A Berlin Wall remnant and accompanying guard tower seem almost quaint until

Alicia described the kill zone of barbed wire, glass shards and raked sand. Plus, the tower was surely more intimidating when manned by guards pointing their weapons. It is interesting where the wall was constructed, in some places right alongside a street.

 

 

 

We stopped in the lovely Tiergarten urban park for, what else, schnitzel and beer. Hey, we were burning calories pedaling around. Alicia pointed out some “authentic German sausage,” locals sunbathing on the grass, al natural.

Potsdamer Platz, a gleaming hotel-office-shopping-entertainment complex that was home to our hotel, the Grand Hyatt, is a post-wall creation that demonstrates the victory of capitalism and promise of a new unified Germany and post-communist Europe.  An abundance of stores and eateries offer everything from schnitzel to Starbucks. And the centerpiece entertainment complex displays its requisite corporate sponsor, Sony.

This theme was repeated throughout our trip, which meandered around the former Iron Curtain. Several local guides were quick to report that their countries are thriving with entrepreneurship and freedom. One in Prague went so far as to relate his mother’s colorful description of the communists as like “wasps in my ass.”

Standing there in Prague’s centuries-old main square, it is hard to imagine Soviet tanks crowding in to quash the Prague Spring liberalization of 1968. It’s just not that big a place. Martin, our excellent guide, described the elation when the Spring’s architect, Alexander Dubcek, emerged there after two decades under house arrest with Velvet Revolution leader Vaclav Havel to proclaim a free Czechoslovakia.

Of course, our trip was about much more than the political backdrop and Prague’s history goes back much further than communists and World War II. Our Taste of Prague walking tour touched on all of it with food as a central theme – from traditional Czech to today’s trends.  I highly recommend this tour for the learning, the eating and the drinking. Over 4 1/2 hours you consume the equivalent of two excellent meals delivered in smallish portions as you meander through Old Town and learn fascinating facts about its history.

Martin started us at the trendy butcher shop where he works for traditional Czech open-face sandwiches and steak tartare.

We also visited Lokal, a traditional beer hall, for schnitzel, sauerkraut, sausage and beer. We each were served a full stein of light and another of dark Czech beer, which seemed like a lot until Martin described the Czech Republic’s world-leading beer consumption. More than 140 liters a year. Well, it is cheaper than bottled water or Coca Cola. And it is like cereal, right?

Other Taste stops included the restaurant of a 5-star hotel for roast duck with trimmings, a wine shop for tasting and Cafe Savoy for delicious traditional pastries and coffee. We bid farewell to Martin with tastebuds ecstatic, stomachs full and minds stimulated with insight on what makes this charming city and beautiful country tick. 

Old Town is a real life example of what Walt Disney was trying to recreate with his castle and Fantasyland. And its antiquity is completely intact as it escaped major World War II damage. These significant allures draw big crowds, so be prepared. But it is definitely worth it and is now one of my favorite cities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The four-hour drive from Prague to Nuremberg, from where our Viking River Cruise was to embark, was through the lovely Bohemian countryside. We stopped midway in Pilsen for a tour of its fascinating ancient underground tunnels and History of Beer Museum. Plus a traditional lunch of goulash.

The ingenuity of how the underground tunnels were used and how beer was brewed in pre-mechanized eras were impressive. From there it was on to the river.

Key takeaways:

1. Our key role at Expedia CruiseShipCenters is to provide unbeatable value in experience and price. So our custom pre-cruise experience had the tours described, which are not included in Viking’s pre-cruise package, but still had a price tag significantly lower.
2. It’s all about the people. Cultural exploration is fun, but it’s even better when shared with great. people. We struck gold on all counts. Our “Joyful Group” was filled with great traveling companions plus guides Alicia and Martin, and later cruise directory Anthony, brought many smiles to our faces and isights to our minds.
3. We are planning more group trips in the future. If you are interested in getting in on one, give me a call at 800-745-4015.