From the Berlin Wall to Vienna

Who it is for

For anyone who likes 20th-century history and wants to travel by train through three countries.

Not for anyone who wants sun and a beach.

The strategy

Berlin comes first, with the Wall, and the train goes down to Prague and Vienna. Munich closes the trip, with the market and the museums.

What you will see

• Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. Built between 1788 and 1791 by Carl Gotthard Langhans, it's the only survivor of the old customs wall's eighteen gates.
• Castelo de Praga, Prague. A complex of about 70,000 m² founded around 880 and still the seat of the presidency; the cathedral was begun in 1344 by Matthias of Arras, continued by Peter Parler, and only finished in 1929.
• Stephansdom, Vienna. The Gothic cathedral at the exact point the city measures itself from; the south tower, 136.4 m tall, was completed in 1433, and the roof has about 230,000 glazed tiles in a colorful pattern.
• Marienplatz, Munich. The central square since 1158 and the neo-Gothic city hall, built in three stages between 1867 and 1909 by Georg von Hauberrisser, with an 85 m tower and an elevator up to the lookout.

Day by day

Berlin

1. 1
   Day 1: The Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate and Museum Island

   1. 5ReichstagWorth a visit
   2. 1Brandenburg GateUp to half an hourEssential
   3. 3Memorial to the Murdered Jews of EuropeEssential
   4. 2Museum IslandEssential
   5. 9Humboldt ForumUp to half an hourIf there is time
2. 2
   Day 2: The Wall line and the east

   1. 6East Side GalleryWorth a visit
3. 3
   Day 3: Kreuzberg, Neukölln and Tempelhofer Feld

   1. 7Tempelhofer FeldWorth a visit
4. 4
   Day 4: Potsdam (day trip) · if you have more time

   

Prague

1. 5
   Day 5: Old Town, Josefov and the river

   1. 5Old Town Square and the OrlojWorth a visit
   2. 3Josefov: Old-New Synagogue and Old Jewish CemeteryHalf a day or moreEssential
   3. 2Charles BridgeUp to half an hourEssential
2. 6
   Day 6: The castle, Malá Strana and Petřín

   1. 2Charles BridgeUp to half an hourEssential
   2. PetřínOne to two hoursIf there is time
3. 7
   Day 7: New Town, Cubism and the neighborhoods

   1. 6Wenceslas Square and the National MuseumUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   2. 8Municipal House and the House of the Black MadonnaUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   3. 7VyšehradOne to two hoursWorth a visit

Vienna

1. 8
   Day 8: The imperial center inside the Ring

   1. 1StephansdomEssential
   2. 5HofburgWorth a visit
   3. 3Kunsthistorisches MuseumEssential
   4. 4StaatsoperEssential
2. 9
   Day 9: Baroque, Klimt, and wine on the slope

   1. 2SchönbrunnEssential
   2. 6Upper BelvedereWorth a visit
3. 10
   Day 10: 20th century, market, and the Danube

   1. 7MuseumsQuartier and LeopoldUp to half an hourWorth a visit

Munich

1. 11
   Day 11: The rebuilt center and the market

   1. 1Marienplatz and the Neues RathausEssential
   2. 2ViktualienmarktEssential
   3. 5FrauenkircheUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   4. 3Residenz and SchatzkammerEssential
   5. 6AsamkircheUp to half an hourWorth a visit
2. 12
   Day 12: Museums, memory, and the river

   
3. 13
   Day 13: Palace, the Games, and the Isar's banks · if you have more time

   1. 8Olympiapark and BMW WeltWorth a visit
   2. Deutsches MuseumOne to two hoursIf there is time