1,000 Places to See Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

  Based on the king’s own impeccable designs, Sans Souci was meant to rival Versailles (see p. 118) in detail and extravagance, although it is intimate by comparison. The long, one-story building, crowned by a dome and flanked by two round pavilions, is surrounded by tiered terraces and landscaped gardens. Other buildings, most notably the Neue Palais (the largest, with 638 rooms) and Schlosshotel Cecilienhof, were added over the following 150 years. The latter is a rambling, mock-Elizabethan country manor that was begun in 1913 for Crown Prince Wilhelm and his wife, Cecilie. It would go down in history as the site of the Potsdam Conference, July 17 to August 2, 1945, where the Allied statesmen Churchill (replaced mid-conference by Clement Attlee), Truman, and Stalin hammered out the division of postwar Germany.

  Few of today’s visitors traipsing through the conference rooms of the 175-room house realize that part of the manor has been quietly functioning as a hotel and restaurant since 1960. For those checking into any of the 41 guest rooms, the sense of sans souci is tangible once the day’s visitors taper off. If they hand you the key to the luxury Hohenzollern Suite, you’ll be staying in the onetime lodging for the family of the last emperor.

  WHERE: 15 miles/24 km southwest of Berlin. VISITOR INFO: www.potsdam-tourism.com. SCHLOSSHOTEL CECILIENHOF: Tel 49/331-37050; www.relexa-hotel.de. Cost: from $160. BEST TIME: May–Jun for gardens at their best.

  European Art: Then and Now

  COLOGNE’S CATHEDRAL

  Cologne, Rhineland, Germany

  The 14th-century poet Petrarch thought Cologne’s twin-towered Dom one of the finest cathedrals in the world. It took more than 600 years to complete; construction was begun on top of Roman ruins after Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa donated the relics of the Three Magi to Cologne (Köln), establishing the city on the banks of the Rhine as an important pilgrimage destination. The relics are still on display in their original 12th-century gilded reliquary behind the high altar, which itself dates back to the early 14th century. In 2007, the south transept received a burst of color from a massive new window designed by Cologne-based artist Gerhard Richter. The 11,500 hand-blown glass squares span 72 colors for an abstract echo of the surrounding figurative stained-glass windows. Take a 509-step hike up to the windswept gallery high in the 515-foot south tower and you will have climbed the highest church tower in the world. Petersglocke, the world’s largest church bell, tips the scales at 24 tons; when it rings out the hour, you’ll know.

  You can view 2,000 years of Western art and architecture without leaving the shadow of the cathedral. Workers building an underground air-raid shelter in 1941 unearthed ancient Roman foundations, including a perfectly preserved mosaic floor from a Roman trader’s villa; they are now the highlights of the Romano-Germanic Museum just south of the Dom. On its other side, the Wallraf-Richartz Museum, housed in a huge art complex, contains paintings from the 14th to the 20th centuries, while the Museum Ludwig, devoted exclusively to 20th-century art, has one of the largest modern collections outside the U.S.

  At the end of the day, put your feet up at the Dom Hotel, which delivers old-fashioned, yet friendly service on a level that few hotels even aspire to these days. Nearby, the Früh am Dom is a lively century-old institution, where amiable waiters serve tourists and locals alike the popular Kölsch, a light, clear hometown brew.

  A stained-glass panel in the cathedral’s St. Stephen window, assembled in 1848, depicts St. Apollinaris.

  CATHEDRAL: Tel 49/221-17940-100; www.koelner-dom.de. ROMANO-GERMANIC MUSEUM: Tel 49/221-24438; www.museenkoeln.de. WALLRAF-RICHARTZ MUSEUM and MUSEUM LUDWIG: Tel 49/221-21119; 49/221-26165; www.museenkoeln.de. DOM HOTEL: Tel 49/221-20240; www.starwoodhotels.com. Cost: from $225. FRÜH AM DOM: Tel 49/221-2613-211; www.frueh.de. BEST TIMES: early Mar for Karneval; mid-Apr for Art Cologne; late Nov–Dec for Christmas market.

  Rivers, Rieslings, and Ruins

  THE RHINE VALLEY

  Rhineland, Germany

  Cutting through 820 miles of European heartland from Switzerland to the North Sea, the Rhine River does not belong to Germany alone—but don’t tell the Germans that. The span that runs through Germany, particularly the 50-mile Middle Rhine or Rhine Gorge, from Mainz to Koblenz, is where the river gained its historic importance and exhibits its greatest beauty, flanked by vineyard-clad hillsides, wooded forests, castle-topped crags, and tiny wine villages. The 433-foot Lorelei Rock that juts over the river’s narrowest point is named for a mythic siren who sang sailors to their doom in her treacherous currents. Experience the Rhine by river cruise, train, or car—or by taking more than one option. Scenic roads and rails hug the riverbanks, while river-cruise lines specialize in tours ranging from a few hours to several days. During summer and early autumn, the Rhine in Flames festival lights up the river near Rudesheim, Koblenz, and St. Goar with fireworks, floodlit castles, and a fleet of illuminated boats.

  A side trip along the winding Mosel River, which meets the Rhine at Koblenz, offers a magic all its own, with tranquil scenery, especially along the 85-mile stretch between Koblenz and the charming city of Trier. Dating from 2000 B.C., this ancient town boasts well-preserved Roman and medieval ruins standing amid today’s lively street life. Farther up the Mosel, nestled in an enchanted setting, sits Burg Eltz, a 12th-century castle cared for by the same aristocratic family for the past 850 years.

  Mülheim’s Weinromantik Hotel Richtershof is a welcoming 17th-century manor house on a former wine-growing estate. It’s conveniently close to one of Germany’s finest restaurants, Waldhotel Sonnora, acclaimed for its excellent wine list and culinary magic using locally farmed ingredients. Both the Rhine and Mosel regions are noted for their light white wines. Come during the autumn grape harvest—centered along the Rheingau and the Mosel’s Cochem and Bernkastel-Kues—to sample Germany’s noblest grape, riesling, at its most famous vineyards.

  Katz Castle faces neighboring Lorelei Rock.

  WHERE: Mainz is 87 miles/140 km south of Cologne. VISITOR INFO: www.romantic-germany.info. HOW: Viking River Cruises offers trips from Paris to Prague. In the U.S., tel 800-304-9616; www.vikingrivercruises.com. Cost: 12-day cruises from $2,750, all-inclusive. When: departures May–Nov. WEINROMANTIK HOTEL RICHTERSHOF: Tel 49/6534-9480; in the U.S., 800-735-2478; www.weinromantikhotel.com. Cost: from $225. WALDHOTEL SONNORA: Tel 49/6578-406; www.hotel-sonnora.de. Cost: dinner $115. BEST TIMES: late Feb or early Mar for Karneval; Apr–May for smaller crowds; Jul–Sep for Rhine in Flames; Sep–Oct for wine harvest and fall foliage.

  Cultural Capital on the Elbe, Reborn

  DRESDEN’S ALTSTADT

  Saxony, Germany

  On a graceful bend of the Elbe River, one of Europe’s most cherished cultural centers is experiencing a rebirth. In 1945, despite having no military targets, roughly 80 percent of Dresden’s medieval inner city was destroyed in one of World War II’s most savage air raids. Among the Aldstadt’s (Old Town’s) architectural casualties was the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). Reconsecrated in 2005, the star of rebuilt Dresden stands strong once again behind a checkerboard façade of black (from the original structure) and tan stones.

  One of Germany’s most famous Baroque buildings, the 18th-century Zwinger palace, stands nearby, meticulously re-created in the late 1950s. The Zwinger complex is also home to the Rustkammer (arms room), containing stunning ornamental armor and weaponry, and the famous Porcelain Museum, showcasing the world’s most significant Meissen collection. August the Strong (1694–1733), elector of Saxony, created this voluptuous pleasure palace and filled his showpiece, the Old Masters Picture Gallery, with such gems as Raphael’s Sistine Madonna, Giorgione’s Sleeping Venus, and Titian’s Tribute Money. Revive yourself next door at the pretty Alte Meister Café, then head to the recently renovated Albertinum in the Royal Palace, where 19th- and 20th-century works reside. The hottest ticket in town may be the Green Vault, where the world’s largest green diamond (41 carats) highlights a breathtaking collection of Saxon treasures.

  Before August the Strong
began to collect artwork, he collected women. Perhaps the most famous was Countess Cosel, for whom, in 1706, he commissioned the Taschenbergpalais. This great Baroque love nest, demolished in the 1945 raids, has risen phoenixlike again as the Kempinski Hotel Taschenbergpalais. With an ice rink in winter, opulent guest rooms, and an enviable location on the Theaterplatz, this is the most romantic and luxe hostelry in the area. A short stroll away is the world-famous Semper Opera, where Wagner and Strauss premiered most of their large-scale works. The new Hotel Suitess offers style and tranquility in Biedermeier-inspired rooms and a rooftop spa with views of the nearby Frauenkirche.

  WHERE: 123 miles/198 km south of Berlin. VISITOR INFO: www.dresden-tourist.de. ZWINGER COMPLEX, ALBERTINUM, and GREEN VAULT: Tel 49/351-4914-2000; www.skd.museum. ALTE MEISTER CAFÉ: Tel 49/351-4810-426; www.altemeister.net. Cost: dinner $50. KEMPINSKI HOTEL TASCHENBERGPALAIS: Tel 49/351-4912-636; in the U.S., 800-426-3135; www.kempinski.com. Cost: from $205 (off-peak), from $320 (peak). SEMPER OPERA: Tel 49/351-4911-740; www.semperoper.de. HOTEL SUITESS: Tel 49/351-417270; in the U.S., 800-525-4800; www.suitess-hotel.com. Cost: from $225 (off-peak), from $275 (peak). BEST TIMES: May–Jun for Dresden Music Festival; late Aug for City Festival; late Nov–Dec for Christmas market.

  A Wealth of Half-Timbered History

  QUEDLINBURG

  Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

  On the edge of the Harz, Germany’s northernmost mountain range, lies the finest—and some of the oldest—timber-framed townscape in the country and perhaps in all Europe. Besides holding this distinction, Quedlinburg also boasts a treasure trove of medieval religious art, which is displayed in Stiftskirche St. Servatius, the town’s hilltop Saxon-Romanesque cathedral. The church’s former abbey was transformed in the 17th century into a pocket-size Renaissance castle that houses a small museum containing priceless artifacts.

  Boasting more than 1,000 years of history, Quedlinburg was the cradle of the Ottonian dynasty, the first line of Saxon kings in what later became the Holy Roman Empire. (Heinrich I, the first German king, died in 936 and is buried in the cathedral.) The town miraculously escaped both Allied bombing in World War II and the redevelopment plans of the former East German government.

  Its historic wealth is still visible everywhere: in the gold and bejeweled sacred objects it exhibits and in its 1,300 half-timbered houses—the earliest, dating back to 1310, is the oldest in Germany. Architectural styles range from Gothic to Baroque to Quedlinburg’s own idiom: façades accented with bright blues, reds, yellows, and greens.

  On the main market square is the lovely Hotel Theophano, a half-timbered landmark created from five 17th-century buildings. Its restaurant offers memorable meals under candlelit vaulted ceilings. Hotel Am Brühl is a delightfully sunny hotel in a converted 350-year-old timbered farmhouse and 1920s stucco home, where some rooms open to castle views. The best place for regional fare and a local Braunbier, a centuries-old traditional brew, is the restored 1807 brewery Brauhaus Lüdde.

  WHERE: 107 miles/172 km southwest of Berlin. VISITOR INFO: www.quedlinburg.de. HOTEL THEOPHANO: Tel 49/3946-96300; www.hoteltheophano.de. Cost: from $125; dinner $40. HOTEL AM BRÜHL: Tel 49/3946-96180; www.hotelambruehl.de. Cost: from $145. BRAUHAUS LÜDDE: Tel 49/3946-705206; www.hotel-brauhaus-luedde.de. Cost: dinner $35. BEST TIMES: Jun–Sep for Summer of Music; Dec for Advent in the Courtyards.

  Belle of the Baltic

  LÜBECK

  Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

  This Baltic river port has a glorious past. In the Middle Ages, it was the capital of the important Hanseatic League, a loose-knit association of independent merchant towns in northern Europe. Enclosed within walls of fortifications, gates, and a moat, Lübeck’s redbrick Altstadt (Old Town) is steeped in the history of the city’s rich medieval days, when it dominated the highly lucrative trading routes along the Baltic. One would never guess that a quarter of the city’s center was demolished by World War II bombings: Much of it has been painstakingly rebuilt. Serving as a memorial, the bells of the Gothic Marienkirche (St. Mary Church) lie shattered where they fell during an air raid. A boat ride along the Trave River reveals the true nature of this port city, offering unrivaled views of the treasured 15th-century Holsten Gate, imposing brick salt warehouses, and copper spires of the many Gothic churches.

  Come July, classical-music fans flock here for Germany’s largest summer cultural event: the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. Ever since Leonard Bernstein launched the festival in 1986, world-class artists have marked it on their summer schedules. Some 125 performances are given in 50 venues throughout the province, including many in Lübeck.

  At the graciously restored Hotel Kaiserhof, the union of two stately 19th-century homes recalls the comfort and civility of old Lübeck. Stop in at Haus der Schiffergesellschaft, a tavern built in 1535 as headquarters for the sea captains’ guild, or travel farther back in time to Brauberger’s, a Romanesque cellar where beer has been brewed and served since 1225. Though marzipan’s origins still spark a centuries-old debate, Lübeck’s superiority with the almond confection is indisputable—and Café Niederegger is said to make the best in the world. Its famous cream-filled Nusstorte also begs to be sampled.

  The imposing medieval architecture of Holsten Gate is representative of Lübeck’s role in the powerful Hanseatic League.

  WHERE: 40 miles/65 km north of Hamburg. VISITOR INFO: www.luebeck.de. SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN MUSIC FESTIVAL: Tel 49/451-389570; www.shmf.de. When: Jul–late Aug. HOTEL KAISERHOF: Tel 49/451-703301; www.kaiserhof-luebeck.de. Cost: from $150. HAUS DER SCHIFFERGESELLSCHAFT: Tel 49/451-76776; www.schiffergesellschaft.com. BRAUBERGER: Tel 49/451-71444; www.brauberger.com. CAFÉ NIEDEREGGER: Tel 49/451-5301127; www.niederegger.de. BEST TIMES: summer for music festival; late Nov–Dec for Christmas market.

  Glamorous and Fragile, an Island Beauty

  SYLT

  Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

  This windswept barrier island off the northern tip of Germany is the status destination for the fashionable and chic of Hamburg. Stylish boutiques, excellent restaurants, and a tiny casino bestow a cosmopolitan flair on the skinny isle that otherwise cherishes its traditions and fragile beauty. The largest island in the Friesian Archipelago stretching from Denmark to the Netherlands, Sylt is just 1,148 feet wide at its narrowest point. Its ever-shifting landscape of soft dunes and 40 miles of sandy coastline is in danger of eroding off the face of the map someday. It has a sizable gay and lesbian population, a famous nude beach (said to have begun the craze in the 1800s), and a relaxed lifestyle centered around just-caught seafood dinners in small fishing villages. The invigorating air and bracing wind off the North Sea makes yellow oilskin windbreakers a common sight even on summer days. Sloping straw roofs and doll-house-like brick cottages illustrate the islanders’ desire to keep the modern world on the mainland; biking, horseback riding, and walking are the preferred means of transportation.

  With just 12 villages on the 38-square-mile island, quaint Keitum is its “green heart,” while the largest establishment is Westerland. The latter is where you’ll find the elegant, 19th-century Hotel Stadt Hamburg, evocative of a dignified country estate and home to an excellent restaurant. For a refreshing antidote to the island’s high-end hotels, the Long Island House boasts airy modern design and warm and welcoming hosts. There are homey oyster and shrimp joints around the island where everyone knows your name, but if you’re looking for a fancier alternative, Restaurant Jörg Müller is among the country’s finest eateries.

  WHERE: 143 miles/230 km northwest of Hamburg. VISITOR INFO: www.sylt.de. HOTEL STADT HAMBURG: Tel 49/4651-8580; www.hotelstadthamburg.com. Cost: from $300; dinner $60. LONG ISLAND HOUSE: Tel 49/4651-9959550; www.sylthotel.de. Cost: from $195. RESTAURANT JÖRG MÜLLER: Tel 49/4651-27788; www.hotel-joerg-mueller.de. Cost: dinner $55. BEST TIMES: Jul–Aug for summer activities; end Sep–early Oct for windsurfing’s World Cup Sylt.

  German Classicism Meets Revolutionary Architecture

  WEIMAR

&nbs
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  The much-revered writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lived in Weimar for nearly 60 years while penning most of his major works, including the epic drama Faust. The town of Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Liszt, Richard Strauss, Friedrich von Schiller, and Cranach the Elder and the Younger, Weimar was also home to Nietzsche in his last years and to Walter Gropius’s revolutionary Bauhaus movement in architecture. Long protected as a cultural treasure, the Baroque town has remained intact, despite World War II and decades of Communist rule. Still, a somber reminder of the Nazi years remains, 6 miles north of town, at the Buchenwald Memorial and museum. Certainly the city has seen the very best and the very worst of German history. In 1999, Weimar was honored as a European Capital of Culture, inspiring a cultural and intellectual revival kept alive by small museums, institutes, theaters, and festivals. The Goethe-Nationalmuseum is housed above the home in which the poet lived from 1775 until his death in 1832. Furnished just as it was in Goethe’s time, the 1709 building contains his art and scientific collections, library, and the modest room in which he died.

  At day’s end, return to the historic Deco- and Bauhaus-decorated Elephant Hotel, its 1696 façade still intact, ideally situated on the stage-set Marktplatz. Repair to the hotel’s terrace bar overlooking life on the square, or savor Thuringian specialties at the popular Elephantenkeller. For a more elegant meal, try the Mediterranean-influenced menu at the hotel’s highly acclaimed Anna Amalia. From Weimar, wrote Goethe (who celebrated his 80th birthday at the Elephant), “the gates and streets lead to every faraway place on earth.”