If your visiting Berlin and have a day to spare, take the train southwest for a 45 minute ride to…read morethe town of Potsdam. A round trip fare from the main train station is only about $7. It's a beautiful and historic city that is the capital city of the state of Brandenburg. I t was the residence of Prussian Kings and the Kaiser until the end of World War I. It's buildings are beautifully preserved or restored. It's hard to tell which because they are in such harmony. It's easy to imagine that it looked the way it does in the 18th century. There are lots of dining options on and near the main shopping street, Brandenburger Strasse. I came in February and just for a few hours. Next time I'm in Berlin, I plan to come back and spend a night. It has so many parks, it must be glorious in summer.

If you are visiting Potsdam, this will probably be your first stop, and rightfully so. Apparently…read moreduring WWII it was heavily damaged and is now in an almost restored state. Still some work to do. You can climb the tower for a small fee (I was lazy and did not) and there is a suggested 2 euro donation as you leave. Perfectly legit and I was happy to oblige. The church itself is beautiful, but not overwhelming like some. Helpfully, there is an explanatory laminated page on the left, just as you enter, with a full history - available in 10 languages or so.