We just returned from a visit to Berlin, followed by an Elbe River cruise from Wittenberg to Bad Schandau, and a final bus trip from Bad Schandau to Prague. Our final scheduled river stop at Decin, Czech Republic, from Bad Schandau, was not possible due to low water levels on the Elbe. Low water levels have become a recurrent issue on the Elbe. In fact, the previous cruise itinerary was unable to cruise at all as low water depths precluded river travel. We were lucky as moderate rain during one afternoon in Berlin and some tributary releases into the Elbe permitted us to only miss one of five scheduled port stops. Lately low water on the Elbe occurs earlier in the season (rather than early summer to early fall) due to climate changes.
Would we recommend an Elbe River cruise? A cruise on the Danube, Rhine, Yangtze or Mekong rivers would be among my higher recommendations for those new to river cruising. Frankly, the views along the Elbe - with the exception of the Saxon Switzerland National Park - were not very spectacular. Also, I suggest a very early spring cruise along the Elbe when the water level is likely to be high enough for sailing. The months of April and May have become unreliable for Elbe River cruising due to low water levels.
Berlin, Germany
This was our first time in Berlin. Jeremy Minberg, The Berlin Expert, met us for two half-day tours of the historic area of Berlin. Jeremy is recognized in Rick Steves' Berlin guide and is a friend of our cruise travel agent. Jeremy moved from the US and has lived in Berlin for the past 25 years. He has a wealth of knowledge about German history, monuments and cultural sights. Information from the guided walks provided us with a great appreciation of Berlin,
We also engaged an art historian to guide us to major exhibits in the Neues Museum and Bode Museum. These museums contain many artifacts and having someone to help kept us from being overloaded.
During our Berlin visit, we viewed the Reichstag, Jewish Museum, Museum Island, Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburg Gate, Soviet Memorial, Memorial to the Sinai and Roma People, Holocaust Memorial, Berlin Central Train Station and Trains to Life and Trains to Death Memorial to Children.
We stayed at the Westin Grand located in the Mitte District. This was a perfect location for starting our historic area walking tour.
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| At the Top of the Reichstag |
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| Golden Hat from the Bronze Age |
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| Former Checkpoint Charlie |
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| Memorial to Murdered Jews in Europe |
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| Brandenburg Gate |
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| Victoria, Goddess of Victory Rides on the Gate Top |
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| Central Rail Station, Berlin |
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| Looking Down Into Westin Grand Berlin Lobby |
Leaving Berlin, we boarded a bus to Wittenburg, our departure point for the Elbe. Along the 90 minute bus ride, we stopped in Potsdam. We toured Sanssouci Palace, a Rococo structure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This palace was the summer residence for Frederick the Great, King of Prussia.
The King brought potatoes to the region and, accordingly, potatoes are now placed on his grave.
Continuing on our bus trip, we made a brief stop at Glienicke Bridge. This bridge was the location of a prisoner exchange of Francis Gary Powers (US CIA U2 Pilot) and Rudolf Abel, a convicted Soviet KGB spy held by the US. The details of this exchange were portrayed in the movie, Bridge of Spies, with Tom Hanks.
A short distance from Meissen is Moritzburg Castle. This was the hunting lodge of Duke Moritz of Saxony. The castle was built between 1542 and 1546. Antlers from past hunts were mounted throughout the lodge. The "Speisesaal" dining room is impressive with 71 red deer antlers, some being over 400 years old.
Leaving the lodge, we took a short scenic rail trip past vineyards to our winery lunch stop at Schloss Wackerbarth.
Meissen
Meissen is known for its porcelain manufacturing. Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony, was key to supporting the development of fine porcelain in Germany. After extensive research and development, he established a porcelain factory in Meissen, in 1710. The factory continues today and is known for high quality and elaborate porcelain products.
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| Meissen Porcelain Painter |
Saxon-Switzerland National Park, Bad Schandau
Our final stop on our Elbe River cruise was Bad Schandau. At this location, we took a bus to the Saxon-Switzerland National Park. There, we enjoyed viewing the tall and teep sandstone bluffs. Afterwards, we enjoyed a beer and pretzel before returning to the Viking Astrild.
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| Crew of the Viking Astrild, with a Couple of Extras |
Prague, Czech Republic
We had a day and a half in Prague before returning to the US. During this brief visit, we took a walking tour of the old and new town sections. With limited time, much of our visit was in the old town area.
The highlight of our Prague visit was the Lobkowicz Palace. This museum shared history, family paintings, artwork and cultural artifacts from the Lobkowicz family - which can be traced over 700 years. If you go early in the day, there are fewer visitors which permit a more leisurely viewing of exhibits.
We were a bit less enthusiastic about the Prague Castle. There didn't seem much to see during this tour. We also walked along Golden Lane, to view the historic shops and residences, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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