Prague is building bridges
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Until 1989, what is now the Czech
Republic was divided from Germany by a pretty heavily protected
frontier.
Fast forward 22 years and the EU's open borders present some
touristic opportunities not to be passed up in an area steeped in
history.
Prague and Nuremberg, once divided by the Iron Curtain, are now
connected by coach - but although much has changed since the end of
the Cold War, these two near neighbours still have hugely different
atmospheres.
But the past is inescapable in both, and nowhere is this truer
than at the museum to the Nuremberg Trials.
Still a working courtroom, visitors can now see where 19 of the
main Nazi war criminals were found guilty and sentenced in the
aftermath of the Second World War - and it is also possible to
visit the Nazi Party rally grounds further out from the city
centre.
But while Nuremberg certainly doesn't hide from its dark past,
it works hard to show it gentler side, with a steady stream of
events through the year, the highlights being May's Blue Night of
late-opening museums with blue lights across the city, and
Germany's most famous Christmas market.
While Nuremberg recovered from heavy bombing in the
Second World War to regain much of its classical look, Prague, on
the other hand, is still undergoing rapid change after the fall of
Communism.
For so long allied to Moscow, the Czech capital so close to the
German border is now a truly cosmopolitan centre - you'll see
a handful of very familiar shops, but the city remains proud of its
world-famous castle, Astronomical Clock and the bustling Charles
Bridge.
Another thing uniting these two nations though is an excellence
at producing - and, it has to be said, a penchant for
consuming - beer.
Although of course they are on tap all year round, there's no
better time to sample the local brews than during a beer
festival.
The Prague Beer Festival, held in May, is surprisingly just four
years old, but it looks capable of rivalling Munich's Oktoberfest
with its tents, food, entertainment and an array of beers from
Czech brewers large and small.
A far longer standing celebration of drinking culture is
Bergkirchweih festival, attracting 1.3 million people to the city
of Erlangen, a short train ride from Nuremberg, over 12 days each
year in May or June depending on the timing of Pentecost.
The world's oldest beer festival, it turns a respectable
Bavarian city proud of its culture and top-end university into a
Mecca for beer drinkers, although the festival site's Bierkellers
are worth a visit at any time. Be sure to try the beer alongside
the giant pretzels - and the unique Nuremberg sausages.
Long nights of eating and drinking or long days of exploring,
this part of the world something for everyone.
For more details on Prague city breaks click here
For more details on Nuremberg city breaks click
here
Thursday, June 30 2011
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