Potsdamer Platz in Berlin

Left a barren wasteland after WWII, Potsdamer Platz is once again the vibrant unofficial heart of Berlin. Tall skyscrapers built with cutting edge designs and sponsored in part by Sony Corporation, the area is full of light and color and activity until late in the evening. A huge train and underground station takes up acres […]

What's Old is New Again in Berlin

The Reichstag was the seat of the Parliament before the Nazi takeover of Germany in the 1930s. An imposing structure built in the late 1800s, it was the backdrop for Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1933, when he was proclaimed chancellor by the ailing President von Hindenberg. A mysterious fire destroyed the building in […]

The Berlin Wall and Topography of Terror

I spent nearly three hours at the “Topography of Terror,” located a few blocks to the west of the famous Checkpoint Charlie at the foundation of what used to be Gestapo Headquarters in the heart of Berlin. This landscape is hallowed ground. Many were tortured or murdered here, all in the name of State Security. […]

Cheap Place to Stay in Berlin

Finding a reasonable place to sleep in the heart of Berlin can be a challenge. Luckily, my friends Georg and Martina are developing vacation apartments in a former spice warehouse and apartment building in Kreuzberg, an exciting and multi-cultural district of Berlin which once butted right up against the former Berlin Wall. I was fortunate […]

Postcard from Lucerne

The beautiful and historic Chapel Bridge was constructed in the 14th century as part of the battlements around the medieval town of Lucerne. It stood for more than 600 years until a carelessly discarded cigarette burned more than 90% of the bridge in 1993. It was rapidly rebuilt. Visit Lucerne on a custom-designed, private tour […]

Gorgeous Switzerland

We stayed the nights of September 11 and 12 in Grindelwald, a place of almost indescribable beauty. Here are some images from the past weekend. Come to Switzerland with European Focus Private Tours!