Travel blog - Tips to explore the world on a budget
What to See in Potsdam: Itinerary, Highlights & Tours
Sofia Ricci
05
January,
2026
Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg, sits 30km southwest of Berlin along the Havel River and is often called Prussia's crown jewel. This UNESCO World Heritage site features 17 palaces built over three centuries, showcasing Enlightenment ideals through terraced vineyards, Rococo palaces, and Baroque architecture. Starting in 1685, the Hohenzollern rulers transformed Potsdam from a small garrison town into Prussia's summer capital. Frederick the Great's reign (1740–1786) is reflected in the intimate Sanssouci Palace, his 'sans souci' or 'without worries' Rococo retreat, and the grand New Palace, built after the Seven Years' War with 200 rooms and 428 statues. The Dutch Quarter, with 134 red-brick houses, is the largest Dutch enclave outside the Netherlands and is now home to artisan workshops. English-style gardens, lakes, and forests create a park-like setting. Cecilienhof Palace is where Churchill, Truman, and Stalin met in 1945 for the Potsdam Conference, which shaped postwar Europe. Free walking tours from Old Market Square or Museum Barberini help visitors explore over 280 years of Prussian history, stunning architecture, and Cold War sites, including royal terraces, the Dutch Quarter, Brandenburg Gate, Babelsberg film studios, and lakeside promenades.
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What to See in Nuremberg: Itinerary, Highlights & Tours
Jürgen Müller
31
December,
2025
Nuremberg, Bavaria’s second-largest city on the Pegnitz River, embodies Germany’s layered past. It served as the unofficial capital of the Holy Roman Empire, hosting imperial assemblies at the Kaiserburg Castle and nurturing the Northern Renaissance art of Albrecht Dürer. In the 20th century, it gained notoriety for Nazi Party Rallies at Zeppelin Field and, after World War II, for the Nuremberg Trials, which shaped international law. The city’s 520,000 residents inhabit a meticulously reconstructed Old Town, revived after the 1945 bombings, with its half-timbered houses, Gothic churches, and medieval fortifications. Nuremberg is celebrated for its Christkindlesmarkt Christmas market, signature bratwurst, and Lebkuchen gingerbread. Free walking tours departing from Hauptmarkt or historic Nazi sites immerse visitors in the city’s vivid history—from the Imperial Castle and Dürer’s studio to the Craftsmen’s Court, Hanseatic heritage, the 1935 racial laws, wartime devastation, and the city’s modern reckoning at the Documentation Center and St. Lorenz Church.
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What to See in Cologne: Itinerary, Highlights & Tours
Sofia Ricci
30
December,
2025
Cologne is the largest city in western Germany and sits on the Rhine River, blending 2,000 years of history. Once the Roman provincial capital called Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, it later became a major medieval trade center. The city’s most famous landmark is the Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom), a UNESCO World Heritage site with twin spires reaching 157 meters. The cathedral survived 262 bombing raids during World War II and became a symbol of resilience for both Allied pilots and those who rebuilt the city. Today, about 1.08 million people live in Cologne, which is known for its special "Kölsche Jeföhl"—a relaxed, humorous, and welcoming spirit that’s different from the usual Prussian image. Cologne is the cultural heart of North Rhine-Westphalia, famous for its lively Carnival (especially the Rosenmontag parade in February, which draws 1.5 million people), its protected Kölsch beer (served in small glasses by blue-aproned Köbes waiters), and its Old Town, where pastel-colored buildings hide Roman ruins and medieval squares. Free walking tours from Freetour.com, starting at the Eigelstein-Torburg gate or Heumarkt’s riverside breweries, help visitors explore the city’s many layers, from Romanesque churches and Hanseatic League history to the destruction of WWII and the city’s modern revival. Today, you can visit the Lindt Chocolate Museum, walk along the Rhine promenade, see the love-locks on the Hohenzollern Bridge, and stop by more than 300 Brauhäuser that keep Cologne’s brewing traditions alive.
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What to See in Munich: Itinerary, Highlights & Tours
Sofia Ricci
26
December,
2025
Munich, the capital of Bavaria, sits between the Isar River and the northern foothills of the Alps. The city has a rich history, from its beginnings as a salt-trade toll station in 1158 to the grand Residenz palace built by the Wittelsbach dynasty. Munich also witnessed some of the darkest moments of the 20th century, as the Nazi Party rose to power here. Today, the city blends its engineering achievements (like BMW Welt and the Deutsches Museum), beautiful Baroque churches, and a lively beer culture that hosts the world’s largest folk festival. With 1.56 million residents, Munich feels both vibrant and welcoming, with tree-lined streets, the famous Hofbräuhaus filled with music, and Viktualienmarkt food stalls serving Weisswurst breakfasts with pretzels and beer. The city is a major economic center in southern Germany, but it also preserves its history, from the Frauenkirche’s twin domes to Marienplatz’s Glockenspiel and the Feldherrnhalle at Odeonsplatz, which marks the site of the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch. Free walking tours from Freetour.com, starting at the Altes Rathaus’s Juliet Capulet statue, guide visitors through Munich’s layered story—from Roman times and the Wittelsbachs, through Bismarck’s unification, the Nazi era, and the bravery of the Weiße Rose student resistance. All of this is set against the backdrop of the 1516 Reinheitsgebot beer purity law, which led to the city’s 600-plus breweries.
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What to See in Tenerife: Itinerary, Highlights & Tours
Liam O'Connell
26
December,
2025
Tenerife is the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, set in the Atlantic Ocean near Morocco. The island feels like a small continent, with microclimates ranging from volcanic deserts around Mount Teide to lush banana valleys in the north and black-sand beaches meeting turquoise waves. At its center, Teide National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, rises to 3,718 meters—Spain’s highest peak. A cable car ride here reveals craters in shades of ochre and rust-red above the clouds. Colonial La Laguna features 16th-century pastel mansions, Santa Cruz blends modern culture with port life, and La Orotava, surrounded by mountains, keeps Tenerife’s aristocratic history alive with its carved wooden balconies.
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