Berlin, Germany’s capital, dates to the 13th century. Reminders of the citys turbulent 20th-century history include its Holocaust memorial and the Berlin Walls graffitied remains. Divided during the Cold War, its 18th-century Brandenburg Gate has become a symbol of reunification. The citys also known for its art scene and modern landmarks like the gold-colored, swoop-roofed Berliner Philharmonie, built in 1963.

Berlin, Germany’s capital, dates to the 13th century. Reminders of the citys turbulent 20th-century history include its Holocaust memorial and the Berlin Walls graffitied remains. Divided during the Cold War, its 18th-century Brandenburg Gate has become a symbol of reunification. The citys also known for its art scene and modern landmarks like the gold-colored, swoop-roofed Berliner Philharmonie, built in 1963.

Magdeburg is a central German city on the Elbe River. In the city center, the Gothic-style Magdeburg Cathedral is the burial place of the Holy Roman emperor Otto the Great. The Museum of Cultural History details the city’s medieval importance with exhibitions on archaeology and local history. Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen, a Romanesque monastery complex, is home to a contemporary art gallery and sculpture park.

Wittenberg is a university town along the River Elbe in eastern Germany, with close ties to Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation. The Lutherhaus, once a monastery and Luther’s home, is now a museum displaying his personal artifacts and paintings. On the city’s main plaza, Market Square, stands the 13th-century Stadtkirche where Luther preached, known as the Mother Church of the Reformation.

Dresden, capital of the eastern German state of Saxony, is distinguished by the celebrated art museums and classic architecture of its reconstructed old town. Completed in 1743 and rebuilt after WWII, the baroque church Frauenkirche is famed for its grand dome. The Versailles-inspired Zwinger palace houses museums including Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, exhibiting masterpieces of art like Raphael’s “Sistine Madonna.”

Dresden, capital of the eastern German state of Saxony, is distinguished by the celebrated art museums and classic architecture of its reconstructed old town. Completed in 1743 and rebuilt after WWII, the baroque church Frauenkirche is famed for its grand dome. The Versailles-inspired Zwinger palace houses museums including Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, exhibiting masterpieces of art like Raphael’s “Sistine Madonna.”

Prague, capital city of the Czech Republic, is bisected by the Vltava River. Nicknamed “the City of a Hundred Spires,” its known for its Old Town Square, the heart of its historic core, with colorful baroque buildings, Gothic churches and the medieval Astronomical Clock, which gives an animated hourly show. Completed in 1402, pedestrian Charles Bridge is lined with statues of Catholic saints.

Prague, capital city of the Czech Republic, is bisected by the Vltava River. Nicknamed “the City of a Hundred Spires,” its known for its Old Town Square, the heart of its historic core, with colorful baroque buildings, Gothic churches and the medieval Astronomical Clock, which gives an animated hourly show. Completed in 1402, pedestrian Charles Bridge is lined with statues of Catholic saints.