american public television presents the splendors of the world in the lifelike reality of high-definition television. spirited and resilient, this european capital has been ravaged by war, then occupied and divided. today, it flourishes again as one of the world's most exciting and dynamic cities. next up, berlin, on smart travels. smart travels is made possible in part by expedia.com: a travel website that offers travelers a variety of ways to find the trip they're looking for, including flights, hotels, and vacation packages. expedia.com: don't just travel, travel right. captioning made possible by u.s. department of education

narrator: smart traveis a grand tour of the old world-- the people, places, sights and distinctly european flavors. our host is travel writer and columnist rudy maxa, public radio's original savvy traveler. now, tips, trips, and secret places on smart travels.

maxa: history weighs heavily on berlin. no other modern european capitol has seen so much destruction, division, and strife. yet rising from the rubble like the phoenix from its ashes, berlin is reborn--a youthful, dynamic, exhilarating city. berlin never stands still: new buildings, new art, new fashion, new restaurants are always on the rise. berlin's lure comes not only from its world-class cultural sites, but also from its energy. the excitement is palpable. berliners have always fancied themselves smart, spirited, and iconoclastic. the city is diverse, with a huge foreign population and the largest gay and lesbian community in europe. with a long, troubled history behind them, berliners are thoroughly modern. berlin isn't a city you can stroll through.

you have to pick your places, dig a little deeper. edgy, eclectic berlin wins you over slowly. its beauty lies within-- down back alleys, inside the vast museums, in the warmth of its people, and along the streets of its friendly, easy neighborhoods. berlin is a large city on the river spree. many of the sites we visit are in or around the downtown, the mitte. for shopping, we head west to the ku'damm area. and south, we visit the neighborhood of kreuzberg. cruising the river spree makes a delightful introduction to berlin. cruise companies offer a variety of tours of downtown and the surrounding areas. laced with waterways, berlin boasts more bridges than venice. we're taking the short one-hour city cruise.

from its glory as the capital of prussia, to the terror and destruction of hitler and world war ii, to its nearly 30-year division by the wall, berlin has known both triumph and utter defeat. after being unified, berlin has undertaken a massive program to rebuild. in the center of the river, an island called the museuminsel is home to some of the finest museums in the world. i've disembarked to discover the treasures of the pergamon museum. the turn of the last century saw a fierce competition between the european powers to uncover great works of antiquity. german archeologists led major expeditions to the near east and acquired a collection of colossal city gates and altars that give a dramatic picture of ancient life. from pergamon, a wealthy greek city in asia minor, comes the pergamon altar, built in 165 b.c.

and dedicated to the god zeus and goddess athena. the frieze tells the story of a violent battle between the greek gods and the giants, the sons of mother earth. only fragments remain, but the drama and movement still resonate. another life-size ancient treasure, the gate of ishtar, once led the way into babylon. dated from the sixth century b.c., the gate stood over the sacred way where processions marched into the city. imagine what a dazzling site babylon appeared then, rising from the mesopotamian plain. the lions are the sacred animal of ishtar, goddess of the sky and love. the museuminsel is in the heart of old berlin, which is called the mitte. "mitte" means middle, and indeed it is the center of the city.

but for 30 years, the berlin wall divided the mitte, and much of it fell into ruin. layers of history, world-class museums, lively cafes, and a thriving arts scene. the mitte, like berlin itself, is a study in contrasts. running eastward from the city's historic brandenburg gate is the unter den linden, berlin's imperial boulevard. the is the showplace of old berlin, the berlin of frederick the great, the 18th-century prussian king who commissioned many of the now-restored buildings. the name "unter den linden" means "under the lime trees." trees have always graced this boulevard except when hitler cut them down to better show off his goose-stepping army. so much of berlin is still defining itself, coming into being. it's all turmoil, excitement, and change. all over the mitte, restoration and revitalization bring berlin back to life-- like hackesche hofe,

restored art deco courtyards with cafes, galleries and shops that reflect the tastes of the fashionable clientele. many of the buildings in this neighborhood have been restored to their 18th-century glory. down a side alley, i discovered an artist from the gallery monsterkabinett and, around the corner, one of their wild, mechanical creations. just another one of berlin's many hidden surprises. the mitte is also home of the reichstag: the german parliament. during the war, over a million bullets struck the building. the glass dome suspended over the shell of the historic building is like berlin itself-- new built over old. the structure symbolizes a government

that is transparent to the people. you can ride the elevators to the top for a view of both berlin and the parliament in action. the eye-popping potzdamer platz puts an exclamation point on the revitalization of berlin. not long ago a wasteland just east of the wall, potzdamer platz is now a showcase of modern architecture. berlin sought the finest modern architects-- among them, helmut jahn and renzo piano-- to design the sony center and the daimlerchrysler building. in the old financial center of the mitte, my berlin guide, ede, invited me to get bullish at the broker's bier borse. here, the principals of supply and demand determine the prices. some customers decide for one beer, then the price goes up. if they don't drink a particular beer,

then the price for that beer is going down, so it's like the stock market. maxa: wait a minute. prices are going up and down all the time or every month? it's changing every 3 minutes. every 3 minutes, the whole chart is updated. on the monitor, you can see the actual price of your favorite beer and then decide if you want to drink it or not. cheerprost. maxa, voice-over: historic, elegant, and conveniently located near the brandenburg gate, the hotel adlon is the finest in town. built originally in 1907, the hotel was europe's luxury destination, hosting guests like charlie chaplin and greta garbo. destroyed by the war, the adlon re-opened with a flourish in 1997, and it is again one of the premier hotels in europe. the marble fountain in the lobby is all that remains of the original hotel. i toured the luxurious presidential suite,

where president bill clinton stayed when commemorating the 50th anniversary of the berlin airlift that brought supplies to a stranded west berlin in 1948. of all the treasures that berlin holds, for me, the most captivating is the ancient collection at the egyptian museum. the highlight of the museum comes largely from the reign of amenophis iv, who changed his name to akhenaten when he became pharaoh in 1375 b.c. he ordered his people to abandon all gods but one: aten, the god of the sun. the reign of this unusual and controversial pharaoh is marked by a more realistic and representational style of art that vanished at the end of his reign. the remarkably well-preserved bust of akhenaten's famous wife, queen nefertiti, is the jewel of the collection.

much remains a mystery about this brief departure from traditional egyptian religion. whether akhenaten pioneered a monotheistic society ahead of its time or merely used the one-god edict to strengthen his rule is a matter of great debate. akhenaten's successor, tutankhamen, or king tut, abandoned monotheism and returned to the worship of the ancient gods. [maxa speaking german] museums do make me hungry, so i'm headed to the sixth-floor food hall at the famous kadewe department store. woman: this is the greatest food hall of europe, and you can find here over 380,000 products from all over the world--

fresh fish from thailand... from northern seas... wine from all areas of the world... delicious things-- whatever you dream of. our department of the kadewe is now 95 years old. after world war ii, it was rebuilt, and now we are the biggest department store on europe's continent. maxa, voice-over: kadewe marks the beginning of the famous shopping street in berlin--the kurfurstendamm, or ku'damm. here you'll find the 19th-century kaiser wilhelm memorial church, which was bombed during world war ii and left as a deliberate reminder of the cost of war.

it's great fun to wander through the neighborhoods in berlin, discovering the clusters of cafes and shops-- each unique to that part of town, each with its own history. the neighborhoods and sights in berlin are spread out. an adventurous way to see them is to do as the berliners do: travel by bike. you can pick up a bike at the numerous rental outlets or rent a bike on a street corner. call and pay for it by credit card, and away you go. in the neighborhood of kreuzberg, you'll discover one of the last remaining covered markets in berlin. [speaking german] maxa: zwiebel is zwiebel.

oh, onion. ja. may i taste? apple and onischmaltz. mm...mm...it's good. maxa, voice-over: there's a friendly ease and youthful vitality in kreuzberg, a spirit shared by other berlin neighborhoods. before the berlin wall fell in 1989, young people from west germany moved to west berlin, enticed by government subsidies and freedom from military service, as well as the experimental, alternative lifestyle. kreuzberg's spirited population includes a large turkish community. wander into one of the city's many neighborhood art galleries for a taste of berlin's spirit. tell me about your work. what do you do? my work. my work is to make things for the day--

the whole day. i think every day is, uprecieuse. precious. precious. and so i like to offer bowls and plates who has form and agreable. an agreeable form of the bowls, plates, platters... for the hand, yeah, and the heart. maxa, voice-over: berlin has a long history of attracting innovative and controversial artists. the neue nationalgalerie, housed in an eye-catching building by the architect mies van der rohe, celebrates this tradition. the gallery contains the works of some of europe's most innovative artists in the early 20th century. a group of painters from dresden who called themselves der brucke, the bridge, moved to berlin in the early 1900s to experiment with new ideas.

the movement, known as expressionism, embraced subjectivity over realism. one of the founders of der brucke is ernst ludwig kirchner. his painting of potzdamer platz expresses a feeling of alienation from the modern world. in the twenties, surrealist painters such as georg grosz and otto dix warned of the military turmoil and terror to come. later, the nazis confiscated and destroyed many of these artists' paintings. the most moving and powerful testament to the nazi atrocities is the jewish museum. architect daniel libeskind's building is loss made tangible. the architecture, an abstract interpretation of a broken star, is discordant, difficult, violent, and yet elegant.

equally interesting and disturbing is the interior of the museum. windows slash through the building... and the use of empty space suggests an overwhelming void. the exhibit focuses on the history of the jewish people in germany and the persecution of the holocaust. one unforgettable experience is to take a walking tour of the old jewish section of berlin. it takes in, among other things, the gorgeous neue synagogue, destroyed during the war and recently rebuilt. after the war, berlin was divided into two sectors-- east and west. during the night of august 12, 1961, barbed-wire fences and roadblocks suddenly appeared to stop the steady stream of east germans into west berlin.

days later, a concrete wall replaced the makeshift barriers, and it stood for nearly 30 years, running 70 miles, dividing east from west berlin. little of the wall remains today. this section, known as the eastside gallery, starts near the ostbahnhof railway station. decorated with artists' impressions and comments about the wall, the gallery is a poignant reminder of a divided berlin. checkpoint charlie, the former border crossing where american and soviet tanks once faced each other, is preserved near the museum, haus am checkpoint charlie. this moving museum tells the story of the wall and the heroic and ingenious ways that east germans attempted to escape: in speaker boxes... car hoods... and by flying machine, to name a few.

when the wall came down in 1989, there was a major celebration. berliners love a good party. all summer long, you'll find concerts and festivals. prost again. i'm lucky enough to catch the august beer festival just across the river from kreuzberg in friedrichstein. it's clear berliners love their beer. [speaking german] this is in 6 years, the sixth time-- the beer festival-- and it's a distance from 1.8 kilometer, the longest beer garden in the world. how many beers are at this festival today? yes, in this beer festival, i can drink 1,600 beers. maxa, voice-over: well, one down, 1,599 to go.

when you want a break from the city, do as the prussian kings did and escape to a royal palace in potsdam. there are plenty of organized day trips, and it's an easy ride by subway. the neues palace is the largest of the potsdam palaces. a rococo riot, complete with inlaid shells and gems, the palace was built in 1769 by frederick the great. frederick loved art and music, much to the chagrin of his military-minded father. but while his father had the odd hobby of collecting soldiers over 6'2" and then parading them around the castle grounds, frederick actively employed those tall military men to greatly expand prussia's territory. thus he earned his title, frederick the great.

at the other end of the park, sans souci palace is another of frederick's imposing retreats. the guided tour is mandatory if you want to go inside. it's important to arrive early and avoid weekends, or you may not get in. grab a snack in the quaint dutch quarter of potsdam town and admire the gabled houses built for dutch workers who came to drain swamps for the king in the early 18th century. back in berlin, the sidewalk cafes and restaurants beckon. in berlin, when its time for abendesseor dinner, the choices are endless-- everything from hearty traditional dishes to a lighter, more modern german cuisine, as well as all kinds of international fare. a literary haunt in the 1800s, today the historic restaurant lutter & wegner is famous for schnitzel. woman: what basically makes a good wiener schnitzel is the meat and the crumbing.

and then we mix in the secret ingredients, which give a phenomenal taste which makes our schnitzel so famous. the schnitzel that ate berlin. here we are, enjoy. maxa, voice-over: if you prefer a less traditional meal, berlin has plenty of options. ok, i feel the table, i feel the plate, i feel a napkin, which i'll put in my lap. maxa, voice-over: no, i haven't been taken hostage. this is the best way to show the concept of nocti vagus, a restaurant where the food is served and consumed in complete darkness. man: you don't have to see what you eat. we try to sensibilize your senses, like taste, like smell. our waiters are completely blind people, and one of our ideas is employment for blind people who were waiting 10 or more years for a job. now can i find my mouth?

oh, it's a cold tortellini with cheese. seems to be ham and maybe tomato, there was something cold, and it was vegetable-tasting. you certainly do focus on the tastes because-- and the smell. maxa, voice-over: when darkness descends on the rest of berlin, the city lights up. in addition to the changing colors of the sony center dome, some of berlin's historical sites are most provocative at night, like the memorial at bebelplatz on unter den linden. empty bookshelves mark the spot where, in 1933, nazis burnt thousands of books. perhaps the most romantic and nostalgic nightlife in berlin is the cabaret. tonight we're visiting the atmospheric cabaret tent called tipi das zelt for a performance of the witty australian group, the ten tenors.

we are opera-trained. yes. so we do sing opera music. um, but having said that, we also sing bee gees and abba and some queen music and rawhide, bit of country and western and all that sort of thing, so... we like to say that it's the best hits from the last 500 years, that sort of thing. [singing opera piece] [applause] maxa, voice-over: a popular berlin song from the twenties, sung by marlene dietrich went: "as long as the old trees still bloom on unter den linden,

nothing can conquer us, and berlin will remain berlin." well, the trees are back, and so is berlin. the indomitable spirit of berlin rises up in the buildings, the festivals, the art, and the life on the streets. berlin is very much alive. [speaking german] [speaking german] prost und auf wiedersehen. announcer: all videos and dvds smart travels are $24.95 each, plus shipping. call 800-866-7425 for the two-episode dvd or video on berlin, munich, and bavaria. details of all of our travel videos, dvds, and best guide books are on the web at smarttravels.tv. please have a credit card ready and call 800-866-7425 or visit us on the web.

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venice seems to be everyith more italy connoisseur's...of europe. prague has always been beautiful... germany... the irish civilization... the eiffel tower was built... hope you've enjoyed the magic of... stonehenge is roped off and viewable only from a distance, but england is dotted with less famous but more accessible stone circles. my favorite... avebury. the avebury stone circle, just 40 miles away, is as old as stonehenge and 16 times as big. and best of all, this megalithic playground welcomes kids, sheep,

and anyone interested in a more hands-on experience.