What’s new in Germany and the Low Countries for 2019

Germany is famously a work in progress — as are the nearby Low Countries — and that includes their sightseeing attractions. In 2019, there’s good news and a few important warnings for the smart traveler.

To handle its ever-increasing number of visitors, Germany is busy renovating sights and transportation, beefing up security and updating ticketing procedures for big attractions. For instance, in Berlin, advance tickets are now recommended for the DDR Museum, with displays about life in the former East Germany. The Museum Pass Berlin, which covers a number of top sights and lets travelers avoid long lines, now includes my favorite museum in town: the German History Museum. Visitors to the Reichstag, where the German parliament convenes, must show their passports for entry (in addition to reserving in advance).

While Berlin’s famous Pergamon Altar (usually on display in the Pergamon Museum) is being restored, you can still see bits of it at a nearby temporary exhibit called “Pergamonmuseum — Das Panorama.” The exhibit features a huge, wraparound painting of the city of Pergamon in AD 129, some original sculptures from the altar, the largest piece of the altar frieze and digital 3-D models.

The Berlin Wall Memorial’s documentation center was updated a few years ago with fresh exhibits, including audio accounts from escapees and guards, and a fascinating in-city hike that takes you along a former stretch of the wall. In Berlin, the Charlottenburg Palace reopened its “Old Palace” (Altes Schloss) Porcelain Cabinet, a melding of trompe l’oeil painting and stucco work

Article source: https://www.heraldnet.com/life/whats-new-in-germany-and-the-low-countries-for-2019/