Bordeaux Episode 04 Riverside Heritage
This post is all about Bordeaux's riverside heritage. We’ll be looking at a number of museums which explore the links between Bordeaux, the River Garonne and its trading prosperity, including the dark stain of slavery and how that is remembered in the city today. We end with ideas for the many ways to enjoy the riverside in Bordeaux, plus ideas for exploring the Gironde Estuary and its unique history and wildlife more widely.
Useful Links Musée d’Aquitaine Museum of Bordeaux Maritime History Wine and Trade Museum National Customs Museum Museum of the Sea and Marine Life Tour of the Bridges Walk (self-guided) Bordeaux Tourist Office: ideas for enjoying the River Garonne Boat Trips on the Garonne Bordeaux Tourist Office: Visiting the Gironde Estuary
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!Check our website to find more episodes from our Bordeaux series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
Bordeaux Episode 03 Roman and Medieval Bordeaux
This episode 'visits' the Bordeaux of two important past eras: the Roman and the medieval. A little history, plus lots of ideas for places to visit today: the remains of a Roman amphitheatre, turretted towers and the churches which became stopping points on the pilgrims' route to Santiago de Compostela. Plus, of course, the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Reading Suggestions
Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison WeirThe Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick
Links for this post
The Musée d’AquitaineThe Palais GalienThe Grosse ClocheThe Porte CailhauSaint Seurin ChurchSaint André CathedralSaint Michel Church
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!Check our website to find more episodes from our Bordeaux series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
Bordeaux Episode 02 A Stroll around Central Bordeaux
This episode takes you on a stroll through central Bordeaux, introducing the highlights and giving a little background history. Key moments from the past include a 12th century royal wedding and the demise of revolutionary heroes who died for Republican values. The architectural highlights include medieval turrets, 18th century mansions and a quayside 21st century stunner.
Reading SuggestionEleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir
Useful Links Tour of Grand ThéâtreTickets for the Grand ThéâtreBook ahead to climb the Tour Pey-BerlandMusée d’AquitaineThe Grosse ClocheThe Porte Cailhau
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!Check our website to find more episodes from our Berlin series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
Bordeaux Episode 01 Introduction
Bienvenue à Bordeaux. Welcome to Bordeaux. This relaxed, elegant city is famous for its wine, for its delightful riverside quays and for its layers of history from Roman remains and medieval towers to 21st century stunners like the Miroir d’Eau and the Cité du Vin. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a centre of gastronomy and culture. This introductory episode will help you get your bearings and pick up the basic facts which underpin everything. As the French say, 'On y va!' - Let's go!
2 useful websites Bordeaux Tourist Office Visit Bordeaux
2 Guide BooksLonely Planet Pocket Bordeaux Bordeaux France by P G Preston
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!Check our website to find more episodes from our Berlin series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
Berlin Episode 18 Novels set in Berlin
Eight inspirational ideas for novels set in Berlin, all of which bring their own distinctive view of the city. Read them to inform an upcoming trip, to reminisce about the Berlin you have visited or simply to see the city from lots of different perspectives.
Useful LinksThe 8 featured novelsEffi Briest by Theodor FontaneThe Luminous Life of Lily Aphrodite by Beatrice CollinGoodbye to Berlin by Christopher IsherwoodAlone in Berlin by Hans FalladaFatherland by Robert HarrisThe Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le CarréFriedrichstrasse 19 by Emma HardingBook of Clouds by Chloe Aridjis
2 Berlin anthologiesCity Lit Berlin Edited by Heather ReyesBerlin, A Literary Guide for Travellers by Paul Sullivan and Marcel Krueger
Berlin Tourist Information OfficesInspiring Germany Tourist Information
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!Check our website to find more episodes from our Berlin series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
Berlin Episode 17 Writers on Berlin
We open with some quotes on Berlin from the likes of David Bowie ('the greatest cultural extravaganza anyone could imagine') and Nikita Khrushchev ('the testicle of the west'), then follows the main content: reviews of 4 non-fiction books which tell the story of Berlin and its residents from different angles. They include a family history, the history of a house, an escape story and an investigation into the inner workings of East Germany.
Reading for this post
The House by the Lake by Thomas HardingStasiland by Anna FunderTunnel 29 by Helena MerrimanRed Love by Maxim Leo
Two Berlin AnthologiesCity Lit Berlin Edited by Heather ReyesBerlin, A Traveller's Guide by Paul Sullivan and Marcel Krueger
Tourist InformationBerlin Tourist Information OfficesInspiring Germany Tourist Information
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!Check our website to find more episodes from our Berlin series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
Berlin Episode 16 A Day at the Lakes
Ideas for a day trip from Berlin to Lake Wannsee, where Berliners love to swim and enjoy the lakeside beach and surrounding forest. Plus what to visit nearby - an exotic island, a couple of royal castles, an artist's hideaway, a villa steeped in WW2 history and the real Bridge of Spies. Maybe you need longer than a day to visit, but you can get all the info here in under half an hour!
Useful LinksLake Wannsee Lido Peacock Island CastleGlienicke Palace Glienicke Bridge (The Bridge of Spies)Wannsee Conference HouseMax Liebermann House
Lakes mentionedWannsee - Dämeritzsee - Schlachtensee - Müggelsee - Tegeler See
Berlin Tourist Information OfficesInspiring Germany Tourist Information
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!Check our website to find more episodes from our Berlin series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
Berlin Episode 15 The Palace of Charlottenburg
A visit to Charlottenburg, once the summer palace of the Hohenzollerns who ruled Prussia for 5 centuries. Tips on what to look out for, plus stories of those connected with it: Sophie Charlotte, for whom the original palace was built, Frederick the Great who built a fancy new wing, and the popular Queen Luisa, around whom court life revolved in the early 19th century.
Reading suggestionFrederick the Great: King of Prussia by Tim Blanning
Useful links Charlottenburg Old Palace
Charlottenburg Palace New Wing
Charlottenburg Palace New Pavilion
Charlottenburg Palace Belvedere
Charlottenburg Palace Mausoleum
Charlottenburg Palace Gardens
Berlin Tourist Information OfficesInspiring Germany Tourist Information
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!Check our website to find more episodes from our Berlin series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
Berlin Episode 14 Jewish Culture in Berlin
Jewish culture in Berlin goes back hundreds of years and we visit the places where you can discover it. The New Synagogue, also known as the Centrum Judaicum, and the Jewish Museum are the two main centres of Jewish heritage in the city today, but there are others too, plus Jewish cemeteries and memorials and two ideas for guided walking tours.
Reading suggestions The Wandering Jews by Joseph RothJews in Berlin by Andreas Nachama
Useful links The New Synagogue The Jewish Museum The Old Jewish Cemetery The Jewish Cemetery The Otto Weidt Museum Walking Tour Discovering Traces of Jewish Life Walking Tour Jewish Berlin Heritage Tour
Berlin Tourist Information OfficesInspiring Germany Tourist Information
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!Check our website to find more episodes from our Berlin series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
Berlin Episode 13 Film and Cinema
An exploration of Berlin as a city of film and cinema. Two museums, a look back at Berlin cinema history and a visit to the Berlinale, the city's annual highly influential film festival. Plus tips on which Berlin cinemas to try out and suggestions for films set in Berlin, some German language (available with English subtitles) and some in English.
Film suggestions In German (all available with English subtitles)The Blue AngelWings of DesireRun Lola Run Goodbye, LeninDownfallThe Lives of Others
In EnglishCabaret Bridge of SpiesAlone in Berlin
Useful links The Museum for Film and Television The Film Park Babelsberg Berlinale Festival Programme General Information on Berlin Cinemas CinemaxX Odeon Kulturbrauererei Cinema Spandau Open Air Cinema
Berlin Tourist Information OfficesInspiring Germany Tourist Information
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!Check our website to find more episodes from our Berlin series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
Berlin Episode 12 Music and Theatre
Fancy adding a theatre or concert visit to your Berlin itinerary? Here's a look at music in Berlin, with snippets of history, from Frederick the Great to Marlene Dietrich, plus a rundown of the main venues where you'll find all best concerts, operas and musicals. Then, an overview of theatre in Berlin, and advice on finding performances to enjoy even if you don't speak German.
Useful links
Music Concert halls (general info) Konzerthaus Berlin Philharmonic Residenzkonzerte at Charlottenburg Opera in Berlin (general info) Deutsche Oper Statsoper Unter den Linden Komische Oper Neukollnischer Oper
TheatreTheatre (general info) Deutsches Theater Theater des Westens Friedrichspalast
General Berlin Tourist Information OfficesInspiring Germany Tourist Information
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!Check our website to find more episodes from our Berlin series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
Berlin Episode 11 More Berlin Art
There’s so much more to art in Berlin than the Top 3 Galleries from our last episode. So here’s a look at an artist who has a museum dedicated to her (Käthe Kollwitz), a 20th century art movement with strong links to Berlin (Bauhaus) and the best of the rest: where to find specialist galleries, modern art and street art in Berlin.
Useful links Käthe Kollwitz Museum Selection of work by Käthe Kollwitz
Bauhaus Archive Museum Selection of Bauhaus work to view online
More galleriesAkademie der Künste Asian Art gallery in the Humboldt Forum The Brücke Museum in Dahlem The Georg Kolbe Museum
Modern ArtThe Hamburger Bahnhof KINDL, the Centre for Contemporary Art The KW Institute for Contemporary Art Berlinische Galerie
Street ArtVisit Berlin information on street art 11 ideas for street art tours in Berlin
Berlin Tourist Information OfficesInspiring Germany Tourist Information
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!Check our website to find more episodes from our Berlin series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
Berlin Episode 09 In Search of East Berlin
What has happened to the GDR (German Democratic Republic), the country which was created when the Berlin Wall went up and which then disappeared when it came down? What was life in East Berlin like between August 1961 and November 1989? And where in today’s Berlin can you find out all about it? Here are three museum suggestions, plus a little of what they tell us.
Reading suggestions for this postRed Love by Maxim LeoStasiland by Anna FunderThe House by the Lake by Thomas Harding
Film suggestionsThe Lives of OthersGoodbye, Lenin
Useful links The DDR MuseumThe Stasi MuseumHohenschonhausen Museum and Memorial
Berlin Tourist Information CentresInspiring Germany Tourist Information
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!Check our website to find more episodes from our Berlin series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://citybreakspodcast.co.uk/
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
Berlin Episode 08 In Search of the Berlin Wall
The story of the Berlin Wall will always fascinate. And here it is, along with ideas for three places in Berlin you can visit to see the remaining sections and find out more. Author Rory MacLean summed up the impact first seeing the wall had on him: 'At the heart of the continent were watchtowers, barbed wire and border guards, instructed to shoot fellow citizens who wanted to live under a different government.’
Reading SuggestionsBerlin: Imagine a City by Rory MacLeanBerlin Biography of a City by Barney White-SpunnerTunnel 29 by Helena Merriman
Links
Checkpoint CharlieHaus am Checkpoint Charlie MuseumBerlin Wall Memorial SiteEast Side Gallery Guided tours of the East Side Gallery: either this one or this one
General links Berlin Tourist Information CentresGermany Travel Information
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our Berlin series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
Berlin Episode 02 The Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate
On a first trip to Berlin you'll probably head straight for the Parliament or the Brandenburg Gate. We're doing the same, and handily, they are close together and near to lots of other top sites. We bring you a little history to explain why these two iconic monuments represent everything dear to today's Berliners - lessons from history and the freedom enjoyed in the capital today - and explain what to look out for when you visit.
ReadingBerlin, the Story of a City by Barney White-Spunner
Useful links https://www.bundestag.de/en/visittheBundestaghttps://www.visitberlin.de/en/berlin-tourist-info-centres https://www.germany.travel/en/home.html
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!Check our website to find more episodes from our Berlin series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at [email protected] if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
