Family Friendly Guide to Germany, Denmark and Norway

If you're coming off of a morning flight, take this time to check-in early to your hotel. We stayed at Hotel Berlin. It is off-the-beaten-path a tiny bit, but the hotel is beautiful and accommodating. After checking in and freshening up, take this time to walk the city. We started at Checkpoint Charlie then made our way to the Holocaust memorial.

From there, it's just a short distance to the Brandenburg Gate. This area is full of history and a must see. The next day we spent going to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, about 30 minutes from Berlin. There are tours you can book that take you from Berlin, as well as public transit. We chose to rent a car in Berlin. I recommend paying for the audio tour, which is six dollars each. The history will break your heart, however, my youngest son, 15, went with us and he found it very sobering. We found plenty of amazing pastries in this town and made our way back to Berlin for dinner. In the mood for burgers, we hit up Tommi's burger joint in the Mitte neighborhood. I highly recommend it for a fun atmosphere and great food.

This day we drove down to Dresden, south of Berlin, close to the Czech border. I have read about this city since I was a little girl, and although it was about a two-hour drive down, I had to see it. It was 90% bombed out during World War II and has been rebuilt, using as much original supplies as was possible. It is extraordinarily beautiful and charming. Cobblestone streets and old churches and cathedrals and street string quartets all add to an unforgettable day.

Take a short flight from Berlin north into Copenhagen, the city known for its hygge. This Danish word means coziness, family, comfort, fun...all the good things combined into one word. We stayed at the Copenhagen Star Hotel, who easily accommodated my family of five. This hotel is centrally located in the Vesterbro neighborhood. Full of shopping and restaurants, an ideal location. Also, just a quick walk down to the Nyhavn area, which is picture perfect. From here we took a quick 1-hour canal tour. A relaxing way to see and learn about the city.

Our hotel was less than two blocks from the main train station, which made for a quick transition onto the train to Gothenburg, Sweden. Once we got to Sweden we went straight out and wandered the city. I don't think I will ever tire of cobblestone streets! We happened upon our favorite restaurant of the trip, Tavolo. Built from horse stables in the 1800s this Michelin stared Italian restaurant is one not to be missed. Family dining, the chicken, pizza and risotto was simply some of the best food we've ever had.

From Gothenburg, you keep heading north on the train into Oslo, Norway. You can get there by about 2:00pm. We spent the rest of this day walking the city, eating Thai food and touring the Opera house grounds. From there, head to the Munch Museum. This is a world-class museum with his original pieces of art. If you love art, this is a must see. From Oslo, we flew west to Bergen. I suggest taking the train, its seven hours thru the mountains, however it was closed when we were here. Bergen is a port city made up of over 600 islands. Bergen has it all, hiking, fishing, kayaking, this is an outdoor city. We did a seven-hour fjord tour into the beautiful town of Flam.
Because we went in the off season, the tour boat was at about 50 percent capacity. The air was a bit nippy, but I was kept warm in a beautiful hand knit wool sweater that are for sale all across Bergen. Take a day and plan on shopping by the marina. The shopping in Bergen is unique and there are some gorgeous things to find.