We usually drive around Europe, which gives us flexibility to choose where to stop and for how long. However later this year we are contemplating a short add-on to a tour. Our tour finishes at Frankfurt, and we want to visit friends in Berlin. For a change we think it would be nice to do it by rail rather than driving. Bahn.de shows 2 rail routes between Frankfurt and Berlin, one via Hannover and one via Leipzig. That's fine - we could make it a round trip. We can also extend the Leipzig option to Dresden and go on to Berlin from there. The question is: if we wanted to break any of these journeys by staying overnight somewhere, what places would best entertain 2 people who enjoy history, characterful and interesting "old towns", and some natural beauty? Hannover? Leipzig? Dresden? Any other places on the rail route between, e.g. Erfurt, Eisanach, Meissen? Grateful for your advice.
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We drove a loop one year to and from Berlin via Leipzig, Dresden, (day trips to) Meissen and Bautzen, and Gorlitz, with one overnight each in Leipzig and Gorlitz, and two or maybe three in Dresden. Of the towns, Dresden and Gorlitz were our favorites; Dresden for the Zwinger, Frauenkirche and walking along the Elbe in the evening, and Gorlitz for its historical character (and the unexpected fun of walking across of a foot bridge into Poland). We happened to be in Bautzen the year it was celebrating its 1000th anniversary, and there were enjoyable festivities, I recall. I believe all are served by DeutscheBahn, so connections should not be a problem.
The direct ICEs on the Northern route do not go via Hannover. The route is Fulda-Kassel-Göttingen-Hildesheim-Braunschweig-Wolfsburg.
On this route, there is Kassel - not the city centre which is mostly post-war, but Wilhelmshöhe with the palace, the English landscape park on the hillside and the spa is worthwhile. Göttingen is an old university city with a nice old town. Hildesheim has some inetresting sights, too, including the 1000 year old St Michaelis church and the Egyptian museum (Römer-Pelizaeus-Museum). You could also go via Marburg, or do the detour to the old towns along the Harz mountains (Goslar, Wernigerode, Quedlinburg).
On the Southern route: Leipzig is surely worthwhile, also Erfurt, Weimar, and Eisenach with the Wartburg. Dresden is quite a detour and would require a couple of days.
Agree with quokka on Göttingen and Hildesheim. Would add that just outside Kassel on an offshoot rail line is Hannoversch Münden, a town on the "Fachwerkstrasse" or "Half-Timbered House Road" with maybe the most amazing collection of such buildings in Germany - 700 of them.
http://www.hann.muenden-tourismus.de/fileadmin/Mediendatenbank/PDF/Fremdsprachen_Flyer/english-complete-hannmuenden.pdf