UNTOURISTED WEST AND EAST GERMANY

Politicians, diplomats, and journalists come to Bonn, but that doesn't mean that tourists would want to. Discriminating travelers are advised to seek out destinations largely undiscovered by American tourists, such as:

Hamburg: The low buildings and soft-green copper roofs of this port city are best seen from tour boats on the huge downtown lake called the Alster. Other distinctive sights: the ornate city hall; Blankenese, the former sea captains' village; and the Northern Baroque styling of St. Michael's church - especially during noontime organ concerts.

Sylt: A favorite summer vacation spot for Germans. This North Sea island is known for its long beaches and thatched-roof guest houses.

L"ubeck: This red-bricked city is the home of marzipan candy and the writer Thomas Mann.

Take advantage of these historic times by visiting East Germany, too:

Eisenach: This valley town on the southwestern border of East Germany was once home to J.S. Bach and Martin Luther. A winding road leads up to Wartburg castle on a mountain above the town. Luther translated the Bible into German there in 1522.

Weimar: The ``mother lode'' for Germanophiles. Historic sites ranging from the house of the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to the Bauhaus architecture of Walter Gropius.

Potsdam: Ride over the infamous Glienicker spy bridge to this former affluent suburb of Berlin. There's plenty to see: the Prussian palace of Sans Souci and the villa Cecilienhof - site of the 1945 Potsdam Conference.