Does anyone remember me? :p
So, I'm going to Berlin for 5 days (I'll speed the 1st and the last days in "transit"), I have no idea what to see or do...
I'll be going alone, so if anyone has an ideas, I would love to hear it.
:)
disclaimer of any knowledge of who the fuck OP is
semi-witty answer of some unpleasant activity referencing current events in destination city
What kind of stuff interests you? Historical sites, museums, shopping, partying, nature?
Quote from: Zanza on August 22, 2011, 11:23:13 AM
What kind of stuff interests you? Historical sites, museums, shopping, partying, nature?
1st Sightseeing, 2nd Historical sites, 3rd Partying, 4th museums, 5th nature, 6th shopping
Do you have five full days without anything else to do?
The standard route for tourists in Berlin is starting at the Siegessäule in Tiergarten (the big column with the golden victory angel on it). From there, walk to the Soviet Memorial and then to the Reichstag. If you want to go onto the cupola, you have to book a time two days ahead online (http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/visits/kupp.html). Right next to it is Brandenburger Tor and the Pariser Platz with embassies and Hotel Adlon - you can have the most expensive coffee in Berlin here. Walk south from there and you find the Holocaust memorial. Further south is Potsdamer Platz. There is a remaining watch tower in a small street (Erna Berger Str) there. Go from there along Niederkirchner Str. On the right is an Topography of Terror - this is the former SS HQ. On the right is the biggest remaining Nazi architecture building, now housing the finance ministry. One more block and you have reached Checkpoint Charlie.
That's basically the history of Germany in the 20th century in a compact 2 or 3 km walk. ;)
Partying is all over the place really, not sure if I can suggest anything. I usually just hang onto my Berliner friends and they know good places.
Nice post Zanza, I'll save it for further use :)
RIP Palast der Republik. :(
Hopping over to Potsdam for a day is an option. Visit sans Souci and it's park an Potsdam itself is also quite beautiful.
I've wanted to do some of the underground tours. I did the first one, and it was well presented, but it was just a small civilian bomb shelter that was quickly built (and wasn't substantial enough to actually stop bombs). So it wasn't much to see.
I want to go on the Flak Tower tour (the second tour), but I haven't been there when it is open. So if you go, please post a report. :)
http://berliner-unterwelten.de/files/buev-flyer-engl-span_2011_web.pdf
There's a great hop-on, hop-off tourist bus that has several routes round the major sites. You buy a day ticket and use it as much as you like.
In addition to Zanza's recommendations, you should have coffee and a cake up the Fernsehturm to get an aerial view of the city and compare east and west Berlin, and getting the train out to the Olympic stadium.
Quote from: alfred russel on August 23, 2011, 06:17:30 AM
I've wanted to do some of the underground tours. I did the first one, and it was well presented, but it was just a small civilian bomb shelter that was quickly built (and wasn't substantial enough to actually stop bombs). So it wasn't much to see.
I want to go on the Flak Tower tour (the second tour), but I haven't been there when it is open. So if you go, please post a report. :)
http://berliner-unterwelten.de/files/buev-flyer-engl-span_2011_web.pdf
That's a really good suggestion. I was in the bunker at the Gesundbrunnen station once and its really amazing. Definitely a good thing to do.
If you want some more creepy stuff, go to the Stasi prison in Hohenschönhausen. The guides are former inmates and the prison still has that DDR look everywhere.
Good photo opportunities are the East Side gallery, which is on the biggest remaining part of the Wall, and the Soviet Memorial in Treptow with the writings of the great Joseph Stalin. :P
As Barkdreg said, Potsdam is definitely worth a visit. Not just the palaces and the parks, but also the Dutch quarter are areally nice. It's just maybe 45 minutes on public transport from Berlin.
Berlin also has some world famous museums. I was in the German Historial Museum for the first time in years recently and really enjoyed it. But that's probably not as interesting for foreigners. Other than that, the Museum Island is world heritage. The Jewish Museum is worth a visit. Very well made and bold architecture.