Going to Berlin soon- what to do?

[Ethros]

Hey hey. Basically I'm going to Berlin with a couple of friends in just under a fortnight (we'll be there for about 5 nights.) We're staying with another friend who's been living there for a year now. But he's got to work during the day, so won't be able to show us around too much.

We've never been to Berlin, or indeed Germany before, so can anyone who's been be so kind to give any tips, advice, things to see/do etc etc?

I intend to buy a guide book soon, but just if you've been, what are some of the highlights you would recommend? (whether it be museums, shops, bars, nightlife, parks, touristy things etc)


We'll probably spend most of the time in Berlin, but feel free to suggest any outside areas (as long as they're accessible by public transport)

Thank you so much!

 

[MANT!]

Checkpoint Charlie...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkpoint_Charlie

Soviet War Memorial

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_War_Memorial_(Tiergarten)


Lots of history there..

 

[Davros]

The museums are great and you have to check out the Kufurstendam [sp?]
I also remember a bar called the Kloh or something like that which had an interesting toilet theme but I have no clue if it's still there. Also check out the Gedankneskirche [sp?].

 

[Scout101]

Beer. Lots of beer. I recommend Augustiner, personally...

 

[spinnerlys]

The following is a bit uncoordinated, as it is quite late (1 AM) and still 22°C.


If you want to avoid tourist travel spots, don't go to Potsdamer Platz (U2, S1, 2, 25) or the Reichstag / Brandenburger Tor (Gate) or even Stadtmitte (U2) / Checkpoint Charlie (Kochstraße - U6), as Berlin is currently filled with lots and lots of tourist and public transportation makes you sweat like an otter.

The Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (State Museums of Berlin) are free on Thursday after 18.00 until 22.00 (closing time).

Cheap hostels can be found within the Ring (Circle Line) throughout town if you need one or more.

Kurfürstendamm and Kurfürstenstraße are two different streets, the former is a known shopping street, expensive though, the latter sells women.

Tempelhof Flughafen (an old airport, not in business as an aiport anymore though) is open throughout the day and can be visited (get out at Platz der Luftbrücke - U6).

Currently known as "hip" districts are Kreuzberg (U1, U6, U8), Friedrichshain (U5) and Prenzlauer Berg (U2 - currently under construction though in that district, the substitute busses are hell), but don't forget the Wedding and Neukölln if you're interested in multi-national environments (where often even German isn't spoken).

Berlin has lots of bicycle lanes, so if you care to cycle, there are lots of bike rentals around the city centres.

I don't know where you from, but Berlin gives me the impression of having not one or two centres, but many, as every district seems to be like a separate town (planned by the allied troops).

Be sure to take lofty clothes and lots of water, the latter you shouldn't buy at the so called "Spätis / Spätverkauf" (shops, that have open until midnight or longer), as they want five times of what you pay at the super market (Lidl is the cheapest, Netto or Netto (yes, two different chains with the same name) are cheap too, Kaiser's can be found almost everywhere).

The famous Berlin beverage is called "Berliner Weiße / Weisse mit Schuss", which is small beer with syrup, which is best served cold.

Maybe I will post more tomorrow, as I have to go to bed now, as I have to drive through Berlin with a black car the whole day.

 

[Count Zero]

The Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (State Museums of Berlin) are free on Thursday after 18.00 until 22.00 (closing time).

Sadly, not all of them are, anymore, especially the more popular ones like the Pergamonmuseum and the Neues Museum (which houses the prehistoric and Egyptian collections, including Nofretete). The Pergamonmuseum is still a must-see, though, despite the steep price. It houses several big pieces of ancient architecture like the Pergamon altar, the portal to the market of Milet and the procession street of Babylon. It's very impressive.

The Museum of Natural History (Naturkundemuseum) is also very much worth a visit, especially if you're into dinosaurs.

If you want to do a sight-seeing tour I wouldn't recommend taking one of the expensive bus trips but instead the regular bus line 100 which also gets you to nearly all the sights. A sight-seeing tour by boat is great, too. Berlin has a lot of waterways all through the city.

I don't know where you from, but Berlin gives me the impression of having not one or two centres, but many, as every district seems to be like a separate town (planned by the allied troops).

This has nothing to do with the Allies but with the fact that Berlin, as we know it today, only became one city in 1920. Before that time, most of the districts were their own cities or villages.

A lot has been destroyed in the war but a sneak peak into the old Berlin can be had at the Märkisches Viertel, a historical district close to the city centre. Also, check out 'Unter den Linden', Berlin's traditional main boulevard with plenty of classicist buildings.

The famous Berlin beverage is called "Berliner Weiße / Weisse mit Schuss", which is small beer with syrup, which is best served cold.

I'd still recommend Augustiner, though. It can be bought in the aforementioned 'Spätis' and at Kaiser's. It's from Munich where it's considered the best beer in the world.

As for sights outside the city, Potsdam comes to mind (can be easily reached by S-Bahn and regional trains). The centre of the city (which is not where the central station is - but an ABC ticket bought in Berlin will also be valid in Potsdam) looks nice and there's also Sanssouci, the palace of the Prussian kings. It has a beautiful, large garden so you don't even need to go inside.
I also have an affinity for Brandenburg, a thousand-year-old city not far from Berlin (takes about 50 minutes to reach with regional trains which leave every half hour). The historic centre has survived and has been extensively refurbished. It also has a kick-ass museum of archeology.

As you can see, I'm rather communicative, so don't hesitate to ask questions.

 

[JonathonWally]

Sample the culture the proper way, sleep with the locals.

 

[Davros]

It looks like that bar I went to is still there
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.klo.de/&ei=SP08TMizH6ny9gTnz4n9DA&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBgQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dkloh%2Bberlin%26hl%3Den%26prmd%3Db