Hello friends, we're off to Berlin for a long weekend in April so we're starting to think about an itinerary - what simply must we do while we're there? We've got breakfast at the Reichstag booked, plus vague plans about Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenberg Gate, see if we can catch a walking tour - what else should we book in? TIA. 🙂
The walking tour I did was fantastic, so definitely do that - maybe do it first because it will give you an idea of what you want to go back and look at in detail. I wouldn't bother with Checkpoint Charlie - there's nothing original there and it's just a tourist trap. It's not a bundle of laughs, but something I'm really glad I did was the tour of Sachsenhausen, the first concentration camp. Sobering. The graffitied section of the wall is interesting.
Yeah, we did one of those pay-what-you-want walking tours, the guide was excellent and it was 3 hours or so. Good to get your bearings and an overview of the history, which is just amazing/boarderline ridiculous.
Not that you were thinking it, but avoid the Zoo. Lots of sad animals there.
I just loved wandering around, trying to take it in. The whole place is pretty sobering when confronted with the context, and there's plenty of information panels.
We ended up at a techno club in an old slaughterhouse at 4am, which I think is the 2nd most obvious thing to do in Berlin.
The Holocaust memorial is worth including on your itinerary.
I loved the Stasimuseum, an absolutely fascinating place where I spent half a day for about €8
All I can say is: great city! It is probably my favourite city in the world, and I would move there in a heart beat if I could.
As for specifics I would advise, there are so many; it really depends on what interests you.
Whatever you do, have a fantastic time!
It's a great city to wander around, its been pretty much completely renovated but you can still see the bullet holes in some of the stone buildings.
Checkpoint Charlie is a tourist trap, its not even the original or right location now but you'll go there anyway (I did, tutted loudly at the cheesiness of it all and then naturally took photos)
The holocaust memorials are rightly sobering, the tour of the Reichstag Building is also well worth a look. There is a display of the history of the building in the dome, lots of fascinating photos including the weird one where you see everyone dressing in the same gear from about 1936 onwards...
I'd recommend wandering around the eastern part of the city and marvel at some of the East German architecture and then realise that a lot of brutalist concrete shopping centres in the UK feel the same albeit without the statues of Marx and Engels.
Oh and don't forget: Pretzels, Beer, Currywurst mit Pommes, Kaffe und Kuchen etc. 🙂
Museum Island and the modern art museum which I can't remember the name of.
Topography of Terror.
The long bit of the wall with the famous artwork next to the river.
TV tower.
Edit: second some Kaffe und Kuchen!! 😋
Get your photo taken outside David Bowie's old gaff at Hauptstrasse 155 then have a beer at his former local the Cafe Neues Ufer.
Topography of Terror and Holocaust memorial are very sobering. There’s also a bunker museum a few minutes walk from Topography of Terror that is also worth a look. Tranenpalast (Palace of Tears) is an amazing little museum and the DDR museum is also a brilliant insight into life in Eastern Germany.
Away from museums there’s a great bar called “Communist” in Mitte, good atmosphere and plays loads of classic hip hop. This was the first stop on a hip hop based bar crawl and a load of us ended up back there as we liked it that much. There’s also a really good food market at Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg on a Thursday night and then it’s worth exploring some of the bars around Kreuzberg afterwards.
I spent 4 days in Berlin right before the pandemic and feel like I barely scratched the surface. Such an amazing city with great people and I can’t wait to go back.
Ahh I love Berlin. One random thing I did was go up the Victory Monument which is in the middle of a roundabout if you walk out west through the Tiergarten. It was only a few euros and some great views from the top.
2nd the Stasi museum. Fascinating.
Great city - enjoy!
Bear Pit Karaoke at Mauerpark and the open air market next to it.
Its a great city and I was fortunate to spend three days when Mrs RM was on a course.... I'd love to go back.
Reichstag, get an application in early. You have to register to go, you cant just rock up.
Base of the TV tower: https://www.fattiretours.com/berlin were great. Local guides, great info and interesting areas. Did three of their tours and the bike and food one was a highlight. Cycling down Templehof runway was another...as was a tour of eastern Berlin.
Bernauerstrasse and the old area of the wall marked with iron bars and info on tunnels
Klo if you want a bizarre evening in a goth pub eating out of surgical equipment
Museums as mentioned above are all great.
I love Berlin. Fabulous city. Another vote for the Stasi museum. The bus tours are good value because you can get off in anything peaks your interest, go and take a look around, and then hop back on again when you're done and rejoin the tour. They cover a lot of ground.
Berlin is awesome! Possibly my favourite city in the world so far.
The only problem is the scope of the place (with so many things to do and see) and the short time that I spent there. I felt that, after only a week, I had barely seen the place.
Checkpoint Carlie - for sure visit. The museum there is a good visit. You can also pick up curry-wurst from Snackpoint Charlie across the road.
The Bauhaus Archive - If you are into design and graphics.
Just walk. I saw so much awesome stuff just walking around the city, from architecture to places to eat and drink.
Oh yes, try the beers. Berliner Weisse is light and refreshing, but Germany's beers are awesome.
and I would move there in a heart beat if I could.
It's flat AF and surrounded by AfD supporters. Not a place I would choose to spend much of my time.
Go there often for work, have friends there, but I'm always happy when I leave, so the A9 Autobahn to Munich gets my vote.
Fortunately a lot of kiosks have Augustiner from Munich. Local Berlin beers are a bit naff, hence why everyone is drinking Straopramen or some other Czech beer.
Weather dependant a boat tour along the canals is a nice way to while away the hours.
As mentioned above the Stasi museum.
Berghain if you fancy your chances and are mentally prepared for what you'll see inside.
Holocaust thing with all the blocks was a bit meh, imo.
Friedrichshain where my friends live is meant to be a good place for bars, but I'm not a fan of having to play dodge the dogshit whilst walking along the pavement.
Just remember that Berlin is in no way representative of the rest of Germany.
I think most of the good stuff has been mentioned. I really liked the Berlin wall museum at Bernauerstrasse too. The bombed out cathedral which is fairly close to the zoo is also good.
AS well as all the good ideas above take a shortish trip out to the CHarlottenburg Palace - amazing architectural details with gold ceilings etc.
And if you are having a beer, make sure to have a red and a green one (for the pics rather than the taste tbh).
I wish someone had told me about the Topography of Terror museum! When I went in 2018 we did the Berlin wall, Holocaust Memorial and Checkpoint Charlie but had no idea about ToT (a colleague was in charge of organising the trip).
I have to go back now...
To add to some of the above suggestions the museum of technology is quite spectacular. For somewhere a bit different for dinner then the clarchens ball room is a good visit. And if you are walking by pop into the Radisson blu hotel for a gander at the fish tank. There are a good few flea markets too which are worth a browse, there was one near the Berlin wall memorial and there were loads of nice brunch and lunch places around there too.
I'll second the walking tour also, a must do.
Yet another vote for the walking tour.
Some other possibilities that I dont think have been mentioned: The soviet War memorial Treptow Park. And also the Olympic stadium. The old Tempelhof airport possibly. Looks from their website as if there is a Bike expo there 9th April.
Trying to work out if your in the old East or West based on the pedestrian crossing walk / dont walk (amplem)men.
Technology museum is very good too, although it is undergoing some works at the moment so some exhibits closed/moved.
DDR museum is good but can be busy and tight to navigate during busy times.
Berliner Dom ( cathedral ) is also very good. I am not religious in any way but it is beautiful and serene inside. You can climb up and walk around the outside of the dome itself and with good weather, the views are excellent.
TV tower is good for views too.
It is a very good city for walking as it’s flat ( my wife and I typically walk everywhere and cover many miles when we go), there is lots to see when walking around. Lots of areas of significant historical history.
When walking also look down, there are ‘Stolperstien) or stumbling stone/block 10x10 brass blocks in the pavement inscribed with names of victims of Nazi extermination or persecution, more than 70000 across 1200 cities worldwide.
Plenty of different food/drink choices too so the only issue it what to have!.
As it is a safe city at night and in the evening there are many good photos to be taken.
My wife and I are going back at the end of April and moving there in end of May beginning June.
Public transport is excellent if needed. Underground/metro U Bahn is €8 for all day two zones (most of Berlin).
We catch the train from Brandenburg airport to Berlin centre (35min and €11 each), a taxi is about €40-60 depending on traffic and destination.
Hope this helps
And enjoy
Friedrichshain where my friends live is meant to be a good place for bars, but I’m not a fan of having to play dodge the dogshit whilst walking along the pavement.
I love Friedrichshain and really enjoy just mooching around there, seeing what's about. It's probably gentrified a bit since I was last there but the area around Boxhagener Platz is great for cafes, bars, culture, little shops and interesting stuff going on. Also Kreuzberg (Markthalle 9 is a nice market hall to go and get lunch or something) and parts of Neukoln. These places still bear the marks of the 20th C, as they were the places in West Berlin full of hippies and peaceniks trying to avoid National Service in the 70s and 80s. So have a slightly bohemian, political, multicultural atmosphere.
Have a wander along Karl Marx Strasse, preferably feeling hungry.
Have a swim in the 1938 olympic pool. Visit Templehof, for a run and to walk through the photo gallery.
Have a swim in the Wansee, get tangled in weed and think this would be a really silly way to die.
When I go to a new city I always like to get high...
I remember Berliner Fernsehturm (Berlin Television Tower) having good views.
It's a great city for walking as it's very flat! Most of the suggestions have been excellent, but I'd also add the miniature city museum by Alexandraplatz. Take the U-bahn everywhere for a good feel for the place, and a Trabi Safari is also well worth doing. Got great pics of 'our' Trabis by the graffitid remains of the wall!
When I'm visiting cities I rarely go to museums but prefer to just hang out in neighbourhoods (like Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain etc), meeting people, and seeing what happens. In Berlin that meant finding myself in a random street protest, a giant squat rave, the front room of a celebrity dominatrix and a park meadow full of naked Germans. I think that's fairly standard for Berlin.
I'd like to visit Teufelsberg listening station for the graffiti.
One thing that I really liked about Berlin, and I know this sounds weird because I don't smoke. But people smoking in the odd bar or club. A healthy disdain for authority. Can you imagine if someone sparked up in a bar in the UK? The police would be there in seconds, the bar heavily fined and people attempting to make a citizen's arrest. Or at least tutting forcibly before taking their children to another bar.
It reminded me of London in the 90's when it was still cool and not everything had to be 'family friendly'.
One thing that I really liked about Berlin, and I know this sounds weird because I don’t smoke. But people smoking in the odd bar or club. A healthy disdain for authority. Can you imagine if someone sparked up in a bar in the UK?
Ha, same. We were in a bar in Mitte, probably 2016ish, and some time around 11pm the waitress comes round asking all the tables if they minded if people smoked in the bar. We said no, so she brought a load of ashtrays round. Only a couple of people actually did light up, but it felt like a 'proper' pub, like a lock-in or something!
The Spy Museum opposite The Mall of Berlin (near Potsdamer Platz) is worth a few minutes of your time.
I like the DDR museum by the river - reminds me of the UK in the 70s!
One thing that I really liked about Berlin, and I know this sounds weird because I don’t smoke. But people smoking in the odd bar or club. A healthy disdain for authority. Can you imagine if someone sparked up in a bar in the UK?
There are all kinds of exceptions to the smoking ban. It's fairly typical of the modern Germany.
You can rent e.scooters everywhere. Just need to download the app and you can pay with Paypal. Great way to get around Berlin Mitte.
If you want something a bit more off the beaten track try Teufelsberg. It was the listening post used by the US to spy on the USSR. Now it has an alternative art exhibition and cafe. The hill also has alot of downhill trails running off it and it's a short walk through the Grunewald to the River Havel where it looks more like a huge lake.
https://www.teufelsberg-berlin.de/
Hohenschönhausen prison was an eye opener not a nice place but worth visiting. Tram ride from Alexanderplatz.
DDR museum was good also reminded me of the 70’s early 80’s.
Crikey, tons to unpack there! Thanks all, that's brilliant - what makes me laugh is that Mrs Pondo went years ago, way before we met, she loved the walking tour and said we have to do one, I was, like, "no WAY will they still be doing them after all this time", but sounds like they do! 🙂 She's also mentioned Potsdam, worth a look?
If you like palaces then Potsdam is well worth a look
Huge +1 for the Stasi Remand prison museum at Hoheschonhausen. They do English tours so check and book ahead.
It is (was) the most memorable museum I’ve ever visited.
Fascinating to think Putin was working in Dresden during the prison’s ‘heyday’. So much context comes from that place so I can’t recommend enough.
Depending when you visit, a trip to a proper beer garden is fun. Later in April and some good ones may be open: Prater Garten
Loads of other great stuff above, so just enjoy.
I’d avoid Checkpoint Charlie though.
If you’re into high ropes, there are two contrasting experiences to try:
And
Jungfernheide parkland high ropes
Both great fun and they’re hands off compared to the UK.
Charlottenburg is worth a visit
Wandering around on foot and on the trains
Museum Island
The jewish museum - incredibly sad but the building itself is interesting
Gemäldegalerie - simply great
Burgermeister - so good ive been twice
Zimt & Zucker - Schiffbauerdamm 12, 10117 Berlin, Germany - enjoyed this little cafe by the reiver spree
I've been 4 times for other reasons but I make sure I travel into town for a quick wander
Timely thread as my girlfriend and I will be going in a few days time.
Do we have any more recommendations for food and drink please?
Charlottenburg is worth a visit
My surname is very German and quite famous (German was my father's first language), but I don't speak the language. In any case, I went to Schloss Charlottenburg a few years back and took a German-language tour, following which I picked up a few items in the gift shop. The woman at the till rang up my purchases, told me the total, and I handed her my credit car (which has my title, my first initial, and my surname). She took note of this, then started to talk to me about it, except that I couldn't respond to her beyond explaining that I couldn't really speak German. So she looked at my card again, looked at me with deep disappointment, packed up my purchases, then handed them to me with my card, and said, 'don't come back until you speak the language.' 🙂
I know it sounds mean, but I was pleased that she cared.
Anyway, it's how I remember Charlottenburg.
Do we have any more recommendations for food and drink please?
Only other places I can remember off the top of my head are SchneeWeiss (alpine cuisine, bit pricey but very nice) and Simon Dach strasse generally, which has 10000 cafes and bars on it. Both in Friedrichshein, which a short walk around will turn up plenty of great options.
I lived in West Germany for a couple of years and myself and then partner used to get the organsied hitched lifts (Mifahrgelegenheit, don't imagine they exist any more!) through the DDR to west Berlin where my brother lived; getting through the security was pretty mental. When my brother married a Berlinerin in 1984, we went across to East Berlin to visit a relative (my mother was german) who lived there. You had to change 25DMs a day for East German marks at 1:1, nowhere near the real rate, you couldn't change it back when you left and there was nothing to buy except books about Marx and Engels. Our relative took us to a posh restaurant on the Alexander Platz...foreigners were only allowed in the Intourist ones. To this day I wonder if my elderly female relative was in the Stasi or something.
Rather than the holocaust memorial, visit the station called Gruenewald which is also a poignant memorial but without the touroids.
