Berlin

[Smurf]

Going for 5 days at the end of this month.

Anyone recommend anything to do apart from visit Berghain obviously...

Cheers

 

[Doc Shrink]

Go to the Radisson Blu for a beer and marvel at the fish tank.
Do the hop on hop off tours - there are three I think.
Drink beer.
Go up the big comms tower (5 min walk from Rad)
Checkpoint Charlie
Buy Ampelman souveniers.

:approve:

 

[Hibee Kev]

The Brandenburg Gate :camera:
The Reichstag
Checkpoint Charlie
The Sony Centre is pretty cool
Never got a chance to visit the Olympiastadion but would've liked to.
For a bevvy, Hoffbrauhaus is a barry German beerhall with lovely frauleins serving you traditional German scran and steins of beer

 

[Jack]

Visit Potsdam

 

[Smurf]

Cheers folks.

 

[Gareth]

just wander about mitte drinking beer, cracking place

 

[ZemmamasBarnet]

Go see Union Berlin if you can.

There's a Soviet War memorial (Google tells me it's called the Tiergarten Memorial) sort of round the corner from The Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate that's worth a look. Google also tells me there's two others in Berlin that I wasn't aware of but you might fancy hunting down.

Enjoy yourself, great city!

 

[Greenmachine]

Visited Berlin once whilst inter-railing back in 1992. Fantastic city with so much history.
Olympic stadium is definitely work a visit. Fully intend to go back sometime as so much will have changed since then.
The wall had only been down for 3 years and they were selling bits of the wall in stalls around the Brandenburg Gate !

 

[Sancho Panza]

Berlin is my favourite European city. I lived there for nearly a year between 1996 and 1997 and consider it a second home.

If you're going for five days, get yourself a travel pass for the public transport. Berlin's public transport is probably the best in Europe.

https://www.berlin.de/en/public-transportation/

There is so much to see and do but I would recommend a trip to the Reichstag. It's free entry but you normally have to queue for a bit. The walk up the glass dome is awesome and there is a great view from the top. Definitely go to the Holocaust memorial to the south of the Brandenburg Gate on the site of Hitler's former bunker. Museum Island can take a day in itself and the Pergammon Museum is particularly good. If memory serves, the TV Tower isn't too far away and worth a quick trip to the revolving restaurant. Potsdam is worth a visit and is at the end of one of the S-Bahn lines. Frederick the Great's palace of Sans Souci and it's grounds are lovely, much more tasteful than the garish, oversized bling of Versailles.

If I could recommend a couple of good eateries / pubs, try Cafe Hardenberg. It's about a 5-10 minute walk from Zoo Station.

http://cafe-hardenberg.com/

Get the Bratkartoffelpfanne mit 3 Spiegeleiereiern. It's basically a skillet filled with fried potatoes, onion and speck (a German version of pancetta) with 3 fried eggs on top. Only 6 Euros. Perfect hangover food. Washed down with a draught Warsteiner, of course.

Not far away from that is Savignyplatz which has a lot of good restaurants and bars in the vicinity. Definitely try Zwiebelfisch, which The Spectator described as the best bar in the World. A bit of an exaggeration but not by much.

http://www.zwiebelfisch-berlin.de/

http://www.spectator.co.uk/2013/11/berlin-the-best-bar-in-the-world/

The best thing about Berlin is how cheap it is for a major capital city. Much better value for money than London, Paris or Rome.

Anyway, I'm sure you'll have a great time and will want to go back. There's just something about the place and the unique Berliner Luft. Enjoy!

 

[SKII]

Going for 5 days at the end of this month.

Anyone recommend anything to do apart from visit Berghain obviously...

Cheers

Any recommendations welcome. Off there in February

 

[Doc Shrink]

Don't mention the war:

 

[jock3]

Most of my recommendations have been covered already. We went in September.

- use the Trams they're pretty good
- Cathedral is worth a look even like me you're not religious
- there's a decent Irish bar if you fancy a Guinness
- Topography of Terror
- Trabant museum
- Holocaust memorial

Don't expect a cooked breakfast anywhere!

 

[Hibee Kev]

Most of my recommendations have been covered already. We went in September.

- use the Trams they're pretty good
- Cathedral is worth a look even like me you're not religious
- there's a decent Irish bar if you fancy a Guinness
- Topography of Terror
- Trabant museum
- Holocaust memorial

Don't expect a cooked breakfast anywhere!

Forgot about the topography of terror museum, well worth a visit. We did that and checkpoint Charlie, as well as the remains of the Berlin Wall all in one morning.

 

[1875]

Any recommendations welcome. Off there in February

Which game are you missing?

 

[SKII]

Which game are you missing?

None

I've got another midweek city break - the best kind.

 

[Smurf]

Tremendous place. I appreciate the recommendations folks particularly [MENTION=3287]Sancho Panza[/MENTION]

 

[1875]

Where would you best to stay if you air bnb'd in Berlin? Never been and think of going in September?

 

[Chester Perry]

Thought it was overrated, too big and crowded. Bullet holes at Olympic Stadium were an eye opener. And managed to vandalise Checkpoint Charlie.

 

[moathibby]

Don't mention the war:

What war?

 

[Hectorhib]

Go to Wahnsee and Pottsdam.

 

[Hectorhib]

Oh yeah, when you buy the travel pass for the U bahn etc, at the airport, you'll be given a tourist information booklet which has a load of discount vouchers for many of the big attractions.I had a memorable trip there in Feb 18.Managed to go see Hertha v Mainz in the Olympic stadium.It's a huge stadium and worth a visit itself

 

[WJC1848]

Don't mention the war:

The black humour sparkles!!! If this thread hadn't been reopened, this wee gem would have lain hidden. Wunderbar!!

 

[1875]

Any suggestions on the district we should stay in?

 

[tricky]

Any suggestions on the district we should stay in?

Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain or Prenzlauer Berg

 

[Hectorhib]

I stayed in a Mercure in Mitte.Short walk got you into the U bahn system, although I'd say you're probably never far away from it

 

[Smurf]

Any suggestions on the district we should stay in?

Mitte!

 

[Plasticman]

Any suggestions on the district we should stay in?

Stayed in most districts on multiple occasions, would probably go for Kreuzberg, Pberg or maybe Neukolln - think youd also like Mitte Mark

 

[1875]

Is the Alexander Platz area ok? Couple of decent hotel deals there?

 

[Doc Shrink]

Is the Alexander Platz area ok? Couple of decent hotel deals there?

I stayed at the Radisson Blue (amazing huge 'fish tank' in lounge area) which is about half a mile away from Alexander Platz.

The area is perfectly fine imho.


edit

here's a pic.

 

[1875]

I stayed at the Radisson Blue (amazing huge 'fish tank' in lounge area) which is about half a mile away from Alexander Platz.

The area is perfectly fine imho.


edit

here's a pic.

I looked at that but its out my league cost wise.

 

[Doc Shrink]

I looked at that but its out my league cost wise.

Worth going for a beer just to look at the fish!

The area is fine though - pretty central for loads of 'touristy stuff'.

Watch for Ampelmännchen on the crossings in East Berlin!

 

[Hibee Kev]

Don't do what we did and stay at a budget hotel near the Hauptbahnhoff thinking it must be really good location-wise, it's not. Although it is within walking distance of the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate.

 

[SKII]

Is the Alexander Platz area ok? Couple of decent hotel deals there?

Very touristy, well served by underground.

 

[1875]

Very touristy, well served by underground.

I am a Berlin virgin, touristy suits. Wil lneed a list of things to do and see, if anyone has such a thing. Nae fitba the weekend I am there, its an international weekend.

 

[SKII]

I am a Berlin virgin, touristy suits. Wil lneed a list of things to do and see, if anyone has such a thing. Nae fitba the weekend I am there, its an international weekend.

Get on the Reichstag, sorry Bundestag, website and register for the free tour. You have to do it in advance and you get security checked before they ok you but it's worth it. I'm sure there's stuff on here to do in Berlin- the usual Checkpoint Charlie and Berlin Wall stuff are a gimme. There is a viewing tower near Alexanderplatz. You can have your tea in the rotating restaurant at the top. Brandenburg Gate is near the parliament. Wander the Tiergarten.
Holocaust memorial is striking

 

[1875]

Booked the H4 Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz, decent price and flights including hold luggage for £100 each return from Edinburgh. No half bad. Flood me with suggestions, I have 4.5 days there.

 

[Smurf]

I loved the tourist tour bus thing. I think there's 3 routes. We did them over 3 days and there's a lot to see! Great vibe in the place.

 

[moathibby]

Bang bong bong ba bang bong bong.You take my breath awaaaaaay!Decent tune.

 

[kingston]

We done a walking tour from mittre district old Berlin to Reichstag taken in all the landmarks.The guide was brilliant and well worth 4hrs.
On the tour we stoped at the Topography of Terror Museum which we went back to the next day to spend more time.Also done the river cruise which takes in old and new Berlin which was good.
It's a great city with a great vibe.

 

[1875]

We done a walking tour from mittre district old Berlin to Reichstag taken in all the landmarks.The guide was brilliant and well worth 4hrs.
On the tour we stoped at the Topography of Terror Museum which we went back to the next day to spend more time.Also done the river cruise which takes in old and new Berlin which was good.
It's a great city with a great vibe.

Already booked it, is it the Insider tour? I also booked the Bundestadt tour as recommended by SK11.