Things to do in Berlin

[meegannie]

My husband and I are going to Berlin for four days for our anniversary. We don't like guided tours and aren't checklist tourists (like people who have to see certain landmarks); we just like wandering around, sitting in cafes/restaurants, looking in shops, going to a couple of museums, etc. Are there any places we should definitely go, though? We'd like to go out for a nice, not TOO expensive meal one night (any recommendations?), and we want to go to the Jewish Museum and maybe the zoo, but we don't have anything else planned.

 

[Vincent Vega]

I can recommend some things, you can see what you are up to:
When you are in the city, going for shopping would be the KaDeWe, the largest department store on the European continent, or along the Ku'damm (Kurfürstendamm).
Check out the Potsdamer Platz and the Alexanderplatz. Then you can go to the "Regierungsviertel", that's where the Chanceollor's office and the Bundestag are located. Nearby are the Brandenburg Gate and the Holocaust Memorial with a entry-free museum. And the Hotel Adlon is located there as well, which is where Bono ususally stays at.
Museums are mostly located on the Museum's island which is near the Alexanderplatz. There you can also find the Palast der Republik (Palace of the Republic), which is currently being deconstructed.
And check out the former eastern part of the city to see the differences.
In the evening you may want to visit the Bergmannstraße in Kreuzberg. There are lots of cafe's and restaurants, not too expensive,but with an amazing atmosphere.
Berlin has a lot of parks, like Tiergarten in the city. Also the area around Wannsee is great, and you could visit the House of the Wannsee Conference which is entry free as well.
The Zoo and the Aquarium are really beautiful, and since Knut has grown a bit it's not too overcrowded there anymore. He is out all day now.
Beautiful walks you may experience in the Grunewald, and in Potsdam as well. Potsdam is the neighbouring city, but with bus tickets you can go there as well. Especially the parks around the Glienicker Bridge (where the Russian and Americans swapped spies) are beautiful, but huge.
I especially love the Peacock Island. You can get there from the Wannsee.
If you want to swim you can do that in one of over fourty lakes around the city. The Strandbad Wannsee usually is very overcrowded, so you should go for another lake.
You'll find bars and clubs just about everywhere, and we even have some Irish Pubs. I just would not recommend the Hackescher Markt, as this is too much of a tourist trap.

If you want I can upload pictures I've taken of the city.

I will see if more things come to mind.

 

[Zoots]

If you want I can upload pictures I've taken of the city.

I want to visit Berlin so bad! Post pics after you're back, meegannie!

 

[meegannie]

I can recommend some things, you can see what you are up to:
When you are in the city, going for shopping would be the KaDeWe, the largest department store on the European continent, or along the Ku'damm (Kurfürstendamm).
Check out the Potsdamer Platz and the Alexanderplatz. Then you can go to the "Regierungsviertel", that's where the Chanceollor's office and the Bundestag are located. Nearby are the Brandenburg Gate and the Holocaust Memorial with a entry-free museum. And the Hotel Adlon is located there as well, which is where Bono ususally stays at.
Museums are mostly located on the Museum's island which is near the Alexanderplatz. There you can also find the Palast der Republik (Palace of the Republic), which is currently being deconstructed.
And check out the former eastern part of the city to see the differences.
In the evening you may want to visit the Bergmannstraße in Kreuzberg. There are lots of cafe's and restaurants, not too expensive,but with an amazing atmosphere.
Berlin has a lot of parks, like Tiergarten in the city. Also the area around Wannsee is great, and you could visit the House of the Wannsee Conference which is entry free as well.
The Zoo and the Aquarium are really beautiful, and since Knut has grown a bit it's not too overcrowded there anymore. He is out all day now.
Beautiful walks you may experience in the Grunewald, and in Potsdam as well. Potsdam is the neighbouring city, but with bus tickets you can go there as well. Especially the parks around the Glienicker Bridge (where the Russian and Americans swapped spies) are beautiful, but huge.
I especially love the Peacock Island. You can get there from the Wannsee.
If you want to swim you can do that in one of over fourty lakes around the city. The Strandbad Wannsee usually is very overcrowded, so you should go for another lake.
You'll find bars and clubs just about everywhere, and we even have some Irish Pubs. I just would not recommend the Hackescher Markt, as this is too much of a tourist trap.

Thank you for the recommendations -- there are lots of things there that sound exactly like what we'd be interested in.

If you want I can upload pictures I've taken of the city.

Yes, please.

 

[Vincent Vega]

Also a nice place, who spoke here?:

 

[Vincent Vega]

http://save file.com/projects/808518626
If you are registered with Snapfish you can find many pictures here.
http://www2.snapfish.com/photolibrary/t_=82704916

 

[Vincent Vega]

Havel:

 

[Rono]

I liked the russian WWII memorial. Communist style and very big.

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

 

[U2democrat]

I Berlin


I second Alexanderplatz and the Zoo

 

[TranceEnding]

Oh, you're so lucky meegannie ... I absolutely adored Berlin and found it just one of the most amazing and fascinating cities I've ever visited

I have to admit, I was pretty excited to visit the Victory Column (Siegesäule) being somewhat obsessed with the film, 'Wings of Desire'

I'm not a big fan of organised tours or anything like that and just tend to stumble across places whilst I'm wandering around, but I did do a fantastic walking tour one day which was really enjoyable. I can't remember what it was called now (this is going back about 10 years .. sob!) but I just found out about it through the hostel I was staying at).

The worst part was that the couple of rolls of film I took while I was there never turned out (I must of loaded the film incorrectly ) Man, I was so upset about that!!

Have a great time!

 

[Vincent Vega]

Ugh losing pics really sucks and keeps sucking, I know that.

Have to take more pictures of the city, but at the moment the weather isn't too nice.

 

[Vincent Vega]

 

[last unicorn]

Oh I LOVE Berlin and whenever I always notice how much is changing in this city between my visits. The city has beautiful museums. I once queued up for hours to see an exhibition of the New York Musum of Modern Art in the New National Gallery. I also loved the Jewish Museum, it has a very interesting architecture. I have a picture a made at East Side Gallery as my desktop on my computer at work.

 

[Zoomerang96]

berlin is one of the most fascinating cities in the world... you're lucky to be going.

i would loved to have seen where hitler's bunker was, but we never got around to it.

i'd definitely recommend going to the reichstag if not for the view alone.

 

[last unicorn]

Vincent, very nice pictures, thank you!

And yes, I loved the Reichstag and the view you have from up there, I like the architecture.

 

[Zoots]

Enjoying the pictures here

 

[Vincent Vega]

berlin is one of the most fascinating cities in the world... you're lucky to be going.

i would loved to have seen where hitler's bunker was, but we never got around to it.

i'd definitely recommend going to the reichstag if not for the view alone.

They now made a sign where the bunker was located. Not much of it is left, though.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I luuuurve Berlin. Easily one of my single favourite places in the world.

My recommendation is to just hire a bike and ride around and check out whatever takes your fancy.

 

[jacobus]

BERLIN, BERLIN wir fahren nach BERLIN !!!

Berlin: Fernsehturm, Funkturm (foreground)

Berlin samples >> click HERE

Berlin is good for your soul... Berlin rocks!