ago

I am a single female traveler, wishing to visit Berlin and Hannover during the first weeks in September.
What is the weather like at that time of year?
Any recommendations for a great hotel in the hippest section of Berlin, somewhere smack in the center of things, at $150-$200?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Intrepid1

TTT

hsv

I'd recommend the Radisson SAS in Mitte, close to Museum Island and just a short walk from the scene around Hackesche Hoefe. If you book well in advance the prices range around EUR 140.-, with a little luck you can even get it for a mere EUR 99.- The hotel is brand new with some modern, a bit minimalist interiors and quite a good value should you get one of those cheap rates.

http://www.radisson.com

The Westin Grand is a more traditional hotel a bit further down on the corner of Unter den Linden and Friedrichstr, in the direction of the Brandenburg Gate. The hotel can often be booked at reasonable rates, too. Sometimes checking on www.lastminute.com can be of help. The environment there is a bit more classic than around the Radisson, but still good. Gendarmenmarkt Square is literally just steps away.

http://www.westin.com/berlin

That said, Berlin in fact has two centers. The Western one is easily overlooked nowadays by tourists, but many Berliners are in fact rediscovering it and Charlottenburg's café, bar and nightlife scene is still vibrant. I have not stayed at any of the following hotels, but will give you my impression:

The Kempinski Bristol is a classic hotel with a bit of an austere atmosphere, but can be booked at bargain prices. Its location is prime. Just steps to Kurfuerstendamm and just a few minutes from the scene around Savignyplatz Square.

http://www.kempinskiberlin.de

There are a few newer and hipper hotels, too, that are quite popular and might be worth looking at:

Hotel Bleibtreu is on Bleibtreu Str. and takes pride to cater to a young and trendy clientele. Friends of mine stayed there and found it reasonably nice, although they were a bit disappointed having expected some "design" decor and being confronted with what they considered to be a bit "IKEA-ish".

http://www.bleibtreu.com

Hotel Ku'damm 101 on -you guessed it- 101 Ku(rfuersten)damm might be an alternative, too. Modern and stylish design in a good location.

http://www.kudamm101.com

Hecker's Hotel on Grolmanstr. is a smaller boutique sort of hotel, also in the thick of things.

http://www.heckers-hotel.de

May I ask why you chose to combine your visit with Hannover?
Frankly, I don't believe Hannover is that much worth seeing. Although I don't mind being there as it has a sort of cozy bar scene, it is not exactly strong on scenic beauty. Overall, there'd be other places I'd want to spend my time at in Germany - but as Bertie Wooster dead-panned: "It takes all kinds to make a world", of course.

Wheather wise, September can be hit and miss in Northern Germany (in fact the other seasons, too). The first half of September is likely to still provide some late summer days, whereas the second half might already give you a taste of how damp fall can be. Prepare for temperatures in the lower 60ies.

PalQ

Berlin - Sep avg high 66 low 48 for the month, more or less so at beginning and end; Oct high 55 low 41 - been in Berlin several times in Sep and like above posts says anything's possible; prepare for wet weather! To see the best of the old Berlin Wall visit the East Side Gallery - where a mile-long stretch of original wall has been kept - along the Spree River and artists have covered the wall with interesting murals.

ago

Thank you both for the invaluable info. I am interested in going to Hannover only because my father was born and raised there, and I want to see it for sentimental reasons.
If there is still a way to go in the middle of August rather than the beginning of Sept.(I checked but flights are either booked or extremely expensive), would that be a better idea in terms of weather? I so enjoy walking around and sitting in outdoor cafe and it sounds like I may not be able to comfortably do that in Sept.
Thank you so much.

hsv

ago,

since you state that you enjoy sitting in outdoor cafés, you might want to consider sipping a drink at Pier 51 in Hannover. It is a bar cum restaurant sort of place, pretty stylish, right on the shores of Maschsee. About opposite the NDR Radio Station near Suedstadt.
For accomodation, I think the Courtyard Marriott, also right on Maschsee, offers pretty good value.
Downtown is a stroll of approximately 10 minutes away.

A bit hipper would be the ArabellaSheraton Pelikan Hotel in the upscale residential district of List. It is housed in the old works of the Pelikan writing products brand and has a Harry's New York bar adjacent plus the "Gruener Pelican" (Green Pelican), a stylish eatery for the younger crowd. The food is only so so IMO, but their Alsatian "Flammekueche" pies, and their pizze are notorious in Hannover.
Downtown is a short tram ride away.

Overall, I would think August would give you a better chance of experiencing nice and warm weather, but in these parts of Northern Germany you actually never know.

Enjoy your trip!
hsv

hsv

Oh, before I forget (which I already had), you also might enjoy a café in Hannover, too, that is called "Hollaendische Kakaostube" (Dutch Hot Chocolate Parlour). It is located between Kroepcke Square in (central) downtown and the old section of the city. I think the address is Windmuehlenstr.
It is an old fashioned place and a bit stuffy, but their hot chocolate is good and it is an institution in Hannover.

ago

Thank you, hsv, for your input. Aside from Berlin (and Hannover)Is there another city or interesting destination in Germany that you would highly recommend? I will have about 8 days altogether.
Ago

hsv

ago,

you should allow at least three full days for Berlin. I suspect that you'd want to spend at least one and a half day in Hannover, which more or less leaves you with three more days.

Thinking about this, I 'd be torn between adding either 1.5 days in Dresden or 1.5 days in Hamburg to my trip.

Dresden has a lot going for it - a medium sized city, lots of historic architecture and nice surroundings.

Hamburg (diclosure: I live here) probably has less historic buildings, but has something like a "feel-good-vibe" about it. It's Germany's second largest city (after Berlin) and is laid out nicely between the Alster Lakes right in the center of town and the River Elbe with a bustling port. Don't get the wrong impression: While the port is certainly industrial, it is also an integral part of the city and actually taking a sightseeing tour of it on a small boat offers quite an amount of scenic beauty if you enjoy the sight of seagoing vessels right in the center of a city.
There are also countless wonderful restaurants for dinner and many a place to hang out and people watch while at the same time enjoying the sight of some sailing boats.

I once outlined the main sights, attractions and more here on Fodor's. You might want to take a look at the following thread (towards the end):

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...29&start=0

I could go on raving about Hamburg, but I think I would make my decision depending on the weather.
Hamburg IMO is an outdoor city. If you encounter some nice climate, make the trip to Hamburg (ICE express trains take 90 minutes from Berlin to Hamburg and cost EUR 55.00 one way undiscounted or EUR 45.00 undiscounted if you opt for a slightly slower IC train that takes approx. 115 min.).
If the weather isn't so good, make it to Dresden and enjoy the good collections (such as the Green Vault) there. Trains take about 2 to 3 hours and cost around EUR 30.00.

Enjoy your trip and do post if you need assistance!
hsv

hsv

Just noticed that my maths were a bit faulty:

I forgot to explain that I'd add the remaining day to Berlin and its surroundings (e.g. for an excursion to Potsdam).

That would make your itinerary look more or less like this (I don't know which airports you'll be flying into and out of, so some minor amendments might be necessary, but distances aren't that big between your destinations. The only longer distance would be the one between Hannover and Dresden should you choose to go there and to it in this order, which I would not suggest. Should you opt for Dresden, go there from Berlin. Should you opt for Hamburg, you could go there from either Hannover - 80 minutes by train at EUR 35.00 - or from Berlin, as noted before.).

1.5 days in Hannover
0.5 days travel to Berlin
4 days in Berlin
0.5 days travel to Dresden or Hamburg
1.5 days in Dresden or Hamburg (allow for 0.25 days, which looks silly, but you get my drift for travel back to Berlin should that be your airport)

hsv

Just one more bit of info:

I just read an advertisement by the Berlin Radisson which quoted Summer Special Rates available through Aug 26th at EUR 99.00.

At this price the hotel is a steal.

http://www.berlin.radissonsas.com/se...mp;language=en