Trip report: an enormously enjoyable week in Berlin (+ 2 nights in Cologne)
Mar 2nd, 2008, 06:27 PM
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Trip report: an enormously enjoyable week in Berlin (+ 2 nights in Cologne)
In September my husband and I enjoyed a wonderful 9 nights in Germany: 7 in Berlin (7 full days including a day trip to Quedlinburg) and 2 in Cologne (1 full day). I had been to Berlin in March 2007 with my college aged daughter, but my husband had never been to the city. We’ve both traveled in other parts of Germany several times, and we can each manage simple conversational German.
I am trying to post this report before our <i>next</i> trip to Berlin in 2 weeks – this time with both daughters (ages 19 and 22). The report will be arranged by topic. With any luck, I’ll be able to post a photo link eventually.
For anyone who is dying for a blow by blow report, here is the link from my Berlin trip in March 2007:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34981792
<b>Transportation</b>
We flew into and out of Düsseldorf, and traveled to Berlin via train – about 4 hours. This worked out great because Düsseldorf Airport has its own train station, just a short skytrain ride away from the terminal.
We purchased a first class Eurail Twin pass at the airport train station, good for 5 train travel days in a 30 day window. €380/$530. This saved us a good deal of money over the cost of point to point tickets.
In Berlin we bought 7 day transit passes for zones ABC (€31,30 each). These can be purchased on train platforms, although we bought ours at the visitor center of the Berlin main train station.
<b>Hotels</b>
<u>Berlin</u>
We stayed at the Sofitel Gendarmenmarkt, and could not have been happier. The location is superb – on the beautiful Gendarmenmarkt square, just a block or two off Unter den Linden, and a short block to the U-bahn station. The hotel staff were very nice and helpful, and we really got to know them over the course of our week.
<u>Cologne</u>
This was an all-Sofitel trip for us. The Cologne Sofitel is very close to the cathedral, on the opposite side from the train station. We actually walked to the hotel from the station, which was complicated just a bit by the raised plaza surrounding the cathedral, the crowd of people in central Cologne on Saturday afternoon when we arrived, and the prevalent construction. The area just in front of the Sofitel is currently torn up for the construction of an additional subway line, but it is scheduled to be closed over in a few weeks’ time.
We liked this hotel very much – it had a great location and the room, although small, was very comfortable. Our window opened out onto a central courtyard, which insulated our room almost totally from the very loud crowd noise we found on the streets in Cologne (especially rowdy on Saturday night).
I am trying to post this report before our <i>next</i> trip to Berlin in 2 weeks – this time with both daughters (ages 19 and 22). The report will be arranged by topic. With any luck, I’ll be able to post a photo link eventually.
For anyone who is dying for a blow by blow report, here is the link from my Berlin trip in March 2007:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34981792
<b>Transportation</b>
We flew into and out of Düsseldorf, and traveled to Berlin via train – about 4 hours. This worked out great because Düsseldorf Airport has its own train station, just a short skytrain ride away from the terminal.
We purchased a first class Eurail Twin pass at the airport train station, good for 5 train travel days in a 30 day window. €380/$530. This saved us a good deal of money over the cost of point to point tickets.
In Berlin we bought 7 day transit passes for zones ABC (€31,30 each). These can be purchased on train platforms, although we bought ours at the visitor center of the Berlin main train station.
<b>Hotels</b>
<u>Berlin</u>
We stayed at the Sofitel Gendarmenmarkt, and could not have been happier. The location is superb – on the beautiful Gendarmenmarkt square, just a block or two off Unter den Linden, and a short block to the U-bahn station. The hotel staff were very nice and helpful, and we really got to know them over the course of our week.
<u>Cologne</u>
This was an all-Sofitel trip for us. The Cologne Sofitel is very close to the cathedral, on the opposite side from the train station. We actually walked to the hotel from the station, which was complicated just a bit by the raised plaza surrounding the cathedral, the crowd of people in central Cologne on Saturday afternoon when we arrived, and the prevalent construction. The area just in front of the Sofitel is currently torn up for the construction of an additional subway line, but it is scheduled to be closed over in a few weeks’ time.
We liked this hotel very much – it had a great location and the room, although small, was very comfortable. Our window opened out onto a central courtyard, which insulated our room almost totally from the very loud crowd noise we found on the streets in Cologne (especially rowdy on Saturday night).
Mar 2nd, 2008, 06:35 PM
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<b>Guidebooks/Maps</b>
<i><u>art/shop/eat Berlin</u></i>, put out by Blue Guides was, hands-down, the best guide book we had (and we bought several). It was wonderful for all three of its focus areas: we found it indispensable for the art museums, and it put us onto some wonderful little shops. It’s arranged by section of the city and includes little maps and information about museum, galleries, other major sites, eating/drinking, and shopping in that area. It is pocket sized and we carried it around with us every day.
The dud book, in our opinion, was the <i><u>Time Out Berlin</u></i>. It steered us wrong a few times and we ended up tossing it so we wouldn’t have to carry its weight any longer.
<i><u>Red Map Berlin</u></i>
I swear by this map company (and no, I have no financial connection with them!). The Berlin map is superb. To order, you call (212 255-4645) and they send your map with an invoice, which you pay by check. I’ve also seen their maps at our local Barnes & Noble. The company publishes maps for several major European cities and about a dozen in the US.
Here’s what I wrote about it in my previous trip report:
<i>”I cannot say enough good things about the Berlin Red Map: it is durable, extremely legible, covers almost everywhere we went, shows all major sights and sites, and has the U-bahn, S-bahn, tram and major bus routes clearly overlaid on the streets. Going from walking on the streets to hopping on one of the transportation modes is a seamless process with the Red Map. Color coded dots indicate the exact locations of U-bahn and S-bahn stations. The best part is that each of the transit lines can be traced easily to its end or where it leaves the map, and there is a label of what that terminating point is. This is important for Berlin as you have to know which stop is at the end of the line in the direction you are traveling (knowing that you are heading north or west on a line is not enough.) This map made that quick and painless, and really saved us a few times when we arrived at the station just as a train was pulling in. We had a few other Berlin maps, but this was head and shoulders above the rest. Our hotel gave us a paper map that we used for the once or twice we ventured off the edge of the Red Map’s coverage.”
</i>
<i><u>art/shop/eat Berlin</u></i>, put out by Blue Guides was, hands-down, the best guide book we had (and we bought several). It was wonderful for all three of its focus areas: we found it indispensable for the art museums, and it put us onto some wonderful little shops. It’s arranged by section of the city and includes little maps and information about museum, galleries, other major sites, eating/drinking, and shopping in that area. It is pocket sized and we carried it around with us every day.
The dud book, in our opinion, was the <i><u>Time Out Berlin</u></i>. It steered us wrong a few times and we ended up tossing it so we wouldn’t have to carry its weight any longer.
<i><u>Red Map Berlin</u></i>
I swear by this map company (and no, I have no financial connection with them!). The Berlin map is superb. To order, you call (212 255-4645) and they send your map with an invoice, which you pay by check. I’ve also seen their maps at our local Barnes & Noble. The company publishes maps for several major European cities and about a dozen in the US.
Here’s what I wrote about it in my previous trip report:
<i>”I cannot say enough good things about the Berlin Red Map: it is durable, extremely legible, covers almost everywhere we went, shows all major sights and sites, and has the U-bahn, S-bahn, tram and major bus routes clearly overlaid on the streets. Going from walking on the streets to hopping on one of the transportation modes is a seamless process with the Red Map. Color coded dots indicate the exact locations of U-bahn and S-bahn stations. The best part is that each of the transit lines can be traced easily to its end or where it leaves the map, and there is a label of what that terminating point is. This is important for Berlin as you have to know which stop is at the end of the line in the direction you are traveling (knowing that you are heading north or west on a line is not enough.) This map made that quick and painless, and really saved us a few times when we arrived at the station just as a train was pulling in. We had a few other Berlin maps, but this was head and shoulders above the rest. Our hotel gave us a paper map that we used for the once or twice we ventured off the edge of the Red Map’s coverage.”
</i>
Mar 2nd, 2008, 07:53 PM
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<b>Museums and Monuments</b>
The museums in Berlin are of superb quality and wide variety. 3-day museum passes (€15 each) were a great value for us. We ended up going to 6 or 7 museums, so we saved quite a bit over individual admission prices. We bought the museum passes when we bought the transit passes at the visitor center in the main train station. The museum pass is valid for three consecutive days, beginning with the date of first use.
The guidebooks make a big deal about the museums all being closed on Mondays, but in truth the most popular museums are open 7 days a week. We had no problem filling our time on Monday with visits to the Altes Museum (currently housing the Egyptian collection), the Pergamonmuseum, and the Bode Museum, and could have visited more if we so chose.
All the museums we visited were included in the three day pass (or free admission), unless noted.
<u>Stasi Museum</u> (not included in the 3 day pass)
At the site of the former Stasi (East German Secret Police) headquarters, there is a museum documenting the history and activities of this police force. Several of the rooms were preserved just as they were in the Stasi’s heyday (conference room, office, canteen, etc). A woman was dusting the furniture in one of the period rooms, and after confirming that we understood German, she took great pains to make it clear to us that she did not work there prior to 1990 (when communism fell)!
There were some fascinating exhibits of how the Stasi portrayed itself to its members/employees on the occasions of its anniversaries. There was a good bit of information about the fall of communism in East Germany.
Unfortunately for us, the only English was on a few introductory signs and three books in the tiny bookshop. My German comprehension was strained to its limits in trying to decipher the captions for the exhibits. The headquarters took up an entire city block, and just walking around this enormous complex gave us chills.
We’d seen the movie “Lives of Others” (which I highly recommend) and much of what we saw in the museum looked familiar. A memorable scene is when the protagonist, after the fall of communism, joined a line of people for his turn to see the file that the Stasi had maintained on him.
<u>Altes Museum</u>
This museum is temporarily housing a portion of Berlin’s collection of Egyptian art while the Neues Museum is being renovated (to be completed in 2009). The huge draw for this collection is the amazing bust of Nefertiti. The audioguide (included in the 3 day pass) was very good, and we explored at some of the other Egyptian art before being wowed by the Queen. Across the façade of this museum is a cool neon sign installation that says “ALL ART HAS BEEN CONTEMPORARY.”
<u>Pergamonmuseum</u>
We used the audioguide to tour the “Big Three” at this museum: the Altar of Pergamon, the Market Gate of Miletus (under heavy scaffolding right now) and the totally amazing Babylonian Processional Street.
<u>Bode Museum</u>
I was excited about visiting this museum because it has the Byzantine collection, and European sculpture from medieval through the 19th centuries. The building itself is quite lovely, and I enjoyed the medieval altarpieces and sculpture. The Byzantine collection was smaller than I expected, however, and I was disappointed that there were no icons on display.
I was hoping to find some sculptures by Donatello, but when I asked the guard in my very best German, this is how the conversation went:
Me (in German): “Where can I find the Donatello”
Guard: (blank look)
Me: “Don-a-tel-lo” (slowly)
Guard: “Oh, the toilets?”
Me: “no, Donatello. He is…” (trying in vain to remember the German word for sculptor, or even artist. All I could remember was “painter” which I figured might confuse things)
Guard: “The café?”
Me: (giving up) “Thanks anyway.”
The excellent museum bookstore is run by the bookshop Buchhandlung W. Koenig, and the fellow that assisted me was unbelievably helpful. He was quite familiar with all of the art in the Bode collection and in which books it (or similar art) was featured, including out of print books. I was totally amazed at his knowledge. From this fellow I found out where the Donatello sculptures were located (the gallery of small bronzes). I also learned from him that the Bode does have any icons on display in its Byzantine collection - they are on (indefinite) loan to the icon museum in Frankfurt. I ended up buying 6 art books that he arranged to ship to me in the US for a total shipping charge of €30.
<u>Neue National Gallery</u>
We might have been the only people in Berlin that were disappointed that the Neue National Gallery was hosting a blockbuster special exhibit of French Impressionist art from New York’s Metropolitan Museum. The entire museum was filled with the special exhibit, admission was solely via a timed ticket, and there were long lines. We don’t like Impressionism (yes, it’s true), and I grew up in New York visiting the Met, so this was not something of interest to us. We had really wanted to see the Neue’s own collection, especially of 20th c. art.
<u>Kunstgewerbemuseum</u>
I had a great time in this museum of applied arts, where I concentrated on the medieval galleries. There were lots of gold and jeweled reliquaries and crosses and other religious items. Additionally, I did a quick walk-though of the Art Nouveau rooms.
<u>Luftwaffenmuseum</u> (admission is free)
My husband went to this museum, which is on the outskirts of Spandau. He was very eager to see some of the German World War II planes, but it turns out that there was very little of that era represented in the collection. To get to the museum, he had to take a bus from the Spandau Rathaus station (U-bahn or S-bahn), then walk about 15 minutes onto the airfield – the museum is housed in the former RAF base. On balance my husband didn’t think it was worth the effort to get to this museum because it didn’t have what he was most interested in (although he bought some cool souvenirs in the gift shop). He had a very tough time connecting with the return bus. While he had this adventure, I explored the old parts of Spandau (which I’ll describe later in this report).
<u>Deutsches Historisches Museum</u>
This museum is located in the former armory building, and I M Pei designed a huge addition behind the original building (Bloomingdales’ fall 2007 catalog included a photo shoot in Berlin, particularly at this new building). The only things we stopped to see inside were the amazing bookshop and the sculptures of the Dying Warriors that are located in the courtyard of the old building. Pei designed a glass canopy to cover this space, and I found it quite effective. The sculptures themselves are very cool.
<u>Technisches Museum</u>
My husband visited this museum while I was at the applied arts museum. He enjoyed it, but it did not knock his socks off.
<u>Berlinische Galerie</u>
This museum was closed at the first part of the week for installation of the annual contemporary art exhibit. We went back on the evening of the exhibit opening, and it was packed with people – there were bicycles all over the plaza outside and many entire families were there. We had a great time people watching as well as checking out the art. On the upper floor we were able to tour a good bit of the permanent collection, which is quite nice. As far as the special exhibition, some of the art was great and some was a bit predictable or pretentious. This evening it was a highlight of our trip.
<u>Jewish Museum</u>
This new museum is housed in a very large, very architecturally interesting building. Entrance to the museum is through an old villa type building then through an underground passage). The displays were engaging and there were a variety of activities and ways to experience the information presented. With all the different types of interactive exhibits, I found it hard at times to actually connect with the actual story.
<u>House of the Wannsee Conference</u> (not included in the museum pass)
This is where the Nazis approved the "final solution" to the "Jewish Question" in January 1942. The house is on the edge of the Wannsee lake, and the park-like grounds were lovely, complete with resident foxes. The interior of the house was filled with exhibitions about the history of the oppression of the Jews, details about the Wannsee conference, and the concentration camps and death camps. It was powerful and sobering. The material was very well presented, with most things in English and German. We stayed for 6 hours, and would have stayed longer, but the museum was closing.
<u>Monument to Murdered European Jews</u> (outdoors, free)
This is a striking installation of regularly spaced rectangular columns of stone, of varying heights. It covers about a city block, and there were plenty of people walking among the stones. There were a bunch of kids running around playing hide and seek. The physical set up is certainly conducive to such games, although I think there may have been a sign (in German) requesting no running.
The museums in Berlin are of superb quality and wide variety. 3-day museum passes (€15 each) were a great value for us. We ended up going to 6 or 7 museums, so we saved quite a bit over individual admission prices. We bought the museum passes when we bought the transit passes at the visitor center in the main train station. The museum pass is valid for three consecutive days, beginning with the date of first use.
The guidebooks make a big deal about the museums all being closed on Mondays, but in truth the most popular museums are open 7 days a week. We had no problem filling our time on Monday with visits to the Altes Museum (currently housing the Egyptian collection), the Pergamonmuseum, and the Bode Museum, and could have visited more if we so chose.
All the museums we visited were included in the three day pass (or free admission), unless noted.
<u>Stasi Museum</u> (not included in the 3 day pass)
At the site of the former Stasi (East German Secret Police) headquarters, there is a museum documenting the history and activities of this police force. Several of the rooms were preserved just as they were in the Stasi’s heyday (conference room, office, canteen, etc). A woman was dusting the furniture in one of the period rooms, and after confirming that we understood German, she took great pains to make it clear to us that she did not work there prior to 1990 (when communism fell)!
There were some fascinating exhibits of how the Stasi portrayed itself to its members/employees on the occasions of its anniversaries. There was a good bit of information about the fall of communism in East Germany.
Unfortunately for us, the only English was on a few introductory signs and three books in the tiny bookshop. My German comprehension was strained to its limits in trying to decipher the captions for the exhibits. The headquarters took up an entire city block, and just walking around this enormous complex gave us chills.
We’d seen the movie “Lives of Others” (which I highly recommend) and much of what we saw in the museum looked familiar. A memorable scene is when the protagonist, after the fall of communism, joined a line of people for his turn to see the file that the Stasi had maintained on him.
<u>Altes Museum</u>
This museum is temporarily housing a portion of Berlin’s collection of Egyptian art while the Neues Museum is being renovated (to be completed in 2009). The huge draw for this collection is the amazing bust of Nefertiti. The audioguide (included in the 3 day pass) was very good, and we explored at some of the other Egyptian art before being wowed by the Queen. Across the façade of this museum is a cool neon sign installation that says “ALL ART HAS BEEN CONTEMPORARY.”
<u>Pergamonmuseum</u>
We used the audioguide to tour the “Big Three” at this museum: the Altar of Pergamon, the Market Gate of Miletus (under heavy scaffolding right now) and the totally amazing Babylonian Processional Street.
<u>Bode Museum</u>
I was excited about visiting this museum because it has the Byzantine collection, and European sculpture from medieval through the 19th centuries. The building itself is quite lovely, and I enjoyed the medieval altarpieces and sculpture. The Byzantine collection was smaller than I expected, however, and I was disappointed that there were no icons on display.
I was hoping to find some sculptures by Donatello, but when I asked the guard in my very best German, this is how the conversation went:
Me (in German): “Where can I find the Donatello”
Guard: (blank look)
Me: “Don-a-tel-lo” (slowly)
Guard: “Oh, the toilets?”
Me: “no, Donatello. He is…” (trying in vain to remember the German word for sculptor, or even artist. All I could remember was “painter” which I figured might confuse things)
Guard: “The café?”
Me: (giving up) “Thanks anyway.”
The excellent museum bookstore is run by the bookshop Buchhandlung W. Koenig, and the fellow that assisted me was unbelievably helpful. He was quite familiar with all of the art in the Bode collection and in which books it (or similar art) was featured, including out of print books. I was totally amazed at his knowledge. From this fellow I found out where the Donatello sculptures were located (the gallery of small bronzes). I also learned from him that the Bode does have any icons on display in its Byzantine collection - they are on (indefinite) loan to the icon museum in Frankfurt. I ended up buying 6 art books that he arranged to ship to me in the US for a total shipping charge of €30.
<u>Neue National Gallery</u>
We might have been the only people in Berlin that were disappointed that the Neue National Gallery was hosting a blockbuster special exhibit of French Impressionist art from New York’s Metropolitan Museum. The entire museum was filled with the special exhibit, admission was solely via a timed ticket, and there were long lines. We don’t like Impressionism (yes, it’s true), and I grew up in New York visiting the Met, so this was not something of interest to us. We had really wanted to see the Neue’s own collection, especially of 20th c. art.
<u>Kunstgewerbemuseum</u>
I had a great time in this museum of applied arts, where I concentrated on the medieval galleries. There were lots of gold and jeweled reliquaries and crosses and other religious items. Additionally, I did a quick walk-though of the Art Nouveau rooms.
<u>Luftwaffenmuseum</u> (admission is free)
My husband went to this museum, which is on the outskirts of Spandau. He was very eager to see some of the German World War II planes, but it turns out that there was very little of that era represented in the collection. To get to the museum, he had to take a bus from the Spandau Rathaus station (U-bahn or S-bahn), then walk about 15 minutes onto the airfield – the museum is housed in the former RAF base. On balance my husband didn’t think it was worth the effort to get to this museum because it didn’t have what he was most interested in (although he bought some cool souvenirs in the gift shop). He had a very tough time connecting with the return bus. While he had this adventure, I explored the old parts of Spandau (which I’ll describe later in this report).
<u>Deutsches Historisches Museum</u>
This museum is located in the former armory building, and I M Pei designed a huge addition behind the original building (Bloomingdales’ fall 2007 catalog included a photo shoot in Berlin, particularly at this new building). The only things we stopped to see inside were the amazing bookshop and the sculptures of the Dying Warriors that are located in the courtyard of the old building. Pei designed a glass canopy to cover this space, and I found it quite effective. The sculptures themselves are very cool.
<u>Technisches Museum</u>
My husband visited this museum while I was at the applied arts museum. He enjoyed it, but it did not knock his socks off.
<u>Berlinische Galerie</u>
This museum was closed at the first part of the week for installation of the annual contemporary art exhibit. We went back on the evening of the exhibit opening, and it was packed with people – there were bicycles all over the plaza outside and many entire families were there. We had a great time people watching as well as checking out the art. On the upper floor we were able to tour a good bit of the permanent collection, which is quite nice. As far as the special exhibition, some of the art was great and some was a bit predictable or pretentious. This evening it was a highlight of our trip.
<u>Jewish Museum</u>
This new museum is housed in a very large, very architecturally interesting building. Entrance to the museum is through an old villa type building then through an underground passage). The displays were engaging and there were a variety of activities and ways to experience the information presented. With all the different types of interactive exhibits, I found it hard at times to actually connect with the actual story.
<u>House of the Wannsee Conference</u> (not included in the museum pass)
This is where the Nazis approved the "final solution" to the "Jewish Question" in January 1942. The house is on the edge of the Wannsee lake, and the park-like grounds were lovely, complete with resident foxes. The interior of the house was filled with exhibitions about the history of the oppression of the Jews, details about the Wannsee conference, and the concentration camps and death camps. It was powerful and sobering. The material was very well presented, with most things in English and German. We stayed for 6 hours, and would have stayed longer, but the museum was closing.
<u>Monument to Murdered European Jews</u> (outdoors, free)
This is a striking installation of regularly spaced rectangular columns of stone, of varying heights. It covers about a city block, and there were plenty of people walking among the stones. There were a bunch of kids running around playing hide and seek. The physical set up is certainly conducive to such games, although I think there may have been a sign (in German) requesting no running.
Mar 3rd, 2008, 06:22 AM
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noe-
I'm so <b>jealous</b>!!! It will be my ideal vacation to spend a week in Berlin just to visit the museums! Love your tip on the guiddbooks. I think you're the one who told me about the Blue Guide to London's galleries and Museums.
I wonder when the Pergamon will be done with all the renovations work. I kind of want to wait until everything is finished.
Never heard of the Stasi Museum and now I'm interested! I also saw the movie Lives of Others and thought it was excellent. I wonder how much I will enjoy the visit if I don't understand any German. Did you buy the English guidebook from the bookshop? Will one be able to tour the museum using the guidebook to help decipher?
And very funny about your exchange at the Bode Museum.
I assume this trip report is not finished yet? Did you go to Gemäldegalerie on this trip?
The museum pass €15 for 3 days seems just ridiculously cheap! I need to go there before they raise the price.
thanks for posting!
I'm so <b>jealous</b>!!! It will be my ideal vacation to spend a week in Berlin just to visit the museums! Love your tip on the guiddbooks. I think you're the one who told me about the Blue Guide to London's galleries and Museums.
I wonder when the Pergamon will be done with all the renovations work. I kind of want to wait until everything is finished.
Never heard of the Stasi Museum and now I'm interested! I also saw the movie Lives of Others and thought it was excellent. I wonder how much I will enjoy the visit if I don't understand any German. Did you buy the English guidebook from the bookshop? Will one be able to tour the museum using the guidebook to help decipher?
And very funny about your exchange at the Bode Museum.
I assume this trip report is not finished yet? Did you go to Gemäldegalerie on this trip?
The museum pass €15 for 3 days seems just ridiculously cheap! I need to go there before they raise the price.
thanks for posting!
Mar 3rd, 2008, 08:48 AM
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Thanks for posting this. There is a lot of great info. I love Berlin. It certainly doesn't seem too high on the list for Fodorites though.
I hope you post after your next trip in two weeks. Have a great time with your daughters!
I hope you post after your next trip in two weeks. Have a great time with your daughters!
Mar 3rd, 2008, 10:16 AM
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Thanks for the report. I wonder if the scaffolding will ever come off the Gate of Miletus. There was scaffolding in August 2003 and October 2006. I thought about going to check on it when I was there two weeks ago, but I didn't have time in the end.
There's an underground exhibition for the Eisenman memorial. I'm not sure if you went there. But if I recall, there was a "roll call" of the Holocaust victims. It was quite chilling.
I actually haven't been to most of the museums on Museuminsel. But for people looking for more museums in Berlin -- for contemporary art there're also the Hamburger Bahnhof and the (private) Sammlung Hoffmann.
There's an underground exhibition for the Eisenman memorial. I'm not sure if you went there. But if I recall, there was a "roll call" of the Holocaust victims. It was quite chilling.
I actually haven't been to most of the museums on Museuminsel. But for people looking for more museums in Berlin -- for contemporary art there're also the Hamburger Bahnhof and the (private) Sammlung Hoffmann.
Mar 3rd, 2008, 11:35 AM
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Thanks for all the replies! I will continue to post sections of this report, including, I hope, Cologne. (Although that has yet to be written...)
To answer a few questions:
There are a few things in English in the Stasi Museum, but the vast majority of the info is in German only. I don't think there was a guide book in the bookshop - at least not in English. Some of the things in the museum are self evident: the surveillance equipment (especially the hidden cameras!), the model holding cell, the offices of the officials. Other things are pretty obscure. Just seeing the building - its location and vast size - is interesting. So, I guess I'd say it would be worth it with no German, but I'd also understand if somebody disagreed with that!
I did not get to the Gemäldegalerie this time, although I went twice on my previous visit. My guess is that I will stop by on my next trip, to at least visit my favorites.
Thanks for the tips about the contemporary art museums. We will make sure to check out more art this next time around. The Neue Nationalgalerie is displaying its own collection of 20th c. art, so we're excited that we'll be able to see it.
To answer a few questions:
There are a few things in English in the Stasi Museum, but the vast majority of the info is in German only. I don't think there was a guide book in the bookshop - at least not in English. Some of the things in the museum are self evident: the surveillance equipment (especially the hidden cameras!), the model holding cell, the offices of the officials. Other things are pretty obscure. Just seeing the building - its location and vast size - is interesting. So, I guess I'd say it would be worth it with no German, but I'd also understand if somebody disagreed with that!
I did not get to the Gemäldegalerie this time, although I went twice on my previous visit. My guess is that I will stop by on my next trip, to at least visit my favorites.
Thanks for the tips about the contemporary art museums. We will make sure to check out more art this next time around. The Neue Nationalgalerie is displaying its own collection of 20th c. art, so we're excited that we'll be able to see it.
Mar 3rd, 2008, 11:59 AM
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<b>Meals</b>
Most days we found ourselves eating a solid breakfast, skipping lunch (or maybe a snack) and having dinner on the early-ish side.
It’s always good to remember that the waiter will not bring the check until asked. We got quite proficient with our “die Zahlung, bitte!”
<u>BREAKFAST</u>
Breakfast was not included in our room rate, and would have cost €22/person. That’s just too much for me to shell out for a morning meal. Our first Sunday (our first morning) I insisted that we go to the main location of <u>Café Einstein</u>, since it had been my daughter’s and my favorite breakfast spot in March (located near the Tiergarten, just a few blocks north of the Nollendorf Platz U-bahn station). It was wonderful as usual, and although I vowed to return one more time later in the week, we didn’t get back there. My husband ate at one of the smaller Einstein satellite locations later in the week and liked it but it didn’t have the full menu.
One morning we tried the bagels at <u>Saloman Bagels</u> in the Potsdamer Platz Arkaden (mall). The breakfast was nice – we had very good bagels and other breakfast items – but it was a little odd to eat breakfast at a table in the middle of a mall.
Our usual breakfast spot became the <u>Opera Café</u>. It is only a few blocks from the hotel, right on Unter den Linden, and the buffet breakfast was €12,50, including an omelet station. There was a good variety of food and everything was delicious. And this meal functioned as breakfast and lunch for us.
We also stopped by the Opera Café for torte and coffee several times after dinner. It really reminds me of the coffee houses in Vienna. The selection of sweets is astonishing. And delectable.
<u>DINNERS</u>
<u>Twelve Apostles</u>
We ate (twice) at the branch near Friedrichstrasse Bahnhof/ Museuminsel. The first time we were seated at a great table in a quiet raised corner overlooking the main dining room. Our waiter was superb and the food quite tasty. The menu features 12 different pizzas named for the 12 apostles. The second time we went there, it was like a different place. Table was so-so, we were in a less atmospheric room, and we had a terrible waitress. Several of her girlfriends were in the restaurant and she spent most of her time hanging out with them, including sitting at their table. The food, when we finally got it, was not as we had ordered, but we ate it anyway. “Uneven” is how I’d have to describe our experience of this restaurant.
<u>Malatesta</u>
This restaurant is right on Gendarmenmarkt, just a short walk from the hotel. It has a wonderful menu, the service was impeccable, and the food was delicious. There were a wide variety of nationalities in our fellow diners, including some native Italian speakers.
<u>Zur Rippe</u>
We enjoyed the <i>grillhaxe</i> special at this atmospheric pub/restaurant in Nicolaiviertel. It is a great value, €8,50 for the meat, black bread, mustard and choice of beer. The serving was huge.
<u>Sophieneck</u>
This was another cozy pub/restaurant, located 10 minutes walk north of Hackesche Markt. I had the <i>grillhaxe</i> (a tiny bit dry, but still good) and my husband enjoyed a herring dish. The place was quite busy and fun and we really enjoyed our meal.
Most days we found ourselves eating a solid breakfast, skipping lunch (or maybe a snack) and having dinner on the early-ish side.
It’s always good to remember that the waiter will not bring the check until asked. We got quite proficient with our “die Zahlung, bitte!”
<u>BREAKFAST</u>
Breakfast was not included in our room rate, and would have cost €22/person. That’s just too much for me to shell out for a morning meal. Our first Sunday (our first morning) I insisted that we go to the main location of <u>Café Einstein</u>, since it had been my daughter’s and my favorite breakfast spot in March (located near the Tiergarten, just a few blocks north of the Nollendorf Platz U-bahn station). It was wonderful as usual, and although I vowed to return one more time later in the week, we didn’t get back there. My husband ate at one of the smaller Einstein satellite locations later in the week and liked it but it didn’t have the full menu.
One morning we tried the bagels at <u>Saloman Bagels</u> in the Potsdamer Platz Arkaden (mall). The breakfast was nice – we had very good bagels and other breakfast items – but it was a little odd to eat breakfast at a table in the middle of a mall.
Our usual breakfast spot became the <u>Opera Café</u>. It is only a few blocks from the hotel, right on Unter den Linden, and the buffet breakfast was €12,50, including an omelet station. There was a good variety of food and everything was delicious. And this meal functioned as breakfast and lunch for us.
We also stopped by the Opera Café for torte and coffee several times after dinner. It really reminds me of the coffee houses in Vienna. The selection of sweets is astonishing. And delectable.
<u>DINNERS</u>
<u>Twelve Apostles</u>
We ate (twice) at the branch near Friedrichstrasse Bahnhof/ Museuminsel. The first time we were seated at a great table in a quiet raised corner overlooking the main dining room. Our waiter was superb and the food quite tasty. The menu features 12 different pizzas named for the 12 apostles. The second time we went there, it was like a different place. Table was so-so, we were in a less atmospheric room, and we had a terrible waitress. Several of her girlfriends were in the restaurant and she spent most of her time hanging out with them, including sitting at their table. The food, when we finally got it, was not as we had ordered, but we ate it anyway. “Uneven” is how I’d have to describe our experience of this restaurant.
<u>Malatesta</u>
This restaurant is right on Gendarmenmarkt, just a short walk from the hotel. It has a wonderful menu, the service was impeccable, and the food was delicious. There were a wide variety of nationalities in our fellow diners, including some native Italian speakers.
<u>Zur Rippe</u>
We enjoyed the <i>grillhaxe</i> special at this atmospheric pub/restaurant in Nicolaiviertel. It is a great value, €8,50 for the meat, black bread, mustard and choice of beer. The serving was huge.
<u>Sophieneck</u>
This was another cozy pub/restaurant, located 10 minutes walk north of Hackesche Markt. I had the <i>grillhaxe</i> (a tiny bit dry, but still good) and my husband enjoyed a herring dish. The place was quite busy and fun and we really enjoyed our meal.
Mar 3rd, 2008, 04:45 PM
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<b<Other Sites
<u>Karl Marx Allee</u>
This is a long, broad boulevard in the former East. It was the showpiece of the GDR’s reconstruction after World War II. The 8 story buildings, mostly built between 1952 and 1960, were designed in the classical soviet “wedding cake” style.
<u>Sony Center</u>
I was pretty impressed with this commercial and entertainment complex. We just walked through, but enjoyed the modern soaring canopy overhead and the bustle of the people.
<u>Reichstag</u>
Because we had lunch reservations at the rooftop Käfer restaurant we were able to enter without standing in the queue. We enjoyed our meal, and spent a good bit of time walking up and down the pathways of the dome and exploring the exhibits under the dome. The views are great, and the dome itself is very cool.
<u>Alexanderplatz</u>
We took our pictures under the very retro looking clock (circa 1969) in this huge square. It was a traditional meeting place in East Berlin, and seemed to be performing the same function nowadays as well. There are lots of construction projects in and around the square.
<u>Kulturbrauerie</u>
We walked through this extensive complex of culture and entertainment related venues. It looks like a great adaptive reuse of an old industrial complex.
http://www.kulturbrauerei-berlin.de/...H/location.php
<u>Karl Marx Allee</u>
This is a long, broad boulevard in the former East. It was the showpiece of the GDR’s reconstruction after World War II. The 8 story buildings, mostly built between 1952 and 1960, were designed in the classical soviet “wedding cake” style.
<u>Sony Center</u>
I was pretty impressed with this commercial and entertainment complex. We just walked through, but enjoyed the modern soaring canopy overhead and the bustle of the people.
<u>Reichstag</u>
Because we had lunch reservations at the rooftop Käfer restaurant we were able to enter without standing in the queue. We enjoyed our meal, and spent a good bit of time walking up and down the pathways of the dome and exploring the exhibits under the dome. The views are great, and the dome itself is very cool.
<u>Alexanderplatz</u>
We took our pictures under the very retro looking clock (circa 1969) in this huge square. It was a traditional meeting place in East Berlin, and seemed to be performing the same function nowadays as well. There are lots of construction projects in and around the square.
<u>Kulturbrauerie</u>
We walked through this extensive complex of culture and entertainment related venues. It looks like a great adaptive reuse of an old industrial complex.
http://www.kulturbrauerei-berlin.de/...H/location.php
Mar 3rd, 2008, 05:09 PM
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I don't know Kulturbrauerie. Will have to remember it for the future.
I tried to visit Karl Marx Allee around 4 am two weeks ago, but I took a turn too early and walked down the wrong street. There's always the next time also.
Thanks again for the interesting report!
I tried to visit Karl Marx Allee around 4 am two weeks ago, but I took a turn too early and walked down the wrong street. There's always the next time also.
Thanks again for the interesting report!
Mar 3rd, 2008, 05:55 PM
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I am so glad you are finally writing up your report! I enjoyed reading about the trip with your daughter last spring too. We went to Berlin (and other parts of Germany) this past summer and I am enjoying reliving the trip again through your report!
Mar 3rd, 2008, 06:11 PM
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I too am glad to be finally posting this. It's been 80% written since September. I've been waiting to organize the photos, but that's not happening so I decided to just get the report out there. The Fodor's site is not letting me edit, so I apologize in advance for any major formatting errors that may happen (like the small one at the beginning of the restaurant post).
At the end of our week in Berlin later this month my older daughter will fly back to school and my husband will fly home. I will travel somewhere in Germany for 6 days with Jen, the daughter from last March's Berlin trip. We've had a rudimentary plan for the week, but it all appears to be up in the air right now. We might be winging it. I'm sure that will be good for another report!
At the end of our week in Berlin later this month my older daughter will fly back to school and my husband will fly home. I will travel somewhere in Germany for 6 days with Jen, the daughter from last March's Berlin trip. We've had a rudimentary plan for the week, but it all appears to be up in the air right now. We might be winging it. I'm sure that will be good for another report!
Mar 3rd, 2008, 06:21 PM
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Enjoyed reading your report noe. It's good that you finally convinced your husband to go to Berlin with you. We'll be returning to Berlin this summer with friends, your list of places to visit helps me think about where I should take them.
I'm curious to hear how your experience was in Cologne? Hope you'll continue the report with Quedlinburg and Cologne. It's been a while since my wife & I went to Quedlinburg and I am considering doing a daytrip there if your experience was comfortable & really worth the effort.
I'm curious to hear how your experience was in Cologne? Hope you'll continue the report with Quedlinburg and Cologne. It's been a while since my wife & I went to Quedlinburg and I am considering doing a daytrip there if your experience was comfortable & really worth the effort.
Mar 3rd, 2008, 07:20 PM
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Hmmm, DAX, you might spur me on to write a little account of both Quedlinburg and Cologne (which were about to get very short shrift).
For now, here's my 2-cent assessment:
Quedlinburg was well worth the day trip for me. I went on my own and it would not have worked if my husband had come (because of the early start, fast pace, no coffee!).
Cologne was an interesting experience. I hadn't prepared for the city, had guidebook issues, and we spun our wheels a bit. We didn't find tons of charm at first, but the things we loved we REALLY LOVED - the Cathedral was truly amazing and the Romanesque churches are real treasures. We would have been happy to have gone back on this coming trip (Easter Sunday services at the Cathedral), but couldn't get the Dusseldorf flights to work.
For now, here's my 2-cent assessment:
Quedlinburg was well worth the day trip for me. I went on my own and it would not have worked if my husband had come (because of the early start, fast pace, no coffee!).
Cologne was an interesting experience. I hadn't prepared for the city, had guidebook issues, and we spun our wheels a bit. We didn't find tons of charm at first, but the things we loved we REALLY LOVED - the Cathedral was truly amazing and the Romanesque churches are real treasures. We would have been happy to have gone back on this coming trip (Easter Sunday services at the Cathedral), but couldn't get the Dusseldorf flights to work.
Mar 3rd, 2008, 08:33 PM
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<b>Various Shops</b>
<u>Pro qm shop</u> (Almstadtstraße 48-50)
This is a terrific book store specializing in architecture, design, photography and culture. Many of the books are in English.
<u>KaDeWe</u>
We spent Friday evening in the vicinity of Ku’damm, the famous shopping street in the former West Berlin. Many of the stores had extended hours on Friday. We toured KaDeWe, the 100 year old department store. It has the largest food hall in the world, and we bought some pastries for the next day's travel to Cologne and some wonderful assam tea bags in a KaDeWe wooden box.
<u>Trippen outlet</u>
We had a great time poking around the outlet for Trippen shoes (designed in Berlin and made in Europe). The outlet is in two shops on a courtyard in Sheunenviertel, several blocks north of the Tacheles art compound. We each found several pairs of shoes to squeeze into our luggage – at prices a good bit below retail. These shoes are beautifully made and very comfortable, although some of Trippen’s styles are a bit outlandish.
http://www.trippen.com/en/index.html
I’ll admit that I was excited to find <u>H&M</u> right around the corner from the hotel, and bought some great – and cheap – jeans.
<u>Pro qm shop</u> (Almstadtstraße 48-50)
This is a terrific book store specializing in architecture, design, photography and culture. Many of the books are in English.
<u>KaDeWe</u>
We spent Friday evening in the vicinity of Ku’damm, the famous shopping street in the former West Berlin. Many of the stores had extended hours on Friday. We toured KaDeWe, the 100 year old department store. It has the largest food hall in the world, and we bought some pastries for the next day's travel to Cologne and some wonderful assam tea bags in a KaDeWe wooden box.
<u>Trippen outlet</u>
We had a great time poking around the outlet for Trippen shoes (designed in Berlin and made in Europe). The outlet is in two shops on a courtyard in Sheunenviertel, several blocks north of the Tacheles art compound. We each found several pairs of shoes to squeeze into our luggage – at prices a good bit below retail. These shoes are beautifully made and very comfortable, although some of Trippen’s styles are a bit outlandish.
http://www.trippen.com/en/index.html
I’ll admit that I was excited to find <u>H&M</u> right around the corner from the hotel, and bought some great – and cheap – jeans.
