4 days in berlin
 

hello there,
my wife and i are traveling to berlin for 4 days and then to prague and vienna. Just need a few suggestions on things to do in berlin. We aren't much into clubbing or partying. We enjoy food(who doesn't?) photography and hikes. Any ideas?

Start with riding the public double decker bus no. 100 from Bahnhof Zoo to Alexanderplatz (or the other way round). You can hop on and off and you will get a good impression of the city. The Unter den Linden boulevard is the main street of Berlin-Mitte and the Gendarmenmarkt is the heart of the city. Stroll around.

Another good idea is a boat trip on the river Spree. Boats start at the Museumsinsel.

Here you find several world-class museums. I especially recommend the

- Pergamonmuseum with breathtaking antiques, including the Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate of Babylon,

- the Egyptian Museum with the bust of Nefertiti and many other fine exhibits.

You also find several art museums on museum island. Off museum island, there are some other excellent museums:

- the Museum of Natural History with the world's largest dinosaur skeleton,

- the Jewish Museum in a splendid Libeskind building,

- the Helmut Newton Museum with large-size photographs of the famous photographer,

- the Museum Berggruen with an excellent collection of modern art, especially Picasso,

- the Neue Nationalgallerie, another museum of modern art

etc.

In West-Berlin, you should stroll along the Kurfürstendamm, the main shopping street. See the Gedächtniskirche and go into the KaDeWe department store during lunchtime in order to grab some gourmet food in the food court.

Berlin has many excellent restaurants. Here just a few tips:

- Fischer's Fritz in the Regent Hotel on Gendarmenmarkt has two Michelin stars and offers a splendid lunch menu at a bargain price. The three course lunch menu (in fact, five courses) is just € 47! (Dinner is very expensive there.) http://www.fischersfritzberlin.com

- Maremoto is specialized in molecular cuisine. The chef used to work together with Ferran Adria at El Bulli. Their 9-course menu is a unique experience. www.maremotoberlin.de

- Diekmann in Meinekestraße offers French-inspired cuisine on a medium price level in beautiful ambiance. www.diekmann-restaurants.de Diekmann also runs the Oyster Bar in the main station.

If you have more questions, I will be happy to answer them.

I forgot, you should do a daytrip to Potsdam. The Sanssouci castle and the Neue Palais are located in a splendid garden. Take the S-Bahn (about 45 minutes from central Berlin).

I'd also try one of the three Vapiano Italian restaurants in Berlin--lots of fun and surprisingly good. Not expensive, either!

And make sure you try 1) a Radler 2) Koestritzer beer

The Holocaust Memorial not far form the Reichstag is amazing.

And then there's Charlottenberg Palace.

Also try cafe hopping in Kreuzberg, an attractive, hip multi-ethnic neighborhood. Sit outside, people watch.

Check out the rebuilt Nicolai Viertel, too.

Berlin has fascinating energy: a bit like London, but there are all the layers of history (like buttle holes in walls on the Museum Island) and it's what their mayor calls "Arm aber sexy": poor, but sexy.

If you like the outdoors, I have a couple of other suggestions.

Berlin actually has a number of lakes, the most-popular of which is the Wannsee, a favorite swimming-hole of the Berliners.

In addition, you could also hike through the Grunewald forest, a huge tree-filled park.

Enjoy Berlin!

thanks to everyone for the suggestions, we do think it will help us out a lot. Daytrip to potsdam is a great idea.