BERLIN - 4 Day Itinerary help
Oct 19th, 2015, 08:38 AM
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BERLIN - 4 Day Itinerary help
We're visiting Berlin on the following days:
Thursday:
- 730AM: Fly into Berlin
- 2PM-5PM Walking Walking tour
- 9PM: Reichstag dome visit We could only get an evening reservation + the dome is being cleaned the entire week we are there, so we figured a night time view of the city via the terrace will still be a great experience.
Friday - full day/night
Saturday - full day/night
Sunday - full day/night
Few things to note
- We prefer architectural/outdoor sights to museums, but still would like to visit at least 1 or 2 museums on museum island, which do you recommend? Any that focus primarily on design/contemporary works?
- We'll also be generally waking up late (around 10AM) and won't be on the road until noon, realistically... If that is a consideration for any sighs
Any help is appreciated!
Thursday:
- 730AM: Fly into Berlin
- 2PM-5PM Walking Walking tour
- 9PM: Reichstag dome visit We could only get an evening reservation + the dome is being cleaned the entire week we are there, so we figured a night time view of the city via the terrace will still be a great experience.
Friday - full day/night
Saturday - full day/night
Sunday - full day/night
Few things to note
- We prefer architectural/outdoor sights to museums, but still would like to visit at least 1 or 2 museums on museum island, which do you recommend? Any that focus primarily on design/contemporary works?
- We'll also be generally waking up late (around 10AM) and won't be on the road until noon, realistically... If that is a consideration for any sighs
Any help is appreciated!
Oct 19th, 2015, 01:21 PM
#2
Our first jet lagged day we enjoyed a river boat cruise on the Spree. We passed by the stunning new government buildings, bridges connecting Govt official bldgs including one by architect Salvatore Calatrava, Cathedral and Museum Island.
Topography of Terror illustrates the Nazi years in easy to follow displays, not large. No charge. It is built on top of the former SS headquaters. A remnant of Berlin Wall is across from the entrance.
The Jewish Mueum was designed by American architect Daniel Lebeskind, quite a remarkable building, cafe on premises.
A short visit to the Neues Museum to see the incredible bust of Nefertiti is highly recommended.
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Euope fills a city block, outdoor location. Near US Embassy and Brandenberg Gate, behind Hotel Adlon.
On Museum Island, the Bode Museum displays photographs of masterpieces lost in WWII bombings. They are original size, Rubens, Caravaggios and more. Brings the losses home.
We spent a nice day out in Potsdam, easy to get there by S-Bahn. Sansouci and more. We took a long walk in the King's park.
Favorite restaurant was Aigner on the corner of Charlottenstrasse. It is modern German cuisine so lighter than traditional German.
We found Berlin to be very reasonable as far as prices for hotels and restaurants.
Topography of Terror illustrates the Nazi years in easy to follow displays, not large. No charge. It is built on top of the former SS headquaters. A remnant of Berlin Wall is across from the entrance.
The Jewish Mueum was designed by American architect Daniel Lebeskind, quite a remarkable building, cafe on premises.
A short visit to the Neues Museum to see the incredible bust of Nefertiti is highly recommended.
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Euope fills a city block, outdoor location. Near US Embassy and Brandenberg Gate, behind Hotel Adlon.
On Museum Island, the Bode Museum displays photographs of masterpieces lost in WWII bombings. They are original size, Rubens, Caravaggios and more. Brings the losses home.
We spent a nice day out in Potsdam, easy to get there by S-Bahn. Sansouci and more. We took a long walk in the King's park.
Favorite restaurant was Aigner on the corner of Charlottenstrasse. It is modern German cuisine so lighter than traditional German.
We found Berlin to be very reasonable as far as prices for hotels and restaurants.
Oct 19th, 2015, 02:19 PM
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2nd to Potsdam and Sans Souci Park - to me one of the great palaces of Europe - the Prussian Versailles it is called and the vast park has all kind of follies - whimsical structures in it and a Chinese Pagoda reflecting the times - late 1700s I think - infatuation with things Chinese - so visit more than Sans Souci Palace and its immediate gardens.
Take a walk down the Unter den Linden - the old main showcase street of East Berlin - starts at Brandenburg Gate - so many famous places along it - takes you to Museum Island - you go by on the south side the plaza where the famous book burnings were carried out - a glass in the plaza has a book or books under it as a memorial to that notorious thing.
The new American Embassy is kitty-corner from the Brandenburg Gate.
One thing I loved about Berlin was the East Side Gallery - a stretch of intact old Berlin Wall - the largest remaining stretch I believe and which was turned into an artist gallery filled with art related to the wall and such:
https://www.google.com/search?q=east...FUzPgAod_SgAjA
KaDeWa Department store is world famous for its food halls on the top floors - exoctic please plebian picnic fare.
Plotenzee Prison is a realtively short walk from the new Berlin Hauptbahnhof - go thru garden plots to this grim place where Hitler had his enemies hung on meet hooks and tortured to death - the meat hooks and prison has been left as it were after the war.
Hitler's Bunker? Good luck finding the location - not highlighted less it become a rallying point for neo-Nazis - but it is not far from the Jewish Memorial and location is actually well known though not on many Berlin Tourist Office maps.
If you want to see a concentration camp take the train not far north of Berlin to Sachenhausen Camp - a work camp but still one where you can see remains of gas chambers and other horrors:
https://www.google.com/search?q=sach...FQOQDQodrXIGNg
Alexander Platz is still a largely large cement expanses surrounded by DDR architecture - like the former state store - the epitome of Communist city scapes - not as bleak as it was before however.
Take a walk down the Unter den Linden - the old main showcase street of East Berlin - starts at Brandenburg Gate - so many famous places along it - takes you to Museum Island - you go by on the south side the plaza where the famous book burnings were carried out - a glass in the plaza has a book or books under it as a memorial to that notorious thing.
The new American Embassy is kitty-corner from the Brandenburg Gate.
One thing I loved about Berlin was the East Side Gallery - a stretch of intact old Berlin Wall - the largest remaining stretch I believe and which was turned into an artist gallery filled with art related to the wall and such:
https://www.google.com/search?q=east...FUzPgAod_SgAjA
KaDeWa Department store is world famous for its food halls on the top floors - exoctic please plebian picnic fare.
Plotenzee Prison is a realtively short walk from the new Berlin Hauptbahnhof - go thru garden plots to this grim place where Hitler had his enemies hung on meet hooks and tortured to death - the meat hooks and prison has been left as it were after the war.
Hitler's Bunker? Good luck finding the location - not highlighted less it become a rallying point for neo-Nazis - but it is not far from the Jewish Memorial and location is actually well known though not on many Berlin Tourist Office maps.
If you want to see a concentration camp take the train not far north of Berlin to Sachenhausen Camp - a work camp but still one where you can see remains of gas chambers and other horrors:
https://www.google.com/search?q=sach...FQOQDQodrXIGNg
Alexander Platz is still a largely large cement expanses surrounded by DDR architecture - like the former state store - the epitome of Communist city scapes - not as bleak as it was before however.
Oct 21st, 2015, 01:37 PM
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miljs:
When are you going to Berlin? If in summer take in an outdoor beer garden even if you don't imbibe - good down home beer hall grub and those kitschy beer hall oompah bands - wait people - usually Frauleins in lederhosen or whatever the ladies equivalent is.
In winter seek out an indoor beer hall for the experience.
In nice weather a boat trip on the Spree is great or a boat trip on the Wannsee in far western Berlin - easy to reach by S-Bahn - could be twinned with Potsdam and Sans Souci easily - same S-Bahn line.
When are you going to Berlin? If in summer take in an outdoor beer garden even if you don't imbibe - good down home beer hall grub and those kitschy beer hall oompah bands - wait people - usually Frauleins in lederhosen or whatever the ladies equivalent is.
In winter seek out an indoor beer hall for the experience.
In nice weather a boat trip on the Spree is great or a boat trip on the Wannsee in far western Berlin - easy to reach by S-Bahn - could be twinned with Potsdam and Sans Souci easily - same S-Bahn line.
Oct 21st, 2015, 02:45 PM
#7
The Pergamon Museum is undergoing a huge renovation and addition. Only a small part is open. It will be several years before it is totally opened again. We were advised to wait until ot is all completed. Huge cranes, new addition, a big construction site.
Oct 21st, 2015, 04:29 PM
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We were in Berlin this summer and it's not just the Pergamon that's a <a big construction site.> it seemed the whole city was this way.
If you like design/contemporary work how about a street art tour. I can recommend Slow Travel Berlin who offer small group tours that were very good. They also have a number of other tours many of which are a little different from the average offerings.
We visited the Neues Gallerry which has the wonderful Egyptian collection which we liked very much. Much of the Pergamon was closed but we had three day museum pass so we went anyway. The Ishtar Gate was open and we saw the Islamic collection but a lot of the galleries where closed. For us it was still worth it but we LOVE museums! Do book a reservation, you don't want to wait in line.
http://www.slowtravelberlin.com/tour...eet-art-scene/
I liked the Bergruen Museum in Charlottenburg which is a very nice modern art collection (LOTS of Picasso, Klee and Matisse all collected by a single donor) and right next to the Brohan which is a museum focused on decorative arts, particularly art nouveau and art deco.
My husband enjoyed the Bauhaus Archive Museum of Design, though I know it's not popular with some reviewers.
If you like design/contemporary work how about a street art tour. I can recommend Slow Travel Berlin who offer small group tours that were very good. They also have a number of other tours many of which are a little different from the average offerings.
We visited the Neues Gallerry which has the wonderful Egyptian collection which we liked very much. Much of the Pergamon was closed but we had three day museum pass so we went anyway. The Ishtar Gate was open and we saw the Islamic collection but a lot of the galleries where closed. For us it was still worth it but we LOVE museums! Do book a reservation, you don't want to wait in line.
http://www.slowtravelberlin.com/tour...eet-art-scene/
I liked the Bergruen Museum in Charlottenburg which is a very nice modern art collection (LOTS of Picasso, Klee and Matisse all collected by a single donor) and right next to the Brohan which is a museum focused on decorative arts, particularly art nouveau and art deco.
My husband enjoyed the Bauhaus Archive Museum of Design, though I know it's not popular with some reviewers.
Oct 25th, 2015, 09:27 PM
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Useful buses are #100 and #200, which run from Alexander Platz to the Zoo, and give access to many tourist sights.
Top row front seat is great for an overall look at Berlin, but get an idea from a good map first. They are city buses, not tourist buses.
So if you are staying in Mitte, around Friedrichstraße, the former East, it's a wonderful and cheap way to get to the former Western Downtown areas.
Top row front seat is great for an overall look at Berlin, but get an idea from a good map first. They are city buses, not tourist buses.
So if you are staying in Mitte, around Friedrichstraße, the former East, it's a wonderful and cheap way to get to the former Western Downtown areas.
Oct 26th, 2015, 02:00 AM
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For contemporary design and arts:
Hamburger Bahnhof
The most important museum for contemporary arts.
http://www.smb.museum/en/museums-and...nhof/home.html
Berlinische Galerie
Aside from the permanent exhibition, the State museum of Modern Art also always features several temporary exhibitions.
http://www.berlinischegalerie.de/en/home/
C/O Berlin
The most important museum/gallery for contemporary photography. Sometimes also features retrospectives of world-class photographers.
http://www.co-berlin.org/en
Bauhaus-Archiv
Well, it features Bauhaus stuff.
http://www.bauhaus.de/en/
Museum der Dinge / Museum of Things
A smaller museum in Kreuzberg, focusing mostly on everyday design of consumer goods, furniture, or appliances. The visual comparison of "stuff" from the former GDR vs. same items produced in West Germany is quite interesting - but probably more from a local's perspective.
http://www.museumderdinge.org/
Hamburger Bahnhof
The most important museum for contemporary arts.
http://www.smb.museum/en/museums-and...nhof/home.html
Berlinische Galerie
Aside from the permanent exhibition, the State museum of Modern Art also always features several temporary exhibitions.
http://www.berlinischegalerie.de/en/home/
C/O Berlin
The most important museum/gallery for contemporary photography. Sometimes also features retrospectives of world-class photographers.
http://www.co-berlin.org/en
Bauhaus-Archiv
Well, it features Bauhaus stuff.
http://www.bauhaus.de/en/
Museum der Dinge / Museum of Things
A smaller museum in Kreuzberg, focusing mostly on everyday design of consumer goods, furniture, or appliances. The visual comparison of "stuff" from the former GDR vs. same items produced in West Germany is quite interesting - but probably more from a local's perspective.
http://www.museumderdinge.org/
Oct 29th, 2015, 10:37 AM
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A little old but the general stuff rarely changes- mine and others ideas of what to do in Berlin.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...in-journal.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...in-journal.cfm
Oct 29th, 2015, 11:10 AM
#13
Definitely Potsdam.
Agree with WTB, very disappointed to find much of Unter den Linden a construction zone.
Very much enjoyed the Decorative Arts Museum.
Click on my name for my Viking TR which starts with Potsdam and Berlin.
Agree with WTB, very disappointed to find much of Unter den Linden a construction zone.
Very much enjoyed the Decorative Arts Museum.
Click on my name for my Viking TR which starts with Potsdam and Berlin.
Oct 30th, 2015, 10:49 PM
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Bus #100 was the biggest waste of time in Berlin. A walking tour is going to show you the highlights, so no reason to take a bus anywhere. There are a wide variety of tours that will take you to different areas.
Besides Sachsenhausen, consider a visit to Ravensbruck, which was the KZ for women. Lesser known, it is well worth a visit as the contrasts here are unique.
Potsdam was a treat.
Besides Sachsenhausen, consider a visit to Ravensbruck, which was the KZ for women. Lesser known, it is well worth a visit as the contrasts here are unique.
Potsdam was a treat.
