The nearest station to Spreepark was Planterwald and it was here that I got off the train and started to navigate on foot using Google maps on my phone, praying that I wouldn’t use up my pre-purchased data package before I’d found it.

Walking away from the station (with cold war era statues of children playing in a brotherly/communist fashion outside!) and across a busy main road, my surroundings quickly became much quieter as I headed into a residential area of apartment blocks. At the end of Am Planterwald habitation abruptly evaporated and I found myself standing on the edge of a wood. Through the wood were many tarmac paths but even with my phone map to hand it was difficult to work out which one to take. Nonetheless I ventured in, passing the occasional dog walker or cyclist enjoying the woodland on my way.

After only 5 or 10 minutes I came to an area with derelict buildings – small kiosks with pointed rooves, and off to the right a huge ferris wheel with rainbow coloured seating. The area was fenced off, with no obvious way in but you could walk round the perimeter looking through the wire fencing quite easily. As I circumnavigated Spreepark I saw tracks and platforms for a miniature railway, the little stations complete with clock towers in the canopies, a metal rollercoaster or ghost train track, a steep log flume chute, a blue space rocket, some sort of big top like arena in orange and yellow fabric, giant model dinosaurs lying on their sides daubed with graffiti, and weirdest of all, some very creepy golf carts with bright pink faces on the front with huge noses and moustaches.

All over the fence were signs telling you what was verboten (pretty much everything!) and every now and then a snarling dog would appear at the wire before being called away by a security guard.

On the far side of the park where it abuts the river Spree I came across two of the guards fixing a tunnel under the fence by blocking it with large rocks and branches. It became more and more apparent to me as I was walking round, that the park was undergoing some sort of clearing or redevelopment – large piles of rubbish and chopped wood everywhere. In fact, I have major doubts that the tours are still operating – it’s probably not safe to do so given the amount of work going on inside. Later, when I got back to the hotel and read up on the site a bit more I discovered that it’s common for people to break in, hide in the undergrowth and take photos when the coast is clear of guards – even if you get caught apparently no action is taken other than to tell you off and escort you off the park. Whilst I’m not usually one to advocate trespass, it’s probably just as well I didn’t know this till I was safely back at the Steigenberger or I would have been sorely tempted to try my luck inside.

As it was I contented myself with taking photos from the outside (which isn’t verboten – I checked with the guards!), however due to my lack of zoom lens they didn't come out particularly well, so I’d advise you check out this link to Google images instead:-

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=sp...WhBiYQ_AUIBigB

I really enjoyed my little adventure in the woodland of the former GDR but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to being a bit gutted not to have got in to see the longship, vintage swan pedalos and roaring mouth tunnel entrance to the ghost train. Btw, the park has a fascinating history with the owners ending up in prison for using the sale of some of the unsused rides to a park overseas as a cover for drug trafficking!

I have food hall envy :)

who would have thought that the masters of the DDR would allow their comrades to indulge in such frivolities, RM? sounds fascinating, an quite an adventure to find it.

Are you watching Deutschland 83? it's a most interesting insight into the East German psyche and a very good tale to boot.

One great TR - you should start a professional travel blog!


Re. Spreepark
Finally, new investors have been found.
No more guided tours inside - if you want to peek inside, you have to find a hole in the fence. And not get caught be the security personnel.
Needless to say, it's not legal. But unless you are caught vandalizing the structures there have been (so far) no reports of legal action against "visitors".

The are many more "lost places" in Berlin - some of them now accessible with a guide (like the surveillance installation on Teufelsberg), others still not seriously guarded like the "Blub", one former pool/spa which is another hotspot for graffiti and urban ruins hunters. Though it was supposed to be demolished in 2015.
http://www.abandonedberlin.com/2015/...nter.html#more


The main reason why the city or new owners take precautions to fence in and guard some "lost places" is for insurance purposes. So when you make your way inside and break your foot or get yourself killed by a collapsing wall, you cannot sue them. 'Normally' you don't get into real troubles if you do not vandalize but just take pictures.

But even when one abandoned place is not fenced in and guarded, it is usually not really safe to enter. And you should watch your steps carefully - and not go on your own but with someone who can get help if something happens.

Ann - Yes I have been watching Deutschland 83 and loving it. It's a great series. I am 2 episodes behind now as a result of my trip though.

Cowboy - I love anything old and abandoned, so would definitely have gone to see the pool if I'd known about it - Neukolln is actually one of the areas that took my fancy when I was reading the Time Out Guide, but I just didn't have the time to get down there.

Thank you for all the kind comments - I have a couple more chapters to go and will do the rest of Friday when I've finished the washing up!

Adelaidian - there is also a spectacular glass-roofed café on the very top floor of KaDeWe, which I completely neglected to visit - that is also supposed to be very good for foodies.

Friday continued…

I headed back west on the S-bahn and U-bahn, destination Kurfurnstrasse to visit the famous Café Einstein for another baking fix. In the interests of science I had decided to do a head to head comparison of apple strudels, playing the Neues Museum off against the Viennese coffee house. Café Einsten was to be found down a leafy road of substantial villas and even though it was only a short walk from the U-bahn I almost missed it due to the low key frontage. In through the front door, across an elegant tiled hall (you really do feel as though you are in someone’s home) to be met by a waistcoat clad waiter who directed me into a room of café tables, banquettes and mirrors. My strudel arrived in no time at all, a huge portion accompanied by vanilla sauce and a decent café latte and, as you often see in continental Europe, a glass of water to cleanse the palette. I know this is probably sacrilege, but good as this strudel was I think the Neues Museum version just had the edge.

(I later found out there’s another Café Einstein on Unter Der Linden, actually better placed for the areas I was exploring, ochre walls with black and white photography, marble topped tables, newspapers hanging on pegs waiting to be read with your eggs benedict, and antique lamps giving a great vibe, so don’t know whether to be pleased I found my more out of the way branch or disappointed that I missed out on the better known pit stop)

My final port of call was the DDR museum opposite the Berliner Dom, the somberly-lit cathedral crouching on the west bank of the Spree. I took a while to find the entrance to the museum because it was right down on the quay, just above the water level. Descending a flight steps, a blue neon sign pointed the way in. The museum was really quite small, only a couple of rooms and I doubt I was there much more than an hour, but it was a really enjoyable hour. The exhibition space was chock full of DDR related paraphernalia which was presented in a manner than managed to be educational and informative, but still fun and tongue in cheek.

Here, I learned that the DDR had a very successful manufacturing economy and that east german workers were highly skilled and quite well paid, but that most of the goods were shipped abroad and thus there was little for people to actually spend their money on. Coffee was diluted with chicory to make it go further, scout-like groups of children (pioneers?) with uniforms and neckscarves were encouraged to go round collecting materials for recycling, right down to vegetable peelings. Luxury goods were only available from specialist government sponsored shops, deliberately introduced to get the populace to start putting their wages back into the east german economy. There was a film about the various building projects in operation to try and provide housing – a proud construction manager shown handing over the keys of a new flat to a middle aged couple, having demoed the grim-looking bathroom suite and admired the very loud 70s wallpaper with them.

I saw display cabinets of wooden hand grenades (for school children to play with so they could learn as early as possible how to defend their motherland and comrades), photos of clothing always a decade out of date, and amusing models of nudist beaches – the east germans defied the government on this who though that that naked bathing was unwholesome. I also learned about other acts of defiance – churches repurposed to play pop music, demonstrations about the lack of freedom to travel. On the flipside, holidays were available to all and the low paid received subsidies so they could go too – there was even a state sponsored cruise line, though given the afforementioned lack of freedom of movement, I’m not quite sure how far flung some of these vacations really were. The east germans also apparently had a large number of public holidays – you could feed your birthday into a gizmo that told you whether your special day coincided with any east german noteable date – mine, I’m happy to report commemorates the victims of facist terror.

The little gift shop had a lot of fun things like Trabant key rings, and TV tower fridge magnets. I bought a couple of bits and pieces to add to Tommy’s marzipan and then headed out with a view to finding a place for dinner.

I was in the Hackescher Markt area which had a number of attractive cafes and restaurants, lots of outdoor seating for when the weather is a bit warmer. In the winter you can retreat to the eateries that are under the railway arches though, and stay snug and warm. After a fair bit of wandering I finally plumped for another oriental offering, which you might think a bit foolhardy after the Vietnamese debacle, but this was a very good portion of noodles with teriyaki chicken and spring greens – a big sesame hit and even some nicely crisped bits of chicken skin sprinkled on top. I finished with an iced coffee at one of the cafes near the S-bahn and then headed home to the Steigenberger.

Will note to properly explore the KaDeWe, thank you for that tip!
The DDR museum sounds interesting too. My parents are from East Germany, and I remember taking coffee, chocolate, denim clothing, etc to family still there on a visit in the mid eighties.

There is another 'DDR Museum' in Prenzlauer Berg on the premises of Kulturbrauerei - just a short walk from subway stop Eberswalder Str. (U2).
http://www.hdg.de/fileadmin/static/e...ulturbrauerei/

The focus is on everyday life in the GDR - from shopping or work to vacations.
The exhibition is fully bi-lingual German/English, including old films or video footage shown with English subtitles.

Admission is free.
So you save €7 per person - compared to the DDR Museum in Mitte where OP went to.

When I visited Berlin a few weeks ago i wasn't ready for my trip to end. I feel the same way about your trip. You write so well this is very enjoyable to read.

Adelaidean - the demand for and sourcing of denim was actually one of the museum exhibits.

Cowboy - thanks for the tip - I didn't mind paying the 7 euros but always good to know there are other options.

Nubbyrose - I liked Berlin a lot and have a number of places I wanted to visit but didn't have time for this time round.

Brief summary of my last morning to come, and then some ideas for other sights not included in my TR...

"Utilitarian stations with little individual identity"


...is an extraordinary remark from someone describing a trip to Wittenbergplatz U-Bahn station: almost Moscow-like in its spectacular architecture and commercially unjustifiable Art Deco mosaics. Certainly a degree of architectural idiosyncracy unparalleled by any London tube station. And you clearly missed the model of the Friedrichstrasse station at London's "Germany: Memories of a Nation" exhibition last year.

You're right, though, to observe that most U-Bahn stations are as unfussy as an underground tram stop. They're also as effortless to access from the street (no barriers, no lengthy stairs unless there's a transfer) and as devoid of staff. The result, of course, is the most painless serious metro in Europe - at prices lower than those in London or Paris.

And with most journeys far shorter than in London, mildly uncomfortable seats are a trivial price to pay.

Thanks Cowboy, more great ideas... :)

'Wittenbergplatz U-Bahn station: almost Moscow-like in its spectacular architecture and commercially unjustifiable Art Deco mosaics.'

I noticed some of wood panelling in the ticket hall ie at street level, which looked art nouveau to me rather than art deco. I didn't see any mosaics. Perhaps it depends which line you are on. The rest of the stations I used were relatively undecorated - metal or concrete columns, modern signage, plain seating, plain tiling.

Saturday

My train left mid-morning for the journey home and I didn’t want to risk missing it by getting caught up in any public transport delays, so I opted to have breakfast at the hotel on my last morning, pricy as it was.

Just like the Maritim, there was a very extensive buffet on offer:- pastries, breads, cold cuts, another huge cheese counter, yoghurts and fresh fruits, plus hot options like pancakes, waffles, and very good scrambled eggs – the latter all nice and wet and almost runny – just how I like them. There were also multiple different types of sausage and sausage meat served rolled into balls. The guy next to me had about a tenners worth of smoked salmon piled 2 inches thick on his rye bread. A few nice extra touches were little shots of breakfast smoothie for everyone, bought to the table by the waiters and waitresses – I think it was apple with possibly some sort of buttermilk type product in as it tasted quite sharp. There was a colossal stack of newspapers so you could each have your own copy, not have to share greasy fingerprinted ones with other people, and another really nice idea – crosswords in different languages on clipboards with pens. Breakfast was served in the very sunny first floor restaurant and was a really nice buzzy start to the day.

Having seen the standard of the food I actually would have been tempted to take dinner in the hotel as well (if I’d not been departing that morning) – a quick perusal of the menu revealed elegant modern European dishes replete with ingredients such as mackerel, sea bream and aged beef.

Seamless checkout and uneventful journey home on the train.


I liked Berlin a lot – even allowing for the fact I was visiting out of season, it seemed a very uncrowded city, public transport was excellent, everyone spoke good English, and everything seemed pretty affordable for a western European capital city (4 star hotels easily to be had for under £100 a day, decent hot food options at traditionally expensive places like railway stations, tourist sites etc to be had for as little 3-4 euros).

Things I would have liked to have done but didn’t get the chance:-

The Wannsee house (reachable on the S-bahn but requires an onward bus connection, and I wasn’t sure this would be running in winter because I wasn’t clear whether it was a normal domestic service or a tourist route).

Newkolln - a district said to have a particularly villagey feel, vintage stores, lots of decent cafes, and as mentioned above, an abandoned pool complex.

Treptower Park, because of my last minute diversion to Spreepark.

The café at the top of the Fernsehturm.

Any of the lake areas on the outskirts of the city.

No matter though – always gives me an excuse to go back :-)

That breakfast sounds amazing. I would settle in for the day if there were also newspapers and crosswords in all kinds of languages... could while away hours doing that!

In Berlin I also liked the Jewish Museum, Prenzlauerberg and Potsdam. And the Berlin Phil of course.. though Simon Rattle is moving on soon...

Like you say, somewhere to go back to again and again. Nice memories and nice TR. Thanks.

Yw Gertie.

I think the Germans really know how to do breakfast. These hotel buffets are always expensive, but this is one of the few places I've been where I genuinely felt close to getting my moneysworth.

Prenzlauberg looks nice and leafy. Potsdam a good option for the lakes maybe?

RM - we spent a night in Potsdam a few years en route from Berlin airport to Naumburg [about 2 hours drive to the south-west of Berlin]

We had a nice meal in the evening when we got there [having finally negotiated the roadworks] in a very traditional Stuberl, and had just over half a day exploring the palaces which was the minimum required really.

Sans souci is definitely "worth the trip" and what little we saw of Potsdam suggested that 2-3 days would make a good length trip.

The Sanssouci gardens look lovely. Great thing about Berlin is how easy it is to travel from the city centre to many of the these towns and suburbs. I feel a summer return trip coming on!

You can stroll from Potsdam station to Sans Souci easily. And it is set in a lovely park with plenty to see and do. In Potsdam itself there is a fair bit of interesting stuff. And don't forget the Glienicker Bridge (of Spies). Maybe Thursday will chime in: she actually based herself in Potsdam for a Berlin visit.