Palenque's Berlin Journal
Oct 14th, 2005, 10:26 AM
#81
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Just returned from a 2 week vacation in Germany with a stop in Berlin. What a great city! It reminds me of Manhattan...energy, diversity, lots of different neighborhoods to explore, food is great and cheap.
The Topography of Terror is all in German, however, if you go into the information booth they have headsets in many languages. Its free and all you have to do is leave a passport or license.
While we were there, another exhibit on the other side of the walkway was being installed. It appeared to be information on the high level Nazi's that were captured and what happened to them.
We also did three underground tours in one day: Bunker tour, old commincation system using pneumatic tubes and bunkers in subways from the cold war. These were very interesting and highly recommended.
Gail
The Topography of Terror is all in German, however, if you go into the information booth they have headsets in many languages. Its free and all you have to do is leave a passport or license.
While we were there, another exhibit on the other side of the walkway was being installed. It appeared to be information on the high level Nazi's that were captured and what happened to them.
We also did three underground tours in one day: Bunker tour, old commincation system using pneumatic tubes and bunkers in subways from the cold war. These were very interesting and highly recommended.
Gail
Oct 17th, 2005, 03:42 AM
#82
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Palq, you are an amazing fount of knowledge ! Is there no end to it ?!? And if I remember right, this isn't even the city where you live ? How much more must you have to say about that !
Gail, the bunker trips sound interesting - how did you find out about them ? Did you have to book ? Thanks.
Gail, the bunker trips sound interesting - how did you find out about them ? Did you have to book ? Thanks.
Oct 17th, 2005, 07:21 AM
#83
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Caroline - thanks a lot for your nice comments again - yes i'm petering out with just a few more things to cover - just that Berlin has so fascinated me for a long time that most years on my yearly European trip i spend a few days there.
Gail - yes the bunker trips sound exciting - any more info on them - where to find out about them, etc. I'm not familiar with these - thanks for mentioning them!
Gail - yes the bunker trips sound exciting - any more info on them - where to find out about them, etc. I'm not familiar with these - thanks for mentioning them!
Oct 19th, 2005, 10:09 AM
#84
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THE JEWISH MUSEUM
A major new museum for Berlin is the highly acclaimed and long-awaited Jewish Museum, opened in 2001. Designed by modern architecture maestro Daniel Libeskind, the shape of the museum is as much of the collection as are the thousands of artifacts documenting Jewish life, and death, throughout 1000 years of Germanic history. I can't quite remember how, but the design of the tunnels and passageways reflects on the oft tortuous Jewish experience in Germany. (Open daily 10am-8pm.)
A major new museum for Berlin is the highly acclaimed and long-awaited Jewish Museum, opened in 2001. Designed by modern architecture maestro Daniel Libeskind, the shape of the museum is as much of the collection as are the thousands of artifacts documenting Jewish life, and death, throughout 1000 years of Germanic history. I can't quite remember how, but the design of the tunnels and passageways reflects on the oft tortuous Jewish experience in Germany. (Open daily 10am-8pm.)
Oct 20th, 2005, 01:44 AM
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We liked what we saw of the Jewish Museum but unfortunately were on a rather dry tour with a music historian, so didn't get as much time as we'd have liked to appreciate the architecture. The 'voids' sound exciting. The garden is very interesting.
Oct 20th, 2005, 11:43 AM
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SHCLOSS CHARLOTTENBURG
A main Berlin sight is Charlottenburg Castle or Palace or whatever you call it - a monumental residence built for the wife of Frederick I- the interior is a Baroque wonder - the vast park is of the English style. Several museums are housed in various buildings - Egyptian, Antiquities - some rooms have major Romanticist works of art. The Charlottenburg train station, which is actually a bit of a hike from the palace and is named for the pleasant upscale district the surrounds the palace raises emotions in my everytime i pass thru it as it was from here that thousands of Jews and others deemed unacceptable by the Nazis were put on the proverbial 'train to the east,' a one-way journey in most cases.
I wouldn't put Charlottenburg Castle at the top of my list but if in Berlin more than a day or two it's a must.
A main Berlin sight is Charlottenburg Castle or Palace or whatever you call it - a monumental residence built for the wife of Frederick I- the interior is a Baroque wonder - the vast park is of the English style. Several museums are housed in various buildings - Egyptian, Antiquities - some rooms have major Romanticist works of art. The Charlottenburg train station, which is actually a bit of a hike from the palace and is named for the pleasant upscale district the surrounds the palace raises emotions in my everytime i pass thru it as it was from here that thousands of Jews and others deemed unacceptable by the Nazis were put on the proverbial 'train to the east,' a one-way journey in most cases.
I wouldn't put Charlottenburg Castle at the top of my list but if in Berlin more than a day or two it's a must.
Oct 20th, 2005, 05:36 PM
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Here is the website to the Undergroud tours.
www.berliner-unterwelten.de.
They offer three tours and only tour #3 is offered in English. They will make accomodations for the others to be conducted in English but you must contact them.
You bought the tickets in a subway station. The ticket booth is a small office just as you enter the station.
Tickets are available from at the main office of Berlin Underworlds' Association, located in the southern entrance of the U8 subway station Gesundbrunnen (exit direction to Humboldthain Park, Brunnenstraße.
I took tour #1 and 2. We went with a German speaking friend who translated for us. Even with his translation I felt we missed things. But it was way cool being in the bunker.
The cost is 9E per tour.
If you have any other questions... ask way.
Gail
www.berliner-unterwelten.de.
They offer three tours and only tour #3 is offered in English. They will make accomodations for the others to be conducted in English but you must contact them.
You bought the tickets in a subway station. The ticket booth is a small office just as you enter the station.
Tickets are available from at the main office of Berlin Underworlds' Association, located in the southern entrance of the U8 subway station Gesundbrunnen (exit direction to Humboldthain Park, Brunnenstraße.
I took tour #1 and 2. We went with a German speaking friend who translated for us. Even with his translation I felt we missed things. But it was way cool being in the bunker.
The cost is 9E per tour.
If you have any other questions... ask way.
Gail
Oct 22nd, 2005, 04:25 PM
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BAHNHOF ZOO LATE AT NIGHT
The Zoo train station's platforms are often mobbed at night with a ecelctic type crowd - mainly younger folk coming and going to entertainment venues i guess, or transferring from S-Bahn trains to mainline trains - whatever the place is perpetually mobbed. And unnerving to me are the muzzled attack dogs police patrolling the platforms often are leading around, which leads one to think there is potential violence here - perhaps the surprising number of skinheads accounts for this? Or just drunks? Anyway quite a kinetic scene as trains on several tracks come and go every few minutes - my advice to anyone taking an overnight train out of Berlin is to board it at the Ost Station in East Berlin and be settled in before the mob scene unfolds at Zoo station, which literally is quite a zoo when the night train rolls in - short platforms and tons of people boarding - i had boarded at Ost and sat inside my little compartment watching all the frenetic movement outside to board the train.
Germany has some severe shopping laws, especially pertaining to Sunday - no regular stores are open then so the only food stores it seems that are open are in the train stations - and Zoo's tiny claustrophobic foor store is similarly oft overwhelmed - not by train travelers who it is intended for but by Berlin's coming from miles around to buy food and booze.
The Zoo station for years was West Berlin's main rail station and is still the station of choice for most Berlin visitors it seems. Pre-war Berlin had a Hauptbahnhof, the current Ost Bahnhof, but it was in East Berlin so Zoo took over as Berlin's main gateway station but the station's size was hemmed into a dense urban environment so room to expand was lacking and one has to think that Berlin authorities always had in mind the idea that this is a temporary main station.
Bahnhof Zoo - it's literally quite a zoo. In a few years the new spacious Hauptbahnhof now nearing completion on the sight of the old Lerther (?)sp Bahnhof near the Reichstag, will handle most of all long distance, lesseing the crowd at Zoo.
The Zoo is a good place to arrive - the tourist office is a few blocks away and the municipal transport kiosk opposite it sells all the appropriate transit tickets and passes. And from the Zoo you can get an S-Bahn or U-Bahn train to practically anywhere in Berlin.
The Zoo train station's platforms are often mobbed at night with a ecelctic type crowd - mainly younger folk coming and going to entertainment venues i guess, or transferring from S-Bahn trains to mainline trains - whatever the place is perpetually mobbed. And unnerving to me are the muzzled attack dogs police patrolling the platforms often are leading around, which leads one to think there is potential violence here - perhaps the surprising number of skinheads accounts for this? Or just drunks? Anyway quite a kinetic scene as trains on several tracks come and go every few minutes - my advice to anyone taking an overnight train out of Berlin is to board it at the Ost Station in East Berlin and be settled in before the mob scene unfolds at Zoo station, which literally is quite a zoo when the night train rolls in - short platforms and tons of people boarding - i had boarded at Ost and sat inside my little compartment watching all the frenetic movement outside to board the train.
Germany has some severe shopping laws, especially pertaining to Sunday - no regular stores are open then so the only food stores it seems that are open are in the train stations - and Zoo's tiny claustrophobic foor store is similarly oft overwhelmed - not by train travelers who it is intended for but by Berlin's coming from miles around to buy food and booze.
The Zoo station for years was West Berlin's main rail station and is still the station of choice for most Berlin visitors it seems. Pre-war Berlin had a Hauptbahnhof, the current Ost Bahnhof, but it was in East Berlin so Zoo took over as Berlin's main gateway station but the station's size was hemmed into a dense urban environment so room to expand was lacking and one has to think that Berlin authorities always had in mind the idea that this is a temporary main station.
Bahnhof Zoo - it's literally quite a zoo. In a few years the new spacious Hauptbahnhof now nearing completion on the sight of the old Lerther (?)sp Bahnhof near the Reichstag, will handle most of all long distance, lesseing the crowd at Zoo.
The Zoo is a good place to arrive - the tourist office is a few blocks away and the municipal transport kiosk opposite it sells all the appropriate transit tickets and passes. And from the Zoo you can get an S-Bahn or U-Bahn train to practically anywhere in Berlin.
Oct 24th, 2005, 07:50 AM
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A few posts i saw on other sights that may be helpful in peoples planning their Berlin jaunts.
Author: bilion
Date: 10/24/2005, 10:42 am
Any tips on what to do? I have 2 full days and i want to see the essentials (as much as possible that is). Is there enough time to do Potsdam as well?
Author: fritzrl
Date: 10/24/2005, 11:08 am
Wow...only 2 days. Berlin is, as you may know, huge and very spread out. You'll have to hustle even to do justice to the must-sees: Museum Island, Unter Den Linden, Ku-Damm, Haeckishe Hoefe, Potsdamer Platz,the Dom, etc. and etc. I'd say you'd do well to visit the Berlin Tourism Site (www.Berlin.de) to plan your two days carefully.
Potsdam can easily fill a full day all by itself. I'd recommend you concentrate on Berlin proper, and see Potsdam on a return visit.
Fritzr
Author: grosenb
Date: 10/24/2005, 11:39 am
If you are intent on seeing Berlin AND Potsdam, then I would suggest using the open air tour bus that travels through Berlin stopping at about 16 top sights. You can get on and off as many times if you want to see a sight in more depth than from the bus. The cost is about 20E. Not sure when you are going to Berlin but the buses usually run from 10 to about 4 or 5ish this time of year. You can do this one day and the 2nd day take a train to Potsdam.
Author: bilion
Date: 10/24/2005, 10:42 am
Any tips on what to do? I have 2 full days and i want to see the essentials (as much as possible that is). Is there enough time to do Potsdam as well?
Author: fritzrl
Date: 10/24/2005, 11:08 am
Wow...only 2 days. Berlin is, as you may know, huge and very spread out. You'll have to hustle even to do justice to the must-sees: Museum Island, Unter Den Linden, Ku-Damm, Haeckishe Hoefe, Potsdamer Platz,the Dom, etc. and etc. I'd say you'd do well to visit the Berlin Tourism Site (www.Berlin.de) to plan your two days carefully.
Potsdam can easily fill a full day all by itself. I'd recommend you concentrate on Berlin proper, and see Potsdam on a return visit.
Fritzr
Author: grosenb
Date: 10/24/2005, 11:39 am
If you are intent on seeing Berlin AND Potsdam, then I would suggest using the open air tour bus that travels through Berlin stopping at about 16 top sights. You can get on and off as many times if you want to see a sight in more depth than from the bus. The cost is about 20E. Not sure when you are going to Berlin but the buses usually run from 10 to about 4 or 5ish this time of year. You can do this one day and the 2nd day take a train to Potsdam.
Oct 24th, 2005, 11:14 AM
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PalQ (or anyone else),
We'll be heading to Germany/Czech for 2 weeks in July '06. Started with a week in Berlin and a week in Prague. But after reading your comprehensive report, I've begun to think about Potsdam and Dresden.
How would you divide 2 weeks in this area? We'll be flying into Frankfurt, and at the end heading to the Swiss Alps for another week. But 2 weeks will be Germany/Czech.
Thanks.
We'll be heading to Germany/Czech for 2 weeks in July '06. Started with a week in Berlin and a week in Prague. But after reading your comprehensive report, I've begun to think about Potsdam and Dresden.
How would you divide 2 weeks in this area? We'll be flying into Frankfurt, and at the end heading to the Swiss Alps for another week. But 2 weeks will be Germany/Czech.
Thanks.
Oct 24th, 2005, 01:43 PM
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Hi
I'm anyone else. We got back from a similar trip a few weeks ago. we spent 4 nights in Berlin, 2 nights in Dresden and 2 nights in Potsdam. We flew both into and out of Frankfurt, were we spent an additional night on the return leg. If you are intending to go to other places also. I would recommend cutting Berlin to 2-3 nights and 1 night each to Potsdam and dresden, though 2 in dresden is preferable. How are you going to get around to these places? We rented a car in Berlin and drove to Dresden as the longest leg of the trip, then to Potsdam before returning the car. Enjoy your trip
I'm anyone else. We got back from a similar trip a few weeks ago. we spent 4 nights in Berlin, 2 nights in Dresden and 2 nights in Potsdam. We flew both into and out of Frankfurt, were we spent an additional night on the return leg. If you are intending to go to other places also. I would recommend cutting Berlin to 2-3 nights and 1 night each to Potsdam and dresden, though 2 in dresden is preferable. How are you going to get around to these places? We rented a car in Berlin and drove to Dresden as the longest leg of the trip, then to Potsdam before returning the car. Enjoy your trip
Oct 24th, 2005, 01:58 PM
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We will have 15 days total after arrival in Frankfurt. First night will be in Frankfurt (straight to hotel from airport for one day jet lag recovery). Then we've got 14 full days between Berlin, Prague and anywhere else in between before heading to Switzerland.
We will not have a car.
We will not have a car.
Oct 25th, 2005, 07:28 AM
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kopp: thanks for your nice comments and i think your question is relevant to any Berlin journal.
Potsdam should take a full day but not more.
Dresden, though a marvelous place with some great sights and museums and, most intriguing to me, its recent calamitous history - even more than Berlin here you see an historic city, once called the Florence on the Elbe for its fine buildings, being completely pieced back together to its once glorious state - that said i think Dresden is probably a one day town.
It's the drive south of Dresden towards the Czech border where you may want to linger - this area, dubbed Saxon Switzerland (Sachsische Schweiz), to me is one of Europe's most overlooked areas - its sheer beauty along the Elbe River rivals practically any river valley in Europe - and in a short area there are an inordinate number of interesting places to linger.
Heading out of Dresden you could stop by the famous Pillnitz Palace but the river remains workaday until it hits Pirna, an ancient town but little to linger here - but after Pirna the valley takes on a captivating look - sheer sandstone cliffs pop up - oft rising several hundred feet above the river - their reddish hue gives the area a unique look - and there are fantastically shaped rock formations - table-top shaped outcropping of rocks with pillars soaring hundreds of feet into the sky. In all some most rare geological formations.
But it's not just nature that captivates - it's also the castles and resort towns like Bad Schandau that also please. The Bastei rates three Michelin stars - this is a magnificent viewpoint 656 feet above the Elbe that is built on top of pillars which bridges spanning deep gulfs in between them. The Konigstein Fortress crowns a 1,181-foot cliff on a sweeping bend in the Elbe. The forbiddingly situated fort, built between the 13th and 16th centuries to dominate traffic on the Elbe far below, has housed many famous prisoners, right up until WWII - very few escaped.
Bad Schandau is a sweet resort town just a few miles from the Czech border is the region's tourist center. From it a quaint old tram plies a scenic route up the Kirnitzsch Valley, also featuring sheer cliffs. This is also a popular walking path and there are many walks in the Bad Schandau area.
Even if not going by car, the Dresden-Prague train line goes right thru the valley and you can see the Bastei, Koningstein, etc. from the train. In season there are also boats that ply the valley - use them to do a whole day's visit as they stop at or near the main sights.
So a few days in Saxon Switzerland may well be fun.
As for going between Berlin and Dresden there is not much of interest, though you could easily stop by the Lubbenau area and do it fun 'punt' boat rides i talked about before in this journal or could easily go thru Lutherstadt-Wittenberge - an old town famous for its Martin Luther links - he spent a lot of time here and famously nailed his theses to the church door - the town has a great castle and several Luther associated buildings.
ddr
Potsdam should take a full day but not more.
Dresden, though a marvelous place with some great sights and museums and, most intriguing to me, its recent calamitous history - even more than Berlin here you see an historic city, once called the Florence on the Elbe for its fine buildings, being completely pieced back together to its once glorious state - that said i think Dresden is probably a one day town.
It's the drive south of Dresden towards the Czech border where you may want to linger - this area, dubbed Saxon Switzerland (Sachsische Schweiz), to me is one of Europe's most overlooked areas - its sheer beauty along the Elbe River rivals practically any river valley in Europe - and in a short area there are an inordinate number of interesting places to linger.
Heading out of Dresden you could stop by the famous Pillnitz Palace but the river remains workaday until it hits Pirna, an ancient town but little to linger here - but after Pirna the valley takes on a captivating look - sheer sandstone cliffs pop up - oft rising several hundred feet above the river - their reddish hue gives the area a unique look - and there are fantastically shaped rock formations - table-top shaped outcropping of rocks with pillars soaring hundreds of feet into the sky. In all some most rare geological formations.
But it's not just nature that captivates - it's also the castles and resort towns like Bad Schandau that also please. The Bastei rates three Michelin stars - this is a magnificent viewpoint 656 feet above the Elbe that is built on top of pillars which bridges spanning deep gulfs in between them. The Konigstein Fortress crowns a 1,181-foot cliff on a sweeping bend in the Elbe. The forbiddingly situated fort, built between the 13th and 16th centuries to dominate traffic on the Elbe far below, has housed many famous prisoners, right up until WWII - very few escaped.
Bad Schandau is a sweet resort town just a few miles from the Czech border is the region's tourist center. From it a quaint old tram plies a scenic route up the Kirnitzsch Valley, also featuring sheer cliffs. This is also a popular walking path and there are many walks in the Bad Schandau area.
Even if not going by car, the Dresden-Prague train line goes right thru the valley and you can see the Bastei, Koningstein, etc. from the train. In season there are also boats that ply the valley - use them to do a whole day's visit as they stop at or near the main sights.
So a few days in Saxon Switzerland may well be fun.
As for going between Berlin and Dresden there is not much of interest, though you could easily stop by the Lubbenau area and do it fun 'punt' boat rides i talked about before in this journal or could easily go thru Lutherstadt-Wittenberge - an old town famous for its Martin Luther links - he spent a lot of time here and famously nailed his theses to the church door - the town has a great castle and several Luther associated buildings.
ddr
Oct 25th, 2005, 07:39 AM
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Bob, thanks for the praising of Saxon Switzerland 
Thank god you did not mention the "secret spots" LOL.
A short note on Pirna: it's a charming old town, after the flood 2002 most townhouses from the Renaissance, Baroque and 19th century have been restored, a couple of weeks ago the stunning, renovated late-gothic church was re-opened. It's a gem, worth a day exploring.
Did I get that right that you think Dresden is a one-day town? That's a good joke!
Thank god you did not mention the "secret spots" LOL.A short note on Pirna: it's a charming old town, after the flood 2002 most townhouses from the Renaissance, Baroque and 19th century have been restored, a couple of weeks ago the stunning, renovated late-gothic church was re-opened. It's a gem, worth a day exploring.
Did I get that right that you think Dresden is a one-day town? That's a good joke!
