What's New in Paris and Berlin?
 

I'm thinking of splitting the long weekend between the two in January.

What's new in both cities?

I'm trying to decide how to split my time between the two. I've been to Paris many times and to Berlin for a few times, so I've seen most of the standard tourist attractions.

I can arrive in Berlin early or late, so it's a question of 1/2 day in Paris + 1.5 in Berlin, or 1.5 days in Paris or 0.5 day in Berlin. The former doesn't give me enough time in Paris, but I may go to Postdam (new to me) if I don't find something else in Berlin to hold my interest.

What kinds of winter airfares are people seeing? It seems like there's nothing below $600 for 2010, and even those seem very difficult to come by.

Thanks!

Why not just split your weekend just between Berlin and Potsdam? It is a 10 hour journey by train between Berlin and Paris (or a convenient overnight journey tucked up in the comfort of a night sleeper), so that's a long haul to fit into a single weekend away.

I find Potsdam is at its most beautiful in winter. You can bus from Berlin to the Glienicke Bridge, walk along the lakeshore to Cecilienhof for coffee, continue over the Pfingstberg to Alexandrowka (excellent Russian cafè for lunch), then wander through Sanssouci before returning to Berlin. That is a good longish day out, so allow 9 hours from leaving a hotel in central Berlin to getting back there. But a very fine excursion for a snowy winter day.

Hope these few thoughts help.
Nicky

Thanks. I like Paris and haven't been there for more than a year.

This sounds a little ridiculous, but I wouldn't mind shopping there during the winter sale. I'm not a big shopper, but I do want (or rather, need) to buy some nicer clothes for work. The VAT refund makes for a nice excuse too to shop there.

I'd have preferred to spend the entire time in Paris, but the non-stop flights are close to $800, and I can probably throw in Berlin for cheaper, so why not? I like Berlin too and I don't know it as well.

well I was thinking of doing Paris and berlin this winter also, 12 days....will be thinking of how to do this.

Now you're making me jealous! You've been to both, haven't you?

I hate these high winter airfares. Things used to be so much easier. Where have all the $400 airfares gone?

What's new in Berlin?

- The Museum Island is ready. Since October 17, the world-famous Egyptian Collection is back in place and Nefertiti ís again displayed in an appropriate way.

- Have you been to the Helmut Newton Museum? It is open since 2004 and devoted to the photographs of Berlin's great son.

- The Berggruen collection is another highlight - the largest private collection of Picasso paintings. Berggruen was a galerist who virtually discovered many artists and kept their best works for himself.

- Oranienburger Straße is my long-time favourite in Berlin. The synagogue is open again, and the ruins of the former Jewish deparment store have been converted into a bizarre art center.

- This museum is not new, but often overlooked: Berlin's museum of Natural History has the world's largest dinosaur skeleton on display, the Brachiosaurus. Maybe you have seen a giant Diplodocus skeleton in New York or Denver. In Berlin, they also have a Diploducus next to the Brachiosaurus, and the Diploducus looks like a dwarf at the side of his neighbour.

- The Jewish Museum is rather new, have you been there? It is in a spectacular building by Daniel Libeskind.

Hi, thanks for the review.

I've seen Nefertiti, but I think it was in the Altes Museum three years ago. I forget what the latest renovation is (could be the Bode Museum?). I guess finally I can see Gates of Miletus without scaffolding -- if I go, that is.

I've been to the Jewish Museum, but not to the Helmut Newton collection, the Berggruen collection or the Natural History Museum. I've been to Oranienburger Strasse -- the Jewish department store sounds interesting and I don't know this, but I've walked past the synagogue.

Actually there's a Thomas Demand exhibition at Neue Nationalgalerie right now, but it's probably not enough of a draw for me. I've seen his work in exhibitions in both NYC and London.

This will sound crazy to most people here, but I'm thinking about visiting Goslar for a Bridget Riley exhibition. But it's also a 3-hour ride from Berlin. So most likely I won't.