yk, that's really a fantastic report with amazing details. For museums better than any guide book :-) I'll save and print it for my next visit.

Regarding your thoughts on Berlin I agree with #1-3. #4 is a mystery to me except for 20th century history. #5 - I am glad it was this for you. My experiences are VERY different. You were probably lucky that you don't speak German, especially not Saxon dialect ;-) #6 - cannot compare to Paris or London but from what I heard from friends/colleagues Berlin seems to be less expensive than those.

YK

An absolutely wonderful report, as always.

Is the Haus am Checkpoint Charlie still there? It was a fascinating museum. My only visit to Berlin was in 1993 (specific detour to see a U2 concert) and I spent two days there. That museum is one of my more vivid memories of Berlin.

yk

I just answered my own question - I hadn't clicked on your Checkpoint Charlie photo link - it's pictured there, down the street.

Here comes my <u>favorite</u> part of the trip report:

<b>What's the Damage?</b>

As I said before, we are budget-conscious but we don't have a set budget. I'm always curious to find out how much money we spent on our vacation, and compare it to previous trips to see how it measures up.

<b><u>Transport</u></b>
Within Berlin €58
R/t train ticket to Dresden €89
<b>Subtotal</b> €147

<b><u>Food</u></b>
Eating In €36,40 (5 breakfasts, 3 dinners)
Eating Out €373 (1 breakfast, 6 lunches, 4 dinners, 3 afternoon coffee breaks)
<b>Subtotal</b> €409,40

<b><u>Museums & Attractions</b></u>
Berlin €102
Dresden €66
<b>Subtotal</b> €168

<b><u>Entertainment</b></u>
€153 for 3 operas
€12 for 3 opera programme booklets
<b>Subtotal</b> €165

<b><u>Lodging for 7 nights</b></u>
Berlin €315
Dresden €59
<b>Subtotal</b> €374

Using €1 = $1.47

<b><u>Grand Total</b></u>
$1857; + $1496 for Airfare =
<b>$3353</b>

Subtracting the airfare, and dividing the total by 7 (days), our cost = $265.3/day for 2 people.

In comparison:
our 2008 Fall trip to France/Belgium was $290/day
our 2006 Fall trip to London/Vienna was $355/day

Ingo, thanks for your comment. I find the Art/Shop/Eat Berlin guide (by Blue Guides) very useful when it comes to museums. It's probably worthwhile to wait for a new edition to come out, as the 2005 edition I got is a bit outdated.

About #4 comment, it's not just the Berlin Wall, but also history of Cold War/Stasi, and of course WWII history. Even though very little of Third Reich remains in Berlin, we could still feel it in the air. EG, even looking at the parking lot where it used to be Hitler's bunker, was enough to send chills down my spine.

As for #6, I think for every city, one can find great deals if one looks hard enough. London has lots of free museums, whereas lodging and food in Paris can be quite affordable as well.

flygirl, I went to the Checkpoint Charlie museum in 2003. I enjoyed that visit, but since many people commented here that they find it too gimmicky, I decided to skip it in favor for places I haven't yet been to.

cigalechanta, thanks for reading! So sorry I missed you on Saturday!

Gimmicky, really? That is a shame. In 1993 it seemed more of a home-grown kind of museum to me.

You've done exceptionally well on costs!

As for #4 - yup, that *is* 20th century history, right? Interesting; yes, I can understand that someone who hasn't had to deal with that all his/her life is fascinated by that history and the places related to it. We German (at least most of us) would rather want to put it behind us and go forward. For a visitor from overseas, though, yes, that must be amazing and sometimes shocking.

>>>There were TONS of people out and about at 5am on this Sunday morning. Even the wurst/gyro stand was open for business<<<

Interesting, is it possible they were still out from the night before?

Berlin sounds like a candy store of art- it's too bad there isn't an updated, proper, hardcore Blue Guide for Berlin's museums like there is for London, Paris, and Rome.

Great report as usual yk! I'm tucking it away for future reference.

<i>Interesting, is it possible they were still out from the night before?</i>

Absolutely! Most of them were party-goers heading home. However, there were also some sober folks who didn't look like they were up all night (DH commented on how clean-shaven they looked); so they were a mystery to us because they didn't look like they were going to work either (not on a Sunday). I think you'll like Berlin, Apres! Just seeing all the graffiti in the city will make you very happy.

It is understandable that Germans wish to put a a lot of the history behind and look forward.
For many Europeans the history of Nazi Germany was much more 'alive' in school books, films, and memories of our parents than the Wall.
The aftermath of the Cold War might be more interesting for North Americans.

>>>I think you'll like Berlin, Apres! Just seeing all the graffiti in the city will make you very happy<<<

((A))

I think I would love it, warts and all.

I was reading a bit about Dostoevsky this weekend and the time he spent in Berlin and Dresden with his second wife. He hated both cities (except for the museums)- apparently he thought Berlin and Dresden were examples of everything that was decadent and wrong with European culture and it affected him so much that he was driven to a gambling frenzy in Baden-Baden (or at least that's how he explained it to his wife I guess).

Re the newspaper clippings in the cloth, I don't really know. But Boltanski does use newspaper clippings. The containers do sound like Boltanski.

I guess it depends on how famous this French artist is. There are only so many famous ones who are still living -- like Sophie Calle, Louise Bourgeois, Pierre Huyghe, Annette Messager, Daniel Buren. Certainly your description doesn't sound like any of these, so if the artist is famous, my bet is on Boltanski.

I am in awe of your organizational powers. You would make an excellent trip leader. Thanks so much for this engaging, informative report. I don't think I'll be able to visit Berlin anytime soon but you have certainly whetted my appetite. I'd have to stay twice as long just to see 1/2 the things you and your husband did, though.

Happy anniversary!

It is understandable that Germans wish to put a a lot of the history behind and look forward.>>

danon - when we went to Berlin 4 years ago, the special exhibition on at the Deutsche Historische Museum was the history of the jews in europe for the last 1000 years. no punches were pulled and I was very impressed how they confronted the terrible truth of what was done. so I am not convinced that all germans want to cover everything up.

yk - great report. I would really like to spend spme mroe time in Berlin, perhaps as the jumping off point for a longer trip in the area.

regards, ann

Again, Thank you all for reading; and thank you for all your comments!

Great report, thank you !! And a very timely read for me, as I am travelling to Berlin for a 'see-as-many-art-museums-as-possible' trip the last week of this month...I already made a list of what I wish to see but you have some great tips here as well.

Is it possible to make a day trip from Berlin to Dresden ? I saw that there are both buses and trains running throughout the day.

Hi Suja, you're welcome! Yes, it is possible to do a day trip to Dresden, if you're willing to have a long day! The faster, direct train between Berlin & Dresden runs once every 2 hours. So, you can either take 6:35am which gets into Dresden at 8:52am; or take the one 8:35am we took which gets in at 10:52am.

I think most museums open at 10am. If you take the early train, you'll have some time to wander around the town and see the sights that don't "close", until the museums open. If you do decide to go, buy your Historic Green Vault ticket in advance, so you won't waste your precious time standing in line for a ticket.

Suja, if you don't mind some walking take the early train and get off the train in Dresden at the station Neustadt (the first in Dresden). From there walk through the Neustadt (so called although it is mostly Baroque and 19th century) and cross the river via Augustus bridge to the old town. Best views of the old town from the Neustadt bank of the river and the bridge.

Good advice from yk to book tickets for the Historic Green Vault in advance. I went to the Royal Palace today to see the Saxon-Denmark exhibit and was astonished by the crowds - of course no tickets for the Green Vault today available. Ok, granted, it was snowing like crazy. LOL, totally unusual for mid October.

Btw, the Neues Museum in Berlin re-opened today (or will in the next days, don't recall exactly) and Nofretete is on display there.

Hi Ingo, any other neighborhoods you recommend exploring? Thanks!

We leave for Dresden next Wednesday. Finally! Hotels and trains booked, my travelling companion got her ok from the doctor and is now relaxing here in Basel with us.

By the way, it will be below freezing here in Basel tonight, but no snow. Yesterday was the first day the trams turned their heaters on. Fall is really here.

Thanks Yk and Ingo, it does sound like a long day trip but I am very tempted to do it anyway... and I am excited that the Neues Museum is finally open in Berlin !!

The thermometer is showing 3 degrees here in Lausanne this morning:( I hope that the bise has stopped blowing...

yk, what a terrific report. So much information and love the links to pix that show what your narrative is explaining. Really a lot of work. Thanks so much.

Passerine, glad to hear you finally will visit Dresden. The weather should be better from mid next week on (according to the forecast, but one never knows ...).

Definitely explore "Äussere Neustadt", the 19th century quarter that has funny shops, ethnic food, vibrant nightlife (mostly for the younger crowd) and artisan's shops. One thing you shouldn't miss there is the Kunsthofpassage www.kunsthofpassage.de, the other is Pfund's Molkerei, the famous dairy shop.

I also recommend to explore the area around the Blue Wonder Bridge, especially Körnerplatz - Wippler's cafe and bakery is excellent, the craftsmen's shops around the corner there and the quite picturesque village-like ambience down towards the river. Il Camino is a very good Italian restaurant in that area (towards the river). Take the suspension railway for best views up to Oberloschwitz.

Have a good trip!

I'm catching up on my reading, yk, and have just spent a delightful 30 minutes with your trip report.

This is wonderfully dense, a real treasure for anyone planning to visit Berlin or Dresden. Thank you for posting it.

Anselm

Julie & Anselm, thanks for reading. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

What an incredibly well organized trip report! I wish I was half so well prepared. And thanks for the prices... always interesting and so rarely mentioned.

One of the most interesting books I have ever read about the Second World War and the holocaust was set mostly in Dresden:

"I Shall Bear Witness the Diaries of Victor Klemperer"

Well worth reading.

Thanks again for an interesting report...

Rob

ParisAmsterdam, thanks for reading, and thanks for the book suggestion!

-------------
We finally got around to re-watch the movie, <b>Run Lola Run</b>. It doesn't have that many Berlin scenes, but there are some nice shots of Gendarmenmarkt, Bebelplatz, and Oberbaumbrücke. This link has more detailed information regarding filming locations: http://german.about.com/library/bllolafotos.htm

Anyhow, even if you aren't interested in the Berlin scenes, <b>Run Lola Run</b> is still a very entertaining movie.

Hello again yk,

I've got FF seats on hold for a spring trip to Germany. First thing I did today was re-read your very comprehensive report. We'll be wanting to stay in apartments, so thanks again for all your recommendations.

It looks like the Berlin apartment you stayed in is booked for part of our stay, but their largest place is available.

It does seem just a bit far away from the "action", as you say. But the price is certainly very enticing. Just wish the smaller one was available.

Just wanted to thank you again for this great report. ((y))

swisshiker, how exciting! And Spring time too - it should be lovely, esp with Spargel harvest. I think it's worthwhile to contact the apartment owner and perhaps put your name on a waitlist - in case the persons who booked the smaller apartment cancels? I can't recall how much more expensive the larger one is, but I think it's still a good deal for the large apartment.

Thanks for you kind comment and good luck with trip planning!

Hi yk, enjoyed your report very much. Can't wait to revisit Berlin again myself. You certainly packed in a lot of galleries including some I don't know so I'll be referring to your report when we do go again !

Thanks especially for your very evocative description of personal highlights of the Jewish Museum - I think they would have been ours too, if we had got to see them (instead of being trapped on a dull tour) so you have made me definitely want to return there.

Where was the East Side Gallery in terms of its restoration when you went ? We were very disappointed when we saw it as almost all of the original artwork had been defaced by run of the mill grafitti, but I read recently that it has now been restored.

Re your comment on the Dresden opera house "The Dresden opera house was rebuilt in 1985. It is beautiful, definitely more so than Staatsoper. I was surprised to see the "Royal Box" section. I thought that was something the Communists didn't approve of?" If it's like the Berlin Staatsoper they rebuilt it after WWII exactly as it had been before. I was surprised, actaully, that you didn't find the Staatsoper as attractive as the Vienna one - we thought the latter was much drearier as it was rebuilt in 1950s style as opposed to recreating its past glories. Maybe we saw fancier bits on the tour.

Glad you enjoyed the Sammlung Hoffmann and I am very envious you got a personal tour and to meet Frau Hoffmann ! (She's been away each time we've visited.) What was she like ? Did you notice evidence of her swimming pool on the glass top floor ?! I just noticed it last time when looking out of a window across the courtyard. That's where I want to live !!

On our first visit there was also a pile of Felix Gonzalez-Torres posters (ours is still waiting to be framed but our sweetie from Venice is on display :-) ) - I wonder if they were the same as the ones you saw this year (a famous nihilist quote) ?

110op, it sounds as though you visited SH the same year as our 2nd visit, as we also saw the Marijke van Warmerdam snowball. (I think it was one of a few years by this artist whom we'd just come across and liked at an Edinburgh gallery the previous year.)

I don't remember seeing anything by Boltanski at SH but the Missing House nearby is his.

yk, you were also very lucky to have such a wonderful last evening to celebrate your anniversary, in & around the Reichstag. I hadn't realised it was open at night and that is a good tip, for going when it's very quiet. I liked your analogy with experiencing a James Turrell installation.

Thank you for your comments, caroline! Our trip wouldn't have been as fun and interesting if you didn't post your informative trip reports in the past.

Regarding the East Side Gallery, I'd say it was ~80-90% restored when we went. There were some artists repainting sections of the wall while we were there. I've mentioned this upthread that DH & I went to see a documentary on the Fall of the Wall after we returned from our trip. In the documentary was clips of the East Side Gallery shot during the summer of 2009. We were shocked by how much graffiti there was all over the Wall. So I guess we were lucky due to the timing of our visit, just 1 month before the 20th anniversary.

As for the Berlin Staatsoper, unless I remember wrong, I don't think it has a "grand staircase" or a grand lobby like the Vienna Staatsoper, no? In fact, the whole Berlin Staatsoper feels quite cramped. I'm interested to see what it'll be like after renovation.

Mrs Hoffmann was very unassuming and very personable. We stopped by her office on the tour, and it was just a regular room with regular desk & chair, and it was quite chilly there!

When's your next trip back to Berlin, caroline?

Hi caroline, it was fall of 2006.

I didn't notice that swimming pool, but she had some colorful large-scale Stellas on view at that time. I also remember a Sarah Morris, a video installation by Pipilotti Rist, and an Ernesto Neto installation (which was quite wonderful -- one of my favorites definitely -- he recently had an installation at the Park Avenue Armory in NYC).

I also took some posters -- by Felix Gonzalez-Torres also, I think. She also had a Julie Mehretu print, which I think was behind the table where she had mineral water set out for us. We got to meet her also.

Her collection was interesting. There was nothing that seemed particularly pricey except for the Warhols she had on display, which I think she (they?) commissioned from him

The Edinburgh gallery must have been Fruitmarket. I looked into the van Warmerdam editions they had after the Sammlung Hoffman visit, but I decided to pass.

I should be in Berlin for two days in January. But probably I'll have only a few hours for the city itself.

What do your posters look like, caroline?

I actually have quite a few -- I guess I really like free stuff. :)

One is basically white with "somewhere better than here" printed in the middle. It's probably Felix Gonzalez-Torres. Another one is very small, about the size of a usual piece of paper, with events and dates (for example, Helms Amendment, 1987). Seems like classic Felix G-T also.

I also have some posters by Christopher Wool (pretty sure it's by him -- with those recognizable black block letters).

I'm intrigued by some posters of what seem like the sea and clouds in the sky. Could they be by Felix G-T too? I'd rather that they be by Gerhard Richter. Free posters by Gerhard Richter? Only in my dreams. :)

I'm kind of amazed that they are in quite good condition, surviving flights from Berlin to Vienna and then Vienna to NYC. I haven't unrolled them in years, though I was thinking of them all the time.

My apartment is just taken over by all the stuff I'm rapidly accumulating.

Thanks for hearing me talk about this!