Magical world of animals and other Berlin, Germany Things to Do Tips

The Zoo is without doubt a frequently visited place for old and young
Founded in 1844 by Prussian King William IV, the Zoologischer Garten is Europes oldest zoo. With 13,000 animals and 1,400 different species, the zoo is also one of the world's most popular. The nearby Aquarium opened in the 1930s.
You can visit both with a combined ticket (Euro 16.5)
Location : next to Zoo Station in the heart of the western city centre. I mentioned this name already a few times in my report : Budapester Strasse - near Tiergarten
Kim and I had a great time here - except the food and drinks, but this is another story, look at my restaurant page

Berlin Zoo is home to Skippy the kangaroo, Pretty Woman the gorilla and Kiri the elephant, to name just a few. Other attractions are the nocturnal animals and a pair of Chinese panda bears, although Yan-Yan's lack of sexual interest in her partner Bao-Bao has been talk of the town for years! During my visit Yan even didn’t show up.

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Next to Bahnhof Zoo you will find the oldest zoological garden of Germany (1844)
A gift by Friedrich Wilhelm IV.
The location is in the “Tiergarten” Park ( the names are little bit confusing ) – the greatest green area in the center of Berlin
The surface is about 350.000 square meters – quantity of animals about 20.000
and 1.500 different species
Next to the Zoo is the Aquarium. It will learn you more about the mystery of the waterworld . A colourful world of fish – coral lines and jellyfishes.
On the second floor you will see a world of reptiles – from snakes to crocodiles
On the upper floor – there is a show of insects

The area around Bahnhof Zoo had a bad reputation in the past ( read the book - Christiane F. Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo) but is now a popular spot for everybody.

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Berlin – a City I always will remember as THE divided city in Europe and
witness/ result of the second world war tragedy.
I once visited Berlin when I was a student ( so a long time ago) and never will forget the Wall – separating East and West - keeping the western Germans out of the “Democratic” Republic, and keeping the eastern Germans far away from Liberty.

But – now that I revisited Berlin and maybe strange to say – you will find hardly
a piece of stone from this previous divider. Except on touristic places – but even there .. i have my serious doubts if it is a real touristic trap or not
Maybe it is better this way ...

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Address: Check Point Charly

and symbol of Prussian unity.
The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial is one of Berlin’s most famous landmarks
built between 1891 en 1895 by Kaiser Wilhelm II – this in honor for his grandfather.

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Phone: +49- (0)30- 218 50 23
Address: Breitscheidplatz, Berlin-Charlottenburg
Directions: U-Bahn: Zoologischer Garten
Website: http://www.gedaechtniskirche.de

The only remaining gate in Berlin is also it's symbol. located for many years behind the Wall, symbol of a divided Berlin. After the fall of the Wall, the Gate was reopened on December 22, 1989.
A sandstone construction with 12 doric columns, five passageways (closed for cars) and crowned with a Quadriga and Goddess of Victory looking at the city center.
My first impression when I saw this monument : Woow – so small – thaught it was bigger but than the guide told me that the Brandenburg Gate was surrounded by further buildings which were destroyed in the war.

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Address: Pariser Platz, Berlin-Mitte
Directions: S-Bahn: Unter den Linden, Bus 100

Pictures taken in Mechelen, near Brussels, but reminding me at the history of Berlin and Germany in general, the actually "Dream Cars" after the cold war, the car industry had the golden years, Ford... VW...DKW... and of course the friendly people, BTW... In the USA you will find a lot of second car plates like shown in the first picture

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Address: Pariser Platz, Berlin-Mitte
Directions: S-Bahn: Unter den Linden, Bus 100

Bebelplatz is a special square to hold on your visit for half an hour
Main attractions are :
The Humboldt-University
The Hedwigs Kathedrale
The staple of books
In 1933, Nazi Minister for Propaganda Joseph Goebbels began to synchronize culture, by which the arts were brought in line with Nazi goals. The government purged cultural organizations of Jews and others alleged to be politically or artistically suspect. The works of leading German writers such as Bertold Brecht, Thomas Mann Lion Feuchtwanger and Alfred Kerr were thrown in to flames in a book burning ceremony in Berlin.

The writer Heinrich Heine wrote long before this ceremony (see plate):
“Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen“"Where they burn books, they will end in burning human beings."

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Address: Unter den Linden, Berlin-Mitte
Directions: S-Bahn: Unter den Linden, Bus 100

Alfa, Bravo, Charlie ( from the Nato phonetic alphabet )
Checkpoint Charlie was without doubt a very important military post during the cold war
But now a days i feel that it is more an attraction point or even say a tourist trap.
Nothing more to see than a container of 3 by 6 meter, some sandbags - a russian and US flag and two people standing there to be photographed with tourists (fee 1 euro)
In the neighbourhood some tourist shops selling old DDR or Sovjet Union stuff
The cold war museum is maybe of any interest, but i have my doubts.
If you have really some spare time, visit this place, but there are much more interesting places to visit

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Phone: (030) 25 37 25-0
Address: Friedrichstraße, Corner Kochstraße
Directions: U-Bahn: Kochstrasse
Website: http://www.mauer-museum.com

You like it - or don't like it. But i enjoyed it, for example this ADIDAS sport shoes "monument" at the occasion of the world footbal championship. Public art is a common art in Berlin, Look at the asperine tablet near the river Spree, the monument of the united allied armees near Tiergarten and the Gedâchtnisskirche. As i said, like it or not

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Address: Several places in Berlin

Museuminsel
An idea of Friedrich Wilhelm IV to create a “Sanctuary of Art & Science”
on an island surrounded by the river Spree. Another hot tip on what to do in Berlin.


The Museums of Berlin's Museuminsel
Altes Museum (The Old Museum)
Neues Museum (The New Museum)
Alte Nationalgalerie (The Old National Galerie)
Das Pergamon Museum (The Pergamon Museum )
The Pergamon was very recommended by the guide.
It houses Roman sculpture and architectural treasures.
Berliner Dom
A Protestant counterweight to the St-Pieters Basilica in Rome
The baroque building with Italian Renaissance is 114m long and 73m wide and was builded between 1894 and 1905.
For sure an other eye catcher in Berlin

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Address: Bodestraße, Berlin-Mitte
Directions: U-Bahn: Friedrichstraße