 Berlin Click to get the inside scoop from real travelers here at VirtualTourist. See the Berlin Travel GuideInside advice from real people on:Overview, Hotels, Things to Do, Restaurants, Nightlife, Shopping, General Tips, Transportation, Off the Beaten Path, Tourist Traps, Warnings or Dangers, Local Customs, Packing Lists or Sports Travel.
7081 Berlin Tips. 11496 Berlin Photos. 23 Berlin Videos. Berlin Pages by diocletianvs
Tips 1 - 9 of 9 Berlin Off The Beaten Path
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is a nice approach to mark the void created by the WWII bombs. In one of the side streets near Oranienburger strasse the place where the residential building stood untill 1943 was marked in 1990 by french artist Christian Boltanski. What he did is simple and powerful at the same time - he simply put plates on side walls of the surviving buildings recalling the names, dates and professions of the former inhabitants of the house that was destroyed by the bombings. Watching the movies about World War II with Germans as the Bad Guys makes it rather easy to forget that Berlin (and most of other German towns) suffered fierce bombings during the war and while the officials had their bunkers where they were hiding it is the ordinary citizens that suffered very much losing almost everything overnight. The Missing House Grosse Hamburger Strasse, S-bahn stop Hackescher Markt.
Leave a Comment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The heart of Berlin is made of the huge Tiergarten, but its residential districts are rather dense. Treptower Park makes a green oasis situated on the river Spree in south-eastern suburbs of Berlin and is very popular among those looking for some nature and escape from the urban environment. This large park was created in the 19th Century and features huge meadows, natural wooden areas and some restaurants and cafes situated close to the water. There are some boats to rent here as well, and nearby Spreepark is a nostalgic amusement park built during the GDR era. But the main feature of the Treptower park is huge Soviet Memorial commemorating some 300,000 causalties on the Soviet side during the battle for Berlin in WWII. S-bahn station Treptower Park
Leave a Comment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Causalties of the Soviet Army in the WWII battle for Berlin were huge, and so is this monument commemorating them that occupies the central area of the Treptower Park. Some 5,000 Soviet soldier are buried here. The monument is a typical Soviet - Stalinist piece of gigantism and features statue of the Motherland (represented as a grieving woman) and statues of Soviet soldiers flanked by huge triangles (made of red granite Nazis bought from Sweden for their never finished projects in Berlin). From this point there is a broad view of the main monument of the Soviet Soldier saving a child and fighting a Swastika, placed on top of a huge hill. The paths leading there are decorated by some reliefs showing the scenes from the war and many Stalin's words displayed in Russian on the one side and in German on the other side. The monument is not as crowded as it used to be in the GDR time when it was the must-stop of organized bus tours but it is kept in almost perfect shape and is worth visiting if for nothing else then for its size and monumentality. I stopped here for a while and tried to think about the Soviet army losing so many soldiers here and it made understanding the irrational post-war German and especially Berlin history a little bit easier.
Leave a Comment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This area on the banks of the river Spree close to Treptower park is perhaps new Docklands of Berlin. New offices and residential buildings occupy an area of former industry and although it may not be the liveliest area of Berlin for me it was a pure pleasure to wander around. Port cranes and new skyscrapers - wow, what else could I ask for ?
Leave a Comment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
My plan for the morning was to visit one of the typical 1970s neighbourhoods of former East Berlin and I originally headed to Marzahn but couldn't resist the beauty of the residential towers along the Allee der Kosmonauten so I left the S-bahn two stops early. And I didn't regret since high-rise development of the Wohngebiet am Springfuhl is real beauty of its time. I know most people will say it is a terrible mistake done by the former communist government of the GDR but in fact it was the only possible answer to the problem of housing shortage in the context of that time - a model town that followed all principles of the modernist architecture. Housing blocks are accompanied by shopping facilities, schools and kindergardens, cinemas and swimming pools all set in nice composition among the vast green areas. S-bahn offers quick links to the center of Berlin while trams and buses connect smaller residential areas. Almost all buildings were recently renewed and this was done well, improving the insulation of the buildings, adding solar cells on facades etc but without destroying the original appearance of the buildings. S-bahn S7, S75 to Springpfuhl
Leave a Comment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Marzahn was once a showcase of Honecker's efforts to create model town for the citizens of the GDR but unfortunately little is left of its original idea. I am not sure about this but I have a feeling that this was also one of the first models of new united Germany dealing with "ugly communist buildings". During the renewal process someone obviously had too much of the colour paint - almost every balcony is painted differently and some facades now look like the best examples of tropical parrots. Like modernist architecture, landscape architecture of the time was also reserved, abstract and mainly monochromatic with just few shades of green. But those in charge of the renewal obviously saw it as empty and needed to "decorate" a bit. Now a new park features flowers of all colours, chinese and japanese temples and ponds with goldfish. It is simply "too beautiful" for me to show a photo on my page. After a short wander around Marzahn I quickly saw what happened here and soon left it from the derelict S-bahn station that shows the new problems Marzahn is today facing: it is known as area where unemployment is high and so is the crime rate. Transition from the East to West wasn't easy and cannot be felt on Potsdamer Platz or Unter der Linden. It is places like Marzahn that one has to visit in order to get more real picture, and no new color on balconies can hide all the problems behind.
Leave a Comment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join a Discussion Berlin rail (2 replies, Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008, 4:50 PM UTC) CurryWurst (7 replies, Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008, 9:51 PM UTC) Schöneberg or FRIEDRICHSHAIN - which district is better for a 2day stay? (8 replies, Monday, Jul 21, 2008, 2:34 PM UTC) Be the first to reply to these questions Net Cafe's with CD Burners (no replies yet, Saturday, Jun 7, 2008, 11:41 AM UTC) In Berlin 13th - 17th jan, looking to meet up with other travellers...... (no replies yet, Wednesday, Jan 2, 2008, 7:08 PM UTC) Timeout Guidebooks (no replies yet, Thursday, Jun 14, 2007, 3:37 AM UTC) » All Berlin Posts » Ask about Berlin Berlin: Central 5-Star Hotel w/FREE Upgrade, 50% OFF (0 comments, Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008, 6:41 PM UTC) Luxurious Swissôtel Berlin - 23% OFF (0 comments, Thursday, Jul 3, 2008, 12:20 AM UTC) 6-Day Tour + Accomodation in and around Berlin (0 comments, Sunday, Nov 25, 2007, 11:11 PM UTC) » All Berlin Deals » Post a Berlin Deal
|
Comments for diocletianvs about Berlin | | | | |
johnjoe55 Fri May 16, 2008 19:40 UTC Great pages on Berlin, great info and tip was in Berlin a while back I think I will be back, some great tips to work from this time. | grishaV1 Sun Feb 17, 2008 17:30 UTC Hackesche Hofe is great place to hang out and watch people, whether you are a local or a tourist, just have to be careful to hold on to your wallet in more ways than one LOL | doug48 Thu Nov 22, 2007 15:28 UTC niksa, excellent berlin page. i plan to visit berlin this spring and found your tips very helpful. regards, doug48 | Ekaterinburg Wed Nov 14, 2007 22:28 UTC I'll be following your trail in search of quirky architecture as train stations, rows of communist apartment blocks etc are all fascinating to me. Excellent blend of information, commentary and clear directions. A superb page :)) |
|
|