To the German People.... and other Berlin, Germany Things to Do Tips

.... and anyone else who can be bothered to queue up for hours outside...

Originally the seat of Parliament of the former German Empire, built in 1894 was completely renovated by Sir Norman Foster in 1999 and is once again the home of the Deutscher Bundestag.

As time was of the essence, I couldn't bring myself to queue indefinitely although on another trip I might. I stood around for quite some time but didn't see the line move once so I don't know how long it takes to actually get inside the building.

Please check the link for more information about the history.

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Phone: 22 73 21 52
Address: Platz der Republik, Berlin-Tiergarten
Directions: Bus 100
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_(building)

A beautiful square in what was east Berlin containing the Konzerthaus and Franzoesischer Dom in true Prussian imperialist style!

The concert hall was destroyed during the Second World War but completely restored in the '80s, although the original building had a stage and auditorium.

It's a nice place to sit with a cold drink on a warm day and people-watch :)

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Address: Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin-Mitte
Directions: U-Bahn: Stadtmitte

I didn't go in but the interior of the church originally built in 1895 contains the Cross of Nails from the people of Coventry, the beautiful mosaics and the Stalingrad Madonna. If only one had more time to visit all these places!!!

The old church was bombed during the Second World War and the outer walls have been allowed to remain standing and contains a small museum. The new churches were built in the 1960's

The people of Berlin love to give their famous buildings nick-names, and I remember our teacher telling us that the old and new churches were called "The Lipstick and the Powderpuff".

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

..... but I had been walking already for miles and it was hot and it was pleasant to sit on the almost empty bus and listen to someone telling me all about the city as we drove around... It's not a crime is it ?? :))

This particular tour is the "hop on hop off kind" which can be picked up around the city - ask the guide for more info - I just got on and stayed on for the full 1 & 3/4 hour tour - there is a 15 minute break where the guide gives his voice a rest and I shot off down the road to take photos of something else we had just passed and then ran back to the shop for a bottle of water and bar of chocolate!

The tour is 15E for adults - and the guide speaks English and German

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Address: Starting point is Ku'Damm
Directions: The bus can be picked up in several places around the city - check the website for more details
Website: http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/sightseeing/e_si_stadterkundungen_bus.php

Dating from 1788-91, the "Gate of Peace" designed by Karl Gotthard Langhans is probably one of Berlin's most well known landmarks.

During the early 70's when I lived here in Berlin it was of course impossible to walk through the arches as the Berlin Wall ran directly in front of it and only the top was visible from the west. It's very different now thankfully.

It was funny being asked by an American guy to take his picture, standing in front of the gate where the Quadriga faces east. He spoke to me in his best German - I didn't bother explaining that I wasn't.

Mein Hosts informed me that during the 90's the Pariser Platz on the east side had been transformed into the busy thriving area it is now with the Hotel Adlon and Academy of Arts. Here you can also pick up one of the many Rickshaws that dart around the city.

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Address: Pariser Platz, Berlin-Mitte
Directions: S-Bahn: Unter den Linden, Bus 100
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_Gate

As a child I had been taken to Berlin Zoo, on a few occasions so, although not a big fan of zoos generally, I decided it would be fun to have another look around and see if things had changed at all. Apart from the recent birth of an immensely popular little German, the baby polar bear Knut, nothing here seemed very different.

Knut fans old and young had crowded into the zoo in the hope of seeing him, but mostly this small, maybe 2 weeks old bear cub could only be seen via an outdoor screen. I'm not sure when exactly he was born but my brother seemed to think it must be several months ago - quite how long Berlin Zoo will profit from marketing him as a cute, cuddly bundle of white fluff, I don't know, but surely even a child will be able to work out that he must by now be a slightly yellowing, not-so cute, gangly, moody pubescent-bear? Anyway, there are the ubiquitous "I Heart Knut" t-shirts and keyrings and mugs and god knows what else everywhere for sale in Berlin, not only in the zoo.

Knut Update! - Spiegel.de

It costs an adult 11E to get into the zoo and 16E if you want to see the aquarium too. There are a couple of restaurants with pleasant outdoor areas serving hot and cold food and drinks.

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Address: Tiergarten
Directions: Get off the train at "Zoo".
Website: http://www.zoo-berlin.de/en.html

Part of the boat trip took us past the German Parliament building - The Bundestag (Federal Chancellory) - affectionately known to those nickname-loving-inhabitants-of-Berlin as "The Washing Machine". The official names of the Bundestag buildings are The Paul-Loebe Haus and The Marie-Elisabeth Lueders Haus.

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Address: Paul Loebe Allee
Directions: Near the Reichstag
Website: http://www.bundestag.de/index.html

Aug 1961 - Oct 1989.

In between years the city was divided - East and West Berliners were cut off from their jobs, friends, and family overnight (unless they were of retirement age when they were able to travel freely.)

There now are a few remaining sections left as a kind of memorial. But only a very few, ie around 40 meters or so. If you look in the road on 17 Juni Strasse around the Brandenburg gate you will see a line of red brick embedded in the tarmac - this red line represents where the wall stood for 28 years.

During the four years I lived in Berlin in the early 70's, I was frequently taken on school trips and family trips to see The Wall - and will always remember the sad little memorials placed alongside it, for the East Berliners who had been shot whilst attempting to escape.

Check the website for an indepth history.

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Address: Berlin
Directions: Central
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Wall

The German History Museum on Unter den Linden occupies the Kronprinzenpalais and is free to visitors. All the information detailing opening times and current exhibitions is contained in the website link.

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Address: Unter den Linden
Directions: Berlin Mitte
Website: http://www.dhm.de/ENGLISH/index.html

In May 1933 this quiet university square was the scene of Nazi student book burning... the plaque in the photo reads:

"In the middle of this square Nazi students burned the works of hundreds of free writers, literary critics, philosophers and scientists"

I came across this memorial when I saw a small group of people huddled together in the centre of the square looking down on the ground. After they had moved away I decided to find out what they were looking at.

Situated in the cobbles, at your feet, is a large square window - when you look through the window your shadow is reflected in a bright square of light several feet below. There you can see a room - a cellar... and in the cellar you can see white book shelves.. row upon row.... all empty.

"Where they burn books, they will end in burning human beings." ("Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen.") Heinrich Heine - German author - 1821

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Address: Unter den Linden
Directions: Opernplatz
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_burning