Berlin beckons
Brenda Watkinson explores this once divided city, now the capital of reunified Germany, and discovers that despite its turbulent past, Berlin is a vibrant and colourful European city.
Situated in the eastern part of Germany, Berlin has much to offer groups visiting the city. Museums and galleries, parks and gardens, historic buildings, modern architecture and, of course, the history of the Cold War, all make Berlin a fascinating city to explore.
Exploring the city sights
It is a good idea to arrange a guided tour of any capital city and Berlin is no exception. This will give your group a better understanding of the city and also an idea of what they might like to visit later on during their stay in the capital. Most attractions offer guided tours and discounted rates for groups if you plan to explore the capital together. Your members may also be interested in purchasing a Berlin WelcomeCard, which gives savings off attractions in both Berlin and Potsdam. It is available for either 48 or 72 hours.
One of the most famous streets in the city is Unter den Linden, which starts at Schlossplatz and runs down to Pariser Platz and the Brandenburg Gate. As well as many smart shops, restaurants and cafes, Unter den Linden features numerous notable buildings such as St Hedwig’s Cathedral, renowned for its bas-relief sculptures, and the Crown Prince’s Palace, a striking Neo-Classical building. The street originally took its name from the many lime trees planted in the 17th century (Unter der Linden means under the lime trees in German). Although the original trees were removed, four rows of these trees were replanted in 1946. The Brandenburg Gate at the end of the street is a dramatic sight. Built in 1795, it was modelled on the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens and now stands as a symbol of reunified Germany, having been restored between 2000 and 2002.
Nearby, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is a chilling reminder of the Holocaust. Opened in 2003, it comprises more than 2,700 concretes block as well as an underground information centre and exhibition on the genocide. Continuing on a similar theme, the Jewish Museum (Judisches Museum) also focuses on Jewish history and art and is housed in an architecturally impressive 20th century building. The long, narrow galleries with slanting floors and sharp zig-zag bends are designed to give the visitor a sense of loss and dislocation.
A short walk from the Museum, the Reichstag houses the German Parliament (Bundestag). Designed by Lord Norman Foster, the dramatic glass dome was added between 1995 and 1999. To identify all the main points of interest, don’t forget to pick up a free leaflet in English available at the entrance. If you take the lift to the top of the building, you will get a wonderful panoramic view of the city and you will also be able to walk up into the dome, constructed of steel, glass and mirrors and look down into the German Parliament. For something special, you might like to arrange a cup of coffee and cake or a glass of champagne in the rooftop restaurant.
Just west of Pariser Platz, Berlin’s largest park, the Tiergarten, can be found and gives groups an opportunity to enjoy some peace and quiet amongst the hustle and bustle of the capital. Once a royal hunting estate, the Tiergarten was converted into a landscaped park with lakes and streams at the beginning of the 19th century.
For animal lovers, there are two zoological gardens in Berlin. The Berlin Zoo, near the Tiergarten, is one of the largest in the world and one of the most popular attractions in the city. One of Germany’s first zoos, it was opened in 1844 and is now amongst the most important animal collections in the world, with around 19,000 animals and some 1,400 different species. The aquarium at the Zoo is also one of the largest in the world featuring an impressive number of species. Groups can either enter the Zoo through the Elephant Gate beside the aquarium in Budapester Straße, or through the Lion Gate on Hardenbergplatz.
Also of interest are the Zoological Gardens at Berlin-Friedrichsfelde, home to many rare species of animal and noted for its spacious enclosures. The Gardens are located in the historic parklands of Friedfrichsfelde Palace, which can also be visited, on the outskirts of the city.
Staying with the garden theme, in south west Berlin, the Botanic Garden Berlin-Dahlem is an excellent place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. It has over 22,000 different species of plants and as well as plants native to the Northern Hemisphere, the greenhouse complex features tropical and sup-tropical vegetation.
For marine life, on the northern bank of the River Spree, opposite the Berlin Cathedral, AquaDom and SeaLife Berlin features many of the local inhabitants of the River Spree and the Berlin Lakes as well as a lift (the Aquadom), which ascends and descends through a tunnel of exotic fish.
Berlin is also a city of museums, housing cultural treasures from all over the world. There are a total of 175 museums in Berlin but many visitors tend to concentrate on the five located at Museum Island. This long island located south of the River Spree was where the first settlers of Berlin established themselves at the beginning of the 13th century. On Museum Island, you will find the Bodemuseum, famous for its coin collection, the Altes Museum, housing a collection of Greek and Roman antiquities, the Neues Museum, currently closed for reconstruction work, but once open in 2009, will display mainly Egyptian art, the Alte Nationalgale, where you will find a selection of modern art and the Pergamonmuseum, well known for its reconstructions of ancient towns
Also on Museum Island, the Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom) is an important landmark. The present Neo-Baroque building dates from 1894 to 1905 although the original cathedral dated from the mid 18th century. The central copper dome is 321 feet high.
Directly opposite the Berlin Cathedral, the DDR Museum Berlin, opened in 2006, gives an excellent insight into life as it was in the German Democratic Republic through interactive displays.
Also on the north bank of the River Spree, you will see the Red Town Hall (Rotes Rathaus). Of particular interest is the continuous frieze around the outside known as the ‘stone chronicle’, which features scenes and figures from the city’s history.
Back on the south side of the River, another stop on a tour of Berlin should be Gendarmenmarkt square. The German Cathedral (Deutsches Dom) and the French Church (Franzosische Kirche) dominate this square. They are often referred to as ‘twin’ churches and seem identical, but their only similarity is actually their matching front towers. The French Church features a viewing platform 216 feet above the ground for excellent views of the city.
Another interesting church is the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, near the Kurfurstendamm shopping district. It was built at the end of the 19th century but destroyed in 1943. A modern church now stands besides its ruins.
Visible from all over Berlin and standing 368 metres high, Berlin’s highest building, the Television Tower, was begun in 1965 and can be found in Alexander Square (Alexanderplatz). As well as a viewing platform 666 feet above the ground, there is also a revolving café just above this. The full rotation takes about half an hour, making this a very special coffee stop. Groups should get to the attraction early as there can be long queues to ascend the Tower.
Built for the Prussian Empress, Sophie Charlotte, to the west of the city, Charlottenburg Palace is one the oldest palaces in Berlin. One of the highlights is the Porzellankabinett, an exquisite mirrored gallery, lined from top to bottom with fine displays of Japanese and Chinese porcelain.
For first-time visitors to Berlin, the infamous Berlin Wall (die Mauer) is a ‘must’. It was constructed by the East German government in 1961 to contain its citizens. Between this time and reunification at the end of 1989, more than 180 people were shot trying to cross the Wall. Originally 95 miles long, little more than one and a half miles of the Wall remains today. Known as the East Side Gallery, the longest remaining sector became an open air gallery in 1990 featuring the graffiti of 118 different artists from 21 countries. Around the city, you will also be able to see where the Wall once stood through markings on the ground.
Between 1961 and 1990, Checkpoint Charlie was the only crossing point for foreigners between East and West Berlin and was the point at which many East Germans tried to escape from the Communist regime. Little remains of the former crossing point but the replica checkpoint booth, complete with sand bags, is still a popular tourist attraction. Focusing on the Cold War border conflicts, the nearby museum, Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, displays a single watchtower, which is all that remains of this crossing point.
For a completely different perspective of the city, a trip on one of the many river cruisers makes an excellent outing. There are several boat operators offering various cruises including lunch and dinner packages. As you cruise along the River Spree, you will pass the St Nicholas Quarter (Nikolaiviertel), a popular place to stroll for both Berliners and visitors. The narrow streets of this quarter are packed with small shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. For groups interested in architecture, Berlin’s bridges are well worth adding to your itinerary. Crossing both the River Spree and the city’s canals, many of these bridges were designed and decorated by famous architects and sculptors. The most famous is the Schlossbrucke, linking Museum Island with Unter den Linden, while others include the Schleusenbrucke, the Jungfernbrucke and the Moltkebrucke.
Shopping and entertainment
Berlin also makes for plenty of good shopping opportunities. The most popular shopping streets are Kurfurstendamm and Friedrichstrasse, with their big department stores, although you will find smaller shops throughout the city. The biggest department store in the city is undoubtedly the Kaufhaus des Westens, better known as KaDeWe, on Tauentzienstrasse. Here, you will find high quality products for sale, sold by individual specialist shops within the store. Also not to be missed is the Galeries Lafayette, just south of Unter der Linden, in particular the food section, which sells a wide range of French specialities. Your group may also like to shop at Wertheim, (on Kurfurstendamm) which also offers views of the city from its top-floor restaurant.
Flea markets are also popular at the weekend. The Trodel-und Kunstmarkt, near the Tiergarten, and the Berliner Kunst-und Nostalgiemarkt on Museum Island are probably the largest but you do need to get there early (usually about 8am) to find a bargain.
Once a deserted wasteland, the area around Potsdamer Platz has been transformed into a new financial and business district since reunification. You cannot fail to be impressed by the dramatic architecture here, in particular the Sony Centre, built between 1996 and 2000, which includes restaurants, cafes, shops and a multiplex cinema and has the unusual feature of being curved on one side and flat on the other. As well this building, the area also has a large shopping centre, the Arkaden, along with many hotels and a theatre.
For groups looking for evening entertainment, the Philharmonic is home to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra whilst three opera houses, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, the Komische Oper and the Deutsche Oper Berlin offer a full programme of entertainment including ballet performances. Berlin also stages many regular festivals and concerts throughout the year.
Festive Berlin
As in most cities, Christmas is an exciting time in Berlin and for the fourth consecutive year, the ‘WinterMagic’ festival will take place throughout the capital from the end of October until the beginning of January. As well as various festive events, this includes the city’s Christmas markets. Berlin offers a choice of 60 different venues, all offering a different experience. On Gendarmenmarkt, the classic Christmas market WeihnachtsZauber is always popular whilst this year will be the first time in its 300-year history that a Christmas market is held in front of Charlottenburg Palace. As well as lots of stalls selling crafts, there will be historic carriage rides, themed exhibits in the palace and specialist lighting highlighting the historic period between 1815 and 1848 through projected images. The Christmas market held in the Sony Centre on Potsdamer Platz, meanwhile, is accompanied by another major attraction that runs alongside it, Winterwelt, Europe’s largest mobile toboggan run. Some of the Christmas markets have a small charge but many are free whilst some also offer discounts for groups on food and drink.
As well as the Christmas markets, just before the main festivities, from 16th to 28th October, the Festival of Lights will take place. Groups can admire around forty illuminated buildings as they are lit up in the evening throughout the event. GTOs might like to arrange an open-top bus tour taking in the major sights during this festival or, for the first time this year, cruise ships will also operate along the River Spree.
If you are planning to spend New Year’s Eve in Berlin, meanwhile, a major party is held at the Brandenburg Gate. This is said to be Germany’s largest open-air party with numerous shows, stages, DJ towers, dance floors, a Ferris wheel and an impressive firework show.
Out and about
A short drive from Berlin, the city of Potsdam makes a good full day excursion. Famous for the magnificent Park Sanssouci, one of the most beautiful palace complexes in Europe on the outskirts of the city, Potsdam suffered badly during WWII but the palaces miraculously escaped almost unscathed. The first building to be constructed in 1747 in the Park was Sanssouci Palace, built as the summer palace of Frederick the Great. Over the years, the Park was expanded and many other palaces and pavilions added. These included the Neues Palais, Schloss Charlottenhof and Schloss Babelsberg. Of particular historic interest is the Cecilienhof residence, which served as the venue for the Potsdam Conference in 1945 when the heads of government for Great Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union met. Groups can still inspect the rooms used for the Conference.
If possible, allow time to explore the city of Potsdam further with its beautifully restored Dutch Quarter in the centre. Dutch workers arrived in Potsdam in the early 18th century at the request of Friedrich Wilhelm I and a settlement was built for them. Built from red bricks and finished with stone and plaster detail, 134 gabled houses were constructed in the city.
How to get there
Berlin is easily reached by air from the UK with regular flights operating to Berlin’s Tegel and Schoenefeld airports. Air Berlin fly from London Stansted, Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast, British Airways from Heathrow, Easyjet from London Gatwick, London Luton, Bristol, Liverpool, Belfast and Glasgow, Ryanair from London Stansted and East Midlands and Jet2 from Manchester.
By rail, the easiest route is via Brussels. Regular Eurostar services operate from London Waterloo and Ashford in Kent to Brussels Midi, from where there are direct trains to Berlin with Deutsche Bahn.
By road, Berlin is just 722 miles from London traveling via the Channel ports and across Northern Germany.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Katrin Lukosch, German National Tourist Office
PO Box 2695, London W1A 3TN
Tel: 020 7317 0910
Fax: 020 7317 0917
Email: gntolon-trade@d-z-t.com
Web: www.germany-tourism.co.uk