Berlin Journals

"Achtung Baby" Berlin in October

An October 2002 trip to Berlin by Kathy

Hotel Pension Kastanienhof Photo - Hotel Pension Kastanienhof, Berlin, Germany More Photos
Quote: Berlin had been on our list of cities that we really wanted to visit. It was rather cold the week we were there but we did manage to enjoy most of the highlights of Berlin, except the zoo.

"Achtung Baby" Berlin in October

Best Of IgoUgo

Overview

Train  Photo - Berlin, Germany
Quote:
We spent 5 days in Berlin. The highlights were the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and Charlottenburg Palace. Also the churches and the Reichstag.Quick Tips: See my info about getting to hotel, we took bus to Zoo station then train to Hackersher Markt and then tram to hotel but we should have just taken a taxi. You definitely need a good city map and a metro map but with that you can find you way around no problem at all. The U-bahn and S-Bahn can be confusing because there are some stations that have both but often you have to walk outside and around to get from the S to the U or the other way around, but once you get the hang of it there isn't a problem.Best Way To Get Around: Ge...Read More
Hotel Pension Kastanienhof Photo - Hotel Pension Kastanienhof, Berlin, Germany
Quote:
See the hotel website here. We paid €108.00 for a non-smoking room facing the back, but they had less expensive rooms. In Oct 2002, €108.00 was just about US$97.00. Check out the website--there are pictures of the rooms and they really look like the website pictures. The room we had was very nice and the location was very quiet. Breakfast (included) was wonderful, with lots of wonderful breads and pastries, fruit, cheese, cold cuts, yogurt, and cereal. The only drawback was that there were no restaurants close to hotel, but Hackesher Market was only three tram stops away, and the tram runs often. The best way to get to the hotel ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 15, 2003

Hotel Pension Kastanienhof
Kastanienalle 65
Berlin, Germany
30-44-30-50

Rocco's

Restaurant

Rocco's Photo - Rocco's, Berlin, Germany
Quote:
Walking into Rocco's, we were warmly greeted and asked where we wanted to sit. The service here was excellent. We had pizza and wine on the first night we ate there and it was about €20.00. We went back three nights later and our waiter remembered us and gave us good service again. We had pasta and wine this time and it was excellent and cost us about €24.00.

The restaurant had warm, dark wood and a fireplace going the night we were there. I also noticed some outdoor tables, but it was October--I presume you can dine al fresco in the nicer weather.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 15, 2003

Rocco's
Hackesher Markt
Berlin, Germany

Tram Photo - Kilkenny's Irish Pub, Berlin, Germany
Quote:
I know no matter where we go in Europe we can usually find an Irish pub. The atmosphere was typical and the food was pub food. They have quite a selection of good Irish beers like Guinness and Kilkenny. It seems the Kilkenny is almost impossible to find.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on February 15, 2003

Kilkenny's Irish Pub
Hackesher Market
Berlin, Germany

The Reichstag/German Parliament

Attraction | "Reichstag Buildingl"

Reichstag Photo - The Reichstag/German Parliament, Berlin, Germany
Quote:
The Reichstag, the seat of the German Parliament, is one of Berlin's most historical landmarks. It is close to the Brandenburg Gate and before the unification, it was right next to the wall.

In April 1999, the seat of German government was transferred back from Bonn to Berlin. Now that Germany is unified, the Parliament will be here in Berlin.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 15, 2003

The Reichstag/German Parliament
Platz Der Republik
Berlin, Germany 10557
+49 30 2273 2152

Brandenburg Gate

Attraction

Brandenburg Gate Photo - Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany
Quote:
The Brandenburg Gate was commisioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II to represent peace. The main architectural design of this landmark hasn't changed since it was first constructed in 1791.

The Brandenburg gate is probably the most well-known landmark in Berlin. It now stands as a symbol of the reunification of the two sides of this great city.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 15, 2003

Brandenburg Gate
Pariser Platz
Berlin, Germany

Kurfurstendamm (Ku'damm)

Attraction | "Kurfurstendamm (Ku' Damm)"

Berlin bear Photo - Kurfurstendamm (Ku'damm), Berlin, Germany
Quote:
This is the most elegant street in Berlin. There are lots of fine shops and restaurants here. There are also quite a few places to stop and relax and have a cup of coffee or drink. What we did was get off at Zoo Station and walk up the street; you could get off at the other end and walk that way also.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 3, 2003

Kurfurstendamm (Ku'damm)
Kurfurstendamm Karree
Berlin, Germany 10707

Fernsehturm Berlin

Attraction | "Fernsehturm (TV Tower)"

TV Tower Photo - Fernsehturm Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Quote:
This is the city's tallest structure at 353 meters, or 1,197 feet. It is the second-tallest structure in Europe, after the Warsaw Palace of Culture. There is a viewing platform and a tele-cafe that rotates every half hour to give a bird's-eye view of the city. There are small elevators and therefore also long waits. On clear days, visibility can reach 25 miles.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 3, 2003

Fernsehturm Berlin
Panoramastraße 1A Alexanderplatz
Berlin, Germany 10178
+49 30 242 33 33

Berliner Dom

Attraction

Berliner Dom Photo - Berliner Dom, Berlin, Germany
Quote:
This is the Protestant cathedral, which was built from 1747 to 1750 as a church and mausoleum for the Hohenzollern family. The rich, impressive interior was decorated at the turn of the 20th century. The pulpit is quite elaborate, and the stained glass has depictions of the Ascension. The main altar dates from 1850. I took the tour and walked to the top of the dome and took some pictures. This was well worth the trip.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 3, 2003

Berliner Dom
Lustgarten
Berlin, Germany 10178
+49 30 20 26 90

Nikolaikirche

Attraction

Nikolaikirche Photo - Nikolaikirche, Berlin, Germany
Quote:
This is the oldest sacred building in Berlin. The original structure was built around 1230. What remains now of this stone building is the massive base of the two-tower facade, which dates back to 1300. More construction was done, and the Gothic-looking church remained the same. In 1945, the church was bombed and then restored in 1987. Today, it houses an exhibition covering the history of Berlin, featuring items that escaped the ravages of war.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 3, 2003

Nikolaikirche
Nikolaikirchplatz
Berlin, Germany

Berlin Museum

Attraction | "Story of Berlin Museum"

Part of the wall Photo - Berlin Museum, Berlin, Germany
Quote:
Notice the address. When walking the K'Damm as they call it we were in the very low numbers like 20, and thought we would never get to our museum. But just cross the street and the numbers were in the 200s.

This was our last day in Berlin and I wanted to go to the zoo, but it was cold so we went here. I really enjoyed it - lots of history and they even have a simulated bomb shelter that can be toured. This museum is in kind of a mall so you have to look for it, but it was well worth it. The website is in German so it's not real informative.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on February 18, 2003

Berlin Museum
207-208 Kurfurstendamm
Berlin, Germany D-10099
+49 (0)30 2093-8591

Checkpoint Charlie Museum

Attraction | "Checkpoint Charlie House"

Checkpoint Charlie Haus Photo - Checkpoint Charlie Museum, Berlin, Germany
Quote:
This was one of the highlights of the trip, we spent more than two hours here. They don't allow pictures inside, but seeing the ingenious ways people tried to get over the wall was so interesting, sometimes they didn't make it and they had a memorial to some who didn't.

One person was in the front of Volkswagen beetle, one lady smuggled her three-year-old kid in a backpack the size of the school book bag. Hard to believe these things until you see them.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 18, 2003

Checkpoint Charlie Museum
Friedrichstrasse 43
Berlin, Germany 10969
+49 30 25 37 25 0

Schloss Charlottenburg

Attraction | "Charlottenburg Palace"

The main palace Photo - Schloss Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany
Quote:
Frederick III built this for his wife Charlotte between 1695 and 1699. After Frederick became the first Prussian King in 1701, the Palace was extended into a stately building. This is a fine example of baroque architechture. Besides the main palace there is the summer palace and the newer addition, also the gardens and the mauseleum.

The €7 gave us a combination ticket which included the main palace, the new wing, the kings rooms and the mauseleum, and the summer palace.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 18, 2003

Schloss Charlottenburg
Spandauer Damm 20
Berlin, Germany 14059
+49 33 19 69 42 02

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche

Attraction | "Kaiser-Wilhelm Church"

Kaiser-Wilhelm Church Photo - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, Berlin, Germany
Quote:
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche or Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is one of Berlin's most famous landmarks. The damaged tower is a symbol of Berlin's resolve to rebuild the city after the war and a constant reminder of the destruction of war. It is located at Breitscheidplatz, the center of former West Berlin. The Ku'damm shopping streetis right there and it makes a nice walk to check out all the shops.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 17, 2003

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche
Breitscheidplatz
Berlin, Germany 10789
+49 30 218 50 23