Four Days in Berlin

Checkpoint Charlie and the museum right there are well worth visting.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

I arrived at Tegel Airport and bought a 3-day public transportation "Welcome Card" for 22 euros. Purchase one at the Lufthansa City Center opposite Gate 3. You get 3 days of unlimited travel on buses and subways. Also available at Berlin Tourist Centers.

The buffet on the top floor of this huge department store is a sight to see. You won't go hungry here, and the atmosphere is very pleasant. Don't miss it! After you eat, go down one level and stroll the food halls that sell just about any kind of food you can imagine.

If the Berlin Wall fascinates you, this is a must-see. I copied down some of the important addresses (like Tunnel 57 on Bernauer Street) and went in search of them. Bernauer Street has a lot of history: the infamous bakery, the Reconciliation Church, escapes from apartment windows, etc. Pick a detailed map of the Wall in a souvenir shop and explore on your own.

This is a very interesting museum that literally "walks" you through the history of this great city. Don't miss the underground bunker that was built in the 1970s to hold almost 3,600 people in the event of a nuclear attack. This museum is open until 8pm, and the last bunker tour is at 6pm. I arrived at 5:45pm, went on the bunker tour, and then had the museum itself mostly to myself. It is well worth seeing!

Take the subway to either Ostbahnhof or Warschauser Street. The East Side Gallery is about a 1-mile stretch of the Wall, and it is intact and recently renovated in some parts.

Chaustrasse Gate was a major checkpoint between East and West Berlin, and the subway stop to reach it is Schwartzkopff St. The only indication of the Wall's presence is a small plaque in the street and an information sign on the sidewalk. You can see where the wall was: there are double bricks crossing the road that indicate its former presence. The Watch Tower, a 15-minute walk from there, is now a memorial to Gunther Litvin, and Gunther's brother is the curator of the Tower. This is one of the last observation towers left standing, and you can climb the ladder to the third floor observation area. Close by is the Invaliden Cemetery, which is a historic cemetery partly destroyed in the Cold War.

This is a one-hour city sightseeing tour by specially designed (panoramic) train that circles the entire city. Reservations are required, so check the S Train (subway) ticket offices (I went to the one in Ostbahnof). It only operates on weekends and sells out in advance. The onboard announcements are in German only, but you will be a given a map and can follow along. This trip lets you experience the size and diverse beauty of the city, and it lasts about an hour. Costs is about 14 or 15 euros.

Visit the Reichstag, which is the building housing the German parliament. It is open until 10 or 11 at night, and admission is free. The observation globe at the top of the building is quite spectacular, and you walk around and up the globe until you reach the top. There are sometimes long lines, so you may want to get here in the evening after 6 or 7pm to get a night view of the city. The Reichstag is near the Brandenburger Tor.