I really enjoyed Berlin. Once a jewel in the Imperial crown, Berlin was left to languish in the chaotic period after World War Two, becoming more a centre for espionage and intrigue than a tourist stopover. One of the ways you can explore this interesting past is to trace the path along the former Berlin Wall, along PotsdamerPlatz, Checkpoint Charlie, and the fantastic look out point at The Berlin Wall Documentation Center on Bernauer Strasse.
With the toppling of The Berlin Wall in 1989 Berlin tried to reassert itself as Germany’s leading city. Town planners and architects got together to solve the Berlin Problem: reunifying two parts of a very divided city that evolved under different ideals and had two of everything (two zoos, two airports). Now Berlin would seem incomplete without its Communist erected buildings, like the Fernsehturm television-tower and apartment complexes around Alexanderplatz. These buildings remain fascinating reminders of a time when iron-fisted politics ruled all and strolling among them gives visitors a real sense of what it must have been like to live under strict Eastern German rule.
Today Berlin is almost a totally modern city, not really surprising when you find out that 90% of the city was destroyed in the bombings of WWII. It’s a far cry from a ruinous bomb site though – it has some of the most fantastic architecture I’ve ever seen. What was once one of the world’s deadliest boarders is now a tranquil pedestrianised path where Berliners ride bikes and push baby strollers. Modern architects have been given free rein in formerly run-down areas, especially in the new Parliament Quarter and the area around the Sony Centre and PostdamerPlatz. Norman Foster’s modern glass dome sits pleasantly on the Reichstag (the German Parliament), well worth the (free) trip up the elevator for 360 degree, bird’s eye views of Berlin. Berlin also has some of the finest museums in Europe. The Pergamon Museum is worth the trip to Berlin alone, offering unparalleled reconstructions of ancient temples and monumental city gates.
Berlin is not Europe’s most well-preserved city, parts that weren’t heavily bombed in the war were ruined as Western and Eastern parts of Berlin became divided. Some older parts of the city manages to escape the wreckage: The Brandenburg Tor, Museum Island (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Tiergarten gardens, several churches and main boulevards (like the lovely, tree-lined Unter der Linden).
Quick Tips:
An early visit to the top of the Reichstag is certainly one of the best ways to get one’s bearings. The trip to the top is quick, but with increased security measures it’s best to go early in the morning to avoid long queues. The dome and roof terrace are generally open daily from 8am to midnight (last admission is at 10pm), but there are periods when it’s closed to visitors. A quick check on the website
www.bundestag.de should reveal whether it’s open during your visit. There’s a very helpful kiosk desk at the point where you start queuing. They have free, multiple language leaflets describing the history of the building and a map describing what you’ll see when you get to the top – very useful for orientating yourself.
I’m glad we checked the weather before we went and it might be a good idea to do the same before you leave too as the weather systems over Europe, and especially Germany, can vary widely. We stepped off the plane in May into glorious, 32 degree C, sunny weather. A far cry from the 17 degree C weather we had back in London. BBC’s website (
www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=0050) and Eurometeo (
www.eurometeo.com) are generally quite reliable.
Best Way To Get Around:
Berlin’s comprehensive public transportation system consists of trams, buses, U-Bahn and S-Bahn trains. The network is run like clockwork by the Public Transportation company – the BVG – which has an informative website at
www.bvg.de/index.php/en/Bvg/Start. The website allows you to print out detailed network maps, create detailed journey planners and download information on the various discount cards available for your stay.
Tickets are either dispensed from ticket machines inside S and U-Bhan stations or are issued directly from bus drivers. If you buy tickets from a ticket machine you MUST STAMP the TICKET to validate it, otherwise you’re likely to get fined.
Most hotels and sightseeing is located in zones A and B of the travel network. The most basic ticket is a Single Ticket which is valid for two hours and allows you to travel in one direction, with unlimited transfers, using buses, trams, S-Bahn, U-Bahn trains and all regional rail transport and ferries. The price of a Single Ticket is 2,10 euros.
If you’re planning on using Public Transport a lot on a particular day it may be best to go for a Day Ticket which allows you to travel as often as you want until 3am. It costs 6,10 Euro for zones A an B and is easiest to get from a ticket machine – especially if you don’t speak any German like us!