Four Days In Berlin

Berlin Zoo (Zoologischer Garten Berlin)

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Attraction | "The Oldest Zoo in Germany"

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The Zoo in Berlin or otherwise known as the Zoologischer Garten is a major landmark in the city and whenever I have to meet anyone in Berlin I always tell them the directions to the Zoo as I think it is a good meeting point and the lion and elephant gates can't be missed. The Zoo is west of Berlin and it is also a U bahn and s-Bahn station as well as a departure point for several bus routes.The zoo is the oldest in Germany and situated in beautiful surroundings just opposite the station. It is set in 80 acres of ground and and even older than the zoo in Vienna, Paris and London. During the bombing that took place on November 23 in 1943 the zoo was very nearly destroyed and only just over...Read More

The Zoo in Berlin or otherwise known as the Zoologischer Garten is a major landmark in the city and whenever I have to meet anyone in Berlin I always tell them the directions to the Zoo as I think it is a good meeting point and the lion and elephant gates can't be missed. The Zoo is west of Berlin and it is also a U bahn and s-Bahn station as well as a departure point for several bus routes.

The zoo is the oldest in Germany and situated in beautiful surroundings just opposite the station. It is set in 80 acres of ground and and even older than the zoo in Vienna, Paris and London. During the bombing that took place on November 23 in 1943 the zoo was very nearly destroyed and only just over 90 animals survived. These days there are over 1,600 different species and about 14,000 mammals and birds, making it one of the largest and most impressive collection of animals in the world.

The main attractions are the carnivores, which live in the biggest enclosure in the world, a delightful area for nocturnal animals (underground), the bird house and the bear pits.

Everyone loves a giant panda and people flock to see these gracious and cuddly creatures. The monkey house which is my favourite house has some remarkable species such as orangutans, proboscis monkeys and gorillas (my husband's favourite). The big creatures like rhinoceros and elephants are worth visiting but the wonderful setting for the zoo has become a tourist attraction in its own right. Ancient trees, beautiful verdant expanses, trickling ponds and gurgling streams, not to the mention the restaurants and children's play areas, create a great destination for a day out.

Also, if visiting the zoo a trip to the aquarium is a must. It was built in 1913 and renovated in1980. I believe that this is also the biggest in Europe. The aquarium contains about 600 various species with just over 8.5 thousand creatures in total. Many of the displays have been specially built to recreate natural landscapes with rivers, fish and reptiles; alligators and mouth snapping crocodiles live in their natural habitat. The creepy crawly insect house contains a marvellous collection of spiders, scorpions and centipedes from all over the world.
The zoo is open every day from 9am until 6 .30pm and the aquarium is open from 9am until 6pm.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 27, 2009

Berlin Zoo (Zoologischer Garten Berlin)
Hardenbergplatz 8
Berlin, Germany 10623
49 (0)30-254 01-0

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Dwin Restaurant

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Restaurant | "When Visiting the Dwin Take Your Inhaler"

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Berlin is one of my favourite cities to visit and since there are a variety of cheap air operators flying to the city it makes it easy to hop on a plane and visit regularly. Berlin is a vibrant city offering history, culture, art and nightlife. A sprawling metropolis packed with towering flat blocks, roads of exquisite shops and boutiques, cinemas, theatres, museums - everything you could ever wish to see packed into this great city. However, my review today is not about the city but about a restaurant I visited in the Kurfurstendamm area (Ku Damm for short). Although Berlin is a large city it is very easy to find your way around and there are a plethora of hotels and restauran...Read More

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on July 15, 2008

Dwin Restaurant
Uhlandstrasse 157
Berlin 10719
+49 (0)30 881 29 15

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A Distinguished Silhouette over the Landwehrkanal

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Last year when I visited Berlin on a 4 day trip, the Bauhaus-Archive Museum was one of the great museums in the city I chose to visit. The museum is situated by the Landwehrkanal which runs parallel to the River Spree in Berlin. The building is one of Walter Gropius' later designs who was the founder of the Bahaus movement. It was built from 1976 to 1979 in Berlin on the flattest piece of land near the canal. The design is similar to the building that had already been built in Darmstadt. Gropius had always wanted his work to be admired in the city of Berlin. The distinguished silhouette of the building is admirable indeed but once inside the building it is a different story. The inside of ...Read More

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Berlin Plaza Hotel

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Hotel | "Three Star Hotel Close to Berlin's Famous Boulevard"

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The Berlin Plaza Hotel is situated on a side street leading to Kurfurstendamm which is one of the most popular boulevards in Berlin where Berliners like to stroll and be seen.Knesebeckstrasse is a very different sort of street - you could say a litlle jaded and what I will always remember are the bright pink pipes which are quite wide and dominant and run up and down most buildings on the street. I never did find out what they were actually for - heating I think.This 3 star hotel sits very nearly on the end of Knesebeckstrasse and it is well situated for many attractions such as the Zoo and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. The nearest underground station, Uhlandstrasse U Bah...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on May 19, 2009

Berlin Plaza Hotel
Knesebeckstrasse 63
Berlin, Germany 10719
+49 (30) 884 130

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El Dorado

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Restaurant | "A Touch of Real Andalucia on Kurfurstendamm"

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The first night of our stay in Berlin we chose to eat in the Berlin Plaza's Hotel but from then on decided we would eat out every night because there are so many wonderful and varied restaurants in Berlin. Taking a walk down Kurfurstendamm, or down Ku'damm as the locals call it, is an enthralling experience. A beautiful boulevard full of cafes, restaurants and high class boutiques. We hadn't walked far when we came across a Spanish restaurant called El Dorado. From the outside the interior looked very bright, warm and welcoming and as we knew steak would be on the menu due to the fact that it says STEAKHOUSE in huge neon lights on the front facade we decided to give it a go.On entering the...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on May 22, 2009

El Dorado
Kurfürstendamm 203-205
Berlin
+49 (30) 8892-6582

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