40th Birthday in Berlin

Alexanderplatz

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Attraction | "Sightseeing at the Alex "

Fernsehturm at the Alex Photo - Alexanderplatz, Berlin, Germany

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The Berlin of my imagination is 1920s and early 1930s Berlin; the Berlin of Sally Bowles and Cabaret and smoky nightclubs. At the heart of that Berlin were the Alexanderplatz and the Potsdamer Plat, and being an ardent fan of Christopher Isherwood’s writing (author of 'Goodbye to Berlin') hearing the name Alexanderplatz always conjures up his stories and characters in my mind. Of course, today’s Alexanderplatz is a far cry from the one depicted by Isherwood. It would be: this part of Berlin was heavily damaged by allied bombing during World War Two and after the war the Alexanderplatz was in that part of Berlin under the command of the Soviets. In the 1960s the East Germans decided to make...Read More

The Berlin of my imagination is 1920s and early 1930s Berlin; the Berlin of Sally Bowles and Cabaret and smoky nightclubs. At the heart of that Berlin were the Alexanderplatz and the Potsdamer Plat, and being an ardent fan of Christopher Isherwood’s writing (author of 'Goodbye to Berlin') hearing the name Alexanderplatz always conjures up his stories and characters in my mind.

Of course, today’s Alexanderplatz is a far cry from the one depicted by Isherwood. It would be: this part of Berlin was heavily damaged by allied bombing during World War Two and after the war the Alexanderplatz was in that part of Berlin under the command of the Soviets. In the 1960s the East Germans decided to make the Alexanderplatz a showcase of socialist design and erected some pretty hideous concrete eyesores.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall the face of the Alexanderplatz has changed again but in contrast with some other areas of East Berlin, it’s still pretty obvious that this square was in East Berlin. It’s certainly not one of the more aesthetically appealing parts of the city but, as a major transport hub and with a number of popular attractions in the area, few tourists come to Berlin without crossing the Alexanderplatz at least once or twice.

Originally a cattle market, there’s been a meeting and trading place on this site since medieval times, when it was outside the city proper. The Alexanderplatz was given its name to commemorate a visit in 1805 of the Russian Emperor Frederick I; today the locals simply call it the Alex. In the 1960s several commercial buildings were constructed here, some of which still stand, re-vamped. Dominating the square is the Fernsehturm (the television tower) the second tallest structure in Europe; for me, the Alexanderplatz will typify East German Berlin whatever other changes are made, as long as the Fernsehturm still stands.

It is the Fernsehturm that is the most recognisable symbol of the Alexanderplatz. Nicknamed the ‘Tele-spargel’ (the toothpick), it was built in 1969 and remains one of the tallest structures in Europe at 365 metres. A lift takes visitors up to a viewing platform at 203 metres and a restaurant at 207 metres. We only saw big queues to go up to the viewing platform and decided not to waste our time queuing; later in the trip we took the lift to the viewing platform at the Panoramapunkt at the Potsdamerplatz where there was no queue and the cost was considerably less, though as far as iconic experiences are concerned, I can understand why people still want to do the Fernsehturm.

Another sight on the Alex is the World Clock, a structure that is some ten metres tall but still manages to look somewhat squat to me. A revolving cylinder shows all the international time zones and the major cities within each one and from this you can find the time anywhere in the world (so long as you actually know where the place is!). Perched on the top is an orrery (a model of the solar system) which revolves once a minute. It makes me smile to think that projects like this which connect people (at least notionally) in a global way were conceived at a time when East Germans were denied the freedom to travel at will. (Also on the Alex is the ‘Haus des Reisens’ (the House of Travel), an ugly building which seems needlessly vast when you consider how few East Germans actually did get to travel.) When the clock was renovated as part of a regeneration of the Alex in 1997, the cities of Jerusalem, St. Petersburg and Cape Town had been removed.

The Fountain of International Friendship was dedicated in 1970 and was created by a group of artists led by Walter Womack; I understand it was renovated about ten years ago but to me it looked rather dated and sadly neglected. The outer ring, where the water pools, measures 23 metres and water cascades down a series of ugly shelves of different heights. An ugly tiled frieze depicts a series of painted images of birds, flower and plants. Perhaps once it was lovely, today it looks rather sad. The Alex is not really a square with lots of places provided to sit so the outer wall of the fountain tends to be the place where people find a place to rest their legs.

There are one or two newer buildings which have been erected since reunification but they are, in my opinion, uninspiring and unmemorable. The partial regeneration of the square was overseen by Hans Kollhoff, the man responsible for the massive redesign of the Potsdamerplatz. I’m not mad on what his team came up with for the Potsdamerplatz so it’s hardly surprising that I’m rather underwhelmed by the Alexanderplatz, a large open space that could really handle a statement project. For me there’s nothing that overshadows the iconic honey-comb facade of the former ‘Centrum Warenhaus’, once the largest department store in East Germany and now part of the famous Kaufhaus group.

We skirted the Alexanderplatz a couple of times during our four day stay in Berlin and on Sunday morning we lingered there a little longer as we made our way towards the cluster of museums nearby on the banks of the River Spree. It was December and the Christmas markets were in full swing around the city; there are Christmas markets wherever there is enough space to swing a proverbial cat but the one at Alexanderplatz was one of the larger ones we saw and it was extended by the presence of a funfair with rides and sideshows. Personally I don’t care a great deal for the Christmas markets; usually when you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all and this was the case in Berlin where each market seems to be selling the same stuff as any other. Still, the stuff is quite nice and tends to be of a reasonable quality so if you are looking for souvenirs then the Christmas markets will probably have something that appeals.

One place that did catch my eye was an Alpine style wooden chalet plonked on the edge of the Alexanderplatz. As I passed by the windows the twinkling of a million glittery Christmas tree decorations caught my eye and, like a magpie, I couldn’t resist. Lauschaer Glaskugelhaus has literally hundreds of different designs from simple spheres and teardrop shapes to baubles shaped like a slice of cake, a curvaceous lady in basque and suspenders and even a glittery Brandenburg Gate. I couldn’t resist and came away with lots of presents for family and friends and treats for our own tree; of course, learning that its a German tradition to hang one on the tree, I had to include a little glass gherkin among my purchases.

Although you wouldn’t make a point of visiting the Alexanderplatz just for the sake of it, there are plenty of things of interest to spot when you do happen to cross the square and it is one of the iconic spots in the city in terms of history. In November 1989, during the ‘Peaceful Revolution’ the Alex was the scene of the largest ever demonstration in East Germany, with estimates of attendance varying between half a million and a million (irrespective of the precise number, it was definitely the largest such rally); the demonstration was organised by East German actors and other theatrical professionals and it was notable in that it was the first demonstration organised by private individuals that was given permission by the authorities. If you’re interested in recent German history it’s worth taking the time to find out about the buildings and features of the Alex rather than simply passing through on the way to somewhere else. It may not be the prettiest part of Berlin but it's certainly one of the most interesting.

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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 22, 2012

Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz
Berlin, Germany 10178

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Brandenburg Gate

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Attraction | "War & Peace"

The Brandenburg Gate Photo - Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany

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Berlin's Brandenburg Gate ('Brandenburger Tor' in German) is not only one of the best known landmarks in Germany, it is symbolic more generally of the fall of the 'Iron Curtain' and those old enough will surely recall the momentous scenes as the Berlin Wall was breached and thousands of East Germans flooded through the gate and into the West. It was for these associations that I wanted to see the Brandenburg Gate for myself when I visited Berlin at the end of 2011; yes, it's a very impressive and historic monument and was long before it became part of the Berlin Wall, but its place in the events that led to the fall of Communism across eastern and central Europe gives it an indirect significance in th...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 4, 2012

Brandenburg Gate
Pariser Platz
Berlin, Germany

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DDR Museum

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Attraction | "East Side Story"

Potty Time Photo - DDR Museum, Berlin, Germany

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One of the things I loved about the movie ‘Goodbye Lenin’ was the lengths that Alex and his sister go to in order to redecorate their apartment to convince their mother, when she comes out of a long coma, that they’re still living in the ‘old days’ of Communist East Germany. Desperately they seek out cheap furniture, nylon clothes and even empty Spreewald pickle jars, all those things we now regard as kitsch and retro.Berlin’s "Museum of the DDR" (DDR standing for Deutsche Demokratische Republik) has all these things and much more. This well presented exhibition looks at all aspects of life in East Germany from childhood and education, through the teenage years, and into adulthood. It cove...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 12, 2012

DDR Museum
Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 1
Berlin, Germany
+4930-847 123 73

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Checkpoint Charlie Museum

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Attraction | "Charting the Great Escape at the Mauermuseum"

Checkpoint Charlie Museum Photo - Checkpoint Charlie Museum, Berlin, Germany

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Also known as the ‘Mauermuseum’, the ‘Museum am Haus Checkpoint Charlie’ is one of Berlin’s most popular tourist attractions. It’s so popular, in fact, that there was a long queue stretching outside the doors and down the street when we visited on a freezing Saturday in December. The museum looks at the history of the Berlin Wall, why it was built, how it affected the lives of the people of Berlin and how desperate people tried to get over the wall to escape from ‘the east, and how the wall came to be torn down. It’s housed in a building that overlooks Checkpoint Charlie, one of the fortified gates between the two sides of the city, and which was itself a place where escape plans were hatc...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 4, 2012

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

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Panoramapunkt

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Attraction | "Birds' Eye Berlin"

View from the Panorama Punkt Photo - Panoramapunkt, Berlin, Germany

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There are a number of places to visit that give a bird’s eye view of Berlin. There’s the glass dome of the Reichstag but tickets for that must be obtained in advance online; then there’s the iconic television tower at the Alexanderplatz but it’s not cheap and queues were immense when went past on a Sunday morning. You do get a good view – though from a distance – from the monument on the hill at Kreuzberg and it has the bonus of being free; however, when we visited it was starting to get dark and the view was deteriorating. Fortunately we discovered the Panoramapunkt, a viewing platform that’s part of an office building - the Kollhoff Tower - at the Potsdamer Platz, just across the road f...Read More

There are a number of places to visit that give a bird’s eye view of Berlin. There’s the glass dome of the Reichstag but tickets for that must be obtained in advance online; then there’s the iconic television tower at the Alexanderplatz but it’s not cheap and queues were immense when went past on a Sunday morning. You do get a good view – though from a distance – from the monument on the hill at Kreuzberg and it has the bonus of being free; however, when we visited it was starting to get dark and the view was deteriorating.

Fortunately we discovered the Panoramapunkt, a viewing platform that’s part of an office building - the Kollhoff Tower - at the Potsdamer Platz, just across the road from the Sony Centre. Although it’s nowhere near as exciting as the teletower, it is much cheaper and when we visited on a Monday morning, there were only a handful of other tourists there.

Today's Potsdamer Platz is filled with gleaming modern buildings and this one was named after the architect Hans Kollhoff; he was one of the team of architects, led by Renzo Piano, responsible for designing the 19 buildings in this regenerated area.

Be aware that the cheapest option is a ticket from the ticket desk as you go into the building. There are offers available through the Berlin Welcome Card and while these do offer a discount it’s on the cost of a combination of entrance charge and purchase of a map, or entrance charge and the use of binoculars. If you want to splash out on binoculars you may find that they’ll enhance the experience but they aren’t essential.

Once you’ve bought your ticket you’re escorted to the lift and the attendant comes up with you. As it’s an internal lift there are no windows. You’ll reach the top - 100 metres, 25 floors altogether but you get out at 24 – in a jiffy and it’s straight out onto the walkway which wraps entirely round the building. There is a grille at face height all the way round which, although it does present a barrier for photographers, may alleviate the fears that some people may have at being at such a height. There are two levels of walkway, the higher one being accessed on foot. There’s a café-bar on off the levels which may be worth a stop for the novelty but the best views are certainly to be had outside on the viewing platform. The café also has a roof terrace on the 25th floor.

Although you can buy a panoramic map it’s not necessary because there are photo-boards which show the view from each side and number the buildings so you can identify them. We visited on a grey, wintry day but the view was reasonably good. I wouldn’t have wanted to pay the much higher price the Alexander Platz tower on a day like that.

Running around the tower walls are a series of nicely illustrated boards that explain the history of the Potsdamer Platz from a couple of hundred years ago to the present day with, of course, a section on the Berlin Wall. There are loads of places in Berlin where you can learn about the Wall for free and this section of the Panoramapunkt exhibition won’t tell you anything new but generally it’s well put together and uses some excellent images.

On the cold wintry day we visited it was freezing on the viewing platform and the wind cut into our faces but we did really enjoy seeing the city from a new perspective. Berlin, because of it’s vastness is not an easy city to grasp the geography of but by visiting the Panorama Punkt at the end of the trip we were able to see how much ground we had covered. The views are brilliant, we could see as far as the Olympic Stadium in spite of the poor weather but we got excellent views of much closer landmarks such as the television tower, the Reichstag, the Holocaust Memorial and numerous churches.

Particularly for children the Panoramapunkt experience might not seem as exciting as the television tower but it does have the advantages of being cheaper and probably less busy. If you are on a flying visit - perhaps you're in town on business and you're staying or working nearby - I would recommend a trip to the top of the Kollhoff Tower to see what you're missing.

Go to http://www.panoramapunkt.de/en/welcome.html to check special price deals and opening hours. Opening times do vary depending on the season so do check in advance. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 1, 2012

Panoramapunkt
Potsdamer Platz 1
Berlin, Germany 10785
+49(0)30 25 93 70 80

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Lauschaer Glaskugelhaus

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Attraction | "Lots of Christmas Sparkle (and a little pickle)"

Pick your favourite Glaskugel Photo - Lauschaer Glaskugelhaus, Berlin, Germany

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Berlin (and Germany in general) is well known for its Christmas markets and while they are really pretty and a lot of fun, we found that the stalls were largely the same whichever one you went to (and there are quite a few scattered around the city). We were delighted, then, at the Alxanderplatz market to find a place selling what are not only great souvenirs and presents to take home, but items that are very unusual and seasonal to boot. It's called the Luaschaer Glaskugelhaus (a Glaskugel is a Christmas tree decoration)Did you know that it’s a traditional in Germany to hang a glass gherkin on the Christmas tree? No, I hadn’t heard such a thing either and when I saw the different types of...Read More

Berlin (and Germany in general) is well known for its Christmas markets and while they are really pretty and a lot of fun, we found that the stalls were largely the same whichever one you went to (and there are quite a few scattered around the city). We were delighted, then, at the Alxanderplatz market to find a place selling what are not only great souvenirs and presents to take home, but items that are very unusual and seasonal to boot. It's called the Luaschaer Glaskugelhaus (a Glaskugel is a Christmas tree decoration)

Did you know that it’s a traditional in Germany to hang a glass gherkin on the Christmas tree? No, I hadn’t heard such a thing either and when I saw the different types of glass tree baubles in the shape of a little gherkin I just assumed that it was another of the ’Lauschaer Kugelhaus's' quirky and colourful tree decorations. However, I later found a card that explained that it was an old tradition, though it later went on to say that this ancient tradition dates from the 1920s – I’ll have to consult with German friends and ask if they know of this tradition.

Anyway, this little shop – just a temporary structure designed to look like a wooden cabin – on the Alexanderplatz Christmas Market site was enjoying an endless stream of customers on the December Sunday morning that we visited. Even if you’re not looking to buy I suggest that it’s worth a look inside because the baubles are so colourful and fun.

They sell baubles and tree decorations in every colour and design you can imagine – and more. There are conventional globe baubles of different sizes, some glossy, some matt, some sparkling with glitter. There are tear drop shapes, ones shaped like little Christmas parcels, others like stars or like the onion domes of St. Basil’s in Moscow.

Talking of the Russian capital you can pick up a tree decoration in the form of the cathedral whole you’ll also find ones of Berlin’s famous teletower, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, a London bus and other well known symbols and landmarks from around the world.

We picked up a little red chilli pepper for ourselves, but there are baubles in the shape of most types of fruit and many vegetables too. The gherkins, of course come in all shapes and sizes, the most fun being some very camp sparkly ones.

We took home a bauble in the shape of a slice of cake for my mother and for my best friend we brought home one in the shape of the curvaceous body of a woman wearing a saucy red and black corset. There are cats and dogs, lions and tigers, all kinds of fish and sea creatures. There are trucks, fire engines, bicycles; musical instruments; you name it they have it. Well, mostly they do; I liked the flags of the world baubles but wanted one for Slovenia. The assistant checked their computer but had to tell me they didn’t have one though she gave me a card with the website address so I can check again in the future.

The baubles we bought we wrapped nicely and securely in tissue paper and then put in a box. They made it back to the UK safely in our hand luggage and they weigh very little. Price range from just a couple of Euro up to an average of around €10 for larger and more unusual items. You can buy boxes of the same type for the more conventional baubles and this works out cheaper than buying them singly. You can pay quite a bit for the really special ones the majority are under €5 per item.

If you’re not going around Christmas time you might be interested to know that they have a website where you can order online for international delivery.

We loved looking round this fun little shop and ending up spending more time in there than we intended. Nobody but the meanest "bah humbug" will be able to leave without buying something sparkly for the tree.

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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 20, 2012

Lauschaer Glaskugelhaus
Alexanderplatz Christmas Market
Berlin, Germany

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Fassbender & Rausch

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Attraction | "The Brandenburg Gate in Chocolate?"

Berlin in Chocolate Photo - Fassbender & Rausch, Berlin, Germany

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How much do you like chocolate? Me, I like it, but I’d much rather eat just a little really good chocolate than lots of poor quality chocolate. I suffer from a nut allergy so most chocolates are off limits to me; all I can do is look longing at the beautiful handmade creations in specialist chocolatier shops and wonder what they taste like. I wonder whether many chcocolate lovers would come out of Berlin’s Fassbender and Rausch store feeling a bit less enthusiastic about chocolate? I didn’t taste any chocolate in the store but after my short trip around it I felt like I wouldn’t want to eat any chocolate for a long time.Fassbender & Rausch is a relatively new company havin...Read More

How much do you like chocolate? Me, I like it, but I’d much rather eat just a little really good chocolate than lots of poor quality chocolate. I suffer from a nut allergy so most chocolates are off limits to me; all I can do is look longing at the beautiful handmade creations in specialist chocolatier shops and wonder what they taste like.

I wonder whether many chcocolate lovers would come out of Berlin’s Fassbender and Rausch store feeling a bit less enthusiastic about chocolate? I didn’t taste any chocolate in the store but after my short trip around it I felt like I wouldn’t want to eat any chocolate for a long time.

Fassbender & Rausch is a relatively new company having been created in 1999 but it came about as a joint enterprise between two well respected chocolatier families that each had a long-standing tradition. Fassbender was established in 1863 when Heinrich Fassbender opened a chocolate making shop on Berlin’s Mohrenstrasse; his company was so well thought of that it was appointed to the Royal Court. Wilhelm Rausch established his company in 1890 specialising in pralines, truffles and chocolates. For decades, until the companies came together they were rivals in their trade.

The store occupies a prime spot and a magnificent building on the corner of Mohrenstrasse and Charlottenstrasse in Berlin Mitte. There’s something magical, of a fairytale world about the store, especially at Christmas time and the exquisite window displays were what caught our attention. Ordinarily I wouldn’t go into a chocolate shop unless I had a specific purchase in mind but the number of people going in and then coming out with little bags persuaded me that I should take a look.

The unmistakeable aroma of chocolate hits you as soon as the door opens. I liked that but after a short time it becomes too much and only the most ardent of chocolate lovers would continue to be delighted by that smell. The store is developed into different areas such as the "Pralinentheke". The displays of handmade chocolates are breathtaking. There are trays of milk, dark and white chocolates decorated with crystallised flower petals or nuts, or topped with a delicate chocolate knot. There are perfectly spherical truffles rolled in fine sugar or the best cocoa powder; huge slabs of marbled chocolate or chocolate studded with chilli flakes or wonderfully green pistachios.

Positioned so that they can also be seen from the street, there are vast replicas of the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and other Berlin landmarks (as well as ones from other cities) rendered in chocolate though there has clearly been something added to the chocolate to prevent it from deteriorating and whatever it is makes the chocolate look a bit oily and unappetitising.

We looked only at the shop section but upstairs there's also a cafe where you can eat lots of Fassbender & Rausch based cakes and pastries, and even a Chocolate Restaurant where all of the dishes contain chocolate in some way.

Most of us enjoy a bit of chocolate now and then; some of us couldn't get by without it. Personally after spending ten minutes in the store I was put off chocolate - at least for a few hours. Still people seem to love this shop and at 6 o'clock on a cold December evening the place was doing a roaring trade. This place is great for really special gifts to take home but still worth a look even just for the chocolate sculptures if you happen to be passing. Unless you're a dedicated chocoholic there's no need to go out of your way but it does make for a fun ten minute diversion. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on January 18, 2012

Fassbender & Rausch
Charlottenstrasse 60
Berlin, Germany

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Museum Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt

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Attraction | "Otto Weidt - a Hero of the Holocaust"

Otto Weidt Museum, Berlin Photo - Museum Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt, Berlin, Germany

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The ‘Museum Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt’ tells the story of the man who saved many Jews from certain death by employing them in his brush and broom factory in the Hackescher Markt district of Berlin during World War 2. The museum is kept by the German Resistance Memorial Centre Foundation and there is no charge for admission though I would urge visitors to make a donation.The museum is actually housed in the building in which Weidt kept his factory and also hid a Jewish family. A visit need not take a great deal of time but is highly recommended. Otto Weidt was born in 1882. He considered himself a pacifist and due to a visual impairment he was not called up to serve in World W...Read More

The ‘Museum Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt’ tells the story of the man who saved many Jews from certain death by employing them in his brush and broom factory in the Hackescher Markt district of Berlin during World War 2. The museum is kept by the German Resistance Memorial Centre Foundation and there is no charge for admission though I would urge visitors to make a donation.

The museum is actually housed in the building in which Weidt kept his factory and also hid a Jewish family. A visit need not take a great deal of time but is highly recommended.

Otto Weidt was born in 1882. He considered himself a pacifist and due to a visual impairment he was not called up to serve in World War 1 until almost the end of the war. After the war his sight deteriorated and he had to give up his work as an upholsterer. By the early 1940s he had opened a brush factory in an impoverished area of Berlin; he won many privileges because his factory’s output was seen as important war work. It was partly this positive relationship with the authorities that enabled him to bribe officials, time after time having the Gestapo turning a blind eye to the fact that Weidt was employing Jews. Between 1941 and 1943 Weidt’s factory employed about 30 deaf or visually impaired Jewish people as well as 8 other ‘illegal Jews’.

Weidt also secretly engaged the services of other collaborators to obtain forged documents and he also sold some of the brushes made in the factory on the black market in order to obtain the extra food he needed for the Horn family who were hiding in the secret room at the far end of the factory. Alas, somebody betrayed the Horn family and they were found and deported to Auschwitz in 1943. Otto managed to bribe officials to secure the release of several Jews from a holding camp where they were awaiting deportation , and he rented a secret flat to Alice Licht, an illegal Jew and her parents though they too were betrayed around the same time as Chaim Horn and his family and sent to Theresienstadt. RemarkablyWeidt later travelled to Auschwitz from where he was able to secure the release of Alice Licht.

The museum is small and simply presented using photographs of Weidt’s employees, documents such as falsified papers and employment records and a small number of boards that explain the story of Otto Weidt. Captions are in English and German. A guided tour is not necessary but can be arranged in a number of languages by booking in advance, and it would enhance the experience.

One of the most striking exhibits is a blown up photograph of Weidt surrounded by his workers. It’s such a lovely photograph showing happy smiling colleagues that you can almost forget who these people were and how much danger they were in. However, further one, an outline drawing numbers each person and describes their fate. Some survived thanks to their employer, but others did not. An interactive section allows you to use a touch screen to read biographies of each employee; This brought me to tears on several occasions, particularly the fate of one woman who did not survive the war even though her family had obtained visas to go to Palestine – she was refused on the grounds of her visual impairment. I can’t describe how angry that made me feel.

After the workshops you reach the tiny room in which the Horn family – Chaim, his wife and two sons – hid. It is tiny and windowless. That they managed to stayed cooped up in such an oppressive, airless place says a lot for their will to live.

This is a really excellent museum and it has been presented in such a way as to educate without being sensational. There’s just the right amount of information so you don’t feel bombarded and the use of photographs of Weidt’s employees make you feel very close to the people who worked here.

I’d never heard of Otto Weidt until I read about this museum but I’m so pleased I know about this remarkable man now.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 1, 2012

Museum Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt
Rosenthaler Strasse 39
Berlin, Germany 10178
+49 30 28599407

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Deutsches Currywurst Museum

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Attraction | "Checkpoint Currywurst "

The Currywurst Museum Photo - Deutsches Currywurst Museum, Berlin, Germany

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Currywurst is probably Germany's most popular fast food and, from modest travels in Germany, I'd say that nowhere is it more popular than in the capital. Sold in restaurants and fast food kiosks alike, Currywurst has become an intrinsic part of German culinary culture since it was created in the late 1940s. The 'Currywurst Museum' explains the origins of the snack and shows how widely it has entered the national conscience. Currywurst varies little from place to place: it's sausage with a curry flavoured tomato sauce poured over it. The flavour of the sauce will vary according to the particular ingredients and people have quite strong opinions about what should and shouldn't be included. I...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 29, 2011

Deutsches Currywurst Museum
Schutzenstrasse 70
Berlin, Germany 10117
+49 30 88718647

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Fjord Hotel Berlin

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Hotel | "All White on the Night "

Basic Double Room, Hotel Fjord, Berlin Photo - Fjord Hotel Berlin, Berlin, Germany

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Picking a hotel in Berlin is not easy. Not only is it a huge city, it has no obvious centre and its attractions are spread out. We chose Hotel Fjord on the basis of cost, (lack of) amenities (for we have no special requirements) and location and booked as part of a flights/hotel deal through Expedia. I had a look at reviews of the hotel and at the hotel’s own website prior to booking and the opinions I found were mostly positive. We flew into Tegel Airport and we found clear instruction on how to reach the hotel on their website. From Tegel we took the express bus service X9 to Zoologischer Garten and from there we had to travel a couple of stops on the U2 line to Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Par...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 18, 2011

Fjord Hotel Berlin
Bissingzeile 13
Berlin, Germany 10785
877-662-6988

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