Simple rule; You not only have to take time to appreciate the historic monuments and see the sights, you have to go out and experience the night life of Berlin! So whether you pace yourself over the space of a week or more, or have allocated only a couple of days for a weekend crash course both approaches must achieve both aspects…and if you attempt the latter as I did be prepared you won’t get much sleep!
Sights:
- The East Side Gallery – Best place to see the Berlin Wall
- Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) and Pariser Platz
- Reichstag > Book ahead so you can climb the glass dome roof for a view of Berlin from above, and a view down into parliament.
- Holocaust Memorial – and the museum beneath it
- Hitler’s Bunker (Where he committed suicide and controlled the final war effort) **Watch the movie Downfall for an inside perspective and a glimpse of what it would have been like. Especially considering it’s no longer accessible…great car park though.
- Checkpoint Charlie
- Berlin Wall Panorama
- Mauermuseum – Hear various great escape stories; hot air balloons, tunnels, sewers, windshield-less cars etc.
- Potsdamer Platz
- Jewish Museum (Jüdisches Museum) – Incredible!
- Topographie des Terrors – Nazi/SS Museum, focusing on the role of the Nazi’s recounting the rise, pre war german prosperity, war, terror and trials.
- Museumsinsel
- Berliner Dom – A glimpse of Italian Renaissance architecture in the otherwise mostly baron city
- Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer
- DDR Museum
Numbers 2-8 can be ticked off on a highly recommended Free Walking Tour!
There are many others that can be sourced from guidebooks such as my personal favourite Lonely Planet or advised by Hostel/Hotel staff but some of the best might be found by word of ear and independently stumbled upon.
Night Life:
- Anywhere on the East Side just off Warshauer Str.
- Famous names include Berghain and Watergate
- Berlin offers a variety from grungy bars, cool cocktail lounges, hidden basement discos to big dazzling clubs such as Matrix.
Jumping on a Pub Crawl will ensure that you get to experience a bit of everything!
From Melbourne she flies 