Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Itineraries
Berlin is a sprawling city, with several main drags and no defined centre.
These itineraries - three day-long options and one overnighter - will help
you make the most out of the place, and are easily followed with the help of
a public transit day pass (plus some single tickets for the night-owl tour).
IMPERIAL BERLIN
Brandenburg Gate
Berlin's foremost landmark
and one of its biggest tourist attractions. A must
for first-time visitors.
See p.35
Reichstag and Holocaust Memorials
Climb
the dome of this historic building to find great
city views - make sure you book a tour ahead.
Then pay your respects at three thought-
provoking memorials.
See p.37
Lunch
Reserve in advance and enjoy a gourmet
lunch with a view at
Käfer Dachgarten
in the
Reichstag (see p.188); opt for classic Austrian
dishes at old-fashioned
Café Einstein
(see p.187);
or for budget options try sushi at
Ishin
(see p.188)
or head for one of the many places in the
basement of the Daimler Chrysler Centre at
Potsdamer Platz (see p.94).
Gendarmenmarkt and Unter den Linden
Walk off your lunch by wandering the length of
Unter den Linden, with side trips to the elegant
plazas of Gendarmenmarkt (see p.47) and
Bebelplatz (see p.42). Stop en route at the Berlin
Story shop (see p.225) to browse its selection of
topics and DVDs about the city.
Boat trip
For a change of pace and a different
angle, take a boat trip along the River Spree from
the quays beside Museum Island.
See p.25
Hackescher Markt
Finish the day with a
wander around these pleasant urban courtyards
and choose from a multitude of cafés, bars and
restaurants.
See p.71
GDR BERLIN
Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer
The Wall
memorial on Bernauer Strasse has fascinating,
and free, indoor and outdoor exhibitions.
See p.86
Tränenpalast
Discover what division really
meant to the city at this former pedestrian
border crossing.
See p.84
DDR Museum
Get hands on with GDR culture
at this fun interactive museum. Nearby is the
imposing Marx-Engels-Forum, whose Marx and
Engel monuments offer a fascinating glimpse
into East German communist ideology.
See p.64
Fernsehturm
Gape at the bleak GDR
architecture of Alexanderplatz before taking a
trip up the Fernsehturm for tremendous views
over the city.
See p.62
Karl-Marx-Allee
Take in the vast dimensions of
this communist boulevard where monumentalist,
wedding-cake style architecture produced
“palaces for workers, not American egg-boxes!”
and pick a cardboard kit to make your own
model version at the Karl Marx Buchhandlung.
Admire the original Kino International, as featured
in the film
Goodbye Lenin!
See p.130
Coffee
Grab coffee and cake (or ice cream) at
Café Sybille
, which also hosts a small but
informative museum about Karl-Marx-Allee.
See p.200
ABOVE
THE REICHSTAG AT NIGHT;
OPPOSITE
CRUISE ON THE RIVER SPREE