Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SIGHTSEEING
Tours
Depending on your children's level of interest, some
sightseeing might be enjoyable. A ride on the #100 or #200
bus doesn't cost much, and will take in all the main sights
between Alexanderplatz and Bahnhof Zoo, connecting
several key places and offering superb views of Berlin from
on high (see box, p.242). Most other bus tours will end up
being a bit too much for younger kids, but boat tours (see
p.25) are a possibility.
Cycling
With its many cyclepaths, Berlin is also a bike-
friendly city for kids - those who can be relied on to stop at
junctions, at least. However, few bike rental places offer
children's bikes- among the few that do is Yaam Bike,
Stralauer Platz 35 (
T
0178 804 97 54,
W
rent-a-bike
-berlin.net; April-Oct; S-Ostbahnhof ) at the start of the
East Side Gallery (see p.130).
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
With more than a third of Berlin being forest or parkland, often with playgrounds dotted around, there's no shortage of
spaces for children to let off steam. The most central and obvious choice is the
Tiergarten
, northeast of Bahnhof Zoo,
though this is rather tame compared to the rambling expanses of the
Grunewald
(S-Grunewald). In both parks, paddle
and rowing boats can be rented. The Grunewald borders the
Wannsee
beach, and it's fun to take the ferry over to the
Pfaueninsel
, or Peacock Island (see p.163), where there's a castle and strutting peacocks. Alternatively,
Freizeitpark
Tegel
(U-Alt-Tegel; walk to the lake, then turn right) has playgrounds, trampolines, table tennis and paddle boats, while
the
Teufelsberg
(Devil's Mountain; a 20min walk south down Teufelsseechaussee from S-Heerstr.), a large hill to the west
of the city, is the place to go kite-flying at weekends. On the southeastern edge of the city, the woods around the
Grosser
Müggelsee
(S-Bahn to Friedrichshagen) offer lakeside walking trails, and, just to the south, there's also a good nature
trail around the
Teufelssee
(S-Bahn to Köpenick, then bus #X69 to Rübezahl).
19
MUSEUMS
Almost all the city's museums give discounts for children; those listed here are particularly recommended for kids, mainly
thanks to fun interactive exhibits.
Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin
See p.122.
The
German Technology Museum has lots of highly diverting
gadgets to experiment with, plus a great collection of old
steam trains and carriages.
Düppel Museum Village
See p.162.
Reconstruction of a
medieval country village, with demonstrations of
traditional handicrafts and farming methods. Better for
older children.
Juniormuseum im Ethnologischen Museum
See
p.160.
The children's section of the Ethnological Museum
teaches about different cultures through playful activities
and interactive temporary exhibits.
Labyrinth Kindermuseum Berlin
Osloer Str. 12,
Wedding
T
030 800 93 11 50,
W
kindermuseum
-labyrinth.de; U-Pankstrasse; map p.152.
Converted
factory building that offers temporary exhibits, usually
very inventive and thoughtful, geared towards hands-on
learning and fun. Admission €4.50.
Outside school
holidays Fri & Sat 1-6pm, Sun 11am-6pm; in school
holidays Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 1-6pm, Sun
11am-6pm.
Museum für Kommunikation Berlin
See p.120.
Robots career around the main lobby in this hands-on
communications museum, which offers older kids lots of
computers and devices to play with.
Museum für Naturkunde
See p.86.
This natural
history museum has a gigantic Brachiosaurus skeleton,
plus plenty more to keep animal-crazy kids happy for an
hour or so.
The Story of Berlin
See p.112.
Easily the most
captivating of the city's history museums, with lots
of multimedia gimmicks to bring the experience alive
for kids.
BABYSITTING AND CHILD CARE
Berlin has several reliable agencies for English-speaking
babysitters
, but one that stands
out for professionalism and convenience is Kinderinsel, Eichendorffstr. 17 (
T
030 41 71 69
28,
W
kinderinsel.de; U-Naturkundemuseum). Here parents can leave their children (aged
up to 14 years) in good hands, for anything from a couple of hours to several days. The
programme of outings and activities offered by the friendly and dynamic centre ensures
the kids won't get bored; rates are €15/hr, €75 for an overnight stay. Not only can they
provide a pick-up and drop-off service, but they can also supply babysitters if you'd rather
keep the kids at your place.
