Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PRACTICAL TIP
VIEWS WITH A THRILL
Drift up but not away for about 15 minutes with the helium-filled
Weltballon Berlin
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; 030-5321 5321, for wind conditions 030-226 678 811;
www.air-service-berlin.de
;
cnr Wilhelmstrasse & Zimmerstrasse; adult/concession/child 3-10 €20/15/5; 10am-10pm Apr-Oct,
11am-6pm Nov-Mar; Kochstrasse, Mohrenstrasse)
, which remains tethered to the ground as it
lifts you noiselessly 150m into the air for panoramas of the historic city centre. Your
pilot will help you pinpoint all the key sights. Confirm ahead as there are no flights in
windy conditions.
Friedrichstrasse & Checkpoint Charlie
MUSEUM
TRÄNENPALAST
030-4677 7790;
www.hdg.de
;
Reichstagufer 17;
9am-7pm Tue-Fri,
10am-6pm Sat & Sun; Friedrichstrasse, Friedrichstrasse)
During the Cold War, tears flowed copiously in this glass-and-steel border-crossing pavilion
where East Berliners had to bid adieu to family visiting from West Germany - hence its
moniker 'Palace of Tears'. The exhibit uses original objects (including the claustrophobic
passport control booths and a border auto-firing system), photographs and historical footage
to document the division's social impact on the daily lives of Germans on both sides of the
border.
ARCHITECTURE
FRIEDRICHSTADTPASSAGEN
10am-8pm
Mon-Sat; Französische Strasse, Stadtmitte)
Even if you're not part of the Gucci and Prada brigade, the architectural wow factor of this
trio of shopping complexes (called Quartiere) linked by a subterranean passageway is un-
deniable. Highlights are Jean Nouvel's shimmering glass funnel inside the Galeries Lafay-
ette, the dazzlingly patterned art deco-style Quartier 206 and John Chamberlain's tower
made from crushed automobiles in Quartier 205.
MUSEUM
MAUERMUSEUM
