Nederlands
New Year in Berlin
My last days of 2014, will be spend in Berlin, the capital of Germany. A city which has a lot of things to offer. It has a memorable history, which you can depict back in at different spots in town.
Read more about this remarkable city.
Berlin is the capital of Germany with 3,5 million residents. Of course this city is very know by the parts it has played during the Second World War and the Cold War. If you are looking for rich history here, you will not be disappointed. I also strongly suggest to explore this history, when in Berlin.
Berlin is a city with a fully developed underground system, by which you can commute on a very fast and easy way. This is also why I have mentioned the different underground stations, ‘Bahnhof’ close by the spot I recommend.
25 years ago the Berlin wall fell down!
You can still visit parts of the wall. At the East Side Gallery you will find the most famous pieces, with gravity art-pieces and exhibitions. But there is also a piece of wall which is still in the original structure as in the time of the Berlin Wall. You can find this structure at Nordhanhof
East Side Gallery: Ostbahnhof
Checkpoint Charly is one of the very known tourist-spots. Here you can get a visa-stamp, like you crossed the border in the period of the Berlin wall. But please be careful that you do not stamp a valid passport! You can also take a picture with an American and German soldier. These soldiers are actors, who will easily strike a pose for some small change. But next to all the mass-tourism I want to recommend something different. Please enter the Mauermuseum (museum of the wall), just on the corner of Checkpoint Charly. Here you can collect stories of inhabitants of Berlin who tried to escape the Berlin wall. They would hid themselves into small cars, or even make their own airplanes or balloons to go from east to west. All these object and real live stories are being shown in the expositions.
Bahnhof: Kochstrasse
The Reichstag, the holocaust-monument and Alexanderplatz are places you should definitely see, before leaving Berlin.
But are you looking for something really special? Then you should visit the underground world by booking an ‘Unterwelten-Tour’. On this tour you will be escorted by a professional guide through different tunnels and subway stations. You will even visit a nuclear bunker! Did you know for each meter build above ground, there is 3 meter build below?
Bahnhof: Gesundbrunnen
Looking for a fun activity on a Sunday? Take a look inside the Mauerpark. Here you will find a nice antiques and vintage market. The coolest thing about the park is the traditional sunday karaoke, in the amphitheater. Worth a visit!
Bahnhof: Berlin Schönhauser Allee
Do you already know Tempelhofer Park? This is a park build on an old airport area. Here you can enjoy different walks on top of unused flight lanes. Enjoy the amazing wide view of skaters, kite-surfing and kids rollerblading all around you. In the old airport building you can find expositions showing you the remarkable history of this place.
Bahnhof: Tempelhof
Do you like to visit museums? That you need to visit the ‘Museuminsel’ (museums island). Here you will find the Pergamonmuseum (Egyptian & antiquity art), Alte Nationalgalerie (19th century art), Altes Museum (archeological art), Bode-Museum (mostly sculptures) & The Neues Museum (archeological art). Next to the island you can also find the DDR-museum. Around this island, you can browse for days.
Bahnhof:U-Bahnhof Museumsinsel
Christmas atmosphere in Berlin? Go to Alexanderplatz, with its different beer halls, christmas markets and ice ranks. If you are looking to go on a shopping spree, you can also start here. In and around Alexanderplatz you can find a lot of different shops. Here you can visit big stores like, Kaufhaus and the popular ‘Primark’. If you take a stroll in the different streets towards Kurfürstendamm you will also find nice boutiques and second-hand shops.
Bahnhof: Alexanderplatz
Het ‘Kaufhaus des Westens’ is also worth a visit, which you can compare to Harrods in London. This shopping mall has a surface area of 60’000 square meter in which 64 different escalators will take you to 8 different floors. Here you will also find one of the most beautiful and old subway-stations of Berlin.
Bahnhof:Wittenbergplatz
Do you want to discover the amazing nightlife of the city of Berlin? If you are looking for a good night on the town, this is ‘the place to be’. Here you can find a whole range of site to have a nice evening. You can visit luxurious clubs, small pubs or alternative parties in abandon industrial places or even squats-homes.
Enjoying some affordable food in a nice cozy atmosphere? Start you search in the area of Kreuzberg. Definitely try the Indian Curries. Around Kreuzberg you can have diner and drinks for €15! For real Burgundians try one of the gourmet-restaurants.
In Berlin you can find a lot of biological, organic and gluten free restaurants. It is also a heavenly city for vegetarians. Berlin is famous for having more kebab places then Istanbul. But did you know they also have vegetarian Döner? This is called Vöner.
Making a City-Tour?
Berlin is a big city with a lot of different opportunities. If you would like to visit Berlin with me as a your tour guide, you can always choose your own type of themes of places of interest which you prefer the most. This is how I can make a personal and complete package especially for you and your group.
Some themes of inspiration:
- Worldwar II
- Berlin the highlights
- West & East Germany
- Berlin on a different level
- Musical Berlin
- Photography in Berlin
Please do not hesitate to send me a message when you need information or would like to book a tour!
See you in Berlin!
