Fall in love with Berlin! Berlin is a vibrant city full of life, youth, and incredible positive energy. Quick history refresher: Eighty percent (80%) of Berlin was destroyed during WW II. In 1961 a wall was constructed dividing the city into East and West Berlin, severing East Berlin from the Free World. Today, in only 25 years, (since Die Mauer was torn down), Berlin has morphed into a city bursting with flavor, culture, and class. Berlin’s residents have overcome unthinkable oppression, but they are preserving the history that killed thousands and separated families, so that the world can get a glimpse of the pain and suffering they experienced.
Here are some tips to enjoy Berlin in THREE perfect days.
Day One began with an early morning arrival into TXL on Air Berlin from ORD. After passing through customs and immigration, we exited the airport and found the proper bus to downtown. The public transportation system is quite simple, affordable, safe and clean. The bus ride from TXL is approximately 25 minutes. Our stop was the HauptBahnhof where we lucked into the wonderful Steigenberger Hotel. We were there during the Berlin Marathon and choices of hotels were few, but while the Steigenberger could be considered a bit pricey, the location is excellent and their exclusive, elaborate champagne all-you-can-eat breakfast with over 100 items was included! Our room wasn’t ready so we stored our bags with the bellmen and proceeded out the front door to the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus. We purchased our tickets from the Concierge at a discount which was even better. I find a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus tour is a great way to get an introductory overview of a city, including sightseeing highlights and general orientation.
We hopped off at Gendarmenmarkt Square and had lunch at the iconic Lutter & Wegner, the oldest restaurant in Berlin (over 200 years old). If you have never had traditional sauerbraten, you are in for a gastronomique delight! Walking off our lunch we marveled at the Konzerthaus and the French and German Churches. We took the scenic route back to our hotel through the Tiergarten and past the Brandenburger Tor (gate). For dinner we walked along the River Spree and dined al fresco at Brecht’s, in the hotspot area of Friedrichstrasse.
Day Two started with the elaborate champagne breakfast. We began our day walking through the Brandenburger Tor on our way to CheckPoint Charlie, the geographical focal point of the Cold War. The MuseumHausamCheckPoint Charlie and the Topographie of Terror are well worth one’s time and attention. One can see original objects from successful escapes and read about incidents that occurred when the Iron Curtain was in place. Remnants of Die Mauer are still very visible in many parts of Berlin, and we passed by some as we continued our history lesson walking down tree-lined streets to the Judisches Museum.
Another beautiful scenic stroll led us through Historische Mitte toward Alexanderplatz to ascend the Berliner Fernsehturm. Once you buy your ticket, you are assigned a time frame within which you may access the top. The 360 view of Berlin is amazing. Have a cocktail, or two, and enjoy the sunset. A short walk from there and we reached the ever popular Hackescher Markt Platz. Sit outside at Weihenstephaner, (the oldest Brauerei in the world) and listen to all of the musicians playing in the Platz. Be sure to save time to mosey down the ever-popular streets of Friedrichstrasse and Unter den Linden.
On Day Three, after another exquisite champagne breakfast, we again chose to walk, this time a bit to the north to visit the Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art. Affectionately known as KW, it is located in the hip area of Oranienburger lined with lots of boutiques and outdoor cafes. Berlin is home to a plethora of art galleries and museums, so there are many from which to choose. KW is very close to the New Synagogue. Originally built in 1859, it has been meticulously rebuilt after being destroyed in the 1900’s and is a must see.
We spent the balance of the day venturing over to Charlottenburg Schloss, the Siegessaule (victory statue), the Zoologischer Garten, and Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedachtniskirche. (what’s left of it anyway).
A visit to Berlin is not complete without taking in the shops, sites and aromas of the elegant tree-lined streets of Kurfurstendamm and Tauentzienstrasse . Complete your day on the 6th floor at KaDeWe. This is a world re-known department store with the entire 6th floor dedicated to delicacies, including over 1,000 different types of cheeses and meats. You may stumble upon a champagne or cognac tasting as we did. Or even yet, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the shoe department.
Getting around Berlin is very user friendly. The public transit system, both buses and the underground, are safe, extremely clean and even have a pleasant aroma to them. Taxis are cheaper than Uber, as Uber is considered to be hiring a private driver.
We certainly saw a lot of Berlin, but if we had had one more day, we would have liked to have taken a side trip over to Potsdam and to have experienced the Sachsenhausen Memorial.
Berliners have conquered monumental obstacles to build a world class venue, worthy to be on any bucket list. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Auf Wiedersehen!