Berlin, Germany: City Guide
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Berlin: A Beautiful City of History and Culture
Berlin is a beautiful and historically fascinating city and has probably changed more than any other European city in recent times. Since the reunification of East and West Berlin and the removal of most of the infamous Berlin Wall, old landmark buildings have been renovated, new ones built, mostly on the site of the wall and some removed completely. It is still possible to follow the path of the wall and in a few places see sections of it that act as a reminder to future generations.
Berlin has many museums and galleries and plenty of shopping opportunities, but it is also famous for its beer-drinking culture, nightlife, all-night nightclubs and bars, cool music scene and some good quality restaurants and hotels at reasonable prices (when compared to the likes of Paris, Rome or London). Beer Gardens (biergarten) are the most traditional German drinking establishments, but there are many road-side cafÈs and more modern trendy establishments too.
Table of Contents: Berlin, Germany
- Map of Germany
- Getting to Berlin
- Guide Books for Berlin, Germany
- Getting Around Berlin
- Transport In and Around Berlin
- Where is the Best Place To Stay in Berlin?
- Map of Berlin
- German Guidebooks
- Where to Eat and drink
- Current Weather in Germany
- Things to See and Do in Berlin
- Attractions in Berlin
- Berlin National Gallery
- Diary of Events in Berlin
- Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin Wall
- More Travel Articles
- Please Leave Some Feedback
- My Zazzle Gallery
Berlin, Germany
Map of Germany
Where is Berlin?
Getting to Berlin
Traveling to and from Berlin, Germany

Most scheduled flights use the small, compact and convenient Tegel airport, just 8km (5 miles) from Mitte (the centre of Berlin) A short taxi ride costing less than Euro 20 or an inexpensive bus ride (Euro 2.10) to Zoologischer Garten (Zoo station or Bahnhof Zoo).
There is also Schonefeld Airport, the former East Berlin Airport, 18km (11 miles) from the centre of Berlin often used by British budget airlines.
British Airways flys from London Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5 to Tegel, Berlin, taking less than 2 hours.
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Guide Books for Berlin, Germany

Photo: The Last Remaining Watch Tower, Berlin Wall
Getting Around Berlin
Transport in the city
Transport In and Around Berlin
Trains, Boats and Taxis

The main railway station is Berlin Hauptbahnhof and there is a network of local trains: the U-Bahn and S-Bahn, buses and trams.
Taxis are the easiest way to get around, but can be expensive.
Boat trips and tourist buses are also available in the centre of Berlin.
Driving in Berlin should be easy compared to many European cities, although parking could be a problem.
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Where to stay in Berlin?
Where is the Best Place To Stay in Berlin?
The most central location in Berlin for tourists

Mitte is the most central district of Berlin (meaning middle) The roads Unter den Linden and Friedrichstrasse run east-west and north-south through Mitte. Linden is a grand avenue ending at Alexanderplatz (centre of old East Berlin)
A good hotel in Mitte: The Westin Grand, Berlin, Friedrichstrasse 158-164, Berlin 10117 Germany
Phone: (49)(30) 20270 Fax: (49)(30) 20273362
The Westin Grand Hotel is indeed a grand hotel with foyer open right up to an ornate ceiling on the 7th floor. Reasonable sized bright rooms with fairly poor air conditioning. Nicely decorated if a little sombre in some areas. Just Euro 130 per night for a double make it rather less expensive than a similar hotel in Paris, Rome or London, although breakfast is not included in the price and at Euro 29 each it is probably worth venturing out to a good cafe. The buffet breakfast was a slightly superior version of the usual posh hotel fayre, although I'd still rather have a proper breakfast cooked for me, rather than have to fight the hungry bleary-eyed hoards. Eggs cooked to order.
The hotel Westin Grand, also has a good outdoor bar with a small section of the Berlin Wall on display and a more subdued foyer bar with Grand Piano. They serve a pleasant Dunkel Weissenbier my favourite German tipple (cloudy brown wheet beer although prone to inducing borborygmi)
Please See Other European Hotel Recommendations
Map of Berlin
Map of Mitte and Tiergaten, Berlin
German Guidebooks

Inside The Westin Grand Hotel, Berlin
Where to Eat and drink
Where is the Best Place to Eat in Berlin?

There are many good places to eat in Berlin, but here is a small selection:
Restaurant: Aigner Gendarmenmarkt, Franz%u02C6sische Strasse 25, near hotel in Mitte. Very good germanic food. Sat outside. Euro 73 for 2 courses each and 0.5l table wine.
Lutter and Wegner Laggner, a pleasant restaurant with a good wine selection on Charlottenstrasse: hearty german soups and meaty main courses in a restaurant with ambiance: wine bottles floor to ceiling. The service was far too quick though, for such filling food.
The hotel Westin Grand has a good outdoor bar with a small section of the Berlin Wall on display and a more subdued foyer bar with Grand Piano.
There are many "Einstein Cafes" in Mitte which are generally good, but can be crowded. Similar in concept to Starbucks.
Lunch at Gendarmerie, corner of Behrenstrasse and Charlottenstrasse. Good Modern European food. Outside seating is available.
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Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburger Gate) Berlin
German Food Books
Current Weather in Germany
What is the Climate like in Berlin, Germany
Other European Destinations
Things to See and Do in Berlin

Photo of Section of The Berlin Wall
Attractions in Berlin
Tours, Museums, Galleries, Clubs etc...

The Reunification of Berlin Tour:
Checkpoint Charlie (Kochstrasse & Friedrichstrasse) the famous border crossing for non-Germans is in Mitte and easily walkable from most central parts of Berlin. US Army control hut is a fake for the benefit of tourists, but good info about the Berlin Wall is displayed along the road.
Walk along the path of the Berlin Wall marked with a double row of cobbles and at Niederkirchnerstrasse a 200 metre section of the wall, almost intact and protected by wire fence. Last remaining watch tower at Erna-Berger-Strasse.
Finish the walk at Denkmal fur die ermordeten Juden Europas (Memorial to Murdered Jews of Europe) the Brandenburger Tor the Tiergarten and the Reichstag.
Art Galleries and Museums in Berlin
Many of the main galleries and museums are in or near the central Mitte region of Berlin
Nationalgallerie (The Old National Gallery) which has Germany's largest collection of 19th century art including German artists: Adolph Menzel, Caspar David Friedrich, Max Liebermann and Carl Spitzweg and some early impressionist art
Deutsches Historiches Museum (The Museum of German History) which covers German History from Germanic tribes around 1000 years BC to modern times, including good coverage of the world wars and Berlin's involvementin them.
Other Galleries, Museums and Attractions in Berlin:
Altes Museum: Art Gallery, formerly the Royal Museum
Berliner Dom: The Berlin Cathedral built in Italian Renaissance style
Denkmal fur die ermortdeten Juden Europas: the Murdered Jew of Europe
Pergamonmuseum: Berlin's Archaeoligcal museum.
Other regions in Berlin
Prezlauer Berg, Tiergarten, Charlottenburg, Schoneberg, Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain

Photo: Memorial and Checkpoint Charlie

Berlin National Gallery
Digital Cameras
Ideal cameras for a city sight seeing tour
What's On?
Diary of Events in Berlin
What is on in Berlin? Winter Events.
January:
Tanztage - a 2-week dance event
International Grune Woche - 10 day German food and drink festival
UltraSchall - 10 day music festival
Bread & butter - 3 day fashion event
Lange Nacht der Museen - 200 museums stay open late
February:
Transmediale - digital art and culture
Berlin International Film Festival
What's on in Berlin? Spring Events
MaerzMusik - Festival f¸r aktuelle Musik - contemporary music
International Tourism Fair
Zeitfenster - Music Festival
May:
Qatar Telecom Ladies German Open
Thetertreffen Berlin - theatre competition
Karvenal der Kulturn - mutlicultural parade

Photo: Berlin Wall (close-up)
Things to do in Berlin: Summer Events
Berlin Philharmonie at the Waldbuhne - candle lie open air classical concert
Fetes de la Musique - summer solstice music event
Schwul-Lesbisches Stassenfest
Christopher Street Day Parade
July:
Classic Open Air Concert
Love Parade
Bread & Butter - fashion fair
Deutsch-Amerikanisches Volksfest - American style family fun
August:
young.euro.classic - classical music
Internationales Berliner Bierfestival -
Berlin Beer Festival
Fantasy Film Festival - Sci Fi, fantasy, horror films
Tanz I'm August - dance festival
Kreuzberger Festliche Tage - family fun and beer
Camera Equipment

Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin Wall
Things to Do in The Autumn and Christmas in Berlin
Popkomm
Musikfest Berlin - classical music with the Berlin Philharmonic
International Literature Festival
Art Forum Berlin Messegelande am Funkturm
Berlin Marathon
October:
Spielzeiteuropa - theatre and dance
Tag der Deutschen Einheit - Day of German Unity
Venus Berlin - Trade Fair
JazzFest Berlin: 4 day jazz event
November:
Christmas Markets
Berliner Marchentage - fairytale festival
Verzaubert: Queer Film Festival
December:
Heilier Abend - Christmas Eve
Weihnachten - Christmas Day
Stephanstag - St Stephen's Day / Boxing Day
Berliner Silvesterlauf - fun-run
Silvester - New Year's Eve
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Please Leave Some Feedback
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Tipi
Feb 1, 2012 @ 9:51 am | delete
- Very well done as always. I would love to be able to travel like you do Andy. Thanks for sharing your articles and photos.
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SayGuddaycom
Jan 20, 2012 @ 2:42 pm | delete
- Bueno
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vincente
Jan 11, 2012 @ 8:57 am | delete
- Love the lens!!! I'm German .. makes me miss Berlin!!
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Adele S.
Dec 30, 2011 @ 6:32 am | delete
- Great lens! Can you recommend any solution for mobile internet and cellular phone usage in Germany?
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vincente
Jan 11, 2012 @ 8:58 am | delete
- I use the prepaid card from Aldi ( a grocery chain) which has super cheap data rates as well. That's perfect for a week or two. For a longer time I would say to look for an other service.
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Hi, I am Andy. I live in the U.K. but have worked and travelled all over the world. I am a semi-professional wildlife and travel photographer (i.e. I sold... more »
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