Hmmm... exist? Yes, I think...
by oja
Hmmm... exist? Yes, I think that's what I'd recommend: soaking it in. Too difficult? Then do the other way round: let the city soak YOU in!
Several! I can't name just one, so:
- discovering Tacheles Gallery (photo) for the first time. It happened back in 1998 when this alternative, squat-type art complex was still a relatively undiscovered place. By now it's turned into a tourist spot where roses are sold in the evening. Poor artists, I'm compassionate.
- spending my first real night out in East Berlin in 1995. What an adventure! Hopping from one alternative club/cafe to another through then still very demolished streets I felt like a queen of the world. It was then that I could say, Now I'm really in Berlin.
- ****** Censored! :D
And finally the most favouritest one: It was back in 1996 when my (now ex) big love and I went hitching and our last lift dropped us in Spandau. Since it was 2 in the morning and we had two hours to kill before the first U-Bahn, the driver suggested an all-night bar nearby. We thought, fine, let's sit down and slumber for those two hours, but as we got inside it became clear that things were too exciting to let you slumber. There was a coldblooded waiter which could easily have the word 'Berliner' written on his forehead. There were beers at the uniform price 2.50 a pint. There were toilets out of 'Trainspotting'. And there was a unique combination of people. Whores, drunks, homeless as well as 'nice' citizens and accidental tourists who didn't feel like going home yet. A middle-aged man in a suit stepped on the table and sang Elvis. A over made-up whore of about fifty collected coins for the juke-box. I watched and wondered, thinking, so this is Berlin again, this is where the life is. I never found the place again, but it was as close to the mythical world as it could be.
New Architecture -- Deutsche Bahn Headquarters
by yooperprof
The Deutsche Bahn (German State Rail) Headquarters is another Helmut Jahn creation, part of the Potsdamer Platz redevelopment, and just down the street from the Sony Center.
It's an impressive office tower, with beautiful glass curtain walls whose graceful curves echo the roundness of Potsdamer Platz itself. At night, it's all lit up and glamorous.
On the other hand, I don't like the wide roads and frightening traffic in this part of Berlin. It makes me feel that I'm in Atlanta, not in the center of Europe.
The 'fat' statues...
by Djinn76
Even if the main goal of my trip to Berlin was not tourism, when some free time was available, I've used it to do some sight seeing : strolling in the street without guidebook and without any specific goal.
When discovering the Brandenburg gate I was puzzled by the statue of this fat horse standing in front of the central arch! What could it means? I knew Berlin was quite renewed for modern art but still, it was quite amazing to see such a statue in front of such a known landmark!
On my way back to the hotel, I was quite surprised again when I discovered the lustgarten. That is already quite weird to give such a name to the park just in front of a cathedral. It was even more weird to populate this park with several statues of naked fat women (and other strange stuff). Indeed I found it quite a funny way to pull the leg of the clergy ;-)
I've later found out those statues were made by Fernando Botero and they were indeed part of a temporarily exhibition organized by the Columbian embassy.
I could easily live without the horse statue but I found the concept of lustgarten quite funny, too bad it's going to disappear!
I missed Checkpoint Charlie Museum
by matcrazy1
On the western side of Ebertstraße between Branderburg Gate and Reichstag there was a special place to commemorate victims of the Berlin Wall with neglected large info table on Checkpoint Charlie Museum (Mauermuseum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie) but exclusively in German language. The museum was located 20 min. away at the place where the former border crossing point between East and West Berlin was and where Soviet and American tanks stood face to face, after the construction of the Wall in 1961.
From 1961 to 1990, Checkpoint Charlie was the only border crossing point for the Allies, foreigners, employees of the Permanent Representation and officials of the GDR (DDR).
I was driving Friedrichstraße and passed by the museum. I could see large Soviet red star painted on the building and the reconstructed frontier house with a border sign and a soldier's post in front of the museum - put in the middle of quite busy street. There were a few visitors taking pictures there.
I wanted to stop the car but... I coudn't. I didn't have enough time. As I am very interested in the topic I am sure it would take me more time. I wanted at least to take a few pictures there but there was no place (or I didn't know) to park a car there. Anyway, it will be my first must see in Berlin next time.
Address:
Mauermuseum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie
Friedrichstraße 43-45
10969 Berlin - Kreuzberg
Hours:
Daily: 9.00 am - 10.00 pm :-))) - unique in Berlin!
Directions:
Bus: 129,
U-bahn: Kochstraße (U6) - walk approx 200 m north Friedrichstraße, the museum on your right when you cross Kochstraße (before Zimmerstraße).
Tickets:
9,50 €.
Loretta
by PookieRabbit about Beer Garden
This is the Loretta Beer Garden, not to be confused with another famous Loretta Beer Garden in Wannsee ("Loretta am Wannsee") featured later.
We visited late on a Saturday afternoon and found it surprisingly quite. This was by far the biggest garden we visited and had a number of bars and food vendors.
Not sure what days and times this place gets really busy.
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I Just Had To Kick His/Her Ball Away ;(
Landwehrkanal, Lower Locks
Mohrenstrasse
get your passport stamped at the border
