Plan a wonderful visit to Berlin

Hello Berlin, How wonderful are you?

I have been hearing good things about Berlin for a long time now and I manage to visit it during May 2014 with family. It turned out to be one fabulous decision. Let me elaborate further now !!!

Gendarmenmarkt

It is an interesting square and an ensemble full of harmony with a French cathedral, German cathedral and a concert house. All the three buildings were damaged during world war II and rebuilt in 1970s. Currently, the cathedral’s houses museums. 

The below panorama picture is borrowed from Web. 

It is a beautiful place to sit and exchange ideas over a coffee. If you happen to go in December, you can also enjoy the Christmas market.

Brandenburg Gate & Bundestag

It was formerly used to represent the separation of the city between East and West Berlin. Since the wall was taken down it is now said to represent the symbol of German Unity.

It was constructed from 1788 to 1791 and was modeled on the Propylaea of Athens’s Acropolis. The quadriga was added to the gate in 1793 and it points to the east (towards the direction of the city centre). 

Situated at the Brandenburg Gate is the Pariser Platz square which is at the end of the Unter den Linden the main boulevard in the central ‘Mitte district’. Not only do you have the gate but you are also surrounded by elegant town houses, embassies.

You can visit the roof terrace and dome of the Reichstag Building, which offer spectacular views of the parliamentary and government district and Berlin’s sights. On the roof terrace you can obtain an audioguide to the dome of the Reichstag Building.

I would say, it is worth while to go through the waiting process of visiting the Dom and it is an awesome site to learn about the history and to enjoy the terrace view and walk.

Do check this web page before your visit: https://visite.bundestag.de/BAPWeb/pages/createBookingRequest.jsf?lang=en 

Culture of Berlin

There are over 600 art galleries in the city. It is estimated that 6,000 to 7,000 artists live in the city, with a quarter of them being from outside Germany. The beginnings of the modern boom in Berlin's art scene were during the 1990s. In 1995, a Berlin art fair, Art Forum Berlin, was first held. Galleries and artists' residences are mostly found in the neighbourhoods in Mitte (particularly along Auguststraße), Kreuzberg, Wedding, and Charlottenburg. Berlin is home to 153 museums also.

Berlin Cathedral

The history of today's Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church and its community dates back to 1451. In that year Prince-ElectorFrederick II Irontooth of Brandenburg moved with his residence from Brandenburg upon Havel to Cölln (today's Fishers' Island, the southern part of Museums Island) into the newly erected City Palace, which also housed a Catholic chapel. In 1454 Frederick Irontooth, after having returned – via Rome – from his pilgrimage to Jerusalem, elevated the chapel to become a parish church, richly endowing it with relics and altars.

An excellent view of the dome and entire interior can be had from the dome's gallery. The 270-step climb to the top is more pleasant than at most cathedrals, with a wide stairwell, plenty of places to pause, and interesting historic photos and models to look at along the way.

Museum Island

The ensemble on the Museum Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is situated in the northern part of the Spree Island between the Spree and the Kupfergraben. As early as 1841, it was designated a "district dedicated to art and antiquities" by royal decree.

Subsequently, the Altes Museum (Old Museum) in the Lustgarten displaying the bust of Queen Nefertiti, the Neues Museum (New Museum), Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), Pergamon Museum, and Bode Museum were built there.

The three-winged Pergamonmuseum has about one million visitors per year and thus is the most visited museum in Berlin. 

Potsdamer Platz

Potsdamer Platz began as a trading post where several country roads converged just outside Berlin's old customs wall. The history of Potsdamer Platz can probably be traced back to 1685. Plenty of big offices housed here like Bahn, Daimler and Sony.

It is an wonderful place to catch a movie or walk along the Tilla Durieux Park or to wine and dine in places like Bayernhof, Rheingold or Pschorr.

First traffic lights in Continental Europe were erected at Potsdamer Platz on 20 October 1924 and still preserved for nostalgic purpose.

East side gallery painting

The gallery is located near mill road from the Upper tree bridge to the Ostbahnhof  consists of 105 paintings by artists from all over the world, painted in 1990 on the east side of the Berlin Wall. The East Side Gallery was founded following the successful merger of the two German artists' associations VBK and BBK. It is possibly the largest and longest-lasting open air gallery in the world.

The paintings at the East Side Gallery document a time of change and express the euphoria and great hopes for a better, free future for all people of the world. 

How to move around Berlin?

Do buy the Berlin welcome card and it is quiet convenience as it contains the load for commutation and visit to Museum Island. Berlin is amazingly well connected through Tram and Metro and you can rely on the public transport due to decent frequency.

Recommend to check the options below:

http://www.visitberlin.de/en/welcomecard/the-berlin-welcomecard/tours?parent=863&tid=4474

Cost of Food

Food is reasonably priced when compared to Paris for example. Plenty of options and ranges are available. One can even buy food and drink using Penny chain store and eat at your leisure. The variety of food is also equally good considering the international food options in every corner.