U2: Hausvogteipl. From the Metro, walk north along Oberwalstr. and take a right on Französische Str. Continue it across the canal bridge. Visitors center open daily 10am-6pm.
FERNSHEHTURM
Panoramastr. 1A
TOWER
030 242 3333 www.tv-turm.de
At 368m, the Fernshehturm, literally “TV Tower,” trumps all other sky-ticklers in the EU. It’s shaped like a lame 1950s space probe on purpose; commies wanted folk to think of Sputnik when they saw it. In the DDR’s defense, it wasn’t its biggest miscalculation. This supposed “triumph of Soviet technology” was actually completed by Swedish engineers when construction faltered. Elevators now shoot more than a million people each year to a height of 200m where they can dig a 360° panorama, grab a drink at the bar, or stomach an incredibly pricey meal. The height plays especially well in Berlin, which has few tall buildings.
U2, U5, U8: Alexanderpl. €10.50, under 16 €6.50. Open daily Mar-Oct 9am-midnight; Nov-Feb 10am-midnight.
ROTES RATHAUS
Rathausstr. 15
CITY HALL
0309 02 60
This imposing red brick structure looks like the world’s most intense East Coast private high school, but it used to be the East Berlin City Hall and now houses the Berlin Senate. Senate? In Berlin? But Berlin’s a city! Well, actually, traveler, Berlin is one of the 16 states that make up the Federal Republic of Germany. Each district of Berlin has a mayor, and individual state senators who conduct business at the Rotes Rathaus.
U2: Klosterstr. From the Metro, head north.
MARIENKIRCHE
Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 8
CHURCH
0302 500 25 www.marienkirche-berlin.de
The oldest still-standing medieval church in Berlin (est. 1270) has one of the most frightening murals you’ll ever see: a line of saints and kings perform the dance of death alongside a line of skeletons who look more like space creatures from The X-Files. There’s a Dan Brown novel here waiting to be written.
U2, U5, U8: Alexanderpl. Free. Open daily in summer 10am-9pm; in winter 10am-6pm.
REICHSTAG
Pl. der Republik 1
PARLIAMENT
0302 273 21 52 www.bundestag.de
Visitors to the German parliament building can climb the roof’s 1200-ton glass dome that looks down into the main chamber as a symbol of the “openness” of German democracy. It also serves to focus sunlight into the government chambers via an aggressive spire of mirrored fragments that juts down toward the floor. A free, automated audio tour tracks your movements up and down the nearly 300m ramp. Stop off at the very top for a swell view of the Berlin skyline and to marvel at the fact that this dome—and therefore the Reichstag—has no roof. Rain, snow, and sleet all fall into the building and land in a giant “cone” located on the dome’s floor. Visitors can trek around the roof terrace to avoid the solar panels that make the Reichstag the world’s only zero-emission congress. Across the way stand a series of futuristic government offices that have been affectionately termed “the Washing Machine.” If viewing democracy makes you hungry, stop at the restaurant located on the roof.
Bus #100: Pl. der Republik. Free. Open daily 8am-10pm.
SCHLOß BELLEVUE
Spreeweg 1
PALACE
0302 00 00
This palace, home of the German president, was the first Neoclassical building in Germany. What? That doesn’t excite you? Then try this: when there’s a gala, watch from the street as the privileged drink cocktails.
U9: Hansapl. From the Metro, head east past the Victory Column. Never open to you.
BERLINER DOM
Am Lustgarten
CHURCH
0302 026 91 19 www.berlinerdom.de
You’ll probably spend the whole time thinking how big a bowl of cereal the inverted dome would make; in other words, it’s a fantastically enormous dome and a ridiculously beautiful church. “Dom” means cathedral in German; since this 1905 church belongs to the Protestants, it’s technically not a cathedral, but in terms of grandeur it blows away most cathedrals you’ve seen. A museum upstairs shows various failed incarnations of the church, and if you climb some sketchy-feeling backstairs, you can actually get to a roof terrace lookout. Don’t forget the basement with the most luxurious crypt you’ve ever seen, housing the ghosts of lightweights like the Hohenzollern kings.
U2, U5, U8: Alexanderpl. €5, students €3. Open Apr-Sept M-Sa 9am-8pm, Su noon-8pm; Oct-Mar Ma-Sa 9am-7pm, Su noon-7pm.
ALTES MUSEUM
Am Lustgarten
MUSEUM
www.smb.museum
A newly organized collection of Roman and Estruscan antiquities now takes up the entire first floor of this incredible musuem. Though this museum’s cool in another context, those who’ve seen its flashier cousins, the Pergamon and the Neues, might be a bit disappointed. Check it if you’ve got the time; skip it if you don’t.
U2, U5, U8: Alexanderpl. €8, students €4. Free Th after 6pm. Open M-W 10am-6pm, Th 10am-10pm, F-Su 10am-6pm.
TIERGARTEN
Tiergarten
PARK
Stretching from the Brandenburg Gate in the east to the Bahnhof Zoo in the west, this Balrog-sized park is at the heart of Berlin and contains some of its most famous iconic monuments including the Column of Victory and the Soviet War Memorial. Str. des 17 Juni bisects the park from east to west, and frequently hosts parades or celebrations. During the 2010 World Cup, the city blocked off the entire street from June to July and presented the World Cup on 10 enormous screens to daily hordes of thousands of fans. It was drunk and it was loud. The park also contains some beautiful paths and gardens that can offer solace from the hipster invasion.
Bus #100 or #200: Brandenburg Tor.
TACHELES
Oranienburger Str. 53
GALLERY
An unforgettable experience day or night, this bombed-out department store has become a living, breathing street-art Metropolis. Bars, galleries, a movie theater, faux beach exterior, and sculpture garden/workshop all exist where every available space is covered in graffiti art, human piss, or both. But it’s worth it. Seating options in the outside bars range from lifeguard towers to forklifts.
U6: Oranienburger Tor. Free to enter; most galleries cost €1-5. Open 8am-late.
CENTRUM JUDAICUM: NEW SYNAGOGUE
Oranienburger Str. 28-30
SYNAGOGUE
030 88028 316 centrumjudaicum.de
The New Synagogue, built in 1866, was once one of the most awesome Jewish temples in Europe, with 3200 seats and a 50m dome. Almost completely destroyed, first by Nazi violence, then by American bombs, after 1989 the building’s exterior and dome were restored, and the building became the museum, cultural center, and miniature synagogue that it remains today. The exhibit on the original synagogue is small and only justified by a pre-existing interest in the building’s history. The dome, too, disappoints somewhat, and most visitors will be satisfied with a strut past the front.
U6: Oranienburger Tor. Information in English. Permanent exhibition €3, reduced €2. Dome €1.50, reduced €1. Open Apr-Sept M 10am-8pm, Tu-Th 10am-6pm, F 10am-5pm, Su 10am-8pm; Oct and Mar M 10am-8pm, Tu-Th 10am-6pm, F 10am-2pm, Su 10am-8pm; Nov-Feb M-Th 10am-6pm, F 10am-2pm, Su 10am-6pm.
NEUE NATIONAL GALLERIE
Potsdamer Str. 50
MUSEUM
0302 66 42 45 10 www.smb.museum
The be-all end-all of early 20th-century painting in Berlin, this museum’s building is almost as famous as its collection. Strange temporary exhibits live upstairs in the so-called “Temple of Light and Glass” designed by Mies van der Rohe, while the basement holds a treasure trove of primarily German paintings and sculptures. Works by Edward Munch, Franz Marc, and Max Ernst are just a few of the highlights. Sadly, in the 1930s, key works were labeled “degenerate” by the Nazis and have since disappeared from the collection. Missing works appear as black-and-white photocopies and are still hung througho
ut the gallery.
U2: Potsdamer Pl. Audio tour included in the price of admission. €10, students €5. Free Th after 6pm. Open M-W 10am-6pm, Th 10am-10pm, F-Sa 10am-6pm.
MUSEUM FOR FILM AND TELEVISION
Potsdamer Str. 2
MUSEUM
030 300 903 0 www.deutsche-kinemathek.de
A fun little exhibit on the history of German cinema, with a special emphasis on the work of Fritz Lang and Marlene Dietrich. Not a must-see, but the production photos and set drawings of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Metropolis are worth the admission price alone. Film buffs will be rewarded, and film gruffs will still find a few things to tickle them. A TV library lets visitors watch old German TV. If you thought their wars were crazy...
U2: Potsdamer Pl. €5, students €3. Audio tour €4/3. Open Tu-W 10am-6pm, Th 10am-8pm, F-Su 10am-6pm.
BERTOLD BRECHT HAUS
Chausseestr. 125
MUSEUM
030 200 57 1844 www.adk.de
Bertold Brecht revolutionized theater with such masterworks as the Threepenny Opera, and this tour lets you glimpse into his personal life. While Brecht only lived (and died) here from 1953 to 1956, the same is true of his other addresses—Brecht “changed countries as often as shoes,” so don’t feel like you’re getting a raw deal. Preserved by his wife, the Brechtian actress Helen Weigel, Brecht’s apartment (two studies and the bedroom where he croaked) contains his library and other small artifacts of note. Come with an English-speaking crew so they do the tour in English; otherwise you’ll be stuck reading along and wondering if the Germans are mocking you each time they laugh.
U6: Oranienburger Tor. From the U-Bahn, head north on Chausseestr. The house will be on your left. There isn’t a good sign or anything, so look for the address. All tours are guided. €4, students €2.50. Tours every 30min. Tu 10-11:30am, 2-3:30pm. W 10-11:30am. Th 10-11:30am, 5-6:30pm. F 10am, 10:30am, and 11:30am. Sa 10-noon, 1-3:30pm. Su 11am, noon, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6pm.
Prenzlauer Berg
BERLINER MAUER DOKUMENTATIONZENTRUM
Bernauer Str. 111
MUSEUM, MONUMENT
030 464 1030 www.berliner-mauer-dokumentationzentrum.de
A remembrance complex, museum, chapel, and entire city block of the preserved Berlin Wall, two concrete barriers separated by the open Todesstreife, or death strip, come together in a memorial to “victims of the communist tyranny.” The church is made of an inner oval of poured cement walls, lit from above by a large skylight, with gaps that look out over a field of tall grasses and poppies. The museum has assembled a comprehensive collection of all things Wall. Exhibits include photos, film clips, and sound bites. Climb up a staircase to see the wall from above.
U8: Bernauer Str. Free. Open Tu-Su Apr-Oct 9:30am-7pm; Nov-Mar 9:30am-6pm.
JÜDISCHER FRIEDHOF
On Schönehauser Allee; enter by the Lapidarium
CEMETERY
Prenzlauer Berg was one of the major centers of Jewish Berlin during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The ivy-covered Jewish cemetery contains the graves of Giacomo Meyerbeer and Max Liebermann and is studded by impressively high, dark tombs under towering old trees. Nearby, Synagogue Rykstrasse (Rykestr. 53) is one of Berlin’s loveliest synagogues. It was spared on Kristallnacht thanks to its inconspicuous location. Unfortunately, visitors are not allowed in, as the synagogue still operates as a school.
U2: Senefelderpl. Free. Open M-Th 8am-4pm, F 8am-1pm.
ZEISS-GROSSPLANETARIUM
Prenzlauer Allee 80
PLANETARIUM
030 421 84 50 www.astw.de
In 1987 this planetarium opened as the most modern facility of its kind in the DDR. Compared to its peers in the West, it seems about as technologically advanced as a tricycle, but it can still show you the stars. No exhibits here, only shows; check the website or call in advance for times.
S8, S41, S42, or tram M2: Prenzlauer Allee. From the stop, the planetarium is across the bridge. €5, students €4. Open Tu 9am-noon, W 9am-noon and 1:30-3pm, Th 9am-noon, F 7-9pm, Sa 2:30-9pm, Su 1:30-5pm.
Friedrichshain
VOLKSPARK
PARK
Volkspark is the second-largest park in Berlin and its oldest. This 52-hectare park is too big to feel crowded, even with masses of dog-walkers and suntanners filling the paths and grassy lawns. Since opening in 1840, monuments and memorials have been added here and there around the green spaces. In 1913 the Fairy Fountain was added, representing 10 characters from the book The Brothers Grimm. The rubble from two bunkers that were bombed and destroyed in World War II was piled into a war monument in 1950, now called Mont Klemont, and is sometimes used as a platform for open-air concerts and movie screenings in the summer. Statues that commemorate the Polish soldiers and German anti-fascists were built in 1972.
S8 or S10: Landsberger Allee. Alternatively, U5: Strausbgr. Pl. Bounded by Am Friedrichshain to the north, Danziger Str. to the east, Landsberger Allee to the south, and Friedenstr. Str. to the south.
EAST SIDE GALLERY
Along Mühlenstr.
MONUMENT
www.eastsidegallery.com
The longest remaining portion of the Berlin Wall, this 1.3km stretch of cement slabs has been converted into the world’s largest open-air art gallery. The Cold War graffiti wasn’t preserved; instead, the current murals were painted by an international group of artists who gathered in 1989 to celebrate the end of the city’s division. One of the most famous contributors is artist Dmitri Wrubel, who depicted a wet kiss between Leonid Brezhnev and East German leader Eric Honecker. The stretch of street remains unsupervised and, on the Warschauer Str. side, open at all hours, but vandalism is surprisingly rare.
U1, U15, S3, S5, S6, S7, S9, or S75: Warschauer Str. Alternatively, S5, S7, S9, or S75: Ostbahnhof. From the stops, walk back toward the river. Free.
Kreuzberg
While sights don’t quite compare to the grand historical scope of Mitte, there is still a fair amount to see in this more real section of town. The greenery in itself is an amazing sight.
DEUTSCHES TECHNIKMUSEUM BERLIN
Trebbiner Str. 9
MUSEUM
03090 25 40 www.sdtb.de
Don’t tell the National Air and Space Museum about this place. With 30 full-sized airplanes, 20 boats—including a full-sized Viking relic—and a train from every decade since 1880, this museum could be a city in itself. Most impressive are the large mechanical demonstrations conducted throughout the day. The museum also has a garden with two windmills and a brewery.
U1 or U2: Gleisdreieck. Many exhibits in English. €4.50, students €2.50. Open Tu-F 9am-5:30pm, Sa-Su 10am-6pm.
CHECKPOINT CHARLIE
Zimmerstr. and Friedrichstr.
HISTORIC SIGHT
This tourist trap once had significance as the entrance point into the American sector from East Berlin. For reasons unknown to Let’s Go, it has recently become a prime tourist destination, where buses of photo-snapping lemmings buy into this scheme. Germans in American uniforms stand in the middle of the street and charge you €3 to take a picture of them; this is the most lucrative business since prostitution. A set of placards along Kochstr. provide a somewhat interesting history on the checkpoint and the various escapes it saw. Skip the musuem.
U6: Kochstraße Free. Open 24hr.
JEWISH MUSEUM
Lindenstr. 9-14
MUSEUM
0302 599 33 00 www.jmberlin.de
Modern, interactive exhibits treat subjects ranging from explanations of the Torah to the philosophies of Moses Mendelssohn to the anatomy of Jewish discrimination under Charles V. Architect Daniel Libeskind designed the museum’s building to reflect the discomfort, pain, and inherent voids in Jewish history. While most attempts at “conceptual buildings” suck grandly, this one amazingly succeeds and the effect is moving, disorienting, and thought-provoking. No two surfaces are parallel to each other; the floor is uneven, and the doors and windows seem like portals from a nightma
re.
U1 or U6: Hallesches Tor. From the station, head east on Gitschinerstr. and take a left at Lindenstr. €5, students €2.50. Audio tours €2. Open M 10am-10pm, Tu-Su 10am-8pm. Last entry 1hr. before close.
SCHWULES MUSEUM (GAY MUSEUM)
Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 83