Berlin, Germany

Germany is located in central Europe. It shares a border with Denmark, Poland, France, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxemburg and the Netherlands. 

• Capital: Berlin
• Currency : euro (€).
• Probably one of the busiest railway stations is the Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the main railway station. There are trains to and from Berlin Hbf all the time. It is easy to arrive with a train from Copenhagen. There are  nighttrains to/from Amsterdam (NED), Paris (FRA), Vienna (AUT) , Zürich (SUI), Budapest (HUN) etc. Reservations are recommended for these trains.
• S-Bahn (suburban metro railway according to wikipedia) is good to use. You can use the InterRail ticket, so no need for extra tickets. The InterRail ticket is not valid for U-Bahns (the subway)

Berlin has a lot of historical monuments from the GDR times. You could spend several days just going around and looking at all these things. Unfortunately we are (probably) not spending a week or so in Berlin, so we will have to decide on the places we really want to see. Here are a couple suggestions and places that I have seen and would like Brain to see as well.

The main railway station Berlin Hauptbahnhof was opened in May 2006. Most of the trains, U-Bahn and S-Bahns go through this station. There are great food places, a hostel near by. 

 I took this picture in June 2006.

Things to eat:

• Currywurst (in Curry 36 in Kreuzberg, or in another place which does have a name but I can't read my handwriting so I have no idea what it's called, but it's by Eberswalderstrasse, U-Bahn U2 goes there)
• Döner

Places to see:

• Checkpoint Charlie (Friedrichstraße)
• East side Gallery (1.3km of Wall left on Mühlenstraße)
• Holocaust memorial
• Madame Tussaud's Museum
• Reichstag (it's possible to go to the very top, but lines might be long especially during the summer, I think I waited for 45min in December so imagine what it's like in the summer)
• Unter der Linden (park & road)
• Brandenburg Gate
• Potsdamer Platz (1km south from Brandenburg Gate, close to southeast corner of Tiergarten)
• Siegessaule & Strasse den 17. Juni (entrance fee to Siegessaule)
• Gendarmenmarkt (Deutscher Dom & Französischer Dom)
• Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church) on Kurfurstendamm
• Berlin Wall Memorial
• Potsdam (S-Bahn S7 to Potsdam Hbf)
• Berliner Fernsehturm (TV tower - close to Alexanderplatz, entrance fee 10.50€)

Unter der Linden is located right by the Brandenburg Gate. Strasse den 17. Juni starts directly from the other side of the Brandenburg Gate. What I mean is that Brandenburg Gate is between the two roads, Unter der Linden and Strasse den 17. Juni. Basically if you go see the Gate, you will see these two streets. And you will see a glimpse of the Siegessaule, the victory column which is on the other end of Strasse den 17. Juni. 

The Reichstag, the parliament of Germany, is very near Brandenburg Gate, and so is the main railway station. The holocaust memorial is very near as well. All these places are within a walking distance, eventhough now there is a U-Bahn track U55 going from Berlin Hbf to Bundestag and continuing from there to the Brandenburg Gate. We are not going to use it, we can very well walk. All these places are so near to each other. And the spaces between look so nice. 

If you have the time you must go to Potsdam. It's very easy. Either go with a regional train or S-Bahn S7 to the Potsdam Hbf, main station, and walk around, or use trams and buses. Sanssouci is a wonderful place especially during the summer. It is incredibly beautiful. I do not know if we have time to go to Sanssouci. 

Then some pictures...

I have taken all of them. When, you ask, that is mentioned under the picture.

This is the main entrance to the Zoo of Berlin. I believe the entrance fee was 7€ for students. Most people use the other gate to go in, which is right by the Zoologischer garten station. This gate is a little farther away from the public transport stations.

(August 2009)

The Holocaust Memorial

(December 2005)

The Brandenburg Gate

 

(December 2005)

Siegessaule and Strasse den 17. Juni

 

 (June 2006)

 

(August 2009)

All the times I have been to Berlin Strasse den 17. Juni has been blocked for cars. It's always empty. I wonder if this time I'll see it full of cars? Maybe... 

Sanssouci

 

(August 2009)

I am extremely excited for Berlin. I've been there 5 times I think for about a week each time.That's why I thought that Berlin would be so easy to visit, because I knew where everything was already. Boy, was I wrong. I know the places, but I have no idea where they are except for the Brandenburg Gate area, or how to get to those places. My usual tour guide will be in New Zealand when we will be in Berlin so I'm going to have to read the map in a city that I already knew like my own pockets... ;) This is going to be interesting.