Owner: Berlin O Philia URL:http://www.berlin101.com Join Date: Sat, 04 Aug 2007 05:05:25 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Berlin guide blog, with reviews, articles and tips about tourist attractions, flights and transportation, museums, hotels, foods, shopping, and more. Site statistics:Click here
Berlin grocery shopping 2007-08-02 08:03:31 This will probably convince you that I’m a total geek with no life, but one of the things I like most about Berlin
is the fabulous experience it offers to the tiny grocery shopper - that’s me.
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Shalom to Klaus Wowereit 2007-07-31 05:08:33 Not many people who live in big cities get to see their mayor very often. Even in our city, which has a population of around 400,000, we only catch the mayor occasionally when we happen to dine at the most expansive restaurant Refael (you can find it here, under the section “a rich uncle is paying”), of which he’s a regular visitor. But on our meager 3 weeks total in Berlin, we happened to come across Berlin’s mayor live, on display. And we are enthralled.
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Weather and beach bars 2007-07-29 04:56:18
We come from a very hot state. In Israel, summer starts in June, and ends in October, if we’re lucky. And by summer I mean around 30 degrees Celsius on a cool day. Also, Tel Aviv, our city, lies on the shore of the Mediterranean sea, so we are used to 80% humidity (”used to” is not exactly right. No matter how many years you live here, the feeling of walking into a sauna every time you go out is something you can never get used to). In other parts of the world, apparently this is not the case.
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Berlin Maps: all you need to know 2007-07-27 12:55:24 Don’t even think about walking around Berlin
without a map. Especially if this is your first time in the city.
It is always good to carry a map with you if you wander around in an unknown city, and Berlin is no exception. What’s special about Berlin in this context is that it is relatively easy to find your way between distant locations, as long as you know how to make good use of it’s fabulous public transportation - and have a good map of Berlin.
The transportation includes two very thorough electric train systems (called U-Bahn and S-Bahn), many bus lines, and the Tram trains, a relic from the communist era. No single map I’ve seen contain all relevant information, but if you have a good map with the basic routes your more or less covered.
MPM’s Berlin transportation map.
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Public transportation - useful information 2007-07-27 12:50:02 The four main ways to get around Berlin by public transportation are subways (U-Bahn), urban railway lines (S-Bahn), Tram and buses. We avoided the Tram, since it’s very slow (it became a joke to us, that no one can ever get ran over by a Tram, no matter how hard you try) and not very friendly to use. The buses were sometimes handy, but we traveled mostly by S-Bahn - by far the best trains (the U-Bahns are more ancient and crammed).
(more…) Read more:Public
, information
Berlin Airports 2007-07-27 12:24:23 Berlin has three airports, two for international flights, and one mainly for domestic flights. They are supposed to be merged at some time in the future into one large airport (they say 2011. You can read all about it here).
Until then, you have Schoenfeld in the east (some 20km from the center), Tegel in the middle (some 8km from the center) and Tempelhof, which is supposed to be the oldest commercial airport in the world (built in 1923) and the first airport connected to a subway network (1927), but is not profitable, and scheduled to close on 2008. Anyway, it does only domestic flights within Germany and neighboring countries.
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, Airports
Berlin and the Bear 2007-07-27 12:01:43 Berlin is a relatively young city in European terms, only around 750 years old. And since then, it is associated with the symbol of the bear.
Apparently, no one really knows where it came from. It first appeared in 1280, on a seal document (which depicted two upright bears with Brandenburg eagle in the center). Earlier, around 1150, there was some guy named Albert the Bear who inherited Berlin from its last Wendish king, as says the article about “the history of Berlin” in Wiki. Maybe he’s the source, who knows. Anyway, the Bear still stands proud as the city symbol and mascot, and appears on its flag.
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United Buddy Bears 2007-07-27 11:18:11 In our first visit to Berlin, as we walked through the city, we occasionally came across a large fiberglass bear standing near an occasional embassy. Here’s one:
We knew the official symbol of the city is a Bear, so we didn’t put much thought into it. And then, one day, we came across this: (more…) Read more:United
, Buddy
, Bears
Berlin - capital of hospitality 2007-07-27 10:53:56 My Berlin
is the most hospitable city I’ve ever been to. This was the impression I got, from almost the first minute after I landed. I come from a “warm”, but not very strong in politeness and civility, place, so most European cities seem calmer and more polite in comparison. But we are led to believe certain things about the Germans, which do not co-exist with hospitality.
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Room of Silence (Raum der Stille) 2007-08-06 09:41:34 The “Room of Silence” is located in the north side of the Brandenburg Gate. It is inspired by the meditation room in the UN building in New York. The room was opened in 1994, and offers the people passing by a chance to sit down in silence, meditate, rest and so on, and is decorated with abstract pictures. We can tell you it is indeed a very relaxing, positive experience. They have a website, but it’s in German only.
Opening Hours: Apr-Oct 11:00 -18:00, Nov & Jan-Mar 11:00 -17:00, Dec 11:00 -16:00.
Good to know: there is a tourist information store on the other side of the brandenburg gate, where you can buy maps.
Berlin must-sees: Brandenburg Gate 2007-08-04 08:30:10 Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) is one of the most prominent “trademarks” of Berlin
. It is the only remaining city gate, and also became a symbol of the division of the city, because it was situated in the “no-man’s land” just behind the wall (click on the images to enlarge).
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Berlin must-sees: Pariser Platz 2007-08-08 09:23:10 Pariser Platz is the square linking The Brandenburg Gate to the Unter den Linden Boulevard.
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Berlin Must-Sees: Museum Island (Museumsinsel) 2007-08-12 10:53:32 The MuseumIsland
(Museuminsel), a UNESCO National Heritage site (since 1999) is really a very special place. It all started in 1830, when King Friedrich Wilhelm the 3 wanted to let the general public view the royal art treasures of Germany. That’s when the Old Museum (Alte Museum) was built.
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United Buddy Bears in Jerusalem 2007-08-10 05:00:18 As we promised, we made the excruciating journey to Jerusalem
to bring you some real-time photos of the lovely “UnitedBuddyBears
” project, which came here in the beginning of August. We came back home exhausted and probably a bit dehydrated (it’s much dryer there, so we tend to drink less. Big mistake), but with lots of beautiful pictures (Click on the picture to enlarge).
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The Long Night of Museums 2007-08-14 13:35:31 The Long Night
of Museums (”Die Lange Nacht der Museen” in German), which I’ve mentioned more than once in earlier posts, is an event which occurs in Berlin twice a year - in the summer (August, usually), and in the winter (January or February). This summer’s event is on the 25th of August, and is the 10 years anniversary of the “Long Night” tradition. Don’t miss it (or the next ones…).
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Berlin must-sees: Bebelplatz 2007-08-18 10:53:35 Bebelplatz (Bebel square) was designed by Frederick the Great, who became ruler of Germany in 1740, and was a great patron of the arts. It was first known as “Frederick’s Forum”, and later as “Opernplatz” (Opera square). In 1947 it was named Bebelplatz, after August Bebel, a leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in the 19th century.
On May 10th, 1933, Bebelplatz was the site of the notorious Nazi book burning event, organized by the minister for propaganda and public enlightenment, Joseph Goebbels. More than 20,000 books written by Jews, Communists and others, including Marx, Freud, the Manns, Kästner and Heine, were burned there in a large pyre.
Since 1995, this event has been commemorated by a monument designed by the Israeli artist Micha Ulmann. The monument is a plastic transparent window set into the ground, through which you can see an empty library. It’s very easy to miss in this pretty large square, so look carefully.
Next to the Read more:Berlin
Berlin must-sees: Unter den Linden 2007-08-16 10:46:00 Unter den Linden Boulevard stretches from Brandenburg Gate to Schlossbrücke (palace bridge). It exists since 1573, but rose to importance under Friedrich the Great. The linden trees (lime) were cut down by Hitler’s order (he had very different plans for that place). The buildings were pretty much destroyed in WW2. Some were reconstructed, others built anew. The trees were of course planted again.
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Berlin must-sees: Neue Wache memorial 2007-08-22 11:15:56 The Neue Wache (on Unter den Linden 4) is the first building Karl Friedrich Schinkel built in Berlin
, and is considered one of the main works of German Classicism.
The building served as the main guard house and the royal guard house until the end of the monarchy in 1918. In 1930-1 it was altered to become a memorial for the fallen of WW1. It was damaged in WW2, and in the late 1950s was reconstructed as a memorial for the victims of Fascism and Militarism.
After the unification, it was transformed again (in 1993) into the central official Federal memorial site for the “victims of war and tyranny”. The center of the chamber is now occupied by the enlarged sculpture “Mother with dead son” by Käthe Kollwitz.
Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00.
Berlin must-sees: Around Bebelplatz 2007-08-20 10:59:57 Bebelplatz is surrounded by the State Opera (Staatoper), St. Hedwig’s cathedral and the Alte Bibliothek (the old library), and is located across the road from the Humboldt University.
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Einstein Jahr 2007-08-26 11:47:57 When we visited Berlin in 2005, we couldn’t help but notice all the big “E”s, the Einstein
quotes, and the big sign on the fence of Humboldt University saying: “Hier las Einstein” (Einstein taught here).
Here are two such E’s on Unter den Linden:
Café Einstein: an Apple Strudel to die for 2007-08-24 11:19:05 When you’re walking along the Unter Den Linden boulevard, towards or from Brandenburg Gate, you owe yourself a visit at the well established, well known Café Einstein
. Read more:Apple
Berlin Must-Sees: The Reichstag 2007-08-30 16:37:41 The Reichstag is the seat of the German Bundestag (federal government). It was constructed from 1884-1894 by the architect Paul Wallot. The inscription “Dem Deutschen Volke” was added in 1916, during WW1. Read more:Berlin
Berlin Must-Sees: Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) 2007-08-28 14:59:55 The BerlinCathedral
(Berliner Dom) was the former court cathedral of Prussia’s royal family (the House of Hohenzollern), and was supposed to be the Protestant answer to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The Cathedral was build according to plans by the architects Julius Carl Raschdorff and Otto Raschdorff, between 1893 and 1905, and of course [...]
The Berlin Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe 2007-09-02 05:46:41 This monster of a memorial, which was unveiled in May 2005, is located in a very central place, near the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate. It is based on a design by Peter Eisenman, an American architect. The “Field of Stelea” is made of 2,711 concrete blocks of different heights, structured in a grid pattern. [...] Read more:Berlin
, Memorial
, Europe
International Blogday 2007: Berlin blogs 2007-08-31 13:43:34 The international Blogday 2007 is religiously observed in the Israeli Blogsphere (I might be exaggerating, just a little, but still, observed to some degree). We already completed our ceremonial participation in all our Hebrew blogs, but we want to contribute here too, as a part of the global blogging community. And, how surprising, we want [...] Read more:Berlin
, International
The TV Tower (Fernsehturm) on Alexanderplatz 2007-09-26 06:44:24 The TV Tower
(Fernsehturm) on Alexanderplatz is, as mentioned before, enormous. It can be seen from virtually everywhere in Berlin, and actually, it’s a very good navigation mark. It was built in 1969, and is 365 meters high (so every schoolboy could remember its height, you see…). Apart from fulfilling the former GDR’s technical need [...]
Alexanderplatz 2007-09-24 10:48:51 Alexanderplatz (Alexander square) was once called Ochsenmarkt (ox market), but was named Alexanderplatz after a visit by the Russian Tsar Alexander in the beginning of the 19th century. Most of the buildings on the square were destroyed in WW2, and being in the center of East Berlin, the place was used as a showcase of [...]
Berlin Hauptbahnhof 2007-09-22 06:06:27 The Berlin
Hauptbahnhof (central train station) was opened in May 2006, just five years behind schedule. It is located north of the Reichstag, just about in the middle of nowhere.
Potsdamer Platz: culture, shopping and food 2007-09-20 10:47:57 Besides being an architectural gem, Potsdamer Platz is also known for its very lively scene of cultural attractions, fancy hotels, gourmet and other good restaurants, and shopping opportunities.
Shopping
I already raved about the Sony Store, but there is also the Arkaden, our favorite mall in the city of Berlin. It is stacked with food joints of [...] Read more:culture
Berlin Must-Sees: Potsdamer Platz 2007-09-18 08:27:07 Before WW2, Potsdamer Platz was a very busy square, a central transportation hub, with numerous bars, cafés and cinemas. The place was badly damaged in the war, and after the war, it became a junction of the American, British and Soviet sectors, and was cut through by the Berlin
Wall. So it became a no [...]
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