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Berlin in 7 days
Experience the diversity of the city in a 7 day melting pot of history, culture and nature.
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This one week trip to Berlin will give you a flavour of what the German capital has to offer. From crystal clear lakes and beaches to history and a town steeped in culture, to sweaty techno clubs to cocktails and German beer by the river - there is something for everyone in Berlin.
This inconspicuous looking place in Prenzlauer Berg's Oderberger Straße is fairly small, but what is lacking in space is certainly made up for in quality. The sushi chef prepares his goodies on the premises, and customers can watch him from one of the eight bar stools which are strewn across the room. But most people aren't lucky enough to get a seat here, as word has obviously got out that Ky has some of the best (and most affordable) sushi in town. The decor is plain, but is augmented by the broad smiles of the team behind the bar.
The influence of the nearby Volksbühne theater can be clearly felt in Kaffee Burger. Here you can listen to little-known local authors reading from their latest publications. There are also concerts, films, lectures, theater performances and African peanut butter soup. If you do not enjoy these thespian frolicks, just retreat to the quiet section at the front of the bar or out into the garden.
Located about 10 kilometers from the airport, Lux 11 lies in one of the trendiest districts of Mitte. Opened in 2005, it is a hotel that spells style and elegance. It fuses historic architecture along with modern designs. All 72 apartments are equipped with a kitchenette, an internet connection, LCD-TVs, DVD players and fax machines. Try out the services of the in-house spa, and if you are too busy to cook, visit the on-site restaurant, which whips up some very lip-smacking dishes.
Located on the ground floor of Tacheles, the legendary squat-turned-cultural centre, Zapata is a weird, wonderful and way-out establishment typical of Berlin's alternative scene. Decorated with metal and barbed wire, tins and trash art, it is all fairly surreal. Snacks such as are available all day, as is a decent selection of beer. The place really gets going in the evening when hundreds of people gather to chat, flirt and dance. Don't miss the beer garden in the summer.
The notorious East German security police, the Stasi, used to secretly collect the "smells" of undesired people so as to be able to track them down with sniffer dogs later. Fantasy? Fiction? Not in the slightest. Big Brother is watching you! The lengths that the Stasi went to to control all aspects of life in East Germany were never too great. While some exhibits make you laugh, others are truly horrifying. And although not spectacular, the exhibition will give you an insight into another unhappy chapter of German history.
free
Located on Alexanderplatz in the heart of eastern Berlin, this 1960s structure towers over the whole city. Built by communist authorities at the height of the Cold War, West Berliners cheekily christened the TV Tower 'the Pope's revenge' because of the sparkling cross which appears on the pinnacle of the tower when the sun shines on it. Although regarded by many as an eyesore, the views from the top are hard to beat. The revolving Telecafé at 207m is a pleasant spot to stop for a coffee and a sedate gaze over the city.
Mauerpark
Type: Outdoors: Picnics, Parks & Gardens
This one kilometre long strip of no man's land between the West Berlin district of Wedding and East Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg was turned into a park after the fall of the Wall. The park is hardly pretty, yet it is full of atmosphere, embued with history. Situated on a slope which rises up to the Ludwig Jahn Sports Stadium, the park is crowned at its peak by a graffiti-strewn concrete wall. Modern art installations are dotted around the park - typical Berlin pieces made of metal and concrete. The view to the west is dominated by grey high-rise buildings, to the east by the threatening TV Tower. Locals walk their dogs and sunbathe on the spot which, just over 10 years ago, was heavily-mined and patrolled by armed guards.
Kaffee Burger
This restaurant is named after its owner, Señor Orlando Mardones. Orlando serves Chilean specialities, such as empanadas filled with beef, onions, olives and raisins and pastel de choclo, a sweetcorn soufflé, as well as Mexican dishes like burritos, enchiladas, nachos and exquisite crab enchiladas. For those of you wanting just a small bite to accompany your wine, try the pan con pebre, white bread with a hot coriander sauce. The Olga Benario art gallery is located on the same premises.
Outdoor club by the river with occasional live music.
The original Prater is in Vienna, yet the Berlin version is equally lively and immensely popular. Berlin's oldest beer garden serves up rustic German food which you can dig into in the loveliest of surroundings. The complex also has an open-air stage which is used by the Volksbühne, one of Berlin's most inventive theatre companies. This place offers inexpensive beer, so come by and enjoy the long summer days with some drinks with friends.
If you're looking for remnants of the Berlin Wall, you may have to search for a long time. There is little left of this Cold War relic in present-day Berlin, due to a popular desire among Germans to eliminate all traces of their previous division. Just a handful of sites are left, one of which is the recently erected memorial at Bernauer Straße, the scene of some of the most spectacular and tragic escape attempts. What you will see here is, in fact, a reconstruction of the original Wall. Two walls run parallel to one another down the street, and in the middle, a strip of no man's land. This serves as a potent reminder of what many Germans regard as a symbol of totalitarian evil. The museum itself documents the history of the Wall in a series of moving and disturbing photographs.
Friedrichshain's answer to Mitte's Oranienburger Straße, Simon-Dach-Straße is home to a vast variety of pubs, cafés, bars and restaurants, the most popular being the legendary Astro Bar. Many of the bars here are fairly new additions to the nightlife scene yet Simon-Dach-Straße has already become extremely popular with students and other young Berliners and is without doubt one of the liveliest places in the eastern part of town. During the warmer months, the pavements on both sides of the street are lined with benches and tables which join together to form one huge bar. The street is fairly narrow and in summertime the trees meet in the middle of the street to form a natural rooftop.
When you think of Berlin, the first word likely to spring to mind is Wall. But over a decade after being torn down by angry East Germans, there is not much of the Berlin Wall left standing in present-day Berlin. The longest section of the Wall to be spared (1.3km) runs parallel to the River Spree between Kreuzberg in the West and Friedrichshain in the East. In the months following the fall of the Wall in 1989, 118 artists from all over the world flocked here to pay their artistic tribute to the downfall of communism. The result—an open-air gallery containing a host of colourful and imaginative images—some satirical, some shocking and others unintelligible. The East Side Gallery is a must for first-time visitors to the city. The barren wasteland which surrounds the Wall is oddly fitting and gives you a good idea of how the Wall, surrounded by a 10 metre-wide, heavily mined death strip, would have appeared several decades ago. Yet the current condition of the gallery gives cause for concern. Many of the paintings have been disfigured by souvenir-hunters keen to take a chunk of Wall home with them, while the weather has taken its toll on the rest.
Berliner Prater Garten
Located on the scenic Grosser Müggelsee, this restaurant and beer garden is a great place to rest your feet after a walk around the lake. On warm days, you can drink and dine outside on the deck and enjoy the view of the water; and when the weather is inclement, you can warm up in the elegant indoor dining room. The fare is mainly comprised of traditional German dishes, with a wide selection of starters and entrees to choose from. And you can't forget about the wine and beer selection -- a perfect accompaniment to any schnitzel or wurst!
In the early 19th century, Hackescher Markt was still a muddy swamp situated outside Berlin's city gates. Yet as the industrial revolution gained hold, new businesses and booming industries set up shop here, bringing wealth and prosperity to the whole area. Prominent examples of companies which started out in Hackescher Markt include Aschinger Brewery and Wertheim department store. Hackescher Markt's main claim to fame is, however, its S-Bahn station. Constructed at the height of the railway boom in the late 19th century, with a red-tiled facade, mosaics and rounded windows, this is one of Berlin's most attractive stations. Originally known as 'Bahnhof Börse' (Stock Exchange Station) because of its proximity to the Berlin Stock Exchange, the square in front of the station was renamed 'Marx-Engels-Platz' by party apparatchiks during the socialist era. Nowadays, the station is used primarily by visitors to the nearby Hackesche Höfe complex, a labyrinth of courtyards brimming with cafés, restaurants, boutiques and art galleries. A cinema, theatre and the Oranienburger Straße nightlife strip complete the list of attractions in this increasingly popular (and tourist-ridden) district.
Built in the early '30s near Rahnsdorf, this is not Berlin's most central swimming pool, but an excursion to Müggelsee, the largest lake in the close vicinity of the German capital, is very worthwhile. Lean back in wicker beach chairs and watch the distant boats pass by, while children build their sandcastles and youngsters play volleyball.
Hackescher Markt
This is a simple but good bar-cum-cafe. All possible subcultures and nationalities stop by to be part of the relaxed atmosphere found at Morgenland. Warm apricot colored walls and the responsive service add to the stress-free experience. Recommended bar snacks are the Maistaler in a cream sauce, as well as the sumptuous breakfasts. Beer, wine and hot beverages are quite inexpensive.
Morena Bar
Cuisine: British & Irish, Austrian, German & Swiss, Central European
Nights in Berlin are long and it is no surprise that dozens of cafés choose to serve breakfast until late into the afternoon. Situated near Görlitzer Park, Morena Bar is an institution for those who find early starts a bit of a challenge. The breakfasts are generous and tasty and will fill you up regardless of whether you go for the continental or Anglo-Saxon incarnation. In the evening the café transforms into a trendy neon-blue hangout for Kreuzberg's party people.
The paper lanterns dangling merrily from the ceiling of Bateau Ivre draw hoards of thirsty locals into the 'sinking ship'. The lanterns are lit the whole day - even in the summer when most people are out at the bistro tables enjoying the sun. This earthy bar attracts a stream of visitors by day but really gets going in the evening when an orchestra of voices, laughter and music combines to create the unique atmosphere that you can only find in Kreuzberg. One side of the bar overlooks bustling Heinrichplatz; the other side faces Oranienstraße, Kreuzberg's nightlife hotspot with a touch of the Orient. Prices range from EUR2-EUR8 for food, EUR1 for coffee, EUR1 for soft drinks, EUR3 for wine and EUR2 for beer.
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