Berlin, in Germany (1 Viewer)

[broken arm]

Has anyone been? What are the essential things to see and do when there for a few days?

all options considered. .|..|

 

[oh shit]

Has anyone been? What are the essential things to see and do when there for a few days?

all options considered. .|..|

never been there but ever since i saw wings of desire i've really wanted to hang out on that big statue and go see the bad seeds and stuff.

offend the locals by impersonating soviet checkpoint guards? stuff like that always cracks me up (singer from diefenbacker actually said "we thought there would be bombs and soldiers here... hopefully next time." To which we replied "hopefully not, actually!")

 

[guy of the tiger]

Has anyone been? What are the essential things to see and do when there for a few days?

all options considered. .|..|

 

[sarah]

Has anyone been? What are the essential things to see and do when there for a few days?

all options considered. .|..|

Essential things are obviously the Brandenburg gate and the Reichstag,
from there it's maybe 30-40 mins to walk to Museum Island where
you have the german historical museum and loads of others, I'd advise
getting up pretty early if you want to go into the Reichstag,
when I was there I couldn't get in (didn't have the patience) the cue went
right down the steps and round the corner and this building is enourmous.

Also check out Bastard club pretty small but often quite interesting
stuff on also Tresor pretty big and bizarre.

If you go to this really long street called Kastanienallee (which is where Bastard is ) there are lots of interesting record and clothes shops, keep
following this street down hill in the general direction of Friedrichstrasse
(which is where the Brandenburg gate is ) and you'll find all these little
coffee shops and archways where there are old comic book stores
and artist communities which are open for the public to go in and
have a look, I can't remember the name of this place we were
but we walked into through this archway into this yard and there
were these huge statues made out of scrap metal that were automated
and moved when you put in a Euro, and some sort of nightclub,
which looked very interesting but I had my mother in tow.

Lastly there is one street with amazing coffee shop bars on is called
the Wohnzimmer, and has a similar atmosphere but more relaxed and bigger
as Gruel, with the mismatched furniture.
Another is called Intersoup which is a residential house on the eastern
side that got turned into a bar/coffee house and still has the original
wallpaper on some of the walls.
the most amazing thing about this shop was the loo, they had these really
opulent curtains budoir style and comfy armchairs and and lamps
I suppose so you can entertain while going for a dump.
They were playing this circa worldwar 2 french and german music
and I had coffee with a shot of whyskey out of delicate china cups.
The people there are very open and interesting and will point you to more
interesting places if you ask...
Also try to get to the fleamarket if you can..

 

[broken arm]

thanks sarah - high 5

 

[sarah]

No probs, the best thing to do is just walk around and you'll discover
lots of interesting places on your own.
Also if your caught on the tube without the proper fare just lie
about all your personal information like a sensible person, don't freak out and pay
up like me.

 

[thegoone]

tresor

 

[avernus]

I stayed in east berlin...when I saw 'Nazi Raus' on the wall I got a bit freaked..its all communist looking..

they have some pretty cool clothes shops - 2nd hand and new stuff. v cheap.

 

[roxy]

Well the Love Parade's been cancelled this year (due to consistant loss-making over recent years).

So that's a pity. There's one place, I forget the name of it, but it's gay/lesbian/bi/straight bar and in the early part of the evening there are balloroom dancing classes. Then the club kicks in properly and you can (and must) ballroom dance around the place to the likes of Madonna and other poptastic dancy stuff.

Hmm what else...I can't think of anything that hasn't already been mentioned. I agree with the walking around thing.
The thing about Berlin, I've always thought, is that the monuments and historical sites are really substantial, if you know what I mean. The history of the area is so popularised, it means a lot to so so many people, and not just history buffs. So it lessens the effort that a tourist need make!

So enjoy.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Herv'd know

never there myself; Bonn, Cologne and Dusseldorf were as far as I got

cherry coke on every street corner

 

[kstop]

The one thing you can't miss is the Jewish Museum.

I'd concur with the general Kastanienallee suggestion, and make sure to walk down as far as the Zionskirche. If you like that kind of thing.

NBI is a nice bar in Kastanienallee filled with hipsters, so the people-watching and piss-taking potential is high.

I was very disappointed with the Deutches Technikmuseum, as the top floor (Aerospace) was closed, but if you're into shipping or railways you'll be happy as a clam. There is a bit of an odd moment in the railway collection though. A couple in fact.

 

[broken arm]

Cheers everyone - I better get packing as im off in the morn. .|..|

 

[Thayl]

If you're going to be in Berlin on Friday then go to this gig:

Electronic Desire | 30.04.2004 | Delikat-Records
Electro @ Pfefferbank

||||| Live: Carl A. Finlow [Silicon Scally • Voice Stealer • SCSI AV ]
||||| Live: Volum [World Electric • Compost • Noodles]
||||| DJ: Botox, H. Teichmann, Peter Nikolai

Carl Finlow and Volum are both amazingly good electro producers (Finlow has supported Kraftwerk in France).

I just got back from Berlin yesterday actually. I'd avoid Tresor unless you're into relentless boring pounding techno, apparently it has gone really touristy and the locals avoid the place nowadays. Of course me being a tourist went there anyway.

 

[Juno]

I'd avoid Tresor unless you're into relentless boring pounding techno, apparently it has gone really touristy and the locals avoid the place nowadays. Of course me being a tourist went there anyway.

Is Tresor the underground dungeon type place on Schonhauser Allee?

 

[LMD64]

i'm off to berlin for a couple of days during the sommer (via linz, vienna and warsaw), all that should keep me nice an busy when i get there...

sarah, you ARE the missing link to Lonely Planet. Brillantine!

 

[broken arm]

Berlin = B+

All night bars, all night transport, smoking in bars, cheaper booze, cheaper fags, on street falafel 24/7, cool clubs, great musems/galleries/exhibitions, interesting community/ecoprojects, cool bars, cool people, squats, squat bars (except Tachles is a bit lame after all these years), friendly and helpful people OH! and the craziest riot I have ever witnessed (which followed a great day of peaceful marches and street parties).

 

[ostrichsyndrome]

Best clubs are Knaacht (rock) Tresor (techno.dance) Quasimodo (kinda like whelans) and Bastard (rock, metal etc) there's also a weird dance esque club built on a raft (ie, it's on a river with bars on the banks) i saw matthew herbert there last summer, can't remember it's name, but you'll find it.

stay in circus hostel (unless you have made plans already) it's the best hostel in europe.

Other stuff, brandenburg gate, reichstag, hitler's bunker (they're all around the same area)

there's always parties going on in local parks, and the locals are friendly and wont tell you to fuck off.

enjoy

 

[sarah]

Best clubs are Knaacht (rock) Tresor (techno.dance) Quasimodo (kinda like whelans) and Bastard (rock, metal etc) there's also a weird dance esque club built on a raft (ie, it's on a river with bars on the banks) i saw matthew herbert there last summer, can't remember it's name, but you'll find it.

stay in circus hostel (unless you have made plans already) it's the best hostel in europe.

Other stuff, brandenburg gate, reichstag, hitler's bunker (they're all around the same area)

there's always parties going on in local parks, and the locals are friendly and wont tell you to fuck off.

enjoy

I stayed in Circus hostel and also in an Apartment that I found
over mitwohnzentrale, if you're going with one or two other people
the apartment works out cheaper plus you don't have to worry
about having bits of other peoples hair adhering to your foot
as you exit from the shower.
The apartment worked out at around 10 or 15 euro's cheaper a night
that's when you get a three person room in the hostel
and your own room in the apartment.

But then again I'm not a group tour kind of person.

 

[Wavioli]

hey Im heading over next week, any good gigs or anything, or any more info? ta very much

 

[Latex lizzie]

Just go with the flow it is an amazing city.