I originally wrote this for me, and used it to record stuff I need to plan and visit the city.  It’s still pretty much the same. It might be useful for others. I first stayed there at the end of the summer 2005. We stayed at the art’otel mitte im Mitte and visited the centre of Berlin with a quick trip to the Story of Berlin on the Ku’f’dam, which is worth revisiting. I posted my pictures to a  Berlin set in flickr which is now displayed as a slide show below/overleaf. I returned on business in 2007 and for a citybreak in Jan 2019 and again in March 2019.

Covid 19

Germany has closed down again. Jan 2021

eHotels

I revised these links in 2019; I deleted those that I might have merely been interested in, inserted the 2019 Hotel and kept two that I might still visit. I have stayed at the art’otel mitte, and Victor’s Residenz. The Google Map has the other’s that I have heard of, or considered.

• Victors Residenz, Berlin, 2019 4*s, got an upgrade, to a suite which was very roomy, good if staying for a while; I wish my flat in Londn was as big. I found this via Expedia. Here’s its restaurant menu, and Trip Advisor’s 10 nearest restaurants.
• Hotel Myers, found this while looking some time before 2007, looks rather fab and don’t want to forget it
• Adina Apartment Hotel Berlin Hackescher Markt, inspired by the same chain in Frankfurt

The map (see below) now has a bunch of hotels placed upon it, in both East & West Berlin, some came from a BA flight magazine, some just from looking for places to go, and/or the Rough Guide, it now included some recommended by Expedia.

Transport

All trains, trams and buses are under one price scheme. They have three zones, A,B&C. Day Tickets can be bought for AB or ABC. Schönefeld is in C, I bought a one way ticket for €3.40 on arrival, and another on the way back. The Hotel sold me day tickets,for the other days. It might be best to buy the return at the Schönefeld ticket machines; the buses only take coins. One way tickets need to be used within two hours of validation and you may not double back. Tegel is in Zone B The tube map, …

Getting there

Tegel is now shut and Schönefeld has been incorporated into the new Berlin Brandenburg airport. I need to check what routes are available now. Ryan Air may be shut out of the new airport.

1. Things to do at Schönefeld , by sleeping airports;
2. Or Things to do near Schönefeld , by Trip Advisor

Don’t get to Schönfeld too early, it’s boring, but we’ll need to see now it’s Brandenburg.

Apartments

Homeaway, a flat listing site (2013), and one particular flat complex in Schoenberg

Food & Drink

I am told that next time I should visit Savigny Platz which also has a huge number of restaurants. I found this article on Vegan Food in 2019.

Here is the TV Tower Restaurant Menu and a recommendation for the best donner kebab on Earth

My Map

View Larger MapI returned in 2019, and here are my pictures

Radical Living

I found via youtube, this person, who has a web site and video channel, both called Radical Living.  Despite this video’s title, alternatives are offered.

Things to do

– Lots left undone!

• Timeout suggest a top 16 to do’s.
• Should I check this out, the Bendler Block.
• The Zoo
• the Mauer Park is this the best wall memorial: probably not!
• the Flea Market at the Mauer Park  ✔
• the DDR Museum, im mitte
• Karl Marx Allee, maybe best done by bike ✔
• the Panoramapunkt, at Potsdammer Platz
• the Urban Nation Museum in Schoenberg
• the Flak Tower in the Humboldthain Park, for the view
• travel the 100, audio guide from City Pirates
• East Side Gallery, once was the wall
• Stasi Museum
• TranenPlast
• Sans Souci in Potsdam
• The Botanical Gardens
• Berlin Wall Memorial
• Templehof, no longer an airport
• Visit Berlin’s History tours
• Boating, headlines  & dingy sailing
• The Trabi Museum
• The Soviet War memorial at Treptow, not quite visible from the train to & from Schonfeld
• Is there anything at Wannersee?
• Peacock Island
• Fernesturm, both restaurant and viewing platform, can these be booked in advance ✔

Things to do again

• Visit The Story of Berlin exhibition, ends in an atomic bunker, but deals with the History of Berlin from its foundation as the capital of the Duchy of Brandenburg