Berlin

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 city-break in Jan 2019, again in March 2019 and again in Apr 2022 and March 2024

Here are my 2024 pictures,

And here is an index for the rest of the page,

Covid 19 | Hotels | Transport | Getting there | Apartments | Food & Drink | Maps | Radical Living | Yet to do

 

Covid 19

Berlin City Government have published CV19 public health rules. They require proof of a clear status, either vaccinated, recovered, or tested. In some locations events, tested is not acceptable. In some places and at some events a mask is required, and in some cases this mask must be FFP2 or KN95 quality stamped. Masks need to be worn at most/all cultural institutions, hotel rooms can be booked if vaccinated or recovered. Brits may need to get their vaccine passports confirmed with a local equivalent. 2/2/2022

Now defined at https://www.berlin.de/corona/en/measures, wear a mask when sensible, including on public transport.

Speaking German

Perhaps it’s about time I refreshed my German via Duolingo., although some argue English is preferred.

Staying there

Hotels

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 London was as big. I found this via Expedia. Here’s 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
• I thought it’d be nice to stay be some water, this, and this list some hotels that claim that geography

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.

Apartments

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

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 (not any more). It might be best to buy the return at the Schönefeld ticket machines; the buses only take coins (not sure if this is still true! allegedly 21/4/22). One way tickets need to be used within two hours of validation and you may not double back.

I am unclear about how and where to buy day passes and if the Buses require or reject cash. All train stations have ticket vending machines and I think they do on the trams too. Whether the trams sell day passes is also a mystery to me.

BVG now have an app, fabulous.

The tube map, …

Getting there

The EU has introduced pre-arrival checks for non EU citizens, called ETIAS, a comment about Brits, and by HMG. These will be mandatory in 2023. Phew!. Looks like ETIAS may be delayed to 2024, and now 2025.

Flying

I for my first two trips, I arrived via Tegal, now shut, and then via Schönefeld. Berlin’s long awaited Berlin Brandenburg opened in time for my fifth trip. I used BA when I returned in 2022 which landed at Berlin Brandenburg, and again in 2023. BA and Lufthansa fly from LCY.

Priority Pass do not seem to have a lounge at BER, but some Airlines do; obviously not for all passengers, so I need to check what tickets my carrier allows lounge access. It’d be good to know if Business tickets allowed priority queuing for security. 2023

This is what they say about Brandenburg and  how to get to and from Brandenburg, they say

BER Airport is connected to the rail and road network. Airport Express and regional trains run together four times an hour from station T1-2 to Berlin Central Station. In addition, the S-Bahns S9 and S45 run from T1-2 to Berlin city centre.

Berlin airport security require liquids to be presented for inspection, but not batteries or phones 2023. The BA staff insisted I took my keyboard with me as hand luggage as I checked in my other bag in to the hold. Here is the EU statement on what may or may not be checked into aircraft luggage.

The S-Bahn platform’s at BER are 5 & 6. The RE & Express use different platforms.

A number of the trains from BER, travel north and arrive via Berlin Gesundbrunnen station. Tripadvisor suggest some things to do, although some are not so close.  The Mall and the Flak tower are the first two, but I couldn’t see how to get to the Tower last time I was in the park.

By train

There is now an overnight sleeper from Brussels or just an ICE via Cologne. The man in seat 61 has two pages, Deutsche Bahn & Eurosleeper. The London to Brussels ticket is bought from Eurostar. This currently requires two bookings.

Eurosleeper is expensive if hiring the sleeper carriage, otherwise DB ICE via Cologne, £156 + €30 for 1st class upgrade.

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 and a recommendation for the best donner kebab on Earth, see also Best Restaurants in Berlin from tripadvisor, they filter by style.

My Map

View Larger Map

I 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.
• The Times, offered some ideas, to see, eat, drink and stay.
• the Mauer Park is this the best wall memorial: probably not! But down the road maybe?
• the Flea Market at the Mauer Park  (Sunday only)✔
• the Panoramapunkt, at Potsdammer Platz
• the Urban Nation in Schoenberg
• https://www.teufelsberg-berlin.de/ , not easy to get to, but the view should be cool
• The Humboldt forum and its its food hall hall
• travel the 100, audio guide from City Pirates

History

• Visit Berlin’s History tours
• Should I check this out, the Bendler Block.,
• the DDR Museum, im mitte
• Stasi Museum
• The Museum Berlin Karlshorst, Germany commemorates the end of World War II in Europe, including the German surrender to the Soviet Union on May 8, 1945
• Sans Souci in Potsdam
• Cemetery of the March Fallen, in the Volkspark
• The Soviet War memorial at Treptow, not quite visible from the train to & from Schonfeld
• German History Museum
• The Tränenpalast ✔
• Berlin Wall Memorial ✔
• At Wannersee? It’s on the route to Peacock Island, on the north east side is a restaurant called the Wannersee Terrace, and on the south west side a museum, “the House of the Wannersee Conference”. ✔
• Berlin Wall Memorial ✔

Art

• I found, Museums in Berlin by the Berlin Museum authority.
• The Altes National Gallery, on Museum Island, from classicism, to romanticism in 3 floors. Not to be confused with the Alte National Gallery, which I have done.
• James Simon Museum, on Musee Insel, actually the visitor centre
• https://www.berliner-unterwelten.de/en/index.html
• The Bauhaus archive

Hanging around

• The Botanical Gardens
• lots of architecturally significant swimming pools it seems
• Boating, headlines  & dingy sailing 😅
• The Trabi Museum 🚗
• The City Museum, otherwise known as the Maerkisches Museum which was shut in 24, and seems likely to remain so for a couple of years. 🚧
• Peacock Island, and a page on the Ferry,  although it seems to have boarding point wrong which I have marked on my map. There is a bus stop and pub by the quay.
• The top of the Bundestag building, needs pre-registration ✔✔
• Karl Marx Allee, maybe best done by bike ✔
• the Flak Tower in the Humboldthain Park, for the view ✔
• East Side Gallery,[*] once was the wall ✔
• Fernesturm, both restaurant and viewing platform, can these be booked in advance ✔
• Mexikoplatz, seems pretty from the train, and while this page suggests there are several Mexican restaurants, google maps does not agree.
• The Zoo, marked by PETA as poor, so probably not.

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