BS: A week-end in Berlin

Subject: BS: A week-end in Berlin
From: GUEST,Happy wanderer
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 07:43 AM

I know there are a few Germans on this Site and others with a good knowledge of Germany.
I intend to spend a week-end in early November in Berlin, any recommendations from your learned members would be appreciated.

Subject: RE: BS: A week-end in Berlin
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 01:42 PM

I'm jealous. I haven't been to Berlin since I was stationed there in 1972-73. I'd like to see the Museum Insel (the center of town, with the best-known architecture), walk down Unter den Linden and through the Brandenburg Gate, visit the huge urban renewal project at Potsdamer Platz (which is supposed to have some remarkable new architecture), and tour Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam. I'd like to ride the S-Bahn, since I wasn't permitted to do that when I was there, and I love trains.
Then I'd probably go to Steglitz, since it was my favorite shopping district when I lived there.
Oh, and if you haven't been to a German department store, visit KaDeWe.
Have a good time.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: A week-end in Berlin
From: Wolfgang
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 01:55 PM

Joe's right for the sightseeing.

And if you're not tired late at night you could see the Union Jack not too far from Bahnhof Zoo, the pub with the largest collection of malt whiskies I personally have seen (and I've been to Scotland sampling those pubs for five times).

The what's on in Berlin Magazine to buy for the (music) events is called Zitty.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: A week-end in Berlin
From: GUEST,Happy Wanderer
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 02:25 PM

Thanks Joe and Wolfgang, I will take a note of your choices, the old legs will not allow a lot of late night sightseeing, Unter der Linden will be a highlight for me.

Subject: RE: BS: A week-end in Berlin
From: Ernest
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 04:13 PM

Guest Happy Wanderer, let me know which days you intend to spend here in Berlin. Since I live here I could give you some more specific information on whats up on these days. Also tell me which kind of music you favour so I can give you some specific recommendations for that too!
Best
Ernest

Subject: RE: BS: A week-end in Berlin
From: Tootler
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 07:07 PM

We went to Berlin last summer.

A river trip is worthwhile. You get to see the city from a different angle.

Get yourself a three day tourist ticket for the public transport. Unlimited travel on bus, trams, U-bahn and S-bahn at a very reasonable price. It also comes with vouchers for reductions on a whole host of attractions. We got a useful reduction on the river trip.

We found a flyer in our hotel for a guided city tour with commentary in English. It was run by a South African whose wife was a Berliner. He gave a different perspective from the bus city tours and went to places the bus tours didn't.

Enjoy yourself. There is plenty to do and see. We found Berlin a very laid back city.

Subject: RE: BS: A week-end in Berlin
From: GUEST,Happy Wanderer
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 04:39 AM

Ernest, My tastes in music would vary widely, from Classical,and Opera to Irish traditional, i`m thinking the first two would be sound choices, as for the latter choice I can picture some noisy smoke-filled Bar which would be a no-go,
Ernest that three day ticket looks good, and your opinion of Berlin also sounds inviting, looking forward to the trip.

Subject: RE: BS: A week-end in Berlin
From: eddie1
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 05:29 AM

I spent a week in Berlin about 20 years ago. Got to a complex that used to house the film studios where they made the propaganda films during the IIIrd Reich. It was run by a commune and they had a bar/theatre/artist studios etc. Great place with lots of concerts.
Found the water clock in the Europa Centre(?) fascinating. How can you spend ages just looking at a clock? - but I did!
Museum at "Checkpoint Charlie" was good and I believe it's still there.

Eddie

Subject: RE: BS: A week-end in Berlin
From: Ernest
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 03:46 PM

Happy Wanderer,
there are 3 opera-houses and a lot of venues for classical music in Berlin, so you will have a good choice there. Your hotel will probably have enough information on whats going on when you are here (and they will be able to get the tickets for you too). The "Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt" is a beautiful place and often has very good concerts.

As for folk - you might find something in more concert-like venues as well as smaller pubs that are less noisy (the "Union Jack" that Wolfgang mentioned is a very small one but has music only occasionally. Another good one with regular music would be the "Celtic Cottage" in Steglitz - www.celtic-cottage.de On the first Friday evening of the month the "Cafe Central" in Handjerystrasse hosts a beginner friendly session that I usually attend).
If I knew the exact dates of your visit I could look up what is recommendable - why don`t you join up the mudcat so I could send you a personal message?

Apart from the music the National Gallery on the Museumsinsel is very nice and the Gemäldegalerie at the Kulturforum hosts a very good exhibition about Rembrandt - lots of important works. It ends at November 5th, so maybe you have a chance to see it.

I also second Tootlers recommendation of taking a boat trip. Make sure to take the long one that does a circle through Landwehrkanal instead of the shorter one that takes the same way back and only covers the city center.

Feel free to ask me if you are interested in specific things!

Best
Ernest

Subject: RE: BS: A week-end in Berlin
From: GUEST,Ralph
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 04:13 PM

Happy Wanderer, I own a builders yard in London and visited Berlin last year. (If you happen to be a plasterer you would be in big demand out there)! It's a new city on the up and up, go see the zoo, art gallaries and museums they are excellent, the Fosters Club is an absolute must at weekends. Public transport is without doubt the best in Europe. Wife wants me to sell my Mayfair suite and buy a second home there ! Good luck with it.

Subject: RE: BS: A week-end in Berlin
From: GUEST,Happy Wanderer
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 05:32 PM

Ralph you lucky boy, a Mayfair suite, I am lucky to live in a two up two down, but my nest-egg has given me the chance to see the rest of Europe, as for me "plastering" it all depends what you mean by plastering, i`m a one foot in the grave man and plastering butter on a slice of bread is what I have come to.
For all that I intend to see around another capital city before   that other foot joins the one below.

Subject: RE: BS: A week-end in Berlin
From: GUEST,Happy Wanderer
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 05:39 PM

Ernest at present I intend to go on Nov 4th so I will give that Rembrandt exhibition a visit, your helpful tips are greatly appreciated.
I don`t think the boat trips are still on in November.

Subject: RE: BS: A week-end in Berlin
From: mg
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 02:21 PM

I haven't been since the Berlin wall came down, and I with my bare hands helped claw away some pieces. I went through Checkpoint Charlie I believed, saw all the people driving the other way in Yugos, stocking up on bananas.

What I could not believe was so contrary to what we had been told..that East Berlin was a grey communist archeological disaster and West Berlin was so different. Well, I have pictures of East Berlin at that time I can not distinguish from Venice it was so beautiful. I was there at Christmas ..day after I think..and people had told me everything shuts down..I didn't think they meant each and every restaurant, place to find food etc. I was almost passed out from hunger from not fnding a place open but then I found a restaurant finally. Anyway, I still have a few chips of the wall and wrote my nieces' and nephews names on the remaining wall, passed some chocolate to East German guards who were still there...and I will always remember the sound of that chip chip chip as people took down little bits of the wall. Happy day. I know not everything is perfect there but I hope it is better.. but it probably is not for everyone. mg