|
|
|
BVG - Berlin's integrated transit system (on most every corner)
Berlin has an excellent public transit system; it is the best way to see the city and get around. We recommend the Berlin WelcomeCard, good in all three tariff zones (we are in the A zone) for 48 or 72 hours. (View groundplan with local transit stops.)
|
|
|
|
Simon-Dach-Straße (a five-minute walk)
The Simon-Dach street, just a couple blocks to the east, is home to a variety of small and mostly inexpensive retaurants, bars, pubs, and cafés; on summer evenings the sidewalk tables of the tree-lined street are usually full; mostly a younger group, students, etc.
|
 |
|
Eastside Gallery / Berlin Wall (just down the street, 5 minutes by tram)
Many discreet reminders of the wall that once divided Berlin are to be found here. Not so discreet is the nearby Eastside Gallery, a large section of the wall on the East Berlin side that is still standing; in spite of insufficient efforts at preservation, you can still witness here the creative energy that was set loose in the fall of 1989. More information about the Berlin Wall can be found here.
|
 |
|
The rivers Spree and Havel (Jannowitzbrücke - 12 minutes from the nearby bus stop)
The nearby Oberbaumbrücke, restored after the fall of the Wall, is just one of the 58 bridges you will pass under (don't forget to duck) when touring Berlin by water; if you are fortunate enough to visit Berlin on a sunny day, this is a must. The closest embarkation point is across from S- and U-Jannowitzbrücke; take the 240 bus to Ostbahnhof and then the S-Bahn.
|
 |
|
Alexanderplatz and the Fernsehturm (8 minutes from Frankfurtor Tor)
The Fernsehturm (television tower) has been an everpresent Berlin landmark since 1969; the Telecafé, 207 meters up, is a lovely (smoke-free) place to enjoy lunch or a cup of coffee and torte. Nearby Alexanderplatz is a major transit hub in Berlin. Several prominent buildings, including the Rotes Rathaus (Berlin's city hall) and East German architect Hermann Henselmann's Haus des Lehrers are nearby.
|
|
|
|
The Nikolaiviertel (5-minute walk from Alexanderplatz)
The original heart of Berlin, the area around the Nikolaikirche and close to the river Spree is where the first merchants settled in the 12th century. Today the rebuilt district is a picturesque mix of historical and historicized early establishments in Berlin and is known for its traditional restaurants and bars. A nice place for an evening stroll.
|
 |
|
Museum Island and the Berliner Dom (10 minutes from Alexanderplatz)
Berlin's well-known Museum Island lies betweenthe River Spree and the Kupfergraben canal. It is home to five museums and galleries; best known, perhaps, is the Pergamon, built in 1930 to house the collosal Pergamon altar and other classical antiquities. Pictured left is the newly re-opened Bode Museum, on the north end of the island. In the other direction is the Berliner Dom (cathedral); from here you can walk back to Alexanderplatz.
|
|
|
|
Hackesche Höfe (10 minutes from Alexanderplatz)
The Hackesche Höfe are a series of eight interconnected courtyards and buildings following the typical Berlin pattern of intermixed residential and commercial use. Look for the Jugendstil Klinkerfacades (art nouveau vitrified brick) in the first two courtyards. Get off at S-Bahn Hackescher Markt.
|
 |
|
Gendarmenmarkt / Friedrichstraße (10 minutes from Alexanderplatz)
The spacious plaza (home in December to Berlin's loveliest Christmas market) is flanked left and right by two church buildings whose towers were the inspiration for those at Frankfurter Tor. The plaza is dominated center by the Schauspielhaus, today a concert hall. Opportunities for fine dining are plentiful, including the restaurant Refugium beneath the Französischer Dom itself.
|
 |
|
The Kulturbrauerei and Prenzlauer Berg (15 minutes from Frankfurter Tor)
Once the Schultheiss Brewery, the "culture brewery" today is a center of night life in the fashionable Prenzlauer Berg district. The six courtyards and twenty brick buildings making up this Willy Wonka-esque former factory complex are home to numerous clubs, bars, and restaurants, not to mention a large cinema, regular cultural events, and trade shows. Take the M10 tram towards "Nordbahnhof".
|
|
|
|
Berlin's new Hauptbahnhof (15 minutes from Alexanderplatz)
Riding the S-Bahn you are sure to pass through Berlin's new central train station, located at the site of the historic Lehrter Bahnhof. Opened in May of 2006, it is now Europe's largest train station. If you plan to travel on by train, chances are this will be your point of departure. S-Bahn west from Alex or you can take a more leisurely ride on our own 240 bus (direction "Hauptbahnhof").
|
 |
|
The Reichstag (20 minutes from Alexanderplatz)
The Reichstag, seat of the German parliament (the Bundestag) was reconstructed, including the addition of the glass cupola, following the Reunification and the decision to return the German seat of government to Berlin; the roof terrace and dome are open daily from 8:00 am to midnight. From Alexanderplatz take the 100 bus.
|
|
|
|
Jewish Museum Berlin (less than 20 minutes from Alexanderplatz)
Two millenia of German Jewish history; housed in the remarkable building by Daniel Libeskind. Take the 248 bus (direction "U Breitenbachplatz") from Alexanderplatz. Within not too great a walking distance is the former Friedrich Straße Crossing Point — better known as "Checkpoint Charlie".
|
|
|
|
Brandenburger Tor / Pariser Platz (about 20 minutes from Alexanderplatz)
The Brandenburg Gate was the only structure left standing among the ruins of Pariser Platz after the Second World War, and it is the only historical city gate that has been preserved. To the east is the tree-lined boulevard Unten den Linden; to the west, the Tiergarten, one of Berlin's largest parks. In the southwest corner of Pariser Platz, the new US embassy building is being erected.
|
