Official Language:
German
Secondary Language:
English
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Currency:
EURO
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Population:
Approximately 3.5 million people call Berlin home.
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Weather:
Climate and current weather information for Berlin: During the summer the climate in Berlin stabilises to a steady temperature and seemingly endless sunshine. In an average month there is usually only one day that doesn't achieve sunshine. Daytime temperatures reach a pleasant 74°F/23°C degrees Celsius) and rainfall is minimal. The winters are cold and wet but rarely extreme. Snowfall is common throughout most of Germany but doesn't often cause any inconvenience in Berlin. Summer temperatures are generally in the 60s °F, 15°C however, there are days that reach into the mid. 70 s°F/21°C.
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Berlin at less than 800 years old is considered a young city, compared to other European cities. The two founding towns of Cölln and Berlin affiliated in 1307 to become a union. After the Nazi terror and the end of World War II the city became devastated in 1945. The four allies divided Berlin into four parts: The East administered by the Soviet Union, the Southwest administered by the USA, the West by administered by Great Britain and the Northwest administered by France. The Berlin Blockade in 1948, made the city the object of the Soviet-American conflict. Americans and British supplied the three West sectors via "Air Lift" with "Candy Bombers". In East and West Berlin the reconstruction than began. The construction of the Berlin Wall on Aug 13, 1961 finalized the city's division and then separated its people. The celebration of the city began on Nov 9, 1989 when the Berlin Wall was torn down.
In 1990 Berlin became residence of the Federal Government, holding its first plenary session in the redesigned Reichstag on Apr 19,1999. The Reichstag then became an attraction for both Berlin's people and the tourists from all over the world. Berlin celebrated the new millennium with a extravagent party at the Brandenburger Tor. Much has changed in Berlin since then and changes will continue to happen. The Cruise ships dock in Warnemunde or Rostock. Both cities offer a varitey of sights to see. Warnemunde is situated about 230 km /143 mil. north of Berlin and 10 km / 6.2 mil. from the Hanseatic town of Rostock.
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Attractions |
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The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor):
The Brandenburg gate is the unquestionable symbol of Berlin and is now regarded as one of the greatest symbols of German unity. The Brandenburg Gate dating back to 1789, has changed in its symbolism, It is the last remaining gate of the Berlin Wall and marks the western end of the famous Unter den Linden Boulevard. The statue on top of the arch represents Nike driving her chariot to victory towards the West. Beginning here, you can take a stroll past the Zoologischer Garten to the Siegessäule (Victory Column) to the west, or to the famous ‘Unter den Linden’ moving you towards the heart of the eastern part of Berlin, the Alexanderplatz.
The Gedächtniskirch:
is one of the few real attractions of west-Berlin, which is normally more renowned for its nightlife and as a bustling shopping center. This church serves as a poignant reminder of the destruction the Second World War left in its wake. It is to the east of the Brandenburg Gate that real tourists should engage themselves! Many of the buildings lining the avenues beyond ‘Unter den Linden’ date back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. These include the German Cathedral and French Cathedral located on Berlin’s beautiful Gendarmenmarkt a square named after one of King Frederick Wilhelm I’s regiments. Bear in mind that Berlin has such a vast array to offer by way of sights, museums and memorials, that you are unlikely to be able to see everything. This is particularly given that these are located all over the vast expanses of the city, so carefully plan the time you have.
Museum Island (Museumsinsel):
The Berlin Museumsinsel is a unique ensemble of museum buildings that illustrate the evolution of modern museum design over more than a century. The museums include The National Gallery, The Old Museum (Altes Museum), The Pergamon Museum and The Bode Museum. The National Galerie is an ultra-modern building built in the 1960s. The museum collection specialises in works from the 19th and 20th centuries as well as international contemporary art. The National Galerie is famous for its collection of French impressionists.
The Pergamon Museum:
It is immense. It is divided into five sections: the Antiquities Collection, the Middle East Museum, the Islamic Museum, the Far East Collection, and the Museum of Popular Art. A few days is needed to properly explore it. The Bode Museum's original collection of Egyptian artifacts was very badly affected by World War II. However, there are outstanding exhibits of Byzantine and early Christian relics on show.
The Tiergarten:
Tiergarten is often referred to as Berlin’s green heart. Originally a hunting reserve for royalty, landscape architect Peter Joseph Lenne turned the Tiergarten into a beautiful city park in 1742. During World War II many of the trees were cut for firewood and the pristine lawns were turned into vegetable gardens to feed the populace of Berlin. Heavy bombing then damaged much of the rest of the park. The present-day plantings took place just after the war and today the beautifully lush Tiergarten is a popular place with Berliners and, to the surprise of many tourists, nude sunbathing is permitted throughout the park. The park is over 412-acres and it stretches for 1.75 miles west from the Brandenburg Gate.
The Berlin Wall:
If you want to see what remains of the infamous Berlin Wall head down Charlottenstrasse and then west along Leipzigerstrasse. There you can see one of the best examples of what remains of the Wall.
The Berlin Radio Tower:
The Berlin Radio Tower was built in 1924 for the Third German Broadcasting Exhibition. Standing at 138-meters high, this steel-latticed tower is a fantastic viewing point with panoramic bird’s-eye views of the city. An elevator takes you to the observation deck at 125 meters to admire the vista. There is a restaurant at the 55-meter level.
The Berlin Zoo & Aquarium:
The Berlin zoo was founded in 1841. It is the largest zoo in the world with over 74-acres and some 13,000 species of animal. Today, the zoo participates in many successful programs for the breeding and preservation of endangered species. Its history, which spans more than 150 years, is reflected in the buildings, which echo the folklore and exotic reproductions of past eras. Don’t miss the Elephant Gate, a magnificent oriental gate with elephant sculptures. It was constructed in 1899 on the initiative of the former zoo director, Ludwig Heck, and restored to its former beauty in the 1980s. Just beside the zoo is the Berlin Aquarium, which also has the largest and most comprehensive collection of aquatic animals in the world. There are more than 250 tanks displaying an amazing variety of fish. The reptiles, amphibians and the insectarium are definitely worth a peek.
The Charlottenburg Palace (Schloss Charlottenburg):
The Charlottenburg Palace is the oldest surviving Prussian palace in Germany. Building began in 1695 and was completed in 1790. There are 70 rooms and corridors crammed full of ornate furnishings and Watteau paintings. The east wing houses an incredible collection of romanticist paintings while the west wing houses a collection of ancient and prehistoric art and artifacts. Take a guided tour of the royal apartments and then stroll through the formal gardens that surround the palace.
The Reichstag:
The Reichstag, built in 1884-94, has witnessed many of the key moments in 20th century German history. It has seen the Proclamation of the German Republic in 1918, endured a burning in 1933, a storming in 1945 by Russian troops and German Reunification in 1990. Since its renovation in 1999, it has housed the Bundestag (Parliament).
Soviet War Memorial (Treptower Park):
Treptower Park houses a very sobering monument to the Soviet soldiers who died fighting Hitler. The park also contains a mass grave for the 5,000 soldiers killed in action. Walk the tree-lined avenue to see a statue of Mother Russia crying for her dead children. There are huge white stone reliefs set up in a manner not unlike the Stations of the Cross. They bear quotations from Stalin and depict how the Soviets won out against Fascism. At the far end of the park there is a massive statue of a heroic Soviet soldier clutching a child in one arm and smashing a swastika with the other.
The Jewish Quarter The Scheunenviertel (Stable Quarter):
It is both Berlin's newest hot spot and one of its oldest areas. It was originally founded in the 17th century outside the medieval city walls. It survived Allied bombing raids and the Red Army's assault on the city. Recently, the quarter’s old buildings are being reincarnated as trendy bars, cafes, restaurants, and galleries. It is lively, trendy and bohemian and well worth a visit.
Neue Synagogue:
When opened in 1866 as German's largest synagogue, the magnificent and sumptuous Neue Synagogue was the symbol of the Jewish community in Berlin. Situated in the Scheunenviertel district (Barn Quarter), it lies in the heart of the then large Jewish district.
Construction of the 'New Synagogue' started in 1859 and it was completed 7 years later. The design by Eduard Knoblauch, in a neo-byzantine style with Moorish influences, was complicated by the asymmetrical shape of the plot. State of the art construction techniques were used to construct the galleries and 50m high gilded dome. During the infamous Kristallnacht pogrom on 9-10 November 1938, the synagogue was desecrated by the nazis, and it was destroyed in 1943 by allied bombing. The building was finally demolished in 1958 and it wasn't until after the fall of the Wall that the reconstruction started. In May 1995, the synagogue finally revived.Together with the reconstruction of the Neue Synagogue, the whole Scheunenviertel district has enjoyed a revival. It is now a lively district with many restaurants and cafés.
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche:
The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche or Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is one of Berlin's most famous landmarks. The damaged tower is a symbol of Berlin's resolve to rebuild the city after the war and a constant reminder of the destruction of war.
It is located at the Breitscheidplatz, the center of former West-Berlin. It is still the commercial center of Berlin, with the Ku'damm shopping street and Europa Center near by.
Built between 1891 and 1895 by Kaiser Wilhelm II, it was a symbol of Prussian unity and a mark of honor for his grandfather, Kaiser Wilhem I. The neo-romanesque building was designed by Franz Schwechten. After allied bombing in November 1943, only the broken west tower of the church was still standing. Local opposition saved the structure from demolition in the 1950s and in 1961 a new, octagonal church designed by Egon Eiermann was built alongside the existing tower. A freestanding hexagonal bell tower was constructed on the site of the former main nave of the destroyed church. A third and small rectangular building is also part of the new complex. The church is a reinforced concrete structure with blue-colored glass bricks. Below thewest tower of the destroyed church is a Gedenkhalle or Memorial Hall. It documents the history of the church and contains several of the original objects in the church as well as photos from before and after the bombing. Some of the mosaic decoration and reliefs that survived the bombing can also be seen.
The Berliner Dom:
The Berliner Domor Berlin Cathedral was built in 1905. It is located on the historic 'Museum Island' in the river Spree. The first church built on the site of the current Cathedral was a 1465 church. The building, which later served as the court church for the Hohenzollern family was replaced by a cathedral, built between 1745 and 1747 in a Baroque design from Johann Boumann. It was reconstructed into a classicist building from 1816 to 1822 following a design by the Berlin architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel.On Emperor Willem II's order, this domed building was demolished in 1894 and replaced by the current Cathedral. Much larger than any of the previous buildings, it was a Protestant counterweight to the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The baroque building with Italian Renaissance influences was designed by Julius Raschdorff. Construction of the 114m long and 73m wide Cathedral took place between 1894 and 1905.During the Second World War, the building was hit by a fire bomb which severely damaged much of the Cathedral. A temporary roof was installed to protect what remained of the interior and in 1975 reconstruction of the church started. The restoration of the interior begun in 1984 and in 1993 the church reopened. During reconstruction, the original design was modified into a more simplified form.
The Dom can be visited daily. Some interesting items in the richly decorated interior of the church are the magnificent Sauer's Organ, the 1530 Elector's tomb, the neo-baroque pulpit and the stained glasses designed by Anton von Werner. The main altar, which was saved from the previous cathedral dates from 1850. For a 360° view of the Berliner Dom's interior, have a look at http://www.berliner-dom.de.
Shoping in Berlin:
The Ku'damm (or Kurfürstendamm) is the Fifth Avenue of Berlin. It's filled with quality stores but also has outlets hustling cheap souvenirs and T-shirts. Although Berliners themselves shop on the Ku'damm, many prefer the specialty stores on the side streets, especially between Breitscheidplatz and Olivaer Platz. You might also want to check out Am Zoo and Kantstrasse. Another major shopping street is the Tauentzienstrasse and the streets that intersect it: Marburger, Ranke, and Nürnberger. This area offers a wide array of stores, many specializing in German fashions for women. Stores here are often cheaper than on the Ku'damm. Also on Tauentzienstrasse (near the Ku'damm) is Berlin's major indoor shopping center, the Europa Center (tel. 030/3-48-00-88), with around 75 shops, as well as restaurants and cafes. At the end of this street lies the KaDeWe, the classiest department store in Berlin and the biggest in continental Europe.
A new, upmarket version of the Europa Center is the Uhland-Passage, at Uhlandstrasse 170, which has some of the best boutiques and big-name stores in Berlin. Shoppers interested in quality at any price should head to Kempinski Plaza, Uhlandstrasse 181-183, a pocket of posh with some of the most exclusive boutiques in the city. Haute-couture women's clothing is a special feature here. More trendy and avant-garde boutiques are found along Bleibtreustrasse.If it's serious bargains you're looking for, head to Wilmersdorferstrasse. Here you'll find a vast number of discount stores, although some of the merchandise is second-rate. Try to avoid Saturday morning, when it's often impossibly overcrowded. In eastern Berlin, not that long ago, you couldn't find much to buy except a few souvenirs.
All that is changed now. The main street, Friedrichstrasse, offers some of Berlin's most elegant shopping. Upmarket boutiques--selling everything from quality women's fashions to Meissen porcelain--are found along Unter den Linden. The cheaper stores in eastern Berlin are around the rather bleak-looking Alexanderplatz. Many specialty and clothing shops are found in the Nikolai quarter. The largest shopping mall in eastern Berlin, with outlets offering a little bit of everything, is at the Berliner Markthalle, at the corner of Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse and Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse.
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More Information |
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Useful Links About Berlin:
Berlin Travel Information
Visiting Berlin
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