ACUM CA A DAT COLTUL IERBII LA BERLIN SI TOATA LUMEA SE PRELINGE PE IARBA LINGA KANAL ASCULTIND MUSTELE SI HRANIND RATELE SI LEBEDELE LA SOARE, IATA O LISTA CU DO'S IN BERLIN:
1. Chart Berlin's history in one street
Start your visit with a stroll down the Unter den Linden: its monuments trace the city's evolution, from the Hohenzollern dynasty through to the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich and the GDR. The focal point is the Brandenburg Gate, installed as a triumphal arch to mark Prussia's capital city in 1791, with the Quadriga statue on top.
The Gate of Peace was a scene of celebration when the Wall came down. To the west of the gate is the picturesque Tiergarten; to the north is the Reichstag, housing the German parliament; to the south is the main shopping street of Friedrichstrasse and to the east is Museum Island.
2. Potter around Potsdamer Platz
South of the Tiergarten sits the Potsdamer Platz Arkaden, the reunified city's commercial centrepiece. In the 1920s, Potsdamer Platz was one of the Continent's busiest squares. Interestingly, Europe's first-ever traffic lights were put up here in 1924, of which you can see a replica. Then, the square was bombed flat during the Second World War and bisected by the Wall, paving the way for a US-style development of high-rise blocks.
Now, it looks rather like an isolated island with landmarks such as Helmut Jahn's Sony Center, the CineStar multiplex, the more offbeat Arsenal cinema and the Filmmuseum Berlin. Potsdamer Platz is the main venue for the Berlin International Film Festival (www.berlinale.de) every February. At almost 60 years old, it has become one of the world's major film award ceremonies.
3. Conquer Museum Island-(THIS IS MY FAV BTW)
If you stand on the eastern end of Unter den Linden, you're only a stone's throw away from a museum: five in total. They inhabit an island on the river Spree called Museumsinsel (Museum Island). Designed as a sanctuary for arts and science that was modelled on ancient Greece, it included the first public museum of Prussia, the Altes Museum (1830).
A cluster of museums soon inhabited the island, including the Alte Nationalgalerie, the Bode Museum, the Neues Museum (Bodenstrasse 1-3, Mitte) and the Pergamonmuseum. Recently, they've been undergoing an extensive renovation that will link them with an archaeological promenade. The treasures of the Pergamonmuseum should not be missed; they include a magnificent altar and frieze dating from 170-159 BC, which is one of the greatest legacies of Classical antiquity.
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4. Make peace with the past
Although Berlin was heavily bombed during the Second World War, the defining moments of history remain etched in stone and concrete. It was in Wannsee, near Grunewald, that Nazi commanders drew up plans for the Final Solution, and today the Gedenkstätte Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz marks this place with a photographic exhibition on the consequences of the conference.
At the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst, you'll find the spot where the German commanders signed their unconditional surrender after the Soviets took Berlin. Divided into 16 rooms, including the one where the Nazis surrendered, it takes you through a vast sweep of history: two World Wars and one cold one, plus assorted pacts, victories and capitulations.
5. Walk the Berlin wall, what’s left of it
The fall of the Berlin wall heralded the end of the German partition between East and West. Although the majority was demolished between June and November 1990, a small stretch remains on the southern border of Wedding.
Along the way, you can see a restored segment at the Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer, next to a documentation centre that charts the stories of escapees who attempted to cross the divide. At the Sandkrugbrücke, located on a former border crossing, a stone commemorates the first person to be shot dead trying to escape to the West.
Pause to see Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, where a museum display about the history of the Wall marks the spot of the once forbidding border, which was only open to non-Germans and Allied forces.
6. Test your vertical limits
Berlin's skyline is an eclectic mix of historic and contemporary architecture, which is best admired from above. There are a number of places that offer fine city views. At the Reichstag by Foster and Partners, it's worth taking a trip to the playful glass dome at the top, in which a funnel of mirrors sheds light on the workings of democracy below.
For a leisurely view, climb the picturesque 'cross hill' of Victoriapark in Kreuzberg, where landmarks of East and West will spread out before your eyes. But if you are short of time, visit the Panoramapunkt in Potsdamer Platz, which will welcome you aboard the fastest elevator in Europe. It will whisk you up to a viewing platform, from which you can gaze down at the neighbouring post-modern skyscrapers.
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7. Ponder life stories at the Jewish Museum
Visit the moving Jüdisches Museum to remember the tragedy of the Holocaust. Here, you can discover the personal stories of eminent and ordinary Jews who contributed to the life of Berlin during the Weimar Republic, but tragically lost their lives in the Second World War.
The powerful architecture by Daniel Libeskind is based on the plan of an exploded Star of David and lines drawn between the site and former addresses of prominent Jewish figures such as Walter Benjamin and Mies van der Rohe. Windows bring light that pierces the otherwise dark passages and voids stand for the emptiness left by the destruction of Jewish culture.
To contemplate the loss, take a solitary walk through the Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas, designed by Peter Eisenmann. The field of 2,711 stelae arranged in rows over a city block in Potsdamer Platz memorialises the Murdered Jews of Europe.
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8. Put the Kulturforum in the frame
Art lovers must visit the Kulturforum. South of the Tiergarten, its low-rise museum complex houses world-class galleries. The biggest draw is the Gemäldegalerie, which has a first-rate collection of early European painting. While English, Spanish and Italian Renaissance works are on display, the highlights are Dutch and Flemish.
Paintings by Frans Hals and Rembrandt stand out. A short stroll away from the Old Masters is the bold glass cube of the Neue Nationalgalerie. Designed in the 1960s by Mies van der Rohe, it houses 20th-century paintings.
It's strong on expressionism with key works by Kirchner, Heckel and Schmidt-Rottluff and Cubist pieces by Picasso, Gris and Léger. A great time to visit is during the Long Night of the Museums (www.museumsportal-berlin.de), when for around €12 you can go on a museum crawl all night.
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9. Stroll around the Charlottenburg gardens
On a sunny day, visit this sumptuous palace and garden complex of Schloss Charlottenburg, which was built as a summer home for Queen Sophie-Charlotte by her husband Friedrich III in the 17th century. Following damage in the Second World War, the residence has been restored to glory as the last surviving Hohenzollern palace.
The highlight is the Neue Flügel (New Wing), which contains Frederick the Great's opulent rococo state apartments. Here, the Golden Gallery is dripping in gilt, in contrast to the restrained classical winter chambers of his successor Friedrich Wilhelm. At the end stands a Pavilion designed by Schinkel, the architect of the Altes Museum. Outside, the lush gardens, modelled on a French style, are the perfect place for a stroll.
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10. Design for life at the Bauhaus Archiv
Everyone can be a designer at the Bauhaus Archiv, which offers a modern take on the utilitarian art school that came out of Weimar Germany. The school's founder Walter Gropius drew up the plans for the elegant white building that houses the museum.
The permanent exhibition displays furniture, ceramics, prints, sculptures, photographs and sketches, which were created in the workshop between 1919 and 1933 (when the school was shut down by the Nazis). There are some first-rate temporary exhibitions; for instance, there was a recent show of photomontages by Marianne Brandt.
An interesting gift shop offers 250 items for the home and office, including icons such as the Bauhaus lamp by Wilhelm Wagenfeld. There's also a tranquil café where you stop for a kaffee und kuchen after a trip around the gallery.
11. Go wild at Germany's oldest zoo
For a fun family day out, visit the Zoologischer Garten & Aquarium in the Tiergarten. This is the oldest zoo in Germany, having opened in 1841 with designs by Martin Lichtenstein and Peter Joseph Lenné. Situated in beautifully landscaped gardens with architectural oddities and plenty of places for a beer or snack, this important zoo houses almost 14,000 creatures, among them rare and endangered species.
On a rainy afternoon, visit the aquarium, where you'll find extraordinary sharks, crocodiles, insects and amphibians. The dark corridors and liquid ambience, with colourful illuminated tanks and curious fishes floating by, are as absorbing as an art exhibit.
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12. Sprint around the Olympic stadium
The Olympiastadion illustrates what Nazi architecture was like. It's a simple, arcaded classical oval of light-coloured Franconian stone, which is open to the elements. But perhaps it's best remembered as the spot where Jesse Owens incurred Hitler's wrath by winning four gold medals, proving that his Aryan race lacked superiority.
The original design survived Second World War bombs and demolition threats, before undergoing a major refit for the 2006 World Cup, whereby a hovering disc leaves the central structure open to the sky. The stadium not just a prime sporting venue; both The Rolling Stones and Robbie Williams have performed concerts here.
13. Swim in the Grunewald forest
The Grunewald forest is the best place for a swim on a sunny Sunday afternoon. It's easily accessible via the S-Bahn, located to the west of Zehlendorf. For the energetic, it's ideal for cycling, walking, swimming and horse riding. A popular destination is the Teufelsee, a tiny lake packed with bathers in the summer.
There's also a Swiss-themed restaurant with a zoo and playground. To the north, you can visit the small but satisfying Brücke-Museum, dedicated to a group of 20th-century expressionist painters. And if you have some time to spare around Zehlendorf, make a bee-line for the Ethnologisches Museum, which houses a brilliant collection of cultural artefacts from Oceania to Central America, Africa and the Far East.
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14. Build a fresh opinion of Berlin
Berlin has seen many facelifts over the years, transforming it into a kaleidoscope of buildings, from classical to contemporary. The city's Modernist housing project is an example of the functional architecture built during the Weimar Republic, and testament to the utopian ideals that prevailed in a progressive society.
Arranged in a horseshoe shape around a communal garden, Bruno Taut's and Martin Wagner's Britz-Hufeisensiedlung (Fritz-Reuter Allee 72, Lowise-Reuter-Ring 1/47), is a prime example: its pioneering clean, light, modern apartments influenced social housing around the world (as a result it's on the UNESCO heritage list). For more information, see www.hufeisensiedlung-berlin.de.
15. Catch avant-garde theatre
If avant-garde theatre is your thing, it's here in Berlin. The city has a thriving fringe scene, whose pace of change leads to a blurring of boundaries between the performing arts. This artistic fusion sizzles at the HAU and Sophiensaele: dance mingles with theatre, while literature and visual arts mix in the background.
The HAU is an artistic powerhouse, where internationally renowned guest ensembles are presented alongside the innovative contemporary theatre projects and dance productions. This has resulted in an exciting line-up, and there's an annual spring festival showcasing Polish theatre. The Sophiensaele presents a contemporary programme of dance, theatre, music and opera, with up-and-coming groups from around the world.
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16. Jazz your evenings up
Music has come a long way since the decadent heyday of the Jazz Age in Berlin. After a post-Wall upswing in activity, many jazz folk have joined forces with their experimental and electronic counterparts, resulting in a musical mix of weird and wonderful jazz at nightclubs and festivals.
A-Trane is an upscale bar with concerts most nights and big names: Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis and Arthur Blythe have all performed here. Next on the alphabet is B-Flat, a large piano bar, whose strongest nights mostly feature singers.
In the autumn two fantastic jazz festivals coincide: the classic JazzFest Berlin (www.berlinerfestspiele.de) and the free-rooted Total Music Meeting in early November. The JazzFest features a wide spectrum from internationally renowned artists, and runs concurrently with the Fringe Jazz Festival, organised by JazzRadio (101.9FM).
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17. Leave time for Kaffee and Kuchen
Afternoon Kaffee und Kuchen is a popular Berlin tradition and most cafés will have at least a modest selection of cakes to choose from. In the beautiful Prenzlauer Berg district of Mitte, sedate but pleasant cafés and restaurants cluster around Kollwitzplatz and the Wasserturm (water tower).
Anna Blume is a café and florist named after a Dada poem by Kurt Schwitters, which serves fantastic pastries that you can savour on a lovely terrace during the summer time as the scent of flowers fills the air. During all seasons, November is a friendly place where light floods in through picture windows. And you can sneak beer into an afternoon of coffee and cake at EKA, then drink into the early hours of the morning.
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18. Go clubbing Berlin style
At the kitsch old-school venue Clärchen's Ballhaus in the heart of Mitte, DJs play contagious tunes that get everyone grooving, from twenty-something hipsters to 75-year-old veterans. It's common to see a geriatric Fred Astaire-lookalike teaching a young pink-haired artist how to tango in this classic dance venue.
For those who prefer a rebellious attitude, spend the night at White Trash Fast Foodwww.dashausb.de), which plays retro and mainstream pop tunes, and exudes a young and stylish atmosphere. on Schönhauser Allee. Its Diamond Lounge hosts DJs playing country and rock 'n' roll, while upstairs burgers and Tex-Mex are served against a trashy backdrop of two Chinese lions and a pagoda. The best gay and lesbian clubs include the East-German relic Das Haus B (Warschauer Platz 18; 30 296 0800,
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19. Shop for hip local labels
If you're looking for hip designer labels off the beaten track, then you'll find them at Berlinomat on the eastern edge of Friedrichshain. Owners Theresa Meirer and Jörg Wichmann sell fashion, furniture, jewellery and accessories from over 140 Berlin labels, at prices ranging from €1 to €700.
The exciting Young Stars section presents items designed by recent fashion school alumni, which you can spot before they turn pro on the catwalk. For cheap chic, visit the Trödelmarkt Boxhagener Platz, where local young artists and T-shirt designers set up stalls. For vintage clothing, try the bustling flea-markets, Berliner Antik- & Flohmarkt and the Strasse des 17. Juni.
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20. Mix with the Russendisko hipsters
Berlin hipsters adore Russendisko (Russian disco). This all started when a writer from Moscow, Wladimir Kaminer, arrived in Berlin during the upheaval following the collapse of Communism and began reading his work in cafés around town.
He soon joined forces with the DJ Yuriy Gurzhy on a project at Kaffee Burger, which offers a space for young creative types to try out their latest work. What began as a small club night has grown into a twice-monthly event where readings, lectures and film screenings might lead onto live music.
DJs play anything from old-school country to something called Global Hungarian Dancehall, as well as mainstream indie, rock, soul and pop. The club's décor will take you back to the GDR days and the bright lighting makes mingling with the eclectic crowd plenty of fun.
SOURCE TIME OUT BERLIN
