The city of Berlin is a city that enjoys a deep and intriguing history. However, few people realize that it has a lively nightlife. Berlin offers a multitude of clubs, bars, museums, palaces, and much more to entertain and delight any traveler. Though many parts of Berlin were badly damaged during World War II, these areas were reconstructed during the years following the war. The city now offers visitors a rewarding and fascinating visit that they will never forget.

There are three major airports serving Berlin. These include Tegel International, Schonefeld, and Tempelhof. Buses are available from all three of these airports. However, Schonefeld also offers the S-Bahn – the S9 line will take you to Berlin city center. Schonefeld also offers train services at similar cost.

Berlin is such a large city that it’s critical visitors should try to understand the public transportation system before they visit. Thankfully, the Berlin transportation system is very efficient and easy to use. The U-Bahn is Berlin’s subway system – it’s a zoned system. Fares discounts are available through Tageskarte day cards (zones A & B), or the Berlin WelcomeCard, which offers unlimited travel in zones A and B. The S-Bahn run very often and it is one of the fastest and easiest methods to get around Berlin. For more information, call S-Bahn at (0 30) 29 74 33 33.

The underground subway system is called the U-Bahn and it is also very easy to use. All U-Bahn stations offer electronic signs that provide the time of the next train, and the direction the train is headed. The U-Bahn provides extremely efficient transportation throughout greater Berlin.

Buses are slower than the U-Bahn or the S-Bahn; however they provide access to just about every location in Berlin. There are additionally express buses that don’t stop at every station – these are a faster solution to get across the city a little more quickly. Fares are reasonable and the bus networks are very easy to use and navigate. Also consider taking a ride on the 100, which leaves from Zoo Station – on this unique route, you can tour most of historic Berlin from a fun double-decker tour bus.

Finally bicycling is certainly another fantastic way to experience Berlin. The city offers a number of bicycle paths, and bicycles are a very popular method of transportation for residents. Bicycle rentals are available, and guided bike tours are offered as well.

Where to go Shopping in Berlin

Berlin offers some of the best shopping opportunities in the world, including bustling shopping districts, very posh and upscale boutiques, and intriguing and elegant shopping. For the shopper with a variety of interests and a love for bargains – this city has it all.

Some examples of the best Berlin shopping areas include Ku’Damm, which is filled with high-end specialty stores. The Tauentzienstrasse and intersecting Marburger, Ranke, and Nurnberger offer a variety of stores specializing in German fashions. This area includes the amazing Europa Center, Berlin’s major indoor shopping center – complete with 75 shops, restaurants, and cafes.

And while in this area, no shopper should miss experiencing KaDeWe – the biggest department store in continental Europe.

Another great shopping area in Berlin is Uhland-Passage at Uhlandstrasse 170, which is an upscale market offering the finest boutiques and big-name stores. This area includes Bleibtreustrasse, where shoppers will browse trendy and avant-garde boutiques selling haute-couture clothing. Additionally, Kempinski Plaza features posh and exclusive boutiques.

Moving along to another great shopping area – the Berliner Zinnfiguren at 88 Knesebeckstrasse is a famous shopping place for collectors. Believe it or not, this shop offers over 10,000 pewter figurines of soldiers from the many imperial armies. It also has a large inventory of military historical collectibles and books.

For shoppers who crave the shopping mall experience, Potsdamer Platz Arcades provides visitors with over 100 stores on three levels that where shoppers enjoy a wide selection of retail shopping choices. Restaurants and cafes are available to relax at after your shopping spree, and cinemas are available as well.

Finally, Friedrichstrasse is an exclusive shopping opportunity at Quartier 206 in Berline Mitte. This street has a large assortment of quality products from international designers in an art deco environment. Quartier 207 is home to the Galeries Lafayette, a spectacular building. Quartier 205 houses a large array of stores and a great full food court with international menus to select from.

Time to Visit Berlin!

Aside from being the capital of Germany, Berlin is also the largest city in Germany. It is a city that is, today, diverse and cosmopolitan. This is a beautiful city where east meets west in a metropolis that has seen both hard times and good times. Berlin is a unique city that provides an abundance of exciting opportunities for visitors to enjoy. A trip to Berlin is absolutely certain to include entertainment, recreation and shopping experiences that will never be forgotten

Berlin is a city that has a very deep history, a beautiful architectural appeal, and a great deal to offer visitors and shoppers. The political and cultural developments of the 19th and 20th centuries have transformed this cityscape into an exciting and promising city ready to offer visitors the absolute best experience Germany has to offer.

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We had been thinking about going to Berlin for a few years and with the twentieth anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down later this year decided we must make a booking.

We had seen a comment in Simon Calder’s travel page in The Independent on Saturday about flying there and decided to fly to Tegel that is the closer of the two to the city centre. This meant flying with British Airways and using the new Terminal 5 at London Heathrow.

Our flight was due to go out 8.45 on a Thursday morning in mid February. Fortunately the heavy snow that covered a fair part of the south east of England had now gone, however snow was forecast for Berlin.

We checked in online and were dropped off at terminal 5; we immediately joined a fairly long queue for BA’s “Fast Bag drop off”. This modern airport appears to have a very slow system whereby you queue for a long time as we did, you are looking out then for the next available check in person who does not process modern technology like they do in banks and many department stores – a system of a number appearing so you go to that check in desk. No, instead there is a helper who comes and goes and either the check in person waves to that BA employee or to the next person looking for a free check in assistant.

Once you have cleared this you must hurry to security and again join another long queue. If you get delayed here you are warned you could miss your flight! Eventually we got through security and were able to explore the wonders of Terminal 5. A fine modern warehouse style glass and metal construction full of shops and restaurants. Does an airport really need such a shopping centre like this, there seems to be a lot of wasted space. It seems like BAA and BA are concentrating too much in leasing out spacious retails zones, whereas had the check in and security areas been larger and a lot more efficient then the terminal would be more efficient.

What a contrast when you arrive at Berlin’s Tegel airport. The airport is in the western part of the city and as we got off the plane we were going through passport control within a couple of minutes and collecting our baggage five minutes later.

This airport is a hexagonal terminal building around an open square and this for walking distances as short as 30 metres from the aircraft to the terminal exit. Inside there are numerous shops and restaurants, they difference to Heathrow’s terminals is that they are open to people flying out or anyway waiting to collect visitors.

There are small duty free (or cheaper shops for alcohol, cigarettes and perfumes when you go through the various gates, but it looks like there are individual security and passport controls for the individual gates and so as you have got through these you are in small lounge with the small “Duty free” shop and a snack bar and just a few metres from the aircraft door.

Unfortunately Tegel is destined to close in 2012 when the enlarged Berlin-Schönefeld Airport is due to re-open as Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport in 2011. I hope that their design is modeled on Tegel opposed to the Heathrow style terminal buildings.

When we touched down although there was some snow in the surrounding area there was none at the airport and we took a taxi to our hotel, It was very cold not even 1 degree, but dry. The Hotel Augusta is situated in Charlottenburg area in the west of the city, near to Zoo. It is a very pleasant small hotel offering bed and breakfast and as it located in a couple of older buildings, it has very spacious rooms with high ceilings that have been very tastefully modernized.

We had our slightly out of date Rough Guide and in late January.The Independent had run a brief article by their travel writer Simon Calder on his experiences visiting Berlin in January 1999 a few months before the wall came down in November, looking back on that visit plus one of their brief guides “48 hours in Berlin”. Armed with this information we set out and decided the best way to get an overview of the city on a cold Thursday afternoon was to take a guided tour on the Berlonina sightseeing double decker bus. There are few companies operating these tours and you can normally pay for the complete circular tour and hop off one bus at a given point and then hop on another.

We got off the bus at the Daimler Chrysler building in Potsdamer Platz and paid to take the express lift to the rooftop viewing gallery. Great views of the city from this point. Back onto the bus again past the only remaining section of the Berlin Wall, through Checkpoint Charlie and up past the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag (Parliament building).

We got off the bus where we had got on originally and walked down the Kurfürstendamm shopping street to the KaDeWe department store. This magnificent 100 year old establishment was very warm and inviting as early evening approached. Visiting the top floor restaurant and bar complex with views over Berlin was fantastic; however going down a floor to the food floor was unbelievable. There are numerous small food bars serving food and drink in amongst the vast selection of produce you can buy. This is a place to visit and stay a long time in if it was a wet day in Berlin.

Across the road from the Hotel Augusta is a great place to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. Reinhards bar and restaurant. Here you will find all the staff smartly dressed in long white aprons and outside as was typical of several bars and cafes, the normal tables and chairs, with a folded blanket on each chair.

The next morning following a buffet breakfast we set off to find an English speaking tour of Berlin. The contact and guide were outside the Zoo Station at 9.45. No one else had turned up that morning at the western meeting point for Original Berlin Walks. Our guide who was half German and fluent in English took us on the train to the east meeting point at the Hackescher Markt. Fortunately there was another couple there, so the tour went ahead. This is a four hour walking tour costing €12 per person and worth every cent of it. The same company also runs a selection of other tours, some of which take place in Greater Berlin.

It is a great way to see the sites, have history explained and ask questions. We saw the remains of the wall in the centre close up and where the wall once was there are now two rows of cobbles.

We walked through the Brandenburg Gate and past the Reichstag and onto the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial) sculpture and the location of Hitler’s bunker.  By the end of the tour we had seen all the famous landmarks, many of course we had seen from the bus the previous day including the famous east Berlin Television Tower that constructed under communist rule and had to be shorter than its counterpart in Moscow. It has a rotating restaurant and we were told has some exceptional views, but you don’t want to go up there if it is too cloudy.

Our guide told the same story as in the “What to see” section of 48 hours in Berlin from The Independent. When the tower was constructed, crosses off churches were removed by the East German Government. Whenever the sun shines on the globe of the tower, a perfect cross appears and this is known as the “Pope’s Revenge”.

We stopped for a snack in another of those delightful Berlin cafes complete with blankets on the outside chairs and carried on walking and attempted to get back to our hotel for a station near Checkpoint Charlie. A very helpful Berliner saw us studying our map actually when back down onto the tube station, travelled out of his way to put us back on the correct line. It is very important to pick up a DB BAHN map for the S+U-Bahn-Netz from any station opposed to relying on the small scale version reproduced in many tourist publications. The underground system is very efficient and there are only trams in the East Berlin.

Saturday was Valentines Day. Although there were a lot of flower sellers about and shops were full of Valentines gifts, it appeared that restaurants did not have special dinners at inflated prices that you would normally find in the UK and Ireland.

We started off with breakfast at Reinhards. Most people were having long breakfasts and they offered a choice of German, English, Australian and New York American. Those having breakfast were drinking a glass of champagne say we did as well.

The breakfast set us up well for the cold day ahead and like the day before was also bright and sunny. We walked down the Kurfürstendamm to the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche Memorial Church and then took the underground to visit the DDR Museum. Both our walking guide and the Independent feature suggested going there. It must be fairly new as it was not in the 1998 edition of the Rough Guide which proves, you do need to buy up to date guides when you go travelling.

The DDR Museum is quite small and portrays life in the former Democratic German Republic (GDR). You are encourage touching the exhibits, listening to the music and see the TV of the era and the largest exhibits are a typical apartment layout from a concrete slab housing estate and an original Trabi that you have to try and start.

We then moved onto the Berliner Dom, the catherdral and headed up towards the Reichstag. We had to queue for three quartes of an hour and it was cold. However oncwe you have got past the security, you are whisked up by lift to the roof abnd can walk around the glass dome desidneg by Sir Norman Foster. There are spectacular viws of the city from up there and of course as it is the Parliament and all citizens (and visitors) are welcome to see their Parliament working, trhere are no admission charges.

The evening ended with a nightcap at Reinhards and we caught the bus into Tegel airport in the morning. The journey takes about 30 minutes and like all the public transport we experienced was very inexpensive. Apparently most Berliners depend on it and approximately only a third actually own cars.

Overall the city has a lot of unemployment and unlike Munich, Brussels, London, Rome and other similar cities there are not lots of very expensive cars about. It did not seem too expensive staying in Berlin and eating and drinking. There are of course luxury style hotels and restaurants and there certainly appears to be an excellent selection about.

Berlin is a city that is very cold in winter and very hot in summer. The best time to visit is around April or late September. Enjoy your stay in Berlin, we did. 

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Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after London and Berlin, and the fourth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, and the Ruhr Area. Visit natgeotv.com.au for more information.

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One of the top destinations in Europe is Germany. Most families rent a holiday home instead of going to a hotel during their holiday vacation. Germany has a lot of beautiful and natural landscapes that most tourists go for. Its beautiful sandy beaches, stunning lake shores, magnificent lowland plains or its rolling hills and high peaks of the Alps, are just among the tourist attractions in Germany.

While some tourists are enamored to see the natural beauty of Germany, some tourists rent a holiday cottage or farmhouse and explore the castles and villages in the country. Some families also stay in a holiday chalet in the snow-capped mountains. For those who seek thrill in water sports, there are also holiday cottages on the shores of Germany’s crystal-clear lakes where they can stay. Aside from those, there are also holiday villas with swimming pool wherein families can go on hiking or explore the Black Forest.

For some who wants to experience the urban life in Germany in its elegant cities, there are affordable apartments that they can rent on. Among the cities in Germany, the Swish capital city of Berlin is one of the most popular holiday destinations for tourists who like to rent holiday homes. It is a bustling yet vibrant city where you can enjoy going into some bars and restaurants.

Whatever the season or the weather is, Germany can always cater to your needs. You can rent holiday villas with swimming pools during the summer season or you can go to the country’s main ski resorts during winter and enjoy some winter sports. There are available cheap holidays accommodations that you can avail of during your holiday vacations in Germany – be it during summer or winter.

Germany is called as the “green heart of Europe” for its natural attractions. There are fourteen National Parks in the country that preserve the natural heritage. You can combine your natural trip with a historical one. There are magnificent castles that you can visit. You can have a boat trip starting from the Saxon Switzerland National Park to see the beautiful historic places and castles. One notable castle you should check on your holiday is the Festung Königstein – this one has never been conquered by its enemies. One of Germany’s pride also is the Elbe valley of Dresden which is a World Heritage. So this is also a must-see if you plan to spend your holiday vacation at Germany.

So from the beautiful long beaches, to skiing, castle tour, and nature tripping, Germany can cater them all to you. You have various options on what kind of holiday you want to have in Germany. Surely you can try all these by coming back to the country and try a different experience in every visit you make.

Cheap holidays are always available if you just search thoroughly over the internet. There are a lot of websites that cater to cheap holiday packages. If you are going with your family or group, home, villa, cottage, or chalet rentals will be the best options.

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travel.smart-guide.net A close view of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, a former city gate and one of the main symbols of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city center. One block to the north stands the Reichstag. In the last war days of May 1945, the Brandenburg Gate and Quadriga were destroyed. Berlin was divided in four sectors. The gate, was in the Soviet sector during the division of Berlin and became again fair its original function as a town-gate. It separated the British …

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Learn how to travel big while paying less at Cheap Holidays 24. Visit us and read on our latest holiday guides like – The Season Is Perfect For A Holiday To Amsterdam for more great holiday ideas!

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The city of Berlin is rich in history and culture, and many first time visitors are captivated by its charm and beauty. From the warmth of the people to the vibrant nightlife, this world class city is a must see for any serious traveler.

First time visitors will of course want to make the most of their time in Berlin, and there are a number of great tours designed to help first time travelers get acquainted with this wonderful destination.

Guided tours can be a great way for first time visitors to get acquainted with any new city, and Berlin offers some of the finest tours available. From walking tours focusing on the history of the city to motor coach tours designed to help travelers get the lay of the land, tours of Berlin are a wonderful way to learn about the city, meet travelers from around the world and have lots of fun.

English speaking visitors to Berlin will be happy to know that there are a wealth of tours available in their native tongue. Whether their German is passable or nonexistent, these visitors will be able to find their way around and learn about the city.

Walking tours are always a big hit in Berlin, due in part to the fact that the city is so compact. With so many famous attractions in so small an area, a walking tour of the city is a great way to enjoy its rich history and cultural traditions. Visitors to Berlin will also be happy to know that Berlin is not nearly as crowded as some other European capitals. The smaller crowds make walking in Berlin a real delight for history buffs and other visitors alike.

Visitors who prefer a go it alone tour can opt for one of the many self guided walking tours designed for first time visitors to Berlin. These guides can be ordered before leaving home, or they can be purchased in Berlin at a number of hotels and tourist bureaus. For a more hands on approach there are a number of excellent guided walking tours of the city, perfect for getting acquainted with the city and its people.

History buffs will find Berlin a delight, so it is only natural for tours of the city to focus on its long and storied history. Some of the most popular tours of Berlin focus on such famous sights as the Berlin Wall, the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie and the Reichstag. Other tours go into further depth, including such locales as Hitler’s bunker, the World War II cemeteries, and the Holocaust Memorial.

Bicycles are another popular way to explore this small and compact city, and there are many bike tours available to both first timers and repeat visitors. Residents of Berlin are quite accustomed to traveling and commuting by bike, and there are many bicycle rental businesses that cater to tourists. Renting a bike is a great way to explore this famous city, and there are a number of guided bike tours available as well.

No matter how you explore this wonderful city, Berlin is a delight for the senses and a historian’s dream. Whether on foot, on a bicycle, or via the city’s excellent public transportation, there is plenty to see and do in this wonderful German city.

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Paris is famous its art displays. The Musee de Louvre is on everybody’s list. Francois Mitterand’s glass pyramid entrance is no longer a controversy, now being considered an exhibit in its own right. Operating since 1795 “de Louvre” has an unrivaled collection of antiquity. This is where one must go to see original works of Da Vinci, with the Mona Lisa being among the most famous exhibits. The city of lights also hosts galleries dedicated to Picasso and Monet, named Musee Picasso and Musee Marmottan Claude Monet respictively. Monet lovers will have to visit the Musee de l’orangerie as well. The de l’orangerie is once again open and features many of Monet’s waterline series and other art from the early 1900’s. Picasso and Renoir among others.

For modern urban expressionist art in Paris the place to go is to the American Museum of Art.  A local favorite is the Musee D’ Orsay located in a former train station and displaying impressionist and post impressionist paintings. Rome is a “blue chip” city to visit when touring art galleries on the continent. American historians find the Galleria Borghese and Galleria Collona interesting due to the dates of their origins. Both the Borghese and Collona were being built in the 1600’s with the latter completed in 1704 while the colonies were struggling for their own identity. 

The Spada Gallery features paintings from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with some Roman statues from the second and third centuries. A small gallery, the Spada is an impressive stop with the statue of Pompey in the main Pallazo. The foot of the Pompey of course being the most commonly given location for the murder of Julius Caesar. In typical German fashion, displaying art is taken seriously in Berlin. The most famous and most visited museum is the Pergamon Museum. An antiquity collection, A near East collection and display of Islamic art draw over eight hundred thousand visitors per year.  Any period from Egyptian to modern can be found displayed in Berlin.

The Maurmuseum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie is a small and focused display of Berlin’s most famous checkpoint during the cold war. Recordings, texts, films, and objects are on display with some tied to daring escapes and attempts.  Lectures are given by those with firsthand knowledge to share and a tour for your group can be arranged.

London offers the tour group British art displayed in a depth found nowhere else. Trafalgar Square houses the National Gallery with works from the mid thirteenth century to the early twentieth century. North of Trafalgar Square is the National Portrait Gallery with an unrivaled collection of portraits of significant and historical figures.

The Mall galleries opened in 1971 offer more contemporary works and often display work of up and coming artists. The Tate Modern is another London Gallery that augments the traditional displays with new and existing art. With the quality offerings available, your group should have a memorable experience touring Europe.

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