Anyone been to Berlin recently?

[Karl-G]

The New York Times had an excellent article on Berlin yesterday, discussing the new buildings, the refurbished museums, and the new restaurants. It would be nice if there were visuals to go along with the descriptions. Has anyone traveled in Berlin recently and taken photos of these sites? It would be great if you could share them with the rest of us.

[trilingual]

Just got back from two weeks in Berlin with my BF, who had never been there before. We toured intensively, but in that time barely managed to scratch the surface. There was tons left over to do on a future visit. Unfortunately, none of my photos are uploaded to a server, so I can't post them here. But I'm sure that all you have to do is Google for images of Berlin to get tons of pictures!

 

Highlights include the new Reichstag Dome, the new Chancellor's HQ (which the ever-irreverent Berliners refer to as the "washing machine"), many of the new embassy buildings, and the buildings in the Potsdamer Platz, which is approaching completion and is no longer a vast maze of hoardings, scaffolding and mud. Bits of the new main railway station are beginning to emerge from the construction, but that's still some time away from completion, as is the conversion of Schoenefeld into the city's principal airport.

 

The Pergamon Museum has a fine new entrance. The new Jewish Museum, by Liebeskind, is a fascinating building. The exhibits are another matter. Not that they're bad, but it seems as if the organizers couldn't decide between showing things thematically or chronologically. The result is a bit of a hodge-podge, with one section not always following the next in any logical sequence, and the transitions between sections are often abrupt and jarring. The museum is new, of course, and these are details that will get worked out over time, as the curators get a better feel for the new space. There are a few very dramatic exhibits (one show using holographic images which is really quite brilliant) and the unnerving garden of remembrance, specifically designed to put you off balance (if you have inner-ear problems, I wouldn't recommend it).

 

Transportation is easier; the re-linking of the entire S-bahn circle line around the inner city has been completed. More subway lines operate all-night on Friday, Saturday and eves-of-holidays, making it much easier to enjoy Berlin's superb, but widely scattered, nightlife. During the rest of the week there's an excellent night bus network, but the U-bahn is much faster and easier, so the additional service is most welcome.

 

Berlin isn't as beautiful as Paris or Prague or even Madrid, but from spring through fall, when the trees are in leaf, it's very pleasant because it's a remarkably green city. There isn't a lot left of "old" Berlin following World War II, but what still exists is being renovated fairly quickly, especially the monumental buildings along Unter den Linden. Black and grimy for eons, and virtually untouched during the DDR days (plaster and paint apparently weren't items that ever made it onto Eastern bloc 5-year plans), many of the rococo and neo-classical buildings have been cleaned, painted and refurbished. In their lighter colors (whether natural or painted) they give a great lift to the once-gloomy atmosphere.

 

For a few brief years, between the end of World War I and the Nazi take-over in 1933, Berlin was probably the most exciting, stimulating city on earth. It's too early to be sure, but it looks like Berlin is on the way to recapturing its old lustre. In some ways, it may be even more cosmopolitan than the old Berlin. It has once again become the capital city of a great nation, and it's superbly positioned at the crossroads of Eastern and Western Europe, as well as the North and the South. There are far more immigrants from all parts of the world, and that's reflected in Berlin's increasingly sophisticated and varied cuisine and restaurant scene. Berlin still has challenges to overcome, like the municipal government's virtual bankruptcy and the lack of industry, but those will probably be resolved over time. Berlin is definitely on the comeback trail, and in another five years or so, when the major construction projects have been completed, it should be able to live up to its slogan of being a Weltstadt (World City).

[Guest zipperzone]

>The New York Times had an excellent article on Berlin

>yesterday, discussing the new buildings, the refurbished

>museums, and the new restaurants. It would be nice if there

>were visuals to go along with the descriptions. Has anyone

>traveled in Berlin recently and taken photos of these sites?

>It would be great if you could share them with the rest of

>us.

 

Berlin is a fine town but for my money, Hamburg is more beautiful and a good deal more interesting.

[Luv2play]

Trilingual, you gave a very good summary of what Berlin was, is today and where it is heading. I spent 10 days there a couple of years ago and much of what you describe was already underway. I walked extensively every day I was there and saw and enjoyed many varied sights and sites. Atop the glass dome of the restored parliament building (Bundestag), I could see construction cranes everywhere. At street level, there was a lively mix of people day and night and I felt very safe walking around at all hours.

 

This may sound morbid but one thing I really enjoyed were the cemeteries dotted around the city. They are like mini-oases, with beautiful trees and gardens all well tended and very restful. While I don't read German, I could figure out a little bit of the social history of Berlin and Germany. Two things that struck me were the great age that many Berliners achieve, going back many generations (it was not unusual to see that people had lived to 90 or more) and this before modern medicine! and the tragedy of war reflected in the lives cut short.

 

With the assistance of my guide book, I found the grave site of Marlene Dietrich (who incidentally lived to 91). It has a very simple marble marker which just read "Marlene" and then some German script which I took to mean more or less "here I rest". She still has her fans as there were small teddy bears and floral bouquets laid at her feet. In a way, she represented what was best of the Germans and Berliners, a fact that was not always appreciated by them.

[Guest alanm]

I also went to Dietrich's grave in 2000, although when I was there people had put pro-Nazi slips of paper on her grave as well as anti-Nazi messages. It is a simple grave. I enjoyed the many Germans sprucing up what was already almost picture perfect. I would also recommend the concert hall, which is the home of the Berlin Philharmonic. Although I saw Ute Lemper there, it was still a nice experience. All the new shops, art galleries and small theatres in the former East Berlin were also great as well as the large park that features the yearly Love Day in early July.

 

The bars are also super, best in Europe from great hustler bars to places where anyone could strike up a conversation with a friendly Berliner. I am going to try Munich and St. Petersburg next spring, but my heart belongs to Berlin.

[Guest DickHo]

I'm returning to Berlin in December after 20 years. What bars (hustler or others) do you recommend?

 

Thanks.

[Luv2play]

There were some good bars in Schoneberg and elsewhere (the gay scene is spread out in several neighbourhoods) but I would need to look up my guide books to remember their names. Some reminded me of Amsterdam or Paris or New York in the 70's/80's, very raunchy with sexrooms etc. Some can be quite rough too, so you better be prepared!!! As they say, what you wish for may be what you get, and then some...}(

[Luv2play]

There were some good bars in Schoneberg and elsewhere (the gay scene is spread out in several neighbourhoods) but I would need to look up my guide books to remember their names. Some reminded me of Amsterdam or Paris or New York in the 70's/80's, very raunchy with sexrooms etc. Some can be quite rough too, so you better be prepared!!! As they say, what you wish for may be what you get, and then some...}(