Our trip to Germany was primarily to attend a family wedding at Castle Guttenberg (45k NW of Stuttgart). However; with several days to fill post wedding, we decided to take the train to Berlin and experience first hand all the wonderful things we have heard about the German capital city. We snagged a great hotel deal at the Hampton Berlin City West by Hilton on Uhlandstrasse, not far from the Berlin Zoo and the Tiergarten.
Hop On Hop Off Bus, best way to see Berlin
Bicycle rental, both pedaled and electric motorized, is a very, very popular way to see Berlin. Swarms of tourist groups zoomed past us on bicycles during our (mainly) walking tour of central Berlin.
The Reichstag with new glass and metal dome – Berlin, Germany
The east facade of the Reichstag – Berlin, Germany
Bellevue Palace, home of the German President, in the Tiergarten of Berlin, Germany
Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate
Like in most European cities, wonderful and diverse restaurants and sidewalk cafes are ubiquitous in Berlin, Germany
One of the many outdoor restaurants we patronized. The food was fabulous at each and every one.
Our waiter stood head and shoulders above all the others in this outdoor restaurant. A big tip was in order.
Only a few sections of the Berlin Wall remain. Tourists have chopped it up and taken sections home as souvenirs. The western side of the remaining blocks is always the most colorful side.. surprise, surprise.
Photos from the fifties and sixties adorn fences in Check Point Charlie area in Berlin.
Photos from the fifties and sixties adorn fences in Check Point Charlie area in Berlin.
Check Point Charlie has become quite the tourist attraction these days. For better or worse, there is now a McDonald’s on what was the Eastern or Communist side prior to reunification.
The Charlottenburg Gardens were impressive.
A cruise on the river Spree in the center of Berlin, Germany
The old and the new are side by side on this view from the river Spree.
The Bode Museum on Museum Island in Berlin, Germany
Two views of the Holocaust Memorial near the Brandenburg Gate. Each block represents a village or town that lost Jewish or dissident citizenry to the Nazis during World War II. The greater the loss, the taller the block.
The KaDeWe department store is to Berlin what Harrods is to London.. great upscale shopping and dining.
We found a great rate at a great hotel in a great location.. near the Berlin Zoo and the Tiergarten.. walking distance to most of the sites seen above.
Find great hotel deals in Berlin, Germany HERE.
