4 days in Berlin: what you can see
Alexander Platz in the evening
The thought of returning to Berlin and overlooking the overlooked has been lingering in our hearts and minds for two years - since we visited Berlin as part of a bus tour Amsterdam Blitz.
Then, two years ago, we had a whole 10 hours in Berlin. And we did a lot!
First of all, we saw three museums on the Museum Island (we saw the Babylonian Gates and the famous Nefertiti)! For those who also want to see more than one museum, I want to remind you that a ticket to one Museum Island museum costs 12-14 euros, and a subscription to all museums for the whole day costs 18 euros.
Modern Berlin
But one day in such a big city is only a "seed", one might say, to whet the appetite. Appetite comes literally immediately, but you have to wait for the opportunity to satisfy it.
The visa-free regime and low-cost airlines that have entered the Ukrainian aviation market have done their job: people began to travel more, and more on their own. And despite the fact that low-cost airlines are trying with all their might to cut even hand luggage for us (this time we flew not with a backpack, but with a small bag 40x20x25 cm), they cannot defeat us!
And do not discourage the desire to travel! We will learn to take even less things on the road : )
So this time too: interesting air tickets to Berlin suddenly popped up, for 4 days in September, and we decided to take a little trip and see what was left unfinished.
I wanted to see the Berlin Wall with the famous kiss of Brezhnev, and to visit under the dome of the Reichstag, and under the dome of the Berlin Cathedral. . .
And even though there were still three months before the trip, the thought that an adventure awaits you ahead brightened up working days : )
When you plan your trip yourself, unlike package tours, you can choose a convenient time for departures and arrivals. So that it was really 4 days in Berlin, and not one and a half. So we did. The hotel was booked in the center, near Alexanderplatz, so that it was convenient to get to everything. In a month, they took permission for the dome of the Reichstag.
Our flight from Kyiv arrived in Berlin at 12 noon, on Sunday.
In the process of preparing for the trip, it suddenly turned out that all grocery stores in Berlin were closed on Sunday. And on Monday, museums, churches and the royal residence of Sanssouci in Potsdam, which we wanted to visit, are closed.
But thanks to Berlin's super convenient transport system, this problem has been solved.
It turned out that the S-Bahn city train goes from Schö nefeld Airport straight to the Warsaw Strasse station, where the Eastside Gallery (a section of the Berlin Wall) begins, and this gallery stretches to the Ostbahnhof station, and in Berlin stations there are grocery supermarkets that operate in Sunday! In addition, there is a bus from the Ostbahnhof station directly to our hotel.
On the way from the train station, we look at the most interesting object - the Oberbaumbrü cke bridge with turrets across the Spree River.
Oberbaumbrü cke Bridge
The bridge has been here since ancient times, and the modern neo-Gothic bridge was built in 1896. As conceived by the architect, the towers were supposed to remind of the historical role of the bridge, which served as the water gates of Berlin. During the war, on the orders of Hitler, the bridge was partially blown up to prevent the advance of Soviet troops. After the construction of the Berlin Wall, a pedestrian checkpoint was opened on the bridge, which was somehow restored.
Now, after the fall of the wall, the bridge is a symbol of the unification of East and West Berlin.
Eastside Gallery
Immediately near the bridge, the Eastside Gallery begins - the world's longest open-air art gallery, a fragment of the Berlin Wall 1316 meters long.
It is here that the most famous graffiti painting by Moscow artist Dmitry Vrubel "Brotherly Kiss" is located, on which the artist wrote "Lord, help me survive among this mortal love. " As people who lived in the USSR remember, Brezhnev was very fond of kissing all the leaders of friendly states three times.
October 7.1979 Brezhnev's historic kiss took place, which was addressed to the new leader of the German Democratic Republic, Erik Honecker. The kiss took place at the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the formation of the GDR. Based on the photograph of this kiss, Dmitry Vrubel's painting "The Fraternal Kiss" was created. Subsequently, kissing Brezhnev and Honecker began to personify perestroika and the beginning of the destruction of the Berlin Wall, as well as the Iron Curtain.
In 2009, as part of a restoration to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Berlin Wall's demolition, the graffiti was removed. The artist was even paid compensation of three thousand euros. However, at the request of the Berlin authorities, Dmitry Vrubel agreed to restore it. This is the most popular graffiti. You can easily find it by the number of tourists and parked tour buses.
After walking along the Berlin Wall, we smoothly moved on to a new building - the Mercedes Arena.
It was Sunday, the building was closed, but the trap fountain right in front of it was working, and it was interesting to watch how people intentionally and inadvertently fall into it.
The day was sunny and warm, the end of the Berlin summer. It was nice to play. However, it was time to go to the hotel. We still have huge plans for today.
We booked a hotel specifically in the city center, in the Friedrichshain district, and were, in general, quite satisfied with it. Its location, a 15-minute walk from Alexanderplatz, and hearty breakfasts included in the price of accommodation, smoothed out its austerity and poor soundproofing. In general, what can you expect from a city hotel? Clean, comfortable, warm, plumbing works. Nothing else is needed.
If you asked me what I liked most about Berlin, I would answer without hesitation: public transport.
Berlin transport (tram and S-bahn)
Transport, of course, is expensive by our standards (but the standard of living of the Germans is higher than ours). For example, a travel card for all modes of transport during the day (from 6.00 am to 3.00 am the next morning) within the city itself (zones A and B) costs 7 euros. You just validate your ticket in the first mode of transport, and ride for at least a whole day. And you don’t feel sorry for this money at all, when you can get to any point quickly, without traffic jams, by any type of transport (choose what you like), calculating the time of arrival from one point to another up to minutes! And nowhere you have to wait for transport for more than 4 minutes! How did they do it? For all four days, we only stood in the subway once during rush hour, and even then it was quite free in the car. All other times it was free to sit down.
We live in the Friedrichshain district, and next to our hotel there is a stunning park with the Fountain of Fairy Tales.
Fountain of Fairy Tales
What a blessing it is now warm and sunny!
After all, you can walk around this large fountain with pleasure and without haste and examine in detail all the amazing figures from fairy tales known to us since childhood!
But how many photos I came across on the net, when in the cold season all the figures were closed in wooden boxes!
After settling in and having a little rest from the road, we go for a walk around the center of Berlin.
We cross the Museum Island, pass and enjoy the central boulevard Unter den Linden ("Under the lindens"), stretching from the Spree River to the Brandenburg Gate.
Brandenburg Gate in Berlin
Linden trees appeared on the boulevard during the reign of Friedrich Wilhelm. The great elector traveled along this road to his hunting grounds in the Tiergarten. Now the Tiergarten is a huge park in the very center of Berlin. The Berlin Zoo is also part of the Tiergarten. But we will go into it tomorrow. And today, enjoying the atmosphere of Berlin, we are going to the Reichstag. Even from home we booked a visit to the Reichstag dome. And it's absolutely free! At www. bundestag. de , you can now book three visit options:
- lectures in the gallery overlooking the plenary hall followed by a visit to the dome;
- excursion followed by a visit to the dome;
- visiting the dome.
The tour needs to be booked several months in advance, as there are many people who want to. In addition, for the Russian-speaking population, the guide works only twice a week - on Monday at 12:00 and on Sunday at 13:30. Therefore, the earlier you decide on the days of the trip, the more chances you have to sign up. When booking, you will be given several options for visiting times. You will also need to enter your passport details and the passport details of the person who is with you.
Since we could not make it on time for the tour, we booked a visit to the dome. In a response letter from the Bundestag, we were warned that even if we booked a visit, this is still not a 100% guarantee that we will get there, since under adverse weather conditions, the visit to the dome and terraces may be canceled. Poorly imagining why this was so, we still hoped that everything would work out. And everything worked out! Our visiting time is 20.00. It is advisable to arrive 20-30 minutes in advance, because you will have to go through control, like at the airport. As long as you go through all the checks and screening services, the time to visit will come up. A group gathers at the checkpoint, an escort arrives and escorts everyone into the building. Further, as in a bank vault: the doors in front of you are still closed, and the doors behind you are already closed.
The hall where the Bundestag sits
The group is in some kind of quarantine while everyone is being watched through the monitors. And if the security service gave the go-ahead, the doors in front open and the group goes to the elevator. There, everyone is handed over to the elevator operator, who lifts us to the upper terraces. When exiting the terraces, there is a table with free audio guides, also available in Russian.
Audio guides are interactive: as soon as you enter the dome and start climbing, they clearly track your location, automatically turn on and start talking about those objects that are visible from this point of the dome.
How beautiful Berlin is in the evening illumination!
View from the terrace of the Reichstag
Now, having got to the terraces, we understand why the tour can be cancelled. The terraces are huge, open to all weather events. If it had been raining or strong winds, then for safety reasons people would not have been allowed there. But we were lucky with the weather that day: the setting sun drops its last red rays, giving our visit a special charm.
Reichstag Building
The audio guide is interesting and expressive. Here are some interesting facts about the dome.
After the reunification of Germany and the transfer of the capital from Bonn to Berlin, it was decided to restore the Reichstag. The project was won by English architect Norman Foster in 1993.
He designed a glass dome with a 360-degree panoramic view.
Reichstag Dome
In the center of the dome is a cone of mirrors that directs sunlight into the building. The glass dome is environmentally friendly.
Energy-saving features associated with the use of daylight through the mirror cone effectively reduce the building's carbon dioxide emissions.
Mirror cone
The large sun visor automatically tracks the movement of the sun and blocks direct sunlight.
The dome can be reached by two spiral ramps that resemble a double helix. The upstream and downstream visitors do not intersect.
Spiral ramps
The futuristic and transparent design of the Reichstag dome makes it a unique landmark.
You can visit the dome until 24.00. True, the last group is launched at 21.30.
We spent over two hours there. So the organizers calculated everything correctly.
Reichstag at night
Our first day of stay was sunny, but it's already over.
When we woke up the next morning, we regretfully found that the weather forecasters were not mistaken this time. The weather was clearly getting worse. It was overcast and a cold wind was blowing. But they don't choose the weather. It is always nice when you are lucky with her on a trip, but even if not, you should not be upset. Anyway, we have a tight program of visiting Berlin and we do not intend to deviate from it!
We buy a travel card again and take the U-Bahn to the Zoological Garden stop. The S-Bahn would have been faster, but we wanted to see the old subway stations.
Underground metro station
Leaving the subway, we notice a beautiful church with a broken top very close by.
Gedechtniskirche Memorial Church
This is Berliners' favorite Gedä chtniskirche, the memorial church of Kaiser Wilhelm built by his grandson, Kaiser Wilhelm II, in honor of his grandfather.
The church was destroyed by bombing in 1943, but the Berliners did not demolish the destroyed building. The church was carefully restored and updated, and the dome was left in a broken form as a warning to posterity.
Mosaics in the Gedechtniskirche
Now it is a memorial complex.
The zoo is old, it was built in 1844.
Entrance to the Berlin Zoo
Its area is 35 hectares. And the collection of animals has 15.000.
The zoo is open every day from 9.00 to 18.00. A ticket costs 15.50 euros for an adult, and if you want with a visit to the aquarium, then 21 euros. Animals in the zoo are in open enclosures, there are no cages.
Bisons
A ditch was dug along the edges of the enclosures, which was filled with water, and behind the ditch there was a small low fence for visitors.
And it turns out that the animals are literally at arm's length from you!
Polar wolves
We arrived early, at 9.30, and at first we were somewhat disappointed: we came to the giraffe, but there were no giraffes, we approached the enclosures with gorillas, but they were also not there.
Empty enclosures
Where have all the animals gone? It turned out that they had breakfast : )
This is not a giraffe, but a whole palace in oriental style.
Giraffe Palace
There is a tropical garden in the courtyard, warm and cozy.
Inside the Giraffe Palace
In front of the palace there is a large open area for giraffe walks, separated from the audience only by a small fence.
Giraffes in an open enclosure
I can't express our emotions! We have never seen real gorillas.
They are huge! Especially the male! Like three people put together! Polygamy flourishes in their family: the male has as many as three females, whom he casually, passing by, slaps on the bottom!
Gorilla family
Children are separated in a separate playroom. Like human children, they also play, jump, make noise! They don't interfere with adults : ) It was very interesting to watch this.
The polar bear needs no introduction
In addition to the animals we are used to, the zoo has a Chinese corner where a real panda lives!
Chinese gazebo
Never seen one like this either! Panda is the star of the screen there. People have the opportunity to observe her life through a large glass.
Panda behind glass
This glass is for people. But the panda lives in nature. For her, living conditions close to her environment have been created.
The fur seals surprised and amused us. They have a huge pool with rocky shores.
Seals
The seals were “in the mood” in the morning and had fun from the heart! They chased each other, threw friends off the cliff into the pool, made some funny sounds. You can watch this for hours. A little lower, a small amphitheater with transparent glass was built, through which you can watch the seals frolic underwater. Curious cats swim up very close and poke their noses, you can touch them through the glass with your hand. It causes a special delight in children!
But we, probably, stood for an hour and could not leave.
Little penguins in their pond swim and dive at great speed, through the glass they are also clearly visible under water. They are handmade! They swim up and beg.
There are signs everywhere asking the animals not to feed. But judging by the behavior of the penguins, visitors still feed them.
Already closer to the exit we see hippos.
They are also in the transparent pool and you can see them very close!
How big they are!
We spent five hours at the zoo!
Flowers of the Zoological Garden
You can't tell about the entire collection of animals and birds in one story.
Marabou bird
It's better to see everything with your own eyes.
After the zoo, we decided to visit the beautiful Gendarmenmarkt square, since it is very convenient to get there.
Gendarmenmarkt Square
A few underground stops from the zoo, there is the Stadtmitte stop, which has direct access to this square.
Gendarmermarkt is one of the most beautiful squares in Berlin, where the Concert Hall (former national theater) is located. . .
Concerthouse at Gendarmenmarkt
. . . and the twin churches - the German Cathedral and the French Cathedral.
Gendarmenmarkt Square
But why two identical churches?
It turns out that at the end of the 17th century, most of the French Huguenots settled in this quarter, to whom King Frederick I of Prussia guaranteed religious rights and civil liberties. The king provided a place for the construction of the church to both the Lutheran and the French community, and both churches appeared at the same time.
Church towers are distinguished only by the golden figures at the top (Virtue Triumphant on the German dome and Religion Triumphant on the French dome).
But we never got to the church, they were closed. Monday! And on the square itself, a quartet of boys aged 10-11 sang. They sang wonderfully, with well-trained voices. One was their conductor. It is felt that they are performing concerts somewhere, but they just came to rehearse and earn some money at the same time. People gladly paid for this spontaneous concert. It was great!
The next day we had a visit to the royal residence of Sanssouci in Potsdam.
The weather kept getting worse. The sky was leaden! The temperature dropped to +11 degrees, a freezing wind was blowing. But we cannot succumb to the whims of the weather! We have too little time, but we want to do a lot.
A ticket for the ABC zones outside of Berlin costs 7.70. With it you can go to the airport or to Potsdam. Moreover, it is also valid in Potsdam's public transport.
Getting off at the Potsdam railway station, we noticed a bicycle parking lot with a huge number of bicycles.
Almost like in Amsterdam. People come to the station on their bikes, leave them in the parking lot and go to Berlin by trains and trains. And in the evening they also pick up their bikes and go home. There are no traffic jams in Berlin! Something in the minds of the Germans still changed compared to ours. People moved to bicycles, but our cars will not come out! Until now, they bring their ass even right to the center to shops and offices, creating huge traffic jams in the city, even on vacation wheels in the sea.
We did not use Potsdam public transport, we wanted to see the city. The town is very cozy and pretty. All facades have been restored.
Potsdam. Gutenbergstrasse
We went to the Old Market Square to the Church of St. Nicholas with a grandiose dome modeled on European cathedrals.
Potsdam. Church of St. Nicholas
Interior decoration of St. Nicholas Church
Walked along the main Brandenburger Strasse. . .
Potsdam. Brandenburgerstrasse
. . . which led us to Potsdam's Brandenburg Gate.
Potsdam Brandenburg Gate
They are already within easy reach of Sanssouci Park.
We go into the park already in the rain. What a pity that the weather forecasters didn't lie!
Sans Souci Park
We wait out the heavy rain under the visor of the gate, and under the shallow path to the palace.
Entrance to the park is completely free. Locals even walk their dogs there.
Sans Souci Park
But the entrance to the palace costs 12 euros + 3 euros for photography. And the entrance is strictly on time!
Potsdam. Sanssouci Palace
Near the ticket office there is a monitor screen that displays for what time and how many tickets are on sale. We were lucky, apparently due to bad weather, there were few people, and we bought tickets with a visit for now. Our entrance was in three minutes.
A free audio guide is available in Russian. It is pleasant to walk with an audio guide: you are not in a hurry, you can look at the details as much as you want, you are not tied to a group of comrades.
The Sanssouci Palace, which means "Without Worries", was founded on January 13.1745 by decree of Frederick the Great. According to his sketches, the architect Georg Wenceslaus von Knobelsdorf created a project for the future Sanssouci.
The palace is small, one-story, with only 12 rooms. The basement of the palace was supposed to be the hill itself, on which it was built. Vine terraces lead to the entrance to the palace.
Friedrich took an active part in the construction of the palace. He needed not a government building, but a cozy rococo apartment building. All rooms were decorated according to the parameters set by him. He lived in the palace from April to October. The palace was not only a palace without worries, it was also a palace without women. It was considered exclusively a private palace and was not intended for government purposes. This is the private residence of the philosopher, a kind of hermitage in which he surrounded himself with his favorite paintings, books, dogs and horses.
The name "Sans Souci" - "without worries" - reflects Friedrich's views on issues of life and death. He lived like a philosopher and wanted to die like a philosopher and be buried like a philosopher - without pomp and solemn processions.
After the terraces of the vineyards were laid out and the palace completed, it was time to arrange the surroundings.
After the construction of other buildings in the park, the main alley 2.5 km long appeared in it. It originates in the east of the Egyptian obelisk erected in 1748 and ends at the New Palace in the west.
After seeing the Sanssouci Palace, we are moving towards the New Palace.
Alley of Sanssouci Park leading to the New Palace
The road is not close, the rain comes and goes.
Orangery Palace
We manage to see the Orangery Palace. . .
Orangery Palace in Sanssouci Park
. . . House with Dragons. . .
Sans Souci Park. House with Dragons.
. . . and run to the Belvedere. In addition to the original decorative function in full accordance with the name of the building, the Belvedere offered a magnificent view of the park, the city and the surrounding area.
Potsdam. Sanssouci park. Belvedere
Now the Belvedere is under restoration and it is not possible to look at the surroundings from its terraces. But the terraces sheltered us and allowed us to wait out the heavy rain.
The windmill in Sanssouci Park
Having waited out the heaviest downpour of today, we are still going to see the New Palace.
Potsdam. New Palace.
On Tuesdays (and today is Tuesday) it is closed, but nothing will prevent us from inspecting it from the outside. Suddenly, the sky clears up and the New Palace, as if washed, plays with fresh pleasant colors.
Potsdam. New Palace.
The New Palace is considered to be the last important building in the Prussian Baroque style. Frederick intended to use it exclusively for representative purposes; for this, the king had over 200 rooms in the palace, four ceremonial halls and a theater in the rococo style.
We return through the entire park along a long alley. Somewhere in the middle of the journey, the rain suddenly comes again, although five minutes ago the sun was shining and it already seemed that the bad weather had receded. There is nowhere to hide in the park. We run to the exit.
On the way back, the weather smiled at us, in about ten minutes everything stretched again, again the sun and the blue sky.
Potsdam. Brandenburg Gate
You can take a leisurely walk through the streets of Potsdam, feel its atmosphere.
The Dutch quarter appeared here in 1733-1740.
Dutch Quarter Potsdam
In order to attract Dutch artisans to the city, a Dutch quarter was built on the orders of the "soldier king" Frederick William I. The block located in the city center has 134 red brick houses, divided by two streets into four blocks. The quarter is limited by the Nauen Gate. . .
Potsdam. Nauen Gate
. . . and the Church of Peter and Paul.
Potsdam. Church of Peter and Paul
Today, Potsdam is primarily known as a city of palaces and gardens.
Portal of Fortune in Potsdam
There are about 20 palaces in the Potsdam cultural landscape.
Despite the fact that we walked there until the evening, we did not see much. There are seven parks in Potsdam, which are impossible to get around in one day.
Modern sculpture in Potsdam park
Even in Sanssouci Park itself, we did not see the Chinese Tea House, we did not look at the interiors of the New Palace.
We simply did not have time to see the most famous buildings of the New Garden - the Cecilienhof Palace and the Marble Palace. The Potsdam Conference was held in the Cecilienhof Palace in 1945.
I would like to advise tourists who want to carefully and without haste to see Potsdam to stay there for 2-3 days. Well, let's hope that we can see all this on our next visit.
The last morning in Berlin unexpectedly pleased with the sun. It was fresh. Today we fly home. But we have a flight at 17.30, which means that we still have a lot to see.
After sleeping and having breakfast without haste, we say goodbye to the reception staff, give them small souvenirs and move towards Alexanderplatz.
The first thing I really wanted to see and did not let me sleep peacefully for two years was the oldest church in Berlin, the Marienkirche (St. Mary's Church).
Berlin. Marienkirche
The first mention of the church dates back to 1292!
Berlin. Chair in the Marienkirch
In Berlin rebuilt after the war, almost nothing remained of the densely built-up historical center of the city, and the Marienkirche church turned out to be almost alone standing in an open area, limited by high-rise new buildings, which has been dominated by the Berlin TV tower since 1969.
Marienkirche
The Church of St. Mary and the Red Town Hall are now the only reminders of the historic center of Berlin.
We got to the service and had the good fortune not only to look at the interiors of the church, but also to listen to the organ. For lovers of organ concerts, we inform you that every day (except Monday) at 13.30 in this church you can listen to the organ absolutely free.
Berlin. Organ in the Marienkirch
So, if you are in Berlin, don't miss it.
Admiring the fountain "Neptune".
Berlin. Fountain Neptune
This is one of the oldest and most beautiful fountains in the city. A powerful figure of the ancient god of the seas, Neptune, rises above the bowl of the fountain on a foundation of three steps. And around are four female figures personifying rivers: the Rhine (with a fishing net and a vine). . .
Berlin. Fountain Neptune
. . . Vistula (with a log), Oder (with a goat and a skin) and Elbe (with ears and fruits).
Berlin. Fountain Neptune
Female figures of very significant merits and cast so naturalistically that you can even see cellulite : )
The young sculptor Reingold Begas sculpted the fountain inspired by a trip to Italy. He created several versions of the fountain, and only the last of them, which subsequently brought world fame to the author, was approved in 1888.
And we are going to the Hohenzollern Cathedral on the Museum Island.
Hohenzollern Cathedral
Last visit to Berlin, after three museums, we simply did not have enough strength for it. But you need to fill in the gaps!
The cathedral is huge.
Organ in the Cathedral
It was built in 1894-1905 according to the design of Julius Raschdorf as the main church of the Prussian Protestants and the court church of the ruling Hohenzollern dynasty.
Interior decoration. Dome
Entry costs 7 euros. You will be asked to leave your backpack or travel bag in the luggage room. You can see the interior of the cathedral. . .
Pulpit in the Cathedral
. . . a small museum with models and parts of the decoration of the cathedral, climb its dome and go out to open viewing platforms. . .
View from the observation deck of the cathedral.
View of Berlin from the observation deck of the cathedral
. . . and also go down to the crypt, where representatives of the dynasty are buried in sarcophagi. You need to allocate at least an hour and a half to see the cathedral (this is for those who are in a hurry).
We didn't have enough time, it was time to go to the airport.
Station at Alexanderplatz
Our autumn holidays in Berlin are over. It is always pleasant to realize that the planned visiting program has been completed. We fell in love with Berlin and would love to visit it again, if possible.
