Berliner Dom ist sehr groß und schön. We came here on our visit to Berlin. Walking from the Silent…read moreLibrary, on the Humboldt University campus, down Unter den Linden to the historical Cölln district of old Berlin. Given our family members who are clergy, we seem to visit churches wherever we go. But the Berliner Dom is special. It's to the former DDR credit that they allowed for its rebuilding in the 1950-60s. But for me, it's their music program and pipe organs that are most impressive. JS Bach also played here in the early 1700s and his sheet music was on display on our visit. See photos.

Beautiful and the biggest church in Berlin located on the museum island. It is very massive both…read moreoutside and inside...you have to pay for entrance and you can climb to the top to see 360 degree view of Berlin, worth it but it's 267 steps each way..no bathroom so go before climbing. Somehow I was there and there was a mass in German an I stayed 1/2 way and it was lovely. I'm not a church person but do appreciate the service. The building, the decor, the history itself is worth to check it out for sure. There are plenty of crypts within the church so you can check them outs along with shop and café upon exiting.

Yelp asks "How would I rate my experience here and how many Stars would I give it?" After a couple…read moreof thousand reviews, I find we were completely speechless here. Later in our Viking trip, we visited both Birkenau and Auschwitz. Those visits and here, are bookends to horrors of hate and the decent into humanities worst period of cannibalisms. I phrase it like that, because the people of that period, consumed and devoured the living nightmare of hate, as if it was to purge the world of group(s) of people they just didn't like, didn't understand and wanted to eradicate. So this place is a memorial of their memory, but also a reminder of what happens, when we allow Hate to devour our humanity and our souls. Five Stars and hopefully, never again! But I/we know better.... Seattle, Christopher Straße Tag...

Another day in Berlin and another museum reminding us all about World War II and the Holocaust…read more It's free, but you have to wait to get in. They let you in in staggered blocks. If you see a long line, just get on it. It moves quickly. Much of the staff is multilingual, too. I saw the young people working the ropes talking to people from all over Europe in their own languages. Outside there is a staggeringly large monument of large grey slabs. Some are leaning, and I'm not sure if it is intentional or due to disrepair and the elements. What I do know is it is a kind of maze which people seem to mainly use to play hide and seek or do parkour on, even though it's a museum dedicated to the Jews murdered in Europe. Kind of sad to witness. Inside is a large multi room museum documenting personal stories with various types of exhibits of the people rounded up, killed, or the few who survived. There are readings of testimonials of survivors of the camps that you can listen to on phones in the wall. It's very depressing but oh so important. And considering how much antisemitism there is in the world today and how trendy it is, it was somewhat moving to see so many people who wanted to come in and get educated on the horrors the Jews went through in World War II Germany. A really important part of history well told. Check it out and then you can walk over and see a bunch of tourist stuff like Brandenberg Gate and the Reichstag. You'll probably need a drink, but it is definitely worth checking out. Especially if you have a teenager and especially if you are Jewish yourself.

I visited during January so it was a little bit cooler than I liked, but Still had a great time…read moreseeing all the history As a European and being well traveled, I was aware of the pickpocket issue. It's simple don't bring anything flashy keep your phone in your front pocket. I don't even carry a purse when I travel We stayed at Adlon Hotel so the walk was short I am looking forward to a visit in the warmer months.

The Brandenburg gate is a must see when visiting Berlin. Lots of history, and it's an icon of the…read morecity. Look for hidden gems near the gate, such as the plaque to Ronald Reagan speech and the Caller sculpture, calling out to the east German side. Even in the off-season and the dead of winter beware of scammers near the Brandenburg gate. The scammers will ask for a signature and pretend to be collecting donations for a charitable cause. These are not bona fide charities, these are scammers working the tourists.

Die Hackeschen Höfe is a building complex with eight courtyards located in the Scheunenviertel…read more(Barn Quarter*) between Rosenthaler Straße and Sophienstraße in the Mitte area of Berlin. The building was opened in 1906, with an Art Nouveau facade, and mixed use commercial and residential spaces. After a period of disuse and damage following WWII, a revitalization started in 1993 which included extensive restoration. Today about 40 businesses call this location home--with a similar blend of vendors, including cafes, a theater, residential apartments, and a variety of retailers (apparel, shoes and accessories, home goods and furniture, art galleries, toys, stationery and a salon). For food there are a few restaurants, a couple bakeries and confectioneries, a gourmet food store and a coffee shop. Although the hours on g-maps show 9-10am, opening times for individual stores varies, so check prior to arriving. Especially on weekends when some opening times start closer to noon. When I arrived at 9am on a Sunday morning most places were closed, with the exception of Maison de Souvenirs, which although geared towards tourists, I enjoyed perusing because of the local and regionally made souvenirs they carried. Around 9:30am a couple of other shops started stirring, including a cafe, apparel store and gallery though only the cafe had opened by 9:45am. The courtyards are worth wandering around for 10 minutes to appreciate their unique architecture, though I didn't stay longer since most stores opened later. No parking available close by, they recommend arriving via public transit as it's a very busy area. Hackesche Markt S+U-bahn station is a couple minutes by foot, and a number of trams and buses stop nearby too. No public restrooms unless patronizing the couple of restaurants (and maybe the cinema) in this complex. *apparently in the 17th century this used to be the part of town outside of Berlin city walls that stored hay for animals, kept separate from the rest of the city due to fire concerns.

The store is beautifully appointed. The quality of the product is clear. Alice was exceptional when…read moresharing information and answering questions. Highly recommend stopping in if you are out shopping.

Although it's a complete tourist trap, when in Berlin, yes, I recommend visiting the Berliner…read moreFernsehturm. You cannot avoid seeing it from anywhere in Berlin. There is only one entrance, and you can purchase tickets on site. It cost $34.50 Euros for a standard ticket, which I felt is a little pricey. They search for weapons before you get in the elevator. If you look up while going up in the elevator, you get an interesting view of the interior. Once you get out of the elevator, you are allowed to roam all around and get a view of all of Berlin. There is also a bar, where I purchased a Latte Macchiato and Salzige Brezel. Even though my drink was machine made, it wasn't bad. The salted pretzel, however, was the driest pretzel I've ever eaten. The bartender was friendly, but a little slow. Seating is very limited. Only a handful of stools. After heading down in the elevator, I perused the gift shop. Didn't purchase anything though.

Berliner Fernsehturm is one of those Berlin landmarks. Pretty much, wherever you look from around…read morethe city, you will see this towering piece of architecture. Basically, this is a radio and TV broadcast tower. But, more than just that, it is a large tourist attraction. It terms of this structure as a tourist attraction, the way this place works is that you go inside, you find your way to the ticket counter, you buy tickets, you take an elevator, and you go upstairs. Once on the top levels, you can walk around, take pictures, and do all of that kind of stuff. They also have a café on the upper level. I had a rather interesting experience at this place. My wife and I were there, and we had purchased two lattes, another couple arrive shortly after us, and purchased something that was created quicker than our lattes were created. Me, I had gone to sit down at one of their chairs at the bar area that is located in this cafe, and was holding the second chair for my wife. This other couple walks up, and the wife of the pair, looks at me and literally screams at me and tries to pull the chair away from me. The chair I was holding for my wife. I mean, I've literally never had an experience like that in my life. Where somebody walks right up to my face and screams at me because they want the chair that I'm holding for my wife. I pointed to my wife, who was at this point walking over with the lattes. And, the husband pulled his wife away from me. Literally, pulled her off of me. What an experience! Something I would never want to go through again. This is just something to keep in mind at the kind of people you may encounter at this location. Other than that, VERY BAD EXPERIENCE, if you want to look around and view the all of Berlin, and maybe take some photos of the cityscape, this is the place to do it.