The Eastside Gallery is a MUST STOP when visiting the Hauptstadt Berlin…read more If only to come see the mural "My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love" by Dmitri Vrubel. Recently, Berlin foodie stop Curry 61 did a funny parody, see photos. This section of the former Berlin Wall, has over a hundred mural on this lone remaining section on Mühlenstraße along the Spree River.

East Side Gallery is not really what is commonly thought of as an, "Art Gallery." What it is, is a…read morelong section of wall where various artist exhibit their work by creating one of their pieces on the wall. Yes, it is a little bit strange. East Side Gallery is a really a very long wall. There are a lot of artists that have their work showing on this wall. Just like beauty in in the eye of the beholder, so is art. Some of the work along this wall is very good. Others, not so much. All this being said, it is an interesting concept. And, it is something that you should see if you are in Berlin. Just don't get your hopes up to experience something truly revolutionary or cutting edge. Remember, it's just a wall with a bunch of paintings on it.

We thought long and hard about visiting this site…read more But for all the self agonizing, it was all for naught. Since today, it's just a gravel parking lot, for some local apartments. There are some signs you can read, which discuss the events of April 30th,1945. They have also put up some architectural drawings, of what Dear Leader's bunker looked like down below. So feel free to come here and as one Yelper puts it, walk all over his grave. But if may suggest, afterwards... please walk down to the Jewish Memorial (about 50 meters) and offer up a prayer of remembrance for all those who lost their lives. Nie wieder!

The fuhrer bunker is a must see when in Berlin but little to no effort has been put into telling…read morethe story. Many tourists stop here, some in organized groups, but there is really just a simple sign detailing what occurred here. This is all potential and should be improved, however I am mindful that, as a matter of public policy, the government does not wish to appear to be glorifying the issue.

One of my favorite Christmas markets in Berlin. I would say it's one of the top Christmas markets…read morein Berlin. Perfect example of how a Christmas market should be. It has a cosey and warm feeling to it. Nothing tasteless or cheesy about it. Location is ideal as well. Definitely make sure to explore the community. Beautiful area, it has so much to see. The best time to come to Berlin is during winter for the (Christmas Markets) or during Autumn, Spring, and Summer as well.

This is one of those grand European architectural locations. Once you get anywhere near this area,…read morewhat you will find are great cathedrals, beautiful buildings, and a very large square. The center point of this area is the large square. My suggestion is that you go and stand in the center of it, look around, and study its true uniqueness. What you will experience is one of the best places to view the grandeur of historic Berlin. Around this very large square, what you will find, (occasionally), is that they will have marketplaces. These marketplaces are usually seasonally orientated. Meaning, if it's Christmas season, you will find a great selection of Christmas orientated items. The main reason you come here is not so much simply to go shopping or dining, of which there are a lot of places to check out around the surrounding area, but to go inside some of the structures, and truly bask in the architectural glory of the statues, the way the buildings were constructed, and all of that kind of stuff. This isn't really a highly-touristy Berlin location. Which, is a good thing. Meaning, you can come here and really bask in a historic Berlin, which is deeply rooted in history. It will provide you with the true flavor and culture of Berlin. Overall, I would suggest that you do go here. You just need to know what to expect. There's not necessarily a lot to do, unless you truly appreciate the finer elements of architecture. But, it's a great place to visit.

Took an English guided tour. Note that tickets are cash only and the tour is 2 hours…read more The tour was thorough and very informative. Our tour guide gave us a realistic sense of what it was like to be taken to this prison, as well as what life was like as a prisoner. We got to see and be inside of cells as well as interrogation rooms. Overall, the visit was worth the time and money. Would recommend this to family and friends visiting Berlin.

Hohenschönhausen used to not even be marked on maps - it was that secret. Today you can take guided…read moretours around the eerie buildings. Still and quiet except for the various groups, it all comes to chilling life when tales of it's history are recited. It is the background to the confession scenes in the film The Lives of Others. The idea of it alone is terrifying. And yet there we stood, on a fairly sunny day, listening to a young American woman tell us about the atrocities that occurred here. The place is now a museum and memorial located in Berlin's north-eastern Lichtenberg district. It was opened in 1994 on the site of the main prison of the former East German Communist Ministry of State Security, better known as the Stasi. The memorial was founded in the early 1990s by former inmates. We heard that former prisoners occasionally give the tours. We were on the English tour and a young American woman gave our tour and was a wealth of information. Highly recommend this historic site.

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.

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.

Just happened to see this bridge after walking through the entire length of the East Side Gallery…read moreWall and amused by its beauty. Wished I had the time to explore more. It's a double deck bridge and has a walking tunnel with beautiful vaults and towers.

In the past, this bridge was an exchange-place of agents between east and west…read more And it's also known, cause of the german action film "Lola rennt"

We thoroughly enjoyed viewing the Fernsehturm from outside and seeing the views offered from the…read moreinside! Inside there are photos with points of interest numbered so you can look for specific Berlin landmarks from above. Going inside and up was very easy. We already had tickets we bought online, so we got in line for security as soon as we went in. Security was quick and kind, much like airport security. We were able to get on the elevator to go up almost immediately after security too. It was a bit busy up there, but there was more than enough room to walk around the entire viewing area and look for each point of interest we wanted to search for. We didn't have a long wait to get back into the elevator to go down when we were done either. There is a small store inside you can buy a souvenir from if you choose.

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.