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.

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.

One visits Gendarmenmarkt to take in the local flavor. There are beautiful buildings and sculptures…read moreto view and appreciate. People come here to hang out with their families and loved ones. I especially enjoyed looking at the expressions on the faces of the sculptures within the gates of the church. The artist truly captures a feeling. I walked here from the hotel I was staying at and enjoyed lunch in the immediate vicinity. It is a place to visit when in Berlin.

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.

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.

This domed cathedral is the largest in Germany and as we see it today is one of many versions of…read morethis place of worship starting from the mid-15th century. Commissioned by Wilhelm II in 1888 the cathedral broke ground in 1894 over same location as a prior church building demolished the prior year to make room for this new and improved iteration. The design of this monumental structure incorporates details from Italian Renaissance and Baroque styles, notably ornamental mosaics, gold features and trimmings, and the layout of the building with its soaring dome and nave. Construction was completed in 1905, but after major damages during WWII was restored starting 1975 and only completed in 1993. Today it serves as functioning church parish for a German Protestant denomination. Visitors can access the following areas in the building: Preaching Church, Baptismal and Marriage Chapel and Panoramic View via 270 stairs. The crypt below the cathedral is a main attraction though closed for renovation until the end of 2025 or early 2026. Regular musical concerts are held here and programming can be found on their website. Normal visiting hours are Mon-Fri: 9am-6pm, Sat: 9am-5pm and Sun: 12-5pm. Check in advance for holiday hours. Tickets are €10 for adults, €7 with the Berlin Welcome Card, €7.50 reduced (students, disabled, see their website for full list). A single adult can bring up to 3 children in the ticket price. Prices go toward church upkeep which their website lists as €15K per day. Purchases can be made in person or line by credit card only, cash not accepted. Tickets for concerts can be booked at the box office without fee, or by phone or email with fee to mail the tickets.

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"

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.