THINGS TO DO, SEE & VISIT IN BERLIN

 

Berlin has a pretty diverse mix of sights, colorful and also gray places, urban art, but also garbage, history and modernism, it’s an eclectic city, a city of contrasts. If we have to describe the city in one word this would be freedom. Here you can find your place no matter who you are, nothing seems too strange here, diversity and acceptance are part of their culture.

In this article we will recommend you a few things that you must do, see and visit in Berlin. We’ll start with the recommendations of the most popular places and in the end we will also tell you about some beautiful places that are not so visited by tourists and we found them courtesy of Ramo and Simy, our friends from Traveling Sisters.

1. East Side Gallery

We started our adventure in Berlin with the East Side Gallery and we saw it about 4 times because it was near the hostel where we were staying. It seems the perfect place to get acquainted with Berlin and urban art. Here lies the greatest part of the Berlin Wall that was not demolished- 1.3 kilometers. In 1990, 118 artists from 21 countries have painted with various murals presenting the political situation in Germany and its relation with other countries.
The most popular two murals (which appear on most souvenirs) are Trabant and Fraternal Kiss, the kiss between socialist GDR and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker. The Trabant was the „official car” of the Germans in the East and after 1989, entered in the West, too. The initial message was „Test the Best” because this model was very popular in the ’90s, but was changed in 2009 in „Test the Rest” as Trabant is now very rare on the streets of Germany.

2. Alexanderplatz / TV Tower

Alexanderplatz is the most famous market in Berlin and is always crowded because there are numerous shopping centers and tourist attractions such as TV Tower, one of the most largest structures in Europe, measuring 356 meters. We haven’t visited the inside, but we heard that the view from the top is spectacular. Also, here you can find the World Clock, a clock that shows the hour of the most important cities in the world. Here we tried for the first time a currywurst, you can find a lot of ambulant vendors and all sorts of fast food restaurants, so don’t hesitate to try these traditional sausages, they are available in vegan version, too 🙂

3. Brandenburg Gate 

Is one of the oldest and most important monuments of Berlin and after 1989 it became a symbol of freedom and unity, the symbol of reunified Berlin. It was built about 250 years ago after the model of Acropolis gate in Athens and depicts a chariot drawn by four horses driven by Victoria, the goddess of peace.
Also, in this market are numerous bands, different clowns and other street performers and is a very lively area where we had and one of the most beautiful moments in Berlin, as you can see in our vlog.

4. Berlin Cathedral / Dom

If you are in Berlin you should definitely visit the Cathedral or the Dom as it’s called. It has an impressive baroque architecture. Here you can also find the Museum Island, which houses five museums: The Pergamon Museum, the Old Museum, The New Museum, The Bode Museum and National Art Gallery.

5. Tierpark Berlin

Is the largest zoo in Europe, it has an area of ​​about 160 ha! Berlin has two zoos: Zoo Berlin which is also the most popular in all of the Germany (If you remember Knut Polar Bear, he lived here 🙂 and Tierpark Berlin, which is not so famous for tourists.
If you wonder why Berlin has two zoos, it’s simple. Berlin was separated in East Berlin and West Berlin, so one for each one. It took us several hours to visit the entire zoo, there are over 7,500 animals from 900 different species. We have to admit we had mixed feelings about Tierpark Berlin and we didn’t know whether to go or not because we don’t like to see animals kept in cages, in terrible conditions, but in Berlin the majority of them had enough space and many animals are not even caged, so you can see them very close. We saw for the first time giraffes (they are among the most graceful and beautiful animals that we’ve ever seen) and kangaroos, plus we saw several species of penguins and flamingos, which we liked so much! The ticket cost 13 euros and it definitely deserves, but don’t forget to book a few hours to walk through the whole huge domain.

6. Tiergarten

Is also called Europe’s Central Park. It’s a huge park of 210 hectares, near Brandenburg Gate. We took a stroll on a few alleys, since we were already a little tired (in the first days we walked over 20 km daily). We think that during summer this park is splendid, but now, during autumn, it’s beautiful, too, think at the crunchy leaves carpet and multicolored trees! By the way, we were surprised when we learned that over 40% of the city area is covered with parks, forests and rivers.

7. Holocaust Memorial

It was opened in 2005 and it commemorates the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. It looks like a giant maze, but because of the linear gray stones looks like a cemetery, also. The creator idea was that visitors feel uneasy and confusing, it’s a space where order cannot be found. When you go through these „stones” you can’t see right and left, you only hear voices and there is always the risk to bump into someone.

8. Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint Charlie was the most famous crossing point between East and West Germany during the time of the Berlin Wall. Today, there is a billboard with a picture of a US soldier on one side and a picture of a Soviet soldier on the other side, a replica of the cabin where was the checkpoint, and a line of bricks that marks the spot where the wall was and some actors dressed in American and Soviet soldiers that you can take pictures with.

9. Charlottenburg Palace

Is the largest palace in Berlin, but we cann’t tell if it’s worth visiting or not because we’ve admired only from the outside. Although it was burnt down during the Second World War, the building was completely rebuilt and now it looks gorgeous. We walked through the gardens that surround the castle and they are so huge and beautiful!

10. Reichstag

Reichstag is the home of the German Parliament, the Bundestag, and offers a spectacular view over the city from the glass dome over the building. Access to the dome is free, based on a registration on the official website. Although we completed the rigorous registration process weeks before, we weren’t allowed in the building, our visit was canceled because of a meeting of the Senate.

If you stay more days in Berlin and you want to know more about this town we recommend you visit:

11. Nikolaiviertel

Is kind of „Old Town” of Berlin, a medieval neighborhood with narrow streets, nicely paved and where you can find the oldest buildings in Berlin, dating from 1624. Although the district was destroyed during the war, the Germans began to rebuild in 1987 and today you can admire here a lot of chic cafes, restaurants and boutiques.

12. Mauerpark Flea Market

You should visit Mauerpark on Sunday, when there is a flea market and a karaoke show. Whether you want vintage accessories, clothes, furniture, old records, dolls, here you can find everything but the prices are quite high. If you are tired after you visit all the stands, go and get yourself some food from campers and sit on the stairs of the „amphitheater” in the park to watch the show.  We saw a break dance band, we really liked the show. If you go here, do not miss the opportunity to take some photos in the swing and admire another portion of the Wall, where the paintings are changing quite often. We were lucky to see the artists at work and we can say that it’s not an easy work and the smell of the painting spray is unbearable.

13. Hackesche Höfe courtyards

Is a complex of 8 yards that houses both restaurants and cafes, small shops and boutiques, looks absolutely gorgeous. Here we saw the most beautiful H & M store, it looked vintage and very chic.

14. Bebelplatz Square

Here you can admire the Opera House and the Faculty of Law from Humboldt University, but the market is famous because here took place the first books burning. In 1933 the Nazis began to burn all the books that they considered „un-German” and in this market were burned more than 20,000 books. Today a memorial  consisting of a glass plate set into the cobbles, giving a view of empty bookcases (large enough to hold the total of the 20,000 burnt books), commemorates the book burning.

15. The Topography of Terror

If you are passionate about history and you want to know more about dictatorship and Hitler’s plans to exterminate the Jews, you should visit this museum as it’s free (both outside and inside). It was built in the same spot where the buildings of the Gestapo and the SS once stood and although not very big, you will definitely find new information. Honestly, for us didn’t seemed so interesting, but we visited it at the end of a day when I was very tired and we and rained, we were hungry and thirsty (the food, not culture: D), so maybe that’s why we were not impressed.

16. Nivea Haus

You will recognize this place after the cute blue bear place in front of the entrance. By the way, the bear is a symbol of Berlin since 1280, when he first appeared on the Berlin city flag emblem. It is not known why was being elected symbol of the city (possible documents that could explain this burned in early 1300), but in time it became the mascot of the city, loved by everyone, a symbol exploited in creative ways by many artists and it even has a day when is celebrated, on March 22, not to mention the Golden Bear prize offered at the Berlinale.
Nivea Haus is a museum shop where you can buy besides their usual products vintage souvenirs and you can print and put your photo on the famous blue boxes to keep them as souvenirs.

Graffiti Hunt

17. Friedrichshain

Is the quarter where graffiti is everywhere, but we wanted to find a block that was completely covered in graffiti. We didn’t find it on Maps, so we started to ask some locals, which to our surprise hadn’t heard of it. Finally, someone told us that it’s near the cinema and we found it, but we had a huge surprise: it was renovated and painted and only the drawing at the bottom remained, but even so, it looks very nice, as it have glitter.

18. Nollendorfplatz

We found this place by chance after seeing some cool graffiti from the the train window. We returned in the evening and although the light wasn’t great, we really enjoyed the impressive facades painted in bright colors.

19. Urban Spree

Is one of the coolest places in Berlin, both for artists and for locals and tourists. Here are lot of walls with graffiti, clubs and an outdoor summer garden. Before there was a train depot and the urban artists decided to turn it into something new, so don’t be surprised if you find it changed on your next visit in Berlin.

20. Once you have marked all the important „goals”, explore for at least half a day your neighborhood. We had pretty surprises in the last day of our stay in Berlin, we discovered some beautiful graffiti walls and other buildings near us.

What we didn’t liked in Berlin?

Dirty streets, especially broken bottles at every street corner. We noticed that Berliners drink beer instead of water and unfortunately, a lot of bottles end up broken on the asphalt. Maybe it’s a superstition, we don’t know, but we saw a lot of bottles. Also, the city is covered with posters! Frankly, some posters look good in some places, but we can’t see the sense to waste so many resources and paste 10-15 posters for the same concert, event or cause in the same place. We have never seen so many posters in one place, are as frequent as graffiti.

Unlike other cities (London, for example) you have to pay to most of museums in Berlin and tickets are quite expensive.
A lot of important things are not translated into English: were some places where we couldn’t find translations at subway or train and their transport system is not very simple. At Tierpark Berlin they doesn’t have English translations.

Good to know:

Transportation

Traveling by subway cost 3.5 euros, but it’s more convenient, especially if you’re with friends, to take a group card for a day. It costs about 20 euros per day and you have unlimited travel for 5 people.

Food

They don’t have many local restaurants or dishes, there are many Italian restaurants, also Turkish and Arabic fast food. If you are vegan we have good news for you: you will find plenty of options, even though most are fast food. Berlin is the European capital of veganism with over 50 restaurants exclusively vegan, plus you can find vegan options atmost ordinary restaurants. Best vegan burger I ever ate was at Gotham Imbiss, served with sweet potato fries. In some places beer is cheaper than water, so if you are a fan, you can choose between dozens of varieties 🙂

Clubbing

Berlin is famous for its nightlife and you’ll find plenty of places where you can have fun.

Free Walking Tours

Like many other European capitals, Berlin offers plenty of free walking tours where you can discover the city. We were for the first time in such a tour but from now we don’t think we are going to miss these tours in the cities where we will go. Basically, for a small fee (theoretically is free, but in the end, if you want, you can leave a tipto the guide) you have the opportunity not only to get to the most important objectives, but also to find information about the history, architecture, traditions and more . We chose the tour from ONE80 Hostel and we had an amazing guide. .

We really liked this city and we think you should visit , too. Is one of the European cities that suffered the biggest changes over time and it’s amazing to see how it evolved from Nazism to the free and multicultural city that is today.

Berlin- explozie de culoare, dar si locuri gri, arta urbana, dar si gunoaie, istorie, dar si modernism, un oras eclectic, un oras al contrastelor. Daca ar fi sa descriem orasul intr-un singur cuvant am folosi libertate. Ni se pare ca in Berlin iti poti gasi locul indiferent cine esti. Pe strada sunt o multime de hipsteri si persoane cool, nimic nu pare prea bizar aici, iar diversitatea si acceptarea fac parte din cultura lor.

Bineinteles ca o sa va recomandam cateva lucruri pe care e musai sa le bifati in Berlin si nu ne referim doar la obiectivele istorice. Daca vrei cu adevarat sa cunosti Berli

nul, trebuie sa il strabati la pas, sa admiri graffiti-urile, sa mergi la concertele ambulante de prin piete, la talciocuri, sa intri prin magazine si cafenele, sa te plimbi prin parcuri si nu uita sa iti face poze alb-negru la automatele alea vechi pe care le gasesti la tot pasul, pentru a avea o amintire pe viata.

O sa incepem cu recomandarile mai populare si cunoscute de aproape toata lumea, iar la final o sa va prezentam si cateva locuri frumoase care nu sunt atat de vizitate de turisti si pe care le-am gasit mai ales datorita fetelor dragute, Ramo si Simy de la Surorile Calatoare, cu care am impartasit aceasta aventura.

1. East Side Gallery

Noi am inceput cu East Side Gallery si l-am vazut de vreo 4 ori pentru ca era in vecinatatea hostelului unde am fost cazate, ni se pare locul perfect sa te familiarizezi cu Berlinul si cu arta urbana, prezenta la tot pasul prin Berlin. Aici se gaseste cea mai mare portiune a Zidului Berlinului ce nu a fost demolat. Zidul se intinde pe 1,3 km si in 1990, 118 artisti din 21 de tari l-au pictat cu diverse graffiti ce prezinta diverse situatii politice din Germania si raportul ei cu alte tari. Cele mai populare doua desene (care apar si pe majoritatea suvenirelor) sunt Trabantul si Fraternal Kiss, sarutul socialist dintre liderii RDG si URSS, Leonid Brezhnev si Erich Honecker. Trabantul a fost „masina oficiala” a germanilor din Est, iar dupa 1989, a patruns si in Vest. Mesajul initial de pe zid era Test the Best deoarece acest model era foarte popular in anii ’90, insa a fost schimbat in 2009 in Test the Rest pentru ca Trabantul e din ce in ce mai rar intalnit pe strazile din Germania.

2.  AlexanderPlatz/TV Tower

E cea mai faimoasa piata din Berlin, e mereu foarte aglomerat pentru ca aici se afla numeroase centre comerciale (aici gasiti si Primark), dar si puncte de atractie pentru turisti cum ar fi Turnul Televiziunii, una dintre cele mai mari structuri din Europa, masurand 356 m. Noi nu am vizitat si interiorul, insa am inteles ca privelistea din varf e spectaculoasa. Tot aici gasiti si World Clock, ceasul care arata ora din cele mai importante orase din lume.
Aici am incercat pentru prima oara un currywurst, gasiti o multime de vanzatori ambulanti si tot felul de terase fast food, asa ca nu ezitati sa incercati acesti carnati traditionali, care sunt disponibili inclusiv in varianta vegana 🙂

3. Brandenburg Gate/Tor

E unul dintre cele mai vechi si importante monumente ale Berlinului si dupa 1989 a devenit un simbol al libertatii si al unitatii, simbolul Berlinului reunificat. A fost construita acum aproximativ 250 de ani dupa modelul portii de acces Acropole din Atena si infatiseaza un car tras de patru cai condus de Victoria, zeita pacii.
Va sfatuim sa o vizitati atat ziua, cat si seara, arata foarte bine si luminata. Tot in piata asta sunt si numeroase formatii, diversi clovni si alte spectacole de strada si e o zona foarte animata, unde am avut parte si de unul dintre cele mai frumoase momente din Berlin, dupa cum puteti vedea in vlog.

4. Berlin Cathedral/Dome

Daca ajungeti in Berlin trebuie neaparat sa vizitati si Catedrala de aici sau Domul cum e numita pe scurt. Are o arhitectura impresionanta in stil baroc. Tot aici se afla Insula Muzeelor, ce adaposteste 5 muzee: Muzeul Pergamentului, Muzeul Vechi, Muzeul Nou, Muzeul Bode si Galeria de Nationala de Arta.

5. Tierpark Zoo

E cea mai mare gradina zoologica din Europa, are o suprafata de aproximativ 160 ha! Daca vi-l aduceti aminte pe Knut Polar Bear aici isi avea resedinta 🙂
Berlinul are 2 Gradini Zoologice: Berlin Zoo care e si cea mai populara din toata Germania, deschisa in 1844 si Tierpark Berlin deschisa in 1955, care nu e atat de cunoscuta de turisti.
Daca va intrebati de ce are Berlinul 2 Gradini Zoologice, e simplu. Pentru ca Berlinul de Est si Berlinul de Vest au avut fiecare cate una si acum inca mai functioneaza ambele. Ne-a luat cateva ore bune sa vizitam toata gradina Zoo, sunt peste 7500 de animale din 900 de specii diferite.
Trebuie sa recunoastem ca aveam mixed feelings cu privire la Tierpark Berlin si nu stiam daca sa mergem pentru ca nu ne place sa vedem animalele tinute in custi, in conditii groaznice, insa in Berlin majoritatea aveau destul de mult spatiu, iar multe animale nici macar nu erau inchise in custi, la unele chiar puteai sa te apropii foarte mult. Cel mai mult ne-am bucurat sa vedem pentru prima oara girafe (sunt printre cele mai gratioase si frumoase animale pe care le-am vazut) si canguri, plus ca am vazut mai multe specii de pinguini si flamingo, care ne-au placut foarte tare, asa ca, cu siguranta, a meritat vizita. Biletul costa 13 euro si nu uitati sa va rezervati cateva ore bune pentru a strabate tot acest domeniu urias.

6. Tierpark Garden

Este numit si Central Park-ul Europei. Este un parc imens de 210 ha, insa noi am intrat pe partea cu Poarta Brandenburg si am strabatut doar cateva alei, mai ales ca eram deja cam obosite (in primele zile am mers peste 20 km pe jos). Presupunem ca vara e splendid, insa si acum, toamna, parcul are farmecul lui, cu covorul acela de frunze crunchy si copacii multicolori. Am ramas surprinse cand am aflat ca peste 40% din suprafata orasului este acoperita de parcuri, paduri si rauri.

7. Holocaust Memorial

E un loc inaugurat in 2005 prin care sunt comemorate milioanele de victime ucise in timpul regimului nazist. Arata ca un labirint urias, dar din cauza pietrelor liniare si a culorii gri, seamana si cu un cimitir. Cel care a realizat acest monument a vrut sa trezeasca vizitatorilor un sentiment permanent de neliniste si chiar a reusit pentru ca atunci cand mergi printre acele „pietre” nu vezi in dreapta si stanga, doar auzi voci si mereu exista riscul sa te ciocnesti de cineva (ni s-a intamplat de vreo 2-3 ori cat am stat acolo).

8. CheckPoint Charlie

In timpul cat a functionat Zidul Berlinului oamenii puteau iesi doar prin anumite puncte de control, cel mai popular dintre ele fiind Checkpoint Charlie. Tot aceste era locul prin care strainii ce vizitau Berlinul puteau trece din Vest in Est si inapoi. Astazi, aici e un panou cu o poza a unui soldat american pe o parte si pe cealalta parte o poza a unui soldat sovietic, precum si o reproducere a cabinei unde era punctul de control, dar si o linie din caramizi care marcheaza locul în care a fost zidul si niste figuranti imbracati in soldati americani si sovietici cu care puteti face poze.

9. Charlottenburg Palace

E cel mai mare palat din Berlin, dar nu va putem spune daca merita vizitat sau nu pentru ca noi l-am admirat doar de la exterior. Desi a ars din temelii in timpul celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial, constructia a fost complet reconstruita si arata superb. Ne-am plimbat prin gradinile care il incojoara, care sunt imense, foarte frumoase si ingrijite.

10. Reichstag

Reichstag este sediul Parlamentului german, Bundestag, si ofera o priveliste spectaculoasa asupra orasului din cupola de sticla de deasupra cladirii. Accesul in cupola se face gratuit, in baza unei programari pe site-ul oficial. Desi am stat sa completam rigurosul proces de inregistrare, nu am reusit sa vedem si noi privelistea din Domul Parlamentului pentru ca ni s-a anulat vizita, fiind organizata o intrunire a Senatului. Desi te inregistrezi pe site si alegi 3 intervale orare, doar unul se inregistreaza ca final si cei care se ocupa de organizare au dreptul sa anuleze vizita chiar si in ziua respectiva.

Daca ai mai mult timp la dispozitie si vrei sa cunosti mai bine Berlinul iti recomandam sa vizitezi si:

11. Nikolaiviertel

Este un fel de „Centrul Vechi” al Berlinului, un cartier medieval cu stradute inguste, frumos pavate unde gasiti si cele mai vechi cladiri din Berlin, datand din 1624. Desi cartierul a fost distrus in timpul razboiului, a inceput sa fie reconstruit in 1987, iar astazi puteti admira aici o multime de cafenele, restaurante si magazinase, care de care mai cochete.

12. MauerPark Flea Market

Va recomandam savizitati Mauerpark duminica, cand are loc targul de vechituri, dar si un show cu karaoke. Fie ca vrei accesorii, haine, mobilier, discuri vechi, papusi, aici gasesti de toate, insa preturile sunt destul de mari. Daca obositi dupa ce vizitati toate standurile mergeti si luati-va ceva de mancare de la rulote si asezati-va pe scarile „amfiteatrului” din parc pentru a viziona show-ul.

Noi nu am stat la karaoke, insa cand am fost se filma o scena dintr-un clip sau emisiune, iar apoi am vazut o trupa de breakdance care ne-a placut tare mult. Daca ajungeti aici, nu ratati ocazia de a va da in leaganul de pe deal si de a admira inca o portiune a Zidului ce se intinde pe vreo 800 de metri, unde picturile se schimba destul de des. Noi am fost norocoase sa vedem artistii la lucru si va putem spune ca nu e deloc o munca usoara, iar mirosul spray-urilor e greu de suportat.

13. Curtile interioare Hackesche Höfe

Aici gasiti un complex de 8 curti ce adaposteste atat restaurante si cafenele, cat si mici magazine boutique, care arata absolut superb. Aici am vazut si cel mai frumos sediu de magazin H&M, parea vintage si foarte cochet.

14. Piata Bebelplatz

Aici puteti admira cladirea Operei si Facultatea de Drept de la Universitatea Humboldt, dar piata este faimoasa pentru ca aici au avut loc primele arderi de carti in timpul nazistilor. In 1933 nazistii au inceput sa arda toate cartile pe care le considerau „ne-germane” si in aceasta piata au fost arse peste 20.000 de carti. Pe locul unde au fost arse cartile s-a construit o biblioteca subterana- practic sunt niste rafturi goale in care ar incapea toate cartile arse in acea zi.

15. The Topography of Terror/Muzeul Terorii Naziste- daca sunteti pasionati de istorie si vreti sa aflati mai multe despre dictatura hitlerista si despre planurile de exterminare ale evreilor, vizitati si acest muzeu- e gratuit (atat la exterior si la interior). A fost construit in locul unde a functionat SS-ul si Gestapo-ul si desi nu foarte mare, veti afla cu siguranta informatii noi. Sincer, sincer, noua nu ni s-a parut atat de interesant, dar l-am vizitat la finalul unei zile in care eram foarte obosite si ne si plouase, ne era foame si sete (de mancare, nu de cultura :D), asa ca poate si asta e motivul pentru care nu ne-a impresionat.

16. Nivea Haus

O recunoasteti dupa simpaticii ursi albastri de la intrare. Apropo, ursul e unul dintre simbolurile Berlinului, inca din 1280, cand a aparut prima oara pe stema steagului orasului Berlin. Nu se stie nici acum cu siguranta de ce a fost ales simbol al orasului (posibilele documente ce ar fi putut explica acest lucru au ars pe la 1300), insa, in timp a devenit mascota orasului, indragita de toata lumea, un simbol exploatat in mod creativ de mai multi artisti si are chiar si o zi in care e sarbatorit, 22 martie, ca sa nu mai vorbim de trofeul Ursul de Aur oferit la Berlinala. Nivea Haus e un magazin muzeu de unde puteti cumpara pe langa produsele lor obisnuite si creme vintage, suveniruri Nivea si va puteti imprima fotografia pe faimoasele cutii albastre pentru a le pastra ca amintire.

Vanatoarea de graffiti

17. Friedrichshain

In acest cartier sunt graffiti la tot pasul, dar noi voiam sa gasim un bloc acoperit complet de graffiti pe care Ramo il vazuse pe Pinterest. Am tot cautat pe Maps fara succes si am inceput sa intrebam localnicii, care, spre surprinderea noastra, nu auzisera de el. In cele din urma, cineva ne-a spus ca e langa cinema si l-am gasit, insa am avut o surpriza uriasa: a fost renovat si vopsit si doar desenele din partea de jos au ramas, insa chiar si asa arata deosebit, mai ales ca au si sclipici.

18. Nollendorfplatz

Am ajuns din intamplare in acest cartier, dupa ce am vazut pe fereastra metroului niste graffiti foarte cool. Ne-am reintors seara si desi nu se mai vedeau asa bine, tot ni s-au parut impresionante fatadele pictate in culori vii (era si un magazin romanesc aici 🙂 )

19. Urban Spree e unul dintre cele mai cool locuri din Berlin, atat pentru artisti, cat si pentru localnici si turisti. Aici gasiti o multime de ziduri cu graffiti, dar si cluburi si o gradina de vara in aer liber. Inainte aici a fost a fost un depou de tren, iar artistii urbani au hotarat sa il transforme mereu in ceva nou, asa ca sa nu va surprinda daca o sa il gasiti schimbat la urmatoarea vizita in Berlin.

20. Dupa ce ati bifat obiectivele importante, dedicati cel putin o jumatate de zi pentru a explora vecinatatea cartierului unde locuiti. Noi am avut surprize tare frumoase in ultima zi a sederii noastre in Berlin, am descoperit multe locatii cu graffiti care erau in apropierea noastra, plus niste obiective despre care nu stiam ca sunt asa aproape.

 

Ce nu ne-a placut in Berlin?

• Mizeria de pe strazi, mai ales sticlele sparte la fiecare colt de strada. Am observat ca berlinezii beau bere in loc de apa si din pacate, o multime de sticle sfarsesc sparte de asfalt (si in centru si la periferie ). Poate e o superstitie la ei, chiar nu stim, dar am vazut o multime de cioburi.
  De asemenea, orasul e impanzit de afise si multe dintre ele sfarsesc rupte pe trotuare si mai apoi calcate de trecatori. Sincer, afisele au rostul lor si arata chiar bine in unele locuri, insa nu vad sensul sa irosesti atatea resurse si sa lipesti vreo 10-15 afise pentru acelasi concert, eveniment sau cauza in acelasi loc. Nu am mai vazut niciodata atatea afise in vreun loc, sunt la fel de dese ca si graffiti.
• Suvenirurile sunt scumpe si desi au o groaza de magazine specializate in asa ceva in foarte multe cartiere, preturile sunt aproximativ aceleasi peste tot.
• Spre deosebire de alte orase (Londra, de exemplu) mai toate muzeele din Berlin sunt cu plata si biletele sunt destul de scumpe.
• O multime de lucruri importante nu sunt traduse in engleza. Nici macar la metrou sau la tren nu am gasit traduceri de foarte multe ori, iar sistemul lor de transport nu e tocmai simplu. La Zoo nu aveau deloc traduceri in engleza, ca sa nu mai spunem ca nici in unele restaurante nu am gasit numele ingredientelor traduse.

Bine de stiut:

Transport

O calatorie cu metroul costa 3,5 euro, dar cel mai convenabil, mai ales daca esti cu prietenii, e sa iti iei o cartela de o zi pentru grup care costa vreo 20 euro pe zi si ai calatorii nelimitate pentru 5 persoane.

Mancarea

Nu prea au multe restaurante cu specific local, predomina restaurantele italienesti, fast food-urile turcesti si arabe. Daca sunteti vegani avem o veste buna pentru voi: o sa gasiti o multime de optiuni, chiar daca majoritatea sunt de tip fast food. Berlin e capitala europeana a veganismului, au peste 50 de restaurante exclusiv vegane, plus ca gasiti optiuni vegane si la majoritatea restaurantelor obisnuite. Cel mai bun burger vegan ever l-am mancat la Gotham Imbiss, servit alaturi de cartofi dulci prajiti. Un deliciu!
In unele locuri berea e mai ieftina ca apa, asa ca daca sunteti fani aveti de ales intre zeci de sortimente 🙂

Clubbing

Berlinul e faimos pentru viata de noapte si o sa gasiti o multime de locuri in care va puteti distra.

Free Walking Tour

Ca in multe alte capitale europene si in Berlin exista o multime de free walking tours prin care puteti descoperi orasul la pas. Noi am fost prima oara intr-un astfel de tur si de acum incolo nu cred ca o sa mai ratam aceste tururi in orasele in care vom merge. Practic, contra unei sume modice (teoretic e gratuit, insa, la final, daca vrei, poti lasa un bacsis ghidului) ai ocazia nu doar sa ajungi la majoritatea obiectivelor importante, dar si sa afli informatii despre istorie, arhitectura, traditii si multe altele. Noi am ales turul de la One80 Hostel si am avut un ghid extraordinar, chiar va sfatuim sa il alegeti, puteti vedea mai multe in vlogul nostru.

Cam asta a fost ghidul nostru despre Berlin. Noua ne-a placut mult acest oras si chiar va sfatuim sa il vizitati, e unul dintre orasele europene care a suferit cele mai mari transformari de-a lungul timpului si e uimitor sa vezi cum a evoluat de la nazism la orasul liber si multicultural care este astazi.

East Side Gallery

Alexanderplatz

Brandenburg Gate

Bear-symbol of Berlin

Colorful Apartament building/Potsdamer Platz/ CharlottenBurg Palace neighbourhood/Hackesche Höfe

Reichstag

Spree river, near the Dom

Friedrichshain

Nollendorfplatz

Urban Spree

Charlottenburg Palace

Tiergarten

TierPark Berlin/Zoo

MauerPark Flea Market

Nivea Haus

Holocaust Memorial

Charlottenburg Mausoleum

TierPark Berlin

 

CheckPoint Charlie

Charlottenburg Gardens

Tierpark Berlin

Dorina’s embroidered jeans: Zaful

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