Berlin 2003

Berlin

1 - 3 August, 2003

I had last been to Berlin ages ago - in 1985 to visit an American Football game, and in 1981 on a school trip. So both visits were in times of the Cold War, and my last one focused much on a single event. The Germanwings flight brought me to Berlin much faster than the previous bus trips - those low fare airlines compete with the older means of traffic not only through their price.

Accomodation
I had booked the Spree Pension at Wilmersdorf through HRS - and it turned out to be an ideal choice. The hotel is found in the western part of the city, just two subway stations from Kurfürstendamm. So regarding location, it is very advisable, if you change trains at Bahnhof Zoo, you can quickly get to most of the city's attractions. The noise level was surprisingly low for a big city hotel, only my Saturday afternoon siesta was disturbed by oriental music - right next to the hotel there is a Persian restaurant, a fairly recommendable one by the way. The room was spacious and accurate, the shower was within the room, the toilet seperate. Breakfast was comprehensive and diverse, the staff was polite and accurate, though not of effervescent friendliness. A bit unusual: the house demands payment on check in, which thus far I've seen only in Amsterdam. The rate of € 48 puts the hotel into the recommendable category.

Sites
Of course the government area with the Reichstag building and its glass dome is a must see - and then to go past the Brandenburg gate eastwards along the old boulevard Unter den Linden. A special highlight is

the Gendarmenmarkt a bit aside of the boulevard, where you find the German and the French cathedral. A particularly picturesque part of Berlin's center is the Nikolai quarter, and as a contrast, just walk a few minutes to the "socialist transgression" Alexanderplatz, to compare pretty and ugly architecture. The modern Potsdamer Platz is of course quite impressive, although i.m.h.o. a bit too large, or even swank, as many things in Berlin are.
My two favourite attractions in Berlin were Charlottenburg palace and Spandau. The palace is a lovely building, and it has a big, impressive park. You can walk along the Spree river and some canals, and there are some interesting buildings along the way, like the Belvedere and the Mausoleum. Spandau is one of the oldest parts of Berlin - older than the city of Berlin as such - and it has a picturesque old town and a nice old citadel.

A few tips
Since Berlin's attractions are spread all over this city, using public transport is highly recommended. A day ticket costs less than € 6, and is advisable. As far as restaurants are concerned, the price level seems to be below that of other German cities, e.g. Cologne. During my visit, the döner kebab sector seemed in turmoil: I got a big one in Spandau for € 1, and even at Kurfürstendamm the price was just € 1.90. It seemed noticeable to me that business initiative was mostly started by immigrants (Turks, Poles, Russians etc.). As far as the native Prussian population is concerned, decades of a subsidized existence - as "capital of the republic" (East) or "showcase of liberty" (West) - seem to be quite de-motivating.