Guide Berlin

Berlin the capital of Germany is one of the largest cities. It is second most populous city in Europe with population over 3.4 million .The city was divided into East Berlin and West Berlin during cold war period .This status continued until 1990.Located in the north of Germany it is nestled between the plateaus of Barnim in the north and Teltow in the south. It was the main city in Duchy of Brandenburg which later joined the state of Prussia. Berlin being the cultural city offers innumerable sights and sounds. There are many fascinating tourist attractions along with Museums, shopping malls, pubs, theatres and opera houses. For the tourists the best season is from May to September. It is advisable to avoid January to March as these months are very cold and rains interspersed with snow. However the time around November to December can be very lively full of fun and festivity.

History of Berlin

The first records of the settlement of Berlin built around Nikolai Church dates back to 1244.It was this time that the trade settlement Colln was recorded as a charter. In 1415 Nurnberg viscount got the border region of Brandenburg as a fiefdom. Friedrich I laid the foundation of Hohenzollern dynasty which continued for 500 long years. The Elector of Brandenburg chose this city as his official residence. Berlin understood the devastating impact of thirty years wars from 1618-48 which drastically reduced its population to 6000 people. In 1701 Berlin became the court capital of Prussia. That was the period when Elector Friedrich III was crowned as the king. The city saw its best period during renaissance which led to the setting up of the university, revival in art, literature, music and theatre. It emerged as Europe’s leading capital and as a centre of excellence. By 1848 Berlin made tremendous progress in industrial development.

As King William I took the title of the Emperor the city acquired the status of capital of new German Empire. These were ‘Grunderjahre’ years of economic revival with a great boost to the economic and social –cultural life of the people.1920s saw the population of the city rising to 4 million inhabitants with incorporation of near by towns and suburbs making it Greater Berlin. In spite of 1929 world economic crisis the city withstood all the pressures and political turmoil emerging as centre of artistic excellence. The National-socialists under Hitler assumed power in 1933 turning 1936 Summer Olympics into biggest Nazi propaganda. The city was engaged in massive anti-Jewish activities with destruction of shops and synagogues and sending people to labor-camps. The Second World War with the defeat of Hitler saw the division of city into four sections by the Allies. The East Germany came under the control of Soviets under political partition in 1948. The city was divided into two halves with a wall constructed in 1961 preventing movement of people. A political will and popular sentiment saw the breaking up of wall on 9 November in 1989 and both the Germanys uniting on 3 October 1990. Berlin was officially declared the capital of united Germany.

Some of the Major Tourist Attractions in Berlin

A visit to the city is incomplete without seeing these landmarks of Berlin.

The Reichstag Building: This building has undergone many political transformations in its last 100 years of history. The 1991 reunification saw this building again assuming position as seat of the government.

New Synagogue: Inaugurated in 1866 this brilliant piece of architecture with golden dome was a centre of Jewish thought and music. This synagogue was completely destroyed during Second World War .It again suffered extensive damages in 1956 .The reconstructed complex was opened for public display in 1995.

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church: this church was built in honor of Kaiser Wilhelm I. The church displays neo-Romanesque structure which got destroyed during allied bombing leaving only the west tower intact.

Shell House: One of the earliest steel framed high –rise buildings is a reminiscent of early 1930s show clever use of glass, light style and flowing curves.

Marienkirche: It is one of the earliest Gothic style church dating 1270 with tower added in 1466.The entrance has 23m long Totentanz (Dance of death ) depicting death in 14 different ways.

Spandau Citadel: Located on a small island on Havel River this Italian style citadel was constructed in 34 years. It has galleries and museums. It also has 12th century ‘Juliusturm’ an oldest building which also served as state reserve till 1919 keeping 120 million Reichsmark paid to Germany by France during war of 1874.

Old City Wall: The ruins of the old wall are testimony to its glorious past. It was constructed in 13th century .It has a small famous restaurant “Zur Letzten Instanz” which said to have hosted Napoleon Bonaparte in its earliest establishment.

Regierungsviertel or Third Reich Government Quarter: Located on Wilhelm Strasse it holds all the governmental departments and offices. It is here Hitler built his Chancellery.

The Site of Hitler’s Bunker: Located in the garden of old Chancellery it is the place where Hitler spent last days of his life fighting a lost battle.

Site of Gestapo Headquarters: Located next to the Air Force Ministry building it was the place where Gestapo used to interrogate and torture people. It was demolished in 1950s.

Olympic Stadium: Werner March designed this neoclassical structure. This was used as part of propaganda by the Nazis. It was opened in 2004 for public after renovation where one can watch local football matches.

Brandenburg Gate: It is the symbol of Prussian pride and mark of German unification. It served as the main entrance to the city right from 1791 when it was constructed.

Victory Column: A remainder of the victories of Prussia over France, Denmark and Austria it is a huge 69 meters high gold statue of Goddess of Victory with 285 steps offering beautiful view of Tiergarten and rest of the Berlin.

Neue Wache: A royal guardhouse it was constructed in 1818 by Schinkel for Friedrich William III. However Nazis portrayed it as a memorial to Nazi supremacy. Now it serves as a Central Memorial of Federal Republic of Germany standing for resistance fighter, unknown soldiers and concentration camp victims.

Charlottenburg: The palace built in baroque architectural style for Hohenzollern princes in 1695.Much of it was destroyed during allied bombing however the rooms were recreated in 1960s .The complex boasts of beautiful parks and well informative museums.

Bebel Platz: A brainchild of Friedrich II and architect Georg Wenzeslaus this square has city palace, an academy and an opera house. It is located opposite Humboldt University and is an important place of culture and learning.

Transport in Berlin

Berlin has three main airports which are Berlin Schonefeld; Berlin Tempelhof and Berlin Tegel. The domestic flights are operated from the airports of Tempelhof and Tegel.This city has well-connected routes with all the major cities in the world. Berlin public transport system is called BVG.Buy one ticket and use it for traveling on trains, bus or ferry run by BVG. These tickets are reasonably priced if one is touring the city. U-Bahn is metro subway system and S-Bahn is over ground metro system with a maze of network in whole city. The city has an organized train system with all the railway stations linked to one another by tramline 7.Berlin has world’s most wide streets reserved for bikes and motorists are often friendly. The tourists find it as most economical and healthy medium to explore the city. The eastern city also has an efficient Straßenbahn or tram network which is connected to every nook and corner of Berlin. This is one of the best and economical ways to see the eastern parts of Berlin. One can enter Berlin through car via Holland following Dortmund to Hannover to Braunschweig to Magdeburg. The other common route to follow is via Belgium, Aachen and Cologne. Coaches are also available which are managed by Eurolines .They run daily service between Brussels and Berlin taking 10 hours approx. Taxis are easily available in Berlin. These are beige painted cabs with taxi written on their top. They are just phone call away.

Hotels in Berlin

Most of the Berlin hotels are well located near metro stations and tourist attractions to ensure easy movement within the city. There are some hotels which offer best deals on week-ends. All the good hotels provide full tourist information with maps printed in major languages. Some of the best hotels are:

» Grand Hyatt hotel located at Marlene –Dietrich Platz

» Four Seasons hotel located at Charlottenstrasse 49.

» Savoy hotel located at Fasanenstrasse 9-10

» Intercontinental hotel located at Budapester Strasse 2

» Hotel Palace located at Budapester Strasse

» Kempinski Hotel Bristol located at Kurfurstendamn 27 B

» Hotel Adlon Kempinski located at Unterden Linden 77/Am Pariser Platz

» Dorint Sofital Am Gendermenmarket located at Charlottenstrasse

» Ibis Berlin Neukolln located at Jahnstrasse 13

» Ibis Adlershof Berlin located at Rudower Chaussee 15

» Ibis Berlin Potsdamerplatz located Anhalter Strasse

» Ibis Berlin Spandau located at Kloster Strasse

» Ibis Berlin Messe located at Messedanam 10

» Comfort hotel Lichtenberg located at Rhinstrasse 159.

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