Berlin

homerun_homer

I'm going to Berlin soon for a weeks holiday, what can you recommend if you have been there before. I'll be looking to do a lot at night, I wouldn't be into the techno music scene and am more into guitar music.
What should I definitely see and definitely avoid (day or night)?

P. Breathnach

Reserve a day for Potsdam. You get there by commuter train, and then take a local bus tour (or walk longish distances).

homerun_homer

Cool, anything else I should factor some time in for?

Meathlass

There's an exhibition on the Berlin Wall in the outdoors in between Checkpoint Charlie and the Holocaust museum. Can't remember the exact name but it's on all the bus tours. Don't go to the zoo - I went to Berlin especially to see Knut the Polar bear but all the enclosures are really small and very depressing.

whippet

I was there a few weeks ago.

A really interesting city, plenty to do and see.

I found the 'Story to Berlin' a great opener to the history of berlin, it's on the main shopping street Kurfürstendamm, you can't miss it. The entrance fee includes a tour of a Nuclear shelter under the building.

Checkpoint Charlie is another 'must see' but to be honest it is just a tourist trap, the privately owned museum beside it can be interesting if a little disorganised.

Museum Island is worth a day, there are plenty to choose from, my favourite being the Pergamon Museum, it houses a very impressive selection of ancient Greek art.

On sundays by the Brandenburg gate there is usually a market, festival of some sort .. worth a nose around.

Food and drink is relativly cheap and varied .. avoid the obvious tourist traps and you should be alright.

Take a wander up to the 4th floor of the KaDeWe department store on Tauentzienstraße just off the Kurfürstendamm, the food court is like nothing you would have seen before!!

Take a bus tour on your first day, this will give you an idea of what you want to see and do and then just use the underground to get about the place.

If you are in to your cars, take a seat at a bar or cafe along the Kurfürstendamm the metal you will see is mind blowing.

I'm not in to my niteclubs so I can't offer advise on that side of berlin, but the selection of little bars and cafes is great, something for everyone.

P. Breathnach

I agree with most of what whippet says. Where I differ is in choice of museum. I very much liked the Deutsches Historische Musuem, which is more my kind of thing. It was particularly interesting to see how the Germans represented the Nazi era to themselves and their visitors.

Yes to KaDeWe, but don't use it as an indoor activity to shelter from a shower! Everybody else has the same idea, and it becomes unbearably crowded. Don't go there hungry, either, or you'll spend a fortune.

Slunk

I was there recently for three days. It wasnt nearly enough though. Id recommend doing a cheap tour of the city on one of the buses. Usually loads touting for business at the Brandenburg Gate. Use the bus tour to gather an idea of the city then rent out a push bike as there is loads of stuff spread all over the city. We rented bikes from a place under the communications tower. An american guy owns it I think. Only cost us seven euros for the day. As it was sunday the bike had to returned by 6pm but he was very nice about it and said return it Monday morning with an additiional overnight charge of 3 euro. Very reasonable I thought. They provide locks and cables for strapping your bags on etc.Would definatley recommend this.

We also went up the communications tower, costs twelve euro I think and theres a nice restraunt up top which revolves. Get there early though as a big que does tend to form. The victory tower would be another to go up but there is a LOT of steps spiralling to the top. Worth it for the view though.


As for nightlife, we started in the Kilkenny Irish bar under the train station, next one from alexandeplatz, cant remeber the name. Great spot, very lively. If your into techno I recomend visiting Tresor. This can be reached by train from the main station by the tower. Two stops away. Get off at Henrich Hiesse station and its a short walk from there. Also Club Maria is the stop before that and down by the river. Watergate and weekend (located on 15th floor) would be other ones but unfortunatley I didnt make it to these . Watergate is a oout a bit further than the others but not too expensive in a taxi. think it was closed on the sundaywe went

One thing I would say is, dont arrive early in the nightclubs. We went to Tresor at 1am and it was empty. Were told it would pick up about 4am. We asked in the Kilkenny bar the next day and the barman said he only went at 6am.

A few links:
Tresor - http://www.tresorberlin.com/club/clubdates.pl
Maria -http://www.clubmaria.de/index2.html
Weekend Club - http://www.berlin-life.com/drink/pubs_cafes_details/91-Weekend_Club


Whoops, scratch that last part, i thought you were into techno. My mistake. Will leave it here though, may interest others.

Hope this helps you somewhat.

Cant wait to get back myself.

Enjoy

homerun_homer

Excellent, thanks for the tips. I knew the niteclubs would be late but wow!! that is very late - 6am.. I'll be hammered by then.

Slunk

That what happened to us, we stayed for a while and decided to leave and come back later but ended up way to drunk. They dont measure shorts over there and just pour loads in. Dunno if there measures are suppose to be bigger than ours but we got big measures every time. That combioned with the genreal cheapness of it is a recipe for disaster Good times though.

Third_Echelon

homerun_homer wrote: »

Excellent, thanks for the tips. I knew the niteclubs would be late but wow!! that is very late - 6am.. I'll be hammered by then.

Yeah, you usually just drink yourself sober

Lots of great nightlife in Berlin for indie/guitar music as well.

'White Trash' is a good spot. Bar, really good food, and two floors of bands and live acts. It has a bit of a rockabilly theme and the clientèle usually all dress in this fashion. Its pretty cool.

http://www.whitetrashfastfood.com/

Schönhauser Allee 6-7
10119 Berlin, Germany
+49 30 80574748

Do a search on google for white trash and you will see reviews etc of gigs, nights out in it etc.

Another indie type club was the 'bang bang club', the club night is called 'death by pop' (Friday night i think it was) and its under the arches at hackesher markt. Really good night in there...

http://www.bangbang-club.de/
http://www.myspace.com/deathbypop

some other suggestions are: 'Roter Salon', 'Rosi's' and 'Magnet'....

Can't remember where they are, but I'm sure a google search will turn up some results.