Travel to Germany: Berlin

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Preparation for the January trip, we started in October, because the sooner you buy a plane ticket, so they are cheaper. In Berlin, we flew the airline Germanwings, - it is loukoster, so when you order tickets you can not remove options you need, we have, for example, bought for two, only one item of baggage, meal ticket, too, in not included, if desired, it can be included in the ticket price.
Budget hotels in Berlin, a large number, so any problems with the choice of the hotel we did not have.
As a result, we chose the hotel HSH Hotel Albergo. It is located in the Wilmersdorf district of Berlin, 4 metro stops away from the store KaDeWe and the Kurfürstendamm shopping street. The hotel is decorated in Italian style. Great hotel, great rooms and is located 5 minutes from the subway.

Day One. Arrival.

Herself a trip to Berlin was beyond all praise: it is very pleased to Vnukovo Airport, and the Germans, as always, have confirmed their pedantic punctuality. We took off and flew from Moscow to Berlin clearly without delay. The aircraft has very much liked, beautiful with comfortable leather seating. Arriving in Berlin, we have not experienced any difficulties with how to get to the hotel.
In terms of public transport in Berlin is very friendly town with an extensive network of buses, trains (S-Bahn) and underground (U-Bahn).
So to get from the airport to the city center is easy and convenient.

12529 Schönefeld, Germany

1. By train (S-bahn)
Every 10 minutes from the airport to the Bahn station S Flughafen Berlin
Schönefeld free shuttle buses. Wait for it, however, only makes sense holders the heavy baggage, because of the building airport to the station in just 5 minutes walk. The route passes through S9 downtown Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstrasse and Zoo (the Kurfürstendamm you will be after 45 minutes) train line S45 tour the center to the south and follow to the west, to the station Westend.

In addition, the platform 7 is sent every half hour Airport Express, which makes fewer stops than the S-Bahn, and for half an hour takes you to Kurfürstendamm (from 5.10 am to 1.40 am). Ticket for the S-Bahn and the Airport Express can be purchased at the box office in the station building, or If you stocked up in advance in small denominations, or a trifle in the machine between the platforms 11 × 13.

2. On the bus
In addition to the S-Bahn to the center of the Schönefeld can be reached by bus 171 with a transfer to the subway line U7 (less than 10 minutes bus to the subway station Rudow, which is handy if you have to live in, say, Kreuzberg)
We have used the bus to metro station Rudow, from a straight line got to the hotel.

Digression about public transportation in Berlin and travel expenses.
In Berlin, there are three traffic zones ABC, A - the city center, B and C, respectively, are removed from the center. A ticket for all modes of transport costs 3 euros, this ticket can travel to any transport for 2 hours. There is a special tourist card Wellcome card, which costs 30 euros for 5 days, all kinds of transport zones abs plus 25% (on average) discounts at museums, restaurants, etc.

In total, we were in Berlin, 7 days, but as evening came on January 1 and left the morning of the 7th, right to buy Wellcome card was not profitable, and bought it directly at the hotel the next day, for 5 full days.

It was hours of 9 pm, when we came out of the subway. The street was completely empty, although it is the center of the city. Coming from the nearest metro station to the hotel, we some get lost and climbed into the map in the guide that would orient yourself, but not before we find the desired location on the map as soon as we came to the local residents to offer advice.

After wandering way back here on the street, we got to the hotel. To tell the truth, Berlin, first a little disappointing: dark, damp, terms of the huge puddles and piles of snow, plus everything in the house, past which we went, hung a huge snow-caps, threatening to fall at any moment.




Seeing a beautiful and cozy all the tiredness vanished. The rooms were excellent, everything as promised in the advertisement, the chic Italian style.
So was our introduction to Berlin, and in the evening we went to a restaurant, get to know Berlin's cuisine.
In Moscow, I found an excellent restaurant Xantener Eck.



Besides that there is a menu in Russian, and they give 25% discount card for Wellcome.
Portions of the Berlin restaurants will leave no one indifferent, here, for example, such a mega stuffed cabbage.



And I recommend to try beer with syrup.



Berlin's special drink called Berliner Weisse mit Schuss it is just a light fermented wheat beer, which continues to ferment in the bottle. In itself, this beer is not very tasty, very sour and watery, but when it is mixed with raspberry syrup, it gets fruity flavor and is delicious. Add syrup Woodruff gives the drink a rich green color and a little medicinal taste.
It is served in large glasses of wine with a straw.

The second day. A sightseeing tour.



The next morning, January 2, buying cards Wellcome card, we went on a sightseeing tour. According to the "Wellcome card" discount - 25%, as a result of tour cost 15 euros.

These are the double-decker sightseeing buses go to Berlin, where for each seat provided with a tour of the headphones in all languages​​, including Russian, day ticket is valid, you can get on and off at any stop, without any restrictions.
City Circle Tour.

The bus moves it according to the circular route covering all the main sights of Berlin, making 16 stops.

So, we left the western part of Berlin from the zoo in the eastern, and toured all of the most famous sights of Berlin.


First ride on the main street of the Kurfürstendamm-shopping in Berlin, saw the sculpture "Berlin" symbolizes both the unity and duality of the German capital.



On this street is KaDeWe - the most famous trading house in West Berlin KaDeWe.
The name comes from sokrasheniya full name Kaufhaus des Westens, that just means "Trade House of the West."
Next, we went to inspect the area under the name of culture forum. It includes the Berlin Gallery, the Museum of Applied Art, Philharmonic Hall, the New National Gallery, State Library.



And this is the Berlin Philharmonic. Building Philharmonic - one of the many cultural centers in Berlin.

Further, the bus headed to Potsdamer Straße Potsdamer Platz up.
Driving east, we saw the famous Europa Center - Kurfürstendamm / Rankestrasse - continued shopping paradise, as well as the trading house of Europe-Center with 99 shops, Zoo and Aquarium. Incidentally, this is the Aquarium is a very interesting thing, sorry that we did not visit it.



Area Potsdamer Platz makes a lasting impression on her ultra-modern homes are designed in this millennium is the best architects and engineers of the world.



But only in the early 90's there was utter devastation.
Here's to look like the center of Berlin after the war.
Although the Roaring Twenties, it was the busiest area of ​​Europe, but the bombing turned it into ruins. And, of course, after the war, particularly the city center, became the outskirts of the country, and the area was abandoned.

After 1992, the Potsdamer Platz has become a major construction project in Europe. Its construction was the largest construction project in Berlin.



Then we drove the Jewish Museum, a building which is very unusual design.
Heading along the Berlin Wall, appeared at the former border of East and West Berlin.

Checkpoint Charlie This famous place - the border checkpoint between the Soviet and American sectors of Berlin that existed after the Second World War.
Checkpoint Charlie has also reminded of the Cold War, a long time, the direction vectors of politics and economics of both superpowers.

There we shall return later.

Further, we find ourselves in the eastern part of Berlin, Gendarmenmarkt Square and see, the most beautiful area of ​​Berlin. However, when we were there, the review was a bit closed Christmas market.

In 1950 it was renamed in the area of ​​the Academy, and after the unification of her former name restored Gendarmenmarkt (Gendarmenmarkt - literally, "Gendarmenmarkt") - the area in the center of Berlin is considered one of the most beautiful areas of the capital of Germany.Center of the composition forms a square Concert Hall, which is from the north (on the panoramic image on the right) frames the French Cathedral, and from the south - German Cathedral.The area appeared after 1688 according to the project by Johann Arnold Neringa in the suburbs of Berlin Friedrichstadt, pledged at the end of the XVII century. by order of the Elector Frederick III, the future King of Prussia Frederick I.In the historic quarter of settled most of the French Huguenots, who the "Great Elector" Frederick William Potsdam Edict of 1685 guaranteed religious freedom and civil rights in full.King Frederick I gave the place to build a church as a Lutheran, and reformed the French community. Both churches, however, even without the towers, appeared after 1701 year.

In the center we see a beautiful building a concert hall, the left and right of the German and French cathedrals. In the center of the square in front of a concert hall is a monument to Schiller.

French Cathedral was built in 1701-1705 years. for the Huguenots exiled from France. Now the church is a museum of the Huguenots.

German cathedral burned in 1945, was rebuilt in 1993.



In this photo - French Cathedral, are so difficult to distinguish from each other church almost two twins.



And this German cathedral. Then we saw another old Berlin area - Nikolaiviertel.

A stone's throw from the Red Town Hall, at the place where the Middle Ages was the center of the city, GDR authorities tried to recreate a piece of concrete panels of medieval Berlin.Called it Nikolaiviertel (Nikolaiviertel) - in honor of standing in the center of the quarter novodelnoy Gothic church Nikolaikirch (Nikolaikirche), reconstruction of the building died in the bombing of the XIII century.Inside the church opened a permanent exhibition devoted to the medieval Berlin, but you can get there only with a guided tour or during the concert. Apartments in the surrounding residential Nikolaikirche basically got to artists and nomenclature of the claim: accommodation with central heating and sanitation at the center of the socialist Berlin was not so much.

TV Tower and the Red Town Hall



And this view of the Church of St. Nicholas and the TV tower.



Here is what you may say, in Berlin and a week for the whole little town that's this little town want to pay more attention.
Then our bus headed to the famous Alexanderplatz square youth.

Alexanderplatz - Or Alex as they call this area Berliners themselves. Here is the famous television tower, world clock, and the square itself, which embodies Berlin's flavor. Alexanderplatz.

In 1805 this place was a large market square, which was later named in honor of the Russian Tsar Alexander I. Due to rapid population growth in the process of industrialization, the area of Alexander gained popularity among the poor.

In the period from 1966 to 1970 the area was built up with new buildings, and its size increased towards the center of East Berlin. Here, there was high-rise hotel (123 meters), a huge store house teacher and later a television tower.

About the architecture of the former GDR resemble a large clock, by which we can determine in many countries around the world and the fountain, which was formerly called "Friendship of Peoples." Work has now begun a full reconstruction of the area, by 2019 there will be many high-rise buildings that will complement its image.


Next issue was the continuation of the military, we drove along the so-called East-Side Gallery - preserved section of wall along the River Spree, which artists from around the world have made "a work of art" and covered it with themed and not-so pictures. East-Side Gallery, part of the wall a little longer than the duration of one kilometer. East-Side Gallery - the result of creative artists in the remains of the Wall. At one time, shortly after the fall, the theme was fashionable and gave an incredible wall of room for fans of graffiti.



East-Side Gallery



Soviet reality eastern part of Berlin, Karl Marx Street alleles.



Moscow Restaurant, located in the same place.



After seeing the most famous building in Berlin, the Reichstag, we got off the bus and decided to go inside. Unfortunately, we were not allowed inside - there no one is allowed in November 2010 for security reasons.
On the square in front of the Reichstag was crowded. To our delight the sky cleared, and we turned out wonderful, joyful pictures.
The only thing that surprised, why waste so much space? Around lay a bottle of champagne and the remnants of firecrackers. Probably a cleaners was closed. But we saw what the Germans drink beer, champagne.



We'll have to settle for pictures from the Internet.
Here it is, the dome ...



With a large glass dome of the Reichstag has panoramic views of the surrounding urban landscapes. Directly below it is possible to see the meeting room of German parliament Bundestag, illuminated by sunlight reflected specular cone in the center of the dome. In the dome you can climb on two steel sloping passages, reminiscent of the double helix. The glass dome, designed by Foster, is harmless to the environment. The system involves the use of energy-saving fluorescent light penetrating through the mirrored cone that can significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from the building.


The futuristic design of the dome, has made a unique attraction in the Reichstag, Berlin symbolizes the desire to move from the era of Nazism and Communism in the era of the united democratic Germany. After a not very successful visit to the Reichstag: not submit to us a beautiful super-modern dome in Berlin, we have not seen from the heights, decided to walk towards the Brandenburg Gate. The people there were a lot of that subject, all tourists, plus the whole, the living places of interest, such as lamenting that the symbol next to the gates of Berlin.



And the Quadriga on the Brandenburg Gate.



«The Brandenburg Gate (German: Brandenburger Tor) is a former city gate, rebuilt in the late 18th century as a neoclassical triumphal arch, and now one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which Berlin was once entered. One block to the north stands the Reichstag building. The gate is the monumental entry to Unter den Linden, the renowned boulevard of linden trees which formerly led directly to the city palace of the Prussian monarchs. It was commissioned by King Frederick William II of Prussia as a sign of peace and built by Carl Gotthard Langhans from 1788 to 1791. Having suffered considerable damage in World War II, the Brandenburg Gate was fully restored from 2000 to 2002 by the Stiftung Denkmalschutz Berlin (Berlin Monument Conservation Foundation). During the post-war Partition of Germany the gate was isolated and inaccessible immediately next to the Berlin Wall, and the area around the gate featured most prominently in the media coverage of the opening of the wall in 1989.» Wikipedia.



The very first building, built after the war in Berlin - the building is then Soviet, now Russian embassy. Beautiful, imposing building, standing right next to the Brandenburg Gate, on the famous Unter den Linden.

The building of the Russian Embassy in Berlin has a long history. In 1831, stood on this spot the palace was leased to the Russian envoy. Prior to that he
changed several owners, among whom was the Princess Amalia of Prussia, sister of Frederick the Great. In 1837, the Palace "Unter den Linden"
was bought by the Russian state, and as the owner acted King Nicholas I, got up this honorary citizen of Berlin.
By the way, walking from the Reichstag to the gate, we had seen a great classic sausage tent, however, treacherously occupied by Italian starving. View as tasty sausage excitement aroused in us a brutal famine. In this manner, we walked up and down Unter den Linden, spotted all the lime, by which we went, but did not find a working scarves with sausages.
«Day off, probably» - Stirlitz thought.

Friedrichstraße / Unter den Linden - Friedrichstrasse and Unter den Linden. The two main streets of Berlin - with a walk on them to start to get acquainted with this city. The whole street - in the lime trees, you'll notice it right away, though in all its glory Unter den Linden will be in the summer.

Arriving to the north, saw a super-modern station building of glass and concrete.

Central Station (Hauptbahnhof), Berlin, largest in Europe Station is located in Berlin.
Hauptbahnhof admire the modern architecture and is one of the attractions of the German capital. It was completed in 2006, consists of two levels, 14 platforms, 80 shops and the beach adjacent to the station. In addition, he serves about 1,100 local and international trains. Many glass panels reflect light into the halls of the building and give a futuristic metallic elements form of this unique design.



House of culture of the people, called Berliners pregnant oyster.



House of World Cultures (also House of World Cultures; it. Haus der Kulturen der Welt, abbr. HKW) - center for contemporary non-European art in Germany. House of World Cultures was established in 1989 and is located in the Tiergarten in Berlin, built in 1957-1958 in the Hall of Congress and included in the list of 16 "beacon of culture", funded by the federal government of Germany. In the House of World Cultures exhibitions, film screenings, music concerts, dance and theatrical performances by artists from Asia, Africa and South America. House of World Cultures Activities are divided into several areas: visual arts, film, media, dance, theater, music, literature, society and science. In 2002-2005 and 2008 in the House held an annual festival of arts and digital culture Transmediale

Then we went back to the west, and saw the two most famous palace in Berlin



Bellevue Palace (German: Schloss Bellevue) - Palace in the northern part of the Tiergarten park in Berlin. The castle is the residence of the Federal President of Germany, which in is now a Christian Wulff. By the end of 2005 was held in the castle reconstruction, and the president has used as a residence castle Charlottenburg. Bellevue Palace is situated on the banks of the Spree River, was built in 1786 by architect Michael Philip Bowman as the summer residence of Prince August Ferdinand, younger brother Russian King Frederick II. Guests of Bellevue at the time was Friedrich Schiller, the royal couple Frederick William and Louise, Wilhelm von Humboldt, and Napoleon. The interior of 1791 after the devastation of World War II was restored to the surviving original designs. Since 1959 the palace was the seat of establishment of Ministers of the Federal States of Germany.



And the Charlottenburg Palace (German: Schloss Charlottenburg) - one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Germany. Located in the eponymous district of Berlin. Palace was built by order of the wife of Frederick I, Queen Sophia Charlotte. Originally the palace was called Littsenburg (German Lietzenburg) and was the summer residence, but gradually has grown into a massive structure. The main entrance to the castle is a 48-meter dome, topped by a gilded statue of Fortune. The main wing of the palace are Frederick apartments. Of particular interest is the reception hall - a huge room with high arches, niches and bas-reliefs.

Since we were in Berlin in the winter, to visit the palace, we have not decided to leave the castle for the summer, especially want to walk in a beautiful park.
That way, we went over all the city center.

By the way, there is another way, over budget, explore all the main sights of Berlin, is one hundredth the bus.
In addition, it is convenient to just walk through the city center.

And another interesting point about transport in Berlin. At any point in the city, stopping at any exact time specified, which will arrive via transport. By the way, is never wrong.

As I told before, try the sausage out of the tent was not possible, but still we managed to find a little cafe with excellent sausages directly on the Kurfürstendamm.
At the thought of it, even in the famous play state flow salivating. And that seems to be special, sausage, and it is in Africa, sausage, if you fry it, sprinkle with a special curry powder and served with cold potato salad. It will be a karrivurst. Although the tents on the street, it is also applied to the jaunty lace plate.
It's a pity we did not try karrivurst (so called sausage) on the street. In the future it will be possible to bypass all the best sausage in Berlin, they are, incidentally, marked on my map.
And we went to the Museum of sausages, but that's another story.

Having passed thus all the guided tour, we went to the famous street Kurfürstendamm.

Brief historical summary:
By the way, in Berlin, there are two historically famous street, I have them already mentioned in the story. In the western part of Berlin - Kurfürstendamm is, and in the east - street Unter den Linden.

Unter den Linden (Unter den Linden - under the lindens) - one of the most important and apparently the most famous boulevards Berlin, got its name because of his decorating lipam. Lipa came to the place of today's Unter den Linden in 1647 by order of Frederick William. In this way the "Great Elector" rode out of the royal palace in their hunting grounds in the Tiergarten. 1000 and 1000 lindens nut trees formed a lane to six rows. In 1770 Frederick II decided to build up the alley of ceremonial buildings.

Footpath on the site of the future Kurfürstendamm appeared in 1542, according to her electors rode out of the Berlin City Palace in Grunewald hunting lodge. The earliest surviving mention of this road, but without the name refers to 1685 and is contained in the "geometrical plan of Berlin and neighborhoods ", performed as an engineer N. La Vine.
The name «Churfürsten Damm» appeared later at one of the cards by Friedrich Wilhelm Carl von Shmettau 1767-1787, respectively. February 5, 1873 in his famous letter to the Cabinet Privy Counsellor Gustav von Vilmovski Otto Bismarck expressed the idea of ​​rebuilding the street in order to give it a special luxury and luster. And Bismarck succeeded. June 2, 1875 the Cabinet established a new order of the width of the Kurfürstendamm - 53 m in 1886 were carried out relevant work, and began construction of the boulevard.

In the postwar period there was another famous street in Berlin Karl-Marx-Allee

Karl-Marx-Allee (Karl-Marx-Allee - avenue of Karl Marx) - a famous street in Berlin's Mitte and Friedrichshain districts, Kreuzberg. Karl-Marx-Allee is known for the monumental residential buildings in the style of socialist classicism, built in 1950. First alley was called "The Big Frankfurt Street" (German Große Frankfurter Straße), but the December 21, 1949 to mark the 70th anniversary of Stalin has been renamed to the mall Stalin - Shtalinallee (German Stalinallee), and from November 13, 1961 the year is named after the famous German economist.

In general, we came to the Kurfürstendamm and plunged into the evening in Berlin.





View of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Kurfürstendamm.



And wandered in the New Year Fair, unfolding right next to the church.





Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, dubbed by tourists because of the lipstick and powder-modern appearance.

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche or briefly Gedächtniskirche - Gedächtniskirche) - Protestant Church in Berlin on the street Kurfürstendamm, one of the symbols of Germany's capital and one of the most popular churches in Berlin. Memorial Church was built on the designed by the architect Franz Svechten in the 1891-1895 years. in honor of the first German Kaiser Wilhelm I, on the orders of his grandson, the last Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II. For a long time it was the tallest church in Berlin (its height is 113 m.) However, in the middle of the XX century. the church is destined to was to become a memorial of destruction and creation. November 23, 1943 the church was preaching on the theme "Everything goes!" And a few hours later the church was destroyed in bombing raid by the Allies. After the war there was a plan to build on the site of the ruined church of a new building, only one of many Berlin newspaper received more than 47,000 angry letters of protest. Resistance had its success. The ruins of the once 68-meter tower have been preserved in a specially constructed platform. Around the ruins of an architect Egon Ayerman create new parts of the building. The church has become one of the signs of post-war Berlin. Every hour, from the height of "hollow tooth" as the Berliners called the tower of the old church bell ringing sounds.



In the concert hall of the church, referred to as "powder box" often hosts concerts of sacred music, just not sure, but I think free.

Above the altar of the church hovers the figure of Christ ascended, created by Charles Hemmeterom, height of 4.60 meters and weighs about 6 cwt, made from an alloy of copper and zinc.



In the church itself is a small museum dedicated to the church there exhibited great photo layout of this place before and after the war.
A well preserved stunning frescoes.





This modest, made of nails, a crucifix, which is now in the church, was found in the ruins of a cathedral in Coventry, UK, which was destroyed during the German bombing in 1940.
And then you can compare the two types of churches, before and after the war ...

Photo 1900 year



modern Photography



Then, walking through the evening Berlin, staged simultaneously bear photo-hunting, as the story later.

And this is Berlin's Department Store, the coolest store in West Berlin, which is called KadeWe.



Really liked the lighting department, because of her home in the dark impression of a Gothic castle.
Looking for restaurant for dinner, we came upon a curious house, the so-called triangle edge. The building with only right angles was designed by Joseph Paul, thanks to sail on the roof to learn at first sight.

This building is one of the newest buildings united Berlin.



Thus, walking on Savignyplatz we found a wonderful place: the wonderful and marvelous at the same time.
Attracted the attention of a curious sign, inside was even more fun out there, we found a huge male mannequin dressed as a woman.

http://usatosng.blogspot.com/2012/08/travel-to-germany-berlin.html

Thus ended the first full day in Berlin.

http://usatosng.blogspot.com/2012/08/travel-to-germany-berlin.html

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