Wholly unrelated to the prior post (US Job Hunters Look Overseas) I am leaving this evening for Berlin, to speak at a CityWire Conference .
I’m flying back Friday, but over the course of 3 days, I will have one morning, one afternoon and one evening free.
What’s fun to do in Berlin?
While yesterday's US stock market close was poor, Asia and Europe didn't follow today as debt in Greece, Spain, Portugal, etc... rallied, their CDS narrowed and stocks bounced. The Greek finance minister said January tax revenues came in above expectations and that spending was below target for the month and said "that means the deficit reduction for January is well within what we have promised." The euro is rising in turn. Also helping is the story that Trichet is headed to the European Union leaders summit a day early in order to address Greece's problems even as the Greek finance...
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November 17th, 2009 at 9:58 am
Don’t drink Apfelwein (German, apple wine). They will tell you, “it’s awful, but the more you drink the better it tastes.”
Not true. It starts awful, and remains awful.
Sometimes, “fun” is simply not doing something awful.
November 17th, 2009 at 10:21 am
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolaiviertel
And don’t forget to buy some cold war memorabilia, the movie “goodbye Lenin” started a DDR objects frenzy.
November 17th, 2009 at 10:27 am
BR,
visit a Coin Store, a quick 150-yr tour through that media’s History will give you much to ponder..
we should remember that ‘modern’ Germany, itself, was coined in 1871 (O. von Bismarck)
and, will prove, in no uncertain termes, “Coins don’t Lie.”
November 17th, 2009 at 10:27 am
If you’re a foodie, breakfast or lunch in the food section of the massive department store called “KaDeWe” (Kaufhaus des Westens) (6th floor, if I remember correctly) is excellent. They have any number of display counters with fantastic fresh pastries and other foods and you can just grab a seat and sample all of the stuff. Any cabbie in town should be able to get you there. The only drawback is they don’t open until 9:30.
~~~
BR: Their 9:30 is my 3:30 am — should not be a problem . . .
November 17th, 2009 at 10:34 am
there are tons of great museums, if you are the type, the Pergamon museum has unbelievable antiquities, a whole tiled entryway to Babylon, if I am not mistaken.
Berlin is a great place for bars of all kinds. Penzlauer Berg is where the cool arty types hang out.
Food – well, I once had slivers of a whole sheep cooking on a bit spit in a Turkish restaurant near Cottbuser Tor. <It was great but the whole place stank a bit. Lots of Turks in Berlin. There are lots of good fancy places too, though.
And if you like boat rides, weather permitting, take a boat ride. Berlin is riddled with waterways, and it is a great way to see the city.
Have fun. I always felt Berlin was the city in Germany most like New York. Everybody talks fast and through their noses.
November 17th, 2009 at 10:44 am
The Pergamon museum! The Brits aren’t the only ones to have stolen priceless antiquities. See the Altar of Zeus, an entire ancient temple stolen from Turkey, Alsothe Ishtar Gate, and other large parts taken from Nebuchadnezzar’s Palace. This is the real thing. The Gate of Miletus is stunning. Please do not miss the Pergamon! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pergamon_Museum
November 17th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Jazz Barry Jazz!
Berlin has many great jazz places, and you probably shouldn’t miss out on those! Unfortunately, the Jazzfest just concluded earlier this month.
Eat cheap Doener Kebab’s on the street! Check out the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. Have fun!
P.S. I haven’t been able to visit the Jewish museum, but hear that it is worth a visit.
November 17th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Do not forget to visit Checkpoint Charlie!!! this week they celebrated the 30th anniversary of the fall of the wall
November 17th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Have a “Berliner Weise” (a beer with a spoon full of strawberry jam in the bottom of the glass) or two.
Set fire to the Reichstag.
November 17th, 2009 at 11:03 am
BR-
Berlin is a GREAT city- very big and sprawling and much to do. You can take a free walking tour which usually starts outside the Brandenburg Gate (ask your Hotel)- takes a few hours but takes you to many historical spots-
definitely helps get you centered on where things are-
have fun in any event!
November 17th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Have a meal at the oldest tavern in Berlin, dating back to 1621:
http://www.zurletzteninstanz.de/a_sprache_eng/index2.htm
If you’re up for a very non-traditional visit, I highly recommend a tour of the underground relics remaining from WWII. Fascinating stuff:
http://berliner-unterwelten.de/guided-tours.3.1.html
November 17th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Barry, eat a berliner!
Ich möchte ein berliner gegessen. (prolly wrong, my Deutch is quite rusty)
November 17th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Stasi museum in their old headquarters, a little hard to find (they’re not exactly proud of it), but well worth the visit!
http://www.stasimuseum.de/en/enindex.htm
November 17th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Two things –
On the SW corner of the Gendarmenmarkt (near the Regent Hotel, which is where I hope you’re staying) is chocolate heaven – yep, that’s a chocolate Titanic on display at the link – my wife is an expert on the consumption of chocolate, and considers their dark-chocolate covered fruits (the small cuts) to be the best she’s had
Fassbender & Rausch Chocolatiers at the Gendarmenmarkt
http://www.fassbender-rausch.com/schokoladenhaus.html
On a more serious note, about a 10-minute walk away is The Topography of Terror, an outdoor museum – more heart-rending than any other site I visited there – an empty lot, with some excavations along one sidewalk housing a sparse exhibition – the building was the Gestapo headquarters, and a non-state group essentially took it over even before the Wall fell (it was on the Western side, but right at the Wall) – there was lots of argument about redeveloping afterwards, but the site wound up being kept as an open sore – the excavated area which houses the exhibit is the remains of the basement cells
This is chilling in its quiet repose, and while we were there a tour-group of Israeli students came by, joining another group of German students – it is not that heavily visited (no indoors exhib, no glitz)
1st link German site w/map, 2nd link English pdf (2 pages)
http://www.topographie.de/start.html
http://www.topographie.de/user/data/tdt_flyer_en.pdf
November 17th, 2009 at 11:32 am
1) Fritzclub im Postbahnhof-music 2)bier 3) wurst
November 17th, 2009 at 11:35 am
hello barry,
many excellent suggestions above. i live in berlin half of the year. it is a wonderful city.
the pergmon museum is stunning, if you like that ort of thing. kadawe department store is one of the best merchandised stores in the world.
berlin is a fun city to just wonder around in. one of my favorite simple pleasures is a hot pretzel from “ditsch”. they have yellow and red signs and are often found near train stations. unlike any soft pretzel in usa.
November 17th, 2009 at 11:45 am
second the ka de wi recommendation. if you are going with your wife (girlfriend) it’s like harrods but larger (i think) and there is a terrific food source on the 7th floor and other areas. plenty to do in an afternoon. tauentzienstrasse 21.
a crowded tourist destination, but not too touristy, is the paris bar on kantstrasse. decent food and lots of interesting people.
hole-in-the-wall pizza place about two blocks away from the Synagogue from Crystalnacht (sic) on Oranienburger Strasse (great restaurants and a street full of hookers). ignore the local color if your married.
November 17th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Visit the DDR Museum:
http://www.ddr-museum.de/en/
Make the DDR Tour:
http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/sightseeing/e_si_berlinprogramme_ostalgie.php
Ride with a Trabi along the Wall (Trabi-Safari)
http://cms.trabi-safari.de/opencms/opencms/trabi-safari/en/_main/home/index.html
November 17th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
BR,
Check out fine German consumerism around Potsdamer Platz. Some of the department store recommendations may be in the Platz area, I’m not sure. I was over there in 2000 as that retail area was just starting to boom as it was in the no man’s land when the wall was up. Enjoy!
November 17th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Opera, Opera, Opera. Berlin has three major opera houses and they are a must see.
November 17th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
have a jelly donut, perpetuate the myth http://bit.ly/YABLj
have a burgerbrau http://bit.ly/20uO4h
November 17th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
I will have to stop by to say hello at the Citywire conference
It is a a big deal here — very high-level, invite-only conference (Not public).
I went to the CityWire conf in London last year, and most of Europe’s biggest fund buyers were there. (You in the Colonies would call them Family offices).
I am looking forward to seeing you there.
November 17th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
It’s been many years since I was in Berlin but if she’s still there you’ve got to see the bust of Nefertiti . She is beautifully displayed in a pitch black room all by herself in a little museum called the Aegyptisches Museum just off the Tiergarten. It is sublime.
Take a walk down Kufurstendamm in the wee hours of the morning and watch the scene. It’s been wild for centuries.
November 17th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
If you can, rent ‘Das Versprechen’ (good story about life before, during and after the fall of the Wall), ‘The Lives of Others’ (excellent story about the Stasi spying on a couple who may be plotting to escape), and ‘Run Lola Run’ (quirky German movie about a young lady who needs to find $100k in 1 hour or her boyfriend dies, fun stuff).
While in Berlin: agreed with Checkpoint Charlie, great little museum to see (particularly for the stories on escape attempts). If the Weinachtsmarkt is out (Xmas Market), definitely walk around to see that, though it may be a bit early for it currently. Check out how the German football (sorry, ’soccer’) team is doing before you go – great way to get a conversation going with locals.
Viel Glück!
November 17th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Legendary huge wienerschnitzels at legendary Cafe Einstein @ Unter den Linden- great breakfast and coffee too: http://www.einsteinudl.com/
Libeskind’s Jewish Museum is fantastic, a very different kind of museum: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Museum,_Berlin
November 17th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
I lived there for 2 years while in the Air Force at Tempelhof Airport.
It was top ten buildings in the world at the time, massive amount of cement, built by Hitler in the shape of an eagle, but never fully completed.
The bombed out church is a spectacle to see (kurfustendam) , where you will also be able to take in some live Jazz on the same street.
November 17th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maguisso/501292443/
November 17th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
If you’re not afraid of pork, hit a schnell-Imbiss and get a curry wurst. Hit a gast haus and get a cordon bleu with hunter sauce. Hit the Criskindel markt and get a gluewien (hot spiced red wine)
November 17th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Come down with an illness, then report on the German healthcare system for us!
It’s the least you could do for the team…
November 17th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
3 days? Do what I did – stick to a liquid diet, i.e., beer – the brew is amazing in those parts and they take it very seriously. Funny thing though – you probably will not find a bottle of Becks there
November 17th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Many great suggestions, but here would be my list:
1) Curry wurst, some place casual
Checkpoint Charlie (people will say don’t bother, I say bother, it’s cool)
2) Alexender Platz (go up in the tower)
3) Walk from Brandenberg Gate down Unter den Linden
3) Museum Island (Pergamon, others)
4) Reichstag
5) Gedenkness Kirche (at night)
6) Zoo Station (just because of its place in history, I mean, it’s only a train station!)
7) Topographie des Terrors (DO NOT MISS THIS, AND BE READY TO BE HIT HARD EMOTIONALLY)
There’s so much more, bit this would be my mist see list. Have a great trip. And here’s a phrase for you: Obama ist ein Dumkopf.
Jeff
November 17th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Barry– Obviously, beer and wurst, as others mentioned, but I also recommend a walking tour of the city. Took one with an English chap who was a German history major in college (pardon me, I meant “at University”) and over the course of three hours or so got to be outside in the city, see many sights, and (re)learn the history as well. Highly recommended. Here’s the URL and some info (BTW, I get a kick out of the East Berlin starting point):
http://www.newberlintours.com/nbt/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/lang,en/
NEW BERLIN Meeting Points:
West Berlin pick-up point is outside Dunkin’ Donuts opposite Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten at 10:30 am and 12:30 pm.
East Berlin starting point outside Starbucks at Brandenburg Gate at 11 am and 1 pm daily. (Start times respective of your tour selection.)
Reaching our meeting points from:
Hackescher Markt: Take any westbound S-Bahn train (S5, S7, S75, S9 towards Spandau, Westkreuz, Wannsee, or Potstdam) from Hackescher Markt to Friedrichstraße. Follow the pink and green signs downstairs to the S1/S2/S25 platform and board the S1, S2, or S25 southbound (towards Wansee, Teltow Stadt, or Blankenfelde). Get off at S+U Brandenburger Tor and exit towards the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate. Our meeting point is outside Starbucks, directly opposite the Hotel Adlon. Note: allow for 15 minutes travel time between Hackescher Markt and our meet-up point.
Alexanderplatz: The S-Bahn station at Alexanderplatz is located above ground, due south of Alexanderplatz and northwest of the TV Tower. From the station, take any westbound S-Bahn train (S5, S7, S75, S9 towards Spandau, Westkreuz, Wannsee, or Potsdam) from Alexanderplatz to Friedrichstraße. At Friedrichstraße, follow the pink and green signs downstairs to the S1/S2 platform, and board the S1 or S2 southbound train (towards Wansee, Teltow Stadt, or Blankenfelde). Get off at the first stop – S+U Brandenburger Tor – and exit towards the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate. Our meeting point is outside Starbucks, directly opposite the Hotel Adlon. Note: allow for 15 minutes travel time between Alexanderplatz and our meet-up point.
November 17th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Was just there in August – an amazing and fascinating place. Absolute top on my list w/o any question is the Pergamon Museum. Next try to get a lunch res at the Reichstag restaurant (makes getting in easier). The temporary exhibit on the old Gestapo headquarters site (Topography of Terrors) is a bit impromptu but nonetheless deeply moving. Perhaps cold this time of year to stand outside looking at photos of soon to be executed victims and prisoners. I would have gone to the DDR Museum (not the kitschy Checkpoint Charlie place) if I had had more time. And taken a Trabi tour.
Drive by all the new buildings at Potsdamer Platz (Sony Center, Berlin Phil). The coffee at the Balzac cafes (I think that is the name) is as good as anyplace anywhere.
When you get back, rent “Lives of Others” if you have not already watched it. Place is worth a week at least – you will only whet your appetite for a return trip (in spite of what Tyler Cowen has to say on his blog)
November 18th, 2009 at 3:32 am
Shopping:
Kurfürstendamm (especially KaDeWe)
Friedrichstrasse in Mitte
Restaurants:
Borchart
Hotel Adlon
Blockhouse (amazing Steakhouse)
Museums:
Pergamon Museum and everything else on Museumsinsel
Art:
Hamburger Bahnhof
Neue Nationalgallerie
Martion Gropius Bau
Other Places:
You have to absolutely go on the roof of the Bundestag/Reichstag at night (open until 24:00). Amazing View!
Take a walk in the Tiergarten (beautiful park)
Sony Center (very modern architechture)
Also if you get tickets/have time, go to a concert of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Worlds most famous orchestra!
Go on top of the Fernsehturm to get a breathtaking view of the whole city.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:04 am
I could lead you around to the beautiful castle of Sanssouci in Potsdam where Friedrich der Grosse lived or to the other smaller castles nearby,if you want an english speaking guide.
I would be delighted,just send me an email.I live in the center of Berlin…
November 18th, 2009 at 9:50 am
[...] off to give my presentation, but before I go, here is a quick chart on Single Family Housing Starts, which [...]
November 18th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Barry,
I’ve been living in Berlin for the past 5 years. Many good comments above. My take:
1) Pergamon Museum
2) Stroll Unter den Linden from Brandenburger Tor to Alexanderplatz
3) KaDeWe 6th floor food section (food porn)
4) It may seem kitschy but the 1 hour tourist boats on the River Spree give you a nice view of the main architecture
5) Bier (duh)
6) Currywurst (meh), not worth it.
7) Topographie of Terror
November 19th, 2009 at 10:10 am
I am at the Hotel Adlon, so it was 100 ft to the Brandenburg Gate — then a quick tour around the outside of the Reichstag —
Then I walked from Brandenburger Tor to Alexanderplatz and Checkpoint Charlie — the museum there was quite poignant.
Then an hour in the Pergamon Museum
Some Brats and Bier afterwards — a full day, lots of pictures . . .