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Top 8 Things to do and Attractions in Berlin Germany!

Although Berlin is the capital of Germany, many people do not know the things to do and attractions in this wonderful city! Here is a quick low down of all the things you can do here (click on the links to see our coverage of each of them)

1. Brandenburg Gate

Brandenburg Gate is an iconic landmark in the whole of Berlin. A popular tourist site that is also home to many embassies, Brandenburg Gate sees many events taking place in and around its premise.

2. Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint Charlie : American soldier as you enter the Allies American Sector

One of the main crossings between East and West Germany, Checkpoint Charlie has seen a fair share of action during the Cold War, including the stand-off between 10 tanks from Soviet and American forces in 1961.

3. Berlin Wall & East Side Gallery

Cute Watch Tower @ Berlin Wall East Side Gallery

Besides the Berlin Wall Documentation Centre, the Berlin wall is also home to some fine street art. At the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery, you can see some iconic art work such as the cute watch tower above.

4. Berlin Zoo

The Alkapa at the entrance of the Berlin Zoo!

The Berlin Zoo is an excellent place to spend the day with the kids. There are some interesting animals such as the Alkapa which cannot be seen in our Zoo.

5. Alexanderplatz

Alexanderplatz and its iconic King Neptune Sculpture

Alexanderplatz was featured in the Bourne Supremacy where Jason Bourne met a contact in the movie. It is also close to iconic structures such as the Berlin TV tower, Red City Hall as well this sculpture of King Neptune seen above.

6. Berlin Central Station

Futuristic Berlin Central Station (Hauptbahnhof)

If you’re arriving by train, you would not miss this iconic train station. The Berlin Central Station is covered completely with glass on the exterior that gives it its futuristic feel. Great photo opportunities!

7. Berliner Currywurst

Is the Berliner Currywurst all that its hyped out to be? Find out in our post!

8. Hotel Stays

Berlin Hotel Huge room with beds and living area!

We stayed at the Hotel Amelie Berlin as well as the Berliner Hof Hotel. Do check out our posts about the hotels!

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Top 8 Things to do and Attractions in Berlin Germany
Berliner Hof Hotel – A great base to explore Berlin
Berlin Hauptbahnhof : Futuristic Berlin Central Station
Alexanderplatz Berlin : A relaxed evening and a sumptuous steak dinner at Block House
Hotel Amelie Berlin : No frills budget stay
Berliner Currywurst : Is it really all that its hyped up to be?
Berlin Wall East Side Gallery : Iconic Artwork Awaits
Checkpoint Charlie Berlin : At Berlin Wall between East and West Berlin
Holocaust Memorial Berlin : Memorial to the Murdered Jews in Europe
Brandenburg Gate Berlin Germany aka Brandenburger Tor : A Must Visit Attraction
Berlin Zoo aka Hauptstadt Zoologischer Garten : Back to Nature…
Berlin Wall Documentation Centre : History Before Your Very Eyes
Der Reichstag Berlin : Home of the German Parliament (Bundestag)

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We hope you have enjoyed our top 8 things to do and attractions in Berlin Germany!

Updated on December 29, 2020September 6, 2013Berlin Berliner Hof Europe Germany

Berliner Hof Hotel – A great base to explore Berlin!

Berlin Hof Hotel is a great starting point to explore Berlin. Located near to Berlin Hof Hotel are attractions such as the Gedachtniskirche, KaDeWe (Kaufhof Des Westerns – Shopping Mall of the West, biggest shopping mall in Europe) and the Berlin Zoo!

Gadachtniskirche - A symbol of the West Berlin during Cold War — Gadachtniskirche – A symbol of the West Berlin during Cold War

Another view of the Gedachtniskirche - Today it is a museum & anti-war monument — Another view of the Gedachtniskirche – Today it is a museum & anti-war monument

It was initially a challenge to locate the Berliner Hof. We walked up and down Tauentzienstrasse (Tauentzien Street) asking several passers-by and was still not able to find it. Finally, we asked the lady at the newspaper stand. She spoke to us in German but pointed in a general direction. We followed her direction and finally found it! Yup the Berliner Hof was undergoing renovation.

Hence the iconic Berliner Hof Bear also stayed indoors

Reception of the Berliner Hof at the 2nd level

As we were there early that morning, we left our luggage with the reception and visited the Berlin Zoo! We only checked in after the zoo and we were completely surprised by the size of the room!

Large Room at the Berliner Hof Berlin Hotel

Berliner Hof Huge room with beds and living area!

Living area with a sofa Berliner Hof Hotel

View of the main street from the living area from Berliner Hof Hotel

The room is REALLY HUGE! There is even an additional living space with a long work desk as well as a sofa. The TV is movable, allowing you to choose between watching at the living room or just laze in bed. We watched Big Bang Theory in German! 🙂

Bathtub at the Berliner Hof Berlin Hotel

Although the room has a oldish look to it. The room was clean and kept in good condition. Because of the location of the hotel, you can overlook the shopping street right from the living room area. Did we also mention that the room was huge?

KaDeWe (Kaufhaus Des Westerns) - Shopping Mall of the West — KaDeWe (Kaufhaus Des Westerns) – Shopping Mall of the West

KaDeWe is a short walk from the Berliner Hof. It is not only the largest shopping mall in Europe but also the 5th largest shopping mall in the world! With 60,000sqm of shopping space and more than 2000 employees, you’ll be spoilt for choice here! We also got our nespresso machine here which was on additional offer. If you’re a nespresso lover, check out the Nespresso outlets in Europe as they offer better prices for both the machine and capsules!

Map of the Berliner Hof Hotel

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Besides the minor hiccups of locating the hotel, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Berliner Hof Hotel in Berlin!

Updated on December 29, 2020September 4, 2013Berlin Berlin Berlin Hauptbahnhof Central Station Europe Germany Travel

Berlin Hauptbahnhof : Futuristic Berlin Central Station!

Just a quick post to explain why we totally love the Berlin Hauptbahnhof – Berlin’s central railway train station!

The Berlin Hauptbahnhof was completed in 2006 and even today, it exudes that futuristic look. The exterior of the train station is covered with glass panels, allowing sunlight to enter during the day, minimising electrical use, adding to the green factor.

In addition to the inter-state and inter-city train lines, there are also restaurants and shops in the train station. There are also picturesque scenes of the Spree River beside the Berlin Central Station. Taking a walk along the Spree River can also bring you to sights such as the Berliner Dom, Berlin TV Station as well as the St. Mary’s Church (Marien Kirche) at Alexanderplatz.

View of the Spree River in front of Berlin Central Station

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The Berlin Central Station does leave an impression doesn’t it? To us, the Berlin Hauptbahnhof is definitely one of the most iconic train stations we’ve seen!

Updated on December 29, 2020August 30, 2013Alexanderplatz Berlin Berlin Berlin TV Tower Europe Germany Red City Hall Travel

Alexanderplatz Berlin : A relaxed evening and a sumptuous steak dinner at Block House

On our first day in Berlin, we visited Alexanderplatz along with many significant architectures such as the Brandenburg Gate as well as the Holocaust Memorial. To put all the hype and speculation at ease, we also tried the Berliner curry wurst. After checking into Hotel Amelie Berlin, we took a leisure walk along the Spree River to the Berlin TV Tower…

Walking along Spree River to Berlin TV Tower - Past the Boden Museum — Walking along Spree River to Berlin TV Tower – Past the Boden Museum

Things to do at Alexanderplatz Berlin

As we approached Alexanderplatz, we also came across these…

Berliner Dom - Not to be mistaken with the Boden Museum — Berliner Dom – Not to be mistaken with the Boden Museum

Red City Hall Berlin – Seat of the Berlin City Council and Mayor

Marienkirche - Church dating back to 1294 — Marienkirche – Church dating back to 1294

Alexanderplatz Berlin

We also took a walk to the Berlin TV Tower and found out that the entry to the top of the tower is 12Euros. There’s also a restaurant there. However, do not be mistaken that there would be free entry if you are visiting the restaurant. According to the receptionist, you will still have to pay for the entrance fee. The good thing is that the dinner at the restaurant is not too expensive, at about 20Euros.

That evening, we walked past the Block House steak restaurant. So we crossed back the street across Marienkirche to the al fresco Block House…

Al fresco dining at Block House steak restaurant

T-Bone steak with sour cream & garlic cheese for the potato

We finally settled for the 500g T-bone steak which comes with the salad as well as the potato which is good for 2 to share. Besides the steak, the restaurant is also famous for its home made sour cream and garlic cheese. We must say that the sour cream was really good. Not too over-powering yet beautifully compliments the potato, which in turn compliments the steak. Marvelous meal!

The cool weather also reminded us about the dinner at Vrijthof Square in Maastricht , the Netherlands. Beer remains cold, no room temperature or worst, warm beer!

Map of Alexanderplatz Berlin

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After the dinner, we took a leisurely walk back along the Spree River and walked past the Ampfelman traffic light restaurant, taking in the nice scenery along the river as well. Alexanderplatz Berlin was indeed a wonderful day out!

Updated on December 29, 2020August 21, 2013Berlin Europe Germany Hotel Amelie Berlin

Hotel Amelie Berlin : No frills budget stay

Our stay at the Hotel Amelie Berlin was a pleasant one marred by only one incident which we will recall later in this post…

The Hotel Amelie Berlin is within walking distance from the Friedrichstrasse (affectionately known to us as Fried Rice Station) or Oranienburger Tor U-bahn station. The price of the hotel was about 70euros inclusive of breakfast which was quite ok.

When we arrived at the hotel, a well-mannered receptionist who spoke with good English served us. We arrived early and placed our luggage there. She also showed us how to get to all the attractions on the map.

Hotel Amelie Berlin - 2 single beds — Hotel Amelie Berlin – 2 single beds

The room was small but clean and decent. The toilet was nice and clean with an attached shower.

Clean toilet with hot water at Hotel Amelie Berlin

The only thing about the toilet is that the mirror is placed very high up. According to our estimations, anyone less than the height of 1.7metres, will not be able to see themselves in the mirrors of the bathroom.

Funny choice of height to place the mirrors dont you think?

So far, our experience have been good. The breakfast served was also typical european with bread, cheese, milk, hams and eggs…

Breakfast at Hotel Amelie Berlin from 8 to 10am

Then the “incident” happened…

After breakfast, we wanted to ask the receptionist what was the building across the road (it looked like some kind of a prison). At first, she ignored us. Then we realised why. She was not able to speak English! So she continued to do her calculations (should be summing up the profits for the night) and ignored us.

So this episode sort of turned our experience at Hotel Amelie. Well,

Firstly, shouldnt the receptionist be able to speak English just like the receptionist who spoke excellent English the day before?

Secondly, even if she could not speak well, she should have asked someone to help instead of just ignoring us.

Other than this “episode”, the stay was nonetheless a good one, because of its price as well as its proximity to attractions nearby.

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Do let us know if you have similar experiences at Hotel Amelie Berlin in the comments section below!

Updated on December 29, 2020August 16, 2013Berlin Berliner Currywurst Europe Germany

Berliner Currywurst : Is it really all that its hyped up to be?

As we travelled about in Berlin, we came across many MANY currywurst shops and again MANY say that they’re the ORIGINAL Berliner Currywurst. So to put all this hype to rest, Kate and I investigated the Berliner Currywurst…

Everyone also say they have the Original Berliner Curry Wurst

So we took out our 1.5euros and ordered the currywurst at this particular shop. It took all of 1 minute before the owner came out from his kitchen and served us this piping hot wurst…

The thing is, there’s really nothing to shout about here. The reddish sauce is really a tomato based sauce poured over the wurst. The yellowish curry powder sprinkled on the top was the only thing “curry” about the wurst.

What salvaged this dish was that it was cold (about 10 degrees in the morning) and that the wurst was piping hot. Taste though, was quite normal really.

So. To put all the hype about Berlin Curry Wurst to rest, there is really nothing to shout about here. Just good old wurst in the cover of another mildly flavoured sauce.

A blessing in disguise? You decide!

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Do try out the Berliner Currywurst on your next trip to Berlin and let us know about what you think at the comments section below!

Updated on December 29, 2020August 7, 2013Berlin Berlin Wall East Side Gallery Germany

Berlin Wall East Side Gallery : Iconic Artwork Awaits!

Besides the Berlin Wall Documentation Centre, there’s another interesting side to the Berlin Wall – The Berlin Wall East Side Gallery.

Paintings at the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery

Actually, Kate and I sort of stumbled upon the East Side Gallery. We were kind of searching for it in a general direction but did not know exactly where we were going. So we walked 2 long streets and were thinking to ourselves “Are we in the right direction?”. Just then, we saw a long stretch of wall and we knew we had arrived at the East Side Gallery!

Berlin Wall East Side Gallery Information

The East Side Gallery is actually a collection of art work from artists all over the world. It was started in 1990 and now consists of 105 pieces of art at this open air gallery.

The above 2 pictures are the most iconic drawings at the East Side Gallery. We often see it on the postcards in Berlin. There are also many other cute, interesting and though-provoking artworks at the East Side Gallery…

East Side Gallery as we walked from Warschauer Street

Chill by the river at the East Side Gallery

As we continued to stroll along the East Side Gallery, we noticed a boat that resembled a floating hostel…

Eastern Comfort Hostel - East Side Gallery — Eastern Comfort Hostel – East Side Gallery

Turns out that the Eastern Comfort Hostel was a vessel that has been refurbished to become a floating hostel. So Kate and I decided to have a drink at the Floating Lounge…

Floating Lounge of Eastern Comfort Hostel

The prices at the floating lounge was quite reasonable. We had a cider and one of the beers on tap. The cool thing about drinks in Germany is that the drinks are usually served in the glasses of the same name! (Yes, we drank Bulmers cider and Rothaus beer)

Bulmers Cider and Rothaus Beer at Eastern Comfort Hostel Floating Lounge

The atmosphere was relaxed, unpretentious and chill. There were others seated around us, catching up with one another and enjoying jokes among themselves. Coupled with the view of the river, that was really a simple, lazy yet unforgettable afternoon…

View of the river from the floating lounge @ East Side Gallery

Map of the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery

Map of the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery

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Enjoy the paintings and remember to chillax at the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery!