Sight-seeing
Contents
Famous sites
With its unique historical backgrounds and as the centre of German politics, Berlin has many famous sites you can enjoy with your spare time. The followings are some examples and more and detailed information on each sites can be found here.
- Checkpoint Charlie
This place used to serve as one cross-boarding point between the West and East Berlin and even after the reunification it was decided to preserve the place for the visitors Berliners.
It was a symbolically place for the so called "cold war". In the Berlin Crises of 1961, Soviet and American tanks stood face to face here.
It's a tourist attraction today.
- Museum Island
There are five big museums located close to one another on an island in Spree river. Since 1999 it is a UNESCO World Heritage.
- Berliner Dom
Berliner Dom is Berlin’s largest and most important Protestant church located by the Museum Island. It has an outstanding high-renaissance baroque style building which is quite an impressive view.
- Brandenburger Tor
Brandenburger Tor might be one of the most known sights in Berlin. It's the entry for the boulevard Unter den Linden.
It's one of the national symbols of the Federal Republic of Germany. On it's top is Quadriga, a Chariot with four horses. The Gate was a symbol for the disunion of the city, as it was on the east side of the wall and could not be freely passed.
These days many demonstrations, events and parades are being held at Brandenburger Tor.
- Tiergarten
It is Berlin's biggest inner-city park near Brandenburger Tor and Reichstag. Tiergarten offers a greenery in the middle of Berlin city and many people enjoys sunny days in Tiergarten while sun-bathing and barbequing.
- Reichstag
The Reichstag building is the official residence of the German parliament (Deutscher Bundestag). It was built in the 19th century, heavily destroyed in World War II and reconstructed after the reuinification in the 1990s. The most noticeable change might be the dome.
- Potsdamer Platz
The symbol of urban renewal of Berlin. After completely destroyed during the war, Postdamer Platz was re-born with modern buildings.
- Soviet War Memorial at Treptower Park
The memorial was built after the victory in World War II. It's the main memorial of the soviets, others are in Tiergarten and Pankow.
These are not only memorials, but also graveyards for the approximately 80,000 Russian soldiers who died in the battle of Berlin.
It's close to the party location "Die Insel", where we will be at Tuesday, August 9th.
- Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
This memorial is close to Brandenburger Tor. It's purpose is to remind about the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. It's made of gray building blocks. They should give a feeling of the "ordered" but inhuman system of this genocide. It's possible to walk through the memorial, or on the building blocks. Below is a so called "Place of information", which offers interviews with contemporary witnesses and other kinds of information.
- East Side Gallery
East Side Gallery is the largest (about 1.3 km long) and best known part of the Berlin wall, which is still in place. 21 artists from all over the world participated to design it's east side, which was not accessible for artists until the reunification of Germany. It's located in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, near the S-Bahn stop Wahrschauerstraße.
It was meant to be the first common art project of artists from both sides of the wall. It should document the political change which happened in 1989/1990.
These days, two-thirds of the paintings are heavily damaged. The rest has been restored. There are controversies with the original artists, if and how the paintings should be restored.
- Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz is a public square near Fernsehturm. It a well known place in East Berlin. It was often used for big events and parades in the time before the reunification. Nowadays there are a lot of stores around Alexanderplatz. There are quite often various kinds of shows around.
It's possible to get on top of the tower and enjoy the view over Berlin. A ticket is available for 11 EUR, more information can be found here.
Not far from here, the project Blinkenlights was installed.
- Bundeskanzleramt
Bundeskanzleramt (Office of the Federal Chancellor) is close to the Reichstag building. It's a monumental building, which caused criticism concerning it's style and size. To put it in relation: It's eight times the size of the White House. It was designed and begun to build during the term of Helmut Kohl, but finished in 2001 when his successor Gerhard Schröder was in office.
Sometimes it's mockingly called Kohllosseum (referring to Helmut Kohl) or Waschmaschine (laundry machine, referring to the shape).
- Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium is located in the west of Berlin. It was primarily built for the Olympic Games 1936. Today it's used for a variety of purposes like different sports and show events.
Museums
Computerspiele Museum
Computerspiele Museum opened in 1997 and was the world's first permanent exhibition devoted to digital interactive entertainment culture. You will find more than 300 exhibits in an interactive and experiment-friendly environment that conveys the cultural history of computer and video games.
<Contact>
Karl-Marx-Allee 93a, 10243 Berlin
Phone (visitors' service): +49-30-60988577
<Opening Hours>
Wednesday to Monday 10 am -8 pm
Closed on Tuesday
<Admission>
Adults: €8 per person
Groups (from 6 people): without reservation €5 per person / with reservation €4 per person
Technik Museum
The museum presents a broad spectrum of old and new technology. It offers various sections of exhibitions such as aerospace, navigation, rail transport and foto technology. (computing of course! and brewery as well)
<Contact>
Trebbiner Straße 9 D-10963 Berlin-Kreuzberg
Phone : +49 30 90254-0
<Opening Hours>
Tuesday - Friday: 9.00 am - 5.30 pm
Saturday / Sunday: 10.00 am - 6.00 pm
Monday: closed
<Admission>
Adults: €6 per person
Groups (from 10 people): €4 per person
Naturkunde Museum
Museum for nature history. Offered topics are biodiversity, ecology, meteorite research, evolution and communication and history of knowledge.
<Contact>
Invalidenstrasse 43 10115 Berlin Germany
Phone : +49 (0)30 2093-8591
<Opening hours>
Tue to Fri: 9.30 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.
Sat, Son & holidays: 10.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.
Mon closed
<Admission>
Adults: €6 per person
Groups (from 10 people): €3 per person
Tours
Berlin subversiv
Berlin subversiv offers tours in Mitte, Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg.
Taking the one in Mitte might be convenient, since you are here for the conference.
The tours are 12 EUR each per person.
Alternative Berlin Tours
Alternative Berlin Tours offers free tours every day at 11 am and 1 pm. They will take about 3.5 hours. The tours are intended for smaller groups. If you want to attend in groups > 10 people, you should contact the host.
