Off to Berlin: recommendations...?

[GroupC]

I got a tax refund recently, woohoo, lucky me, and have spent some of it on a plane ticket to Berlin (and back).

I've been before but it was back in 2002. Any recommendations from anyone about what to see other than the well-known sights, all of which, and some besides, I know about (and will probably revisit)?

I gather there's a U-bahn museum, and I didn't go to the technical museum last time as I was a student and therefore skint, so any info on those or similar things would be great.

If it helps, I like trains (obviously), planes, history, architecture, art. Really not fussed about shopping, beer and swanky restaurants. And if there's anything do-able in a day's train trip that would go down well too.

Thanks in advance!

[snitchthebudgie]

I can recommend the technical museum.  Easy to get to by u-bahn and two roundhouses full of locomotives and an excellent model of the area before the war.  Also lots of planes and boats, though we didn't have time to get to the car section that is in a different building.

For museums, go and see the bust of Nefertiti - it's stunning (can't remember which part of museum island that's in).

We're back to Berlin in May to see my daughter who lives there (if they'll let us in), and am already looking forward to it - a fine city.

[Bonnyman750]

There is the DDR Motorrad museum in the railway arches at Alexanderplatz. Lovely little museum dedicated to all the eastern German motorcycles such as MZ, Simpson, Jawa etc..
Well worth a visit, especially if you, like me started biking in the '70-80's...
And just across the way is Brauhaus Mitte for food and drinks afterwards...

Go online and book a table at the revolving restaurant at the top of the Fernsehturm (TV tower) for a night or day veiw of the whole of berlin from up high (but if you go with female company, don't let her put her handbag on the shelf by the window as it might take an hour for it to come back round!!).

Unfortunately the amazing Loxx model railway is no more (unless those who bought it/we're buying it have resurrected it)..unless anyone knows any different...!

Maybe a visit to the now closed for air traffic Templehof airport...ok, a building by Albert Speer, AH's architect but still an impressive structure no less and being redeveloped I hear...

Haven't been since 2009 and 2013 and both in winter so would like to return when the sun is out and a bit warmer and wander back through the Tiergarten, past the Russian war memorial, down to the Siegersauler, a tower on a road island you can climb for a couple of euros...then back to the Reischstag and walk inside around the glass dome (i think you have to prebook...not sure on that)...plus all the other mainstream, if some rather sobering, sights


You will enjoy your visit...😊

Glyn

[railsquid]

The U-Bahn musuem is quite small, IIRC a couple of rooms mainly full of U-Bahn related paraphenallia (and a small collection of tickets from other transit systems, one of which donated by yours truly). Not uninteresting but won't take long to look at.

If you do go out that way, it is next to one of the larger U-Bahn depots, and you're close to the Olympic Stadium if monumental 1930s architecture is your thing (also if architecture is your thing the Corbusierhaus is in that neck of the woods too). Make it a return trip via the S-Bahn Olympiastadion station.

Possibly of interest is the Natur-Park Schöneberger Südgelände, which is an overgrown former depot/marshalling yard which has been turned into a park complete with rusting rails and various bits of derelict infrastructure. This is on the S-Bahn south of the Technikmuseum.

https://www.berlin.de/senuvk/umwelt/stadtgruen/gruenanlagen/de/gruenanlagen_plaetze/schoeneberg/naturpark_suedgelaende/

[javlinfaw7]

Further out there is the Luftwaffe Museum at Gatow with a huge selection of aircraft but over a large area

[Railwaygun]

Some links here

https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=39169.msg471355#msg471355

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-29/berlins-dark-nazi-past-reshapes-capital-of-today/7554156


The technical museum is wonderful - the worlds first computer is there ( and it's not British!

https://sdtb.de/museum-of-technology/623/

[PWayman]

You do have to pre-book the Reischtag but it is well worth a visit.  The view from the top dome over Berlin is amazing.
      Have you time for a trip to Hamburg to see Miniature Wunderland ?  It will blow your mind !

[Snowwolflair]

There are lots of models available in Kurfürstenstraße......    But they are not n gauge 

[Bonnyman750]

Yes...some of them may be HOs...😁

[Railwaygun]

OO you are awful!!

[Railwaygun]

A trip to Zossen is worthwhile -

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/wuensdorf-zossen-nazi-germany-forbidden-soviet-military-complex-second-world-war-a8815256.html

[Calnefoxile]

You do have to pre-book the Reischtag but it is well worth a visit.  The view from the top dome over Berlin is amazing.

Be careful, the Germans get a bit upset if you call it the Reichstag these days, I think it's now called the Bundestag 

When Mrs C and I went we booked a Segway tour of Berlin, http://tinyurl.com/y4sbuccg which takes about 4 hours and does take you to some fabulous Prussian architecture, most of which was only 'built' after the reunification as Berlin was slightly 'remodeled' by the Allies. We also did a 3rd Reich bike tour, you'd be amazed at how much WW2 stuff is still standing in Berlin.

Mrs C & I so want to go back and look at what we missed. The great thing about Berlin that I found, was how cheap it is for a Capital City, food & Drink was very reasonable if you compare it London prices.

Enjoy whatever you do, Berlin is a fascinating city.

Regards

Neal.

[red_death]

If you like impressive memorials then IMHO they don't get much better than the Soviet war memorial in Treptower Park - seriously impressive.

Another vote for going to the top of the Bundestag.

[Snowwolflair]

I remember going to Zeiss Jena in East Germany immediately after the reunification and going through East Berlin.

My abiding memory was seeing the kids running and playing in the streets in bare feet as most could not afford shoes.

[Railwaygun]

If you like impressive memorials then IMHO they don't get much better than the Soviet war memorial in Treptower Park - seriously impressive.

Another vote for going to the top of the Bundestag.

the Telecoms tower has great views, a good bar and a reasonable restaurant in which  to watch a 360' view of berlin! (with a good nosh!)

https://tv-turm.de/en/bar-restaurant/#c422