SHORT HAUL: City Profile
CAPITAL OF COOL BERLIN BY ANDY HOSKINS Holocaust memorial
Opened in 2005, a walk amid the field of over 2,700 stone stelae is a sobering experience
Reichstag
B
erlin’s roller-coaster ride through history has helped create a city like no other. Once divided starkly in two, the German capital has since developed into a multicultural city where just about anything goes. Its nightlife is legendary; its past is respectfully preserved and its streets are abuzz with café culture, bohemian boutiques and a rich music, arts and fashion scene.
At the city’s heart is Mitte, the historic core of Berlin that is home to some of its most signifi cant sites such as the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Potsdamer Platz, Alexanderplatz, Unter den Linden, Museum Island and the holocaust memorial. One of Berlin’s best-known avenues, the tree-lined
Kurfürstendamm – known locally as the Ku’damm – stretches southwest towards upmarket Charlottenburg, while the districts of edgy, multicultural Kreuzberg and trendy Prenzlauer Berg should also be sought out by visitors who want to get under the city’s skin.
What’s hot
The Berlin Pass sightseeing package is a cost-effective purchase for those planning to pack in the sights. It covers entry to over 50 museums, galleries and historic buildings, a hop-on-hop-off bus tour and free public transport. It costs from €69 for adults and €34 for children (
berlinpass.com). The Hotel Bikini opens later this year as part of a
redevelopment project centred on fi ve historical buildings between the high-end shopping street of Kurfürstendamm and Berlin’s Zoo. Half of the hotel’s 149 rooms face the zoo and have a ‘playful jungle’ design scheme; the other half, overlooking the city, have a ‘rougher, edgier’ feel.
66 February 2013 •
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Dates for the diary
The Long Night of the Museums takes place twice annually – one night in Jan/Feb and another in August. Around 100 museums and galleries stay open through the night and put on special events and shows. One of the largest gay and lesbian festivals in Europe, CSD Berlin (Christopher Street Day) takes place at the end of June. Over 200 breweries from 75 countries gather at the Berlin Beer Festival each August, while 35,000 runners pound the city streets each September in Europe’s largest marathon. Berlin gets into the festive spirit with a series of Christmas markets in December.
Cool hotels
All the big hotel groups have a presence in Berlin, but Accor’s stylish Pullman Berlin Schweizerhof is a good pick. Trendy, low-cost hotel group Motel One has eight locations in the city. Independent hotels that can variously be described as designer, avant garde or downright off-the-wall include the minimalist Cosmo Hotel, the uber chic Mandala Hotel, the Q Hotel Berlin – which claims to have ‘no right angles’ – and the Propeller Island City Lodge whose 30 rooms include the likes of coffi ns for beds, neon-lit rooms, mirrored walls and ceilings, and beds suspended from the ceiling.
GERMAN TRAVEL CENTRE OFFERS A TWO-NIGHT BREAK FROM £249PP INCLUDING
RETURN FLIGHTS FROM HEATHROW, BIRMINGHAM OR MANCHESTER AND ACCOMMODATION ON A B&B BASIS IN A
CENTRALLY-LOCATED HOTEL Tel: 020 8429 2900; see:
germantravelcentre.co.uk
An island on the Spree, home to five major museums, with the Pergamon Museum the highlight
Visit the famous parliament building and catch a lift up to the striking Norman Foster-designed dome for great views across the city
East Side Gallery
A 1.3km-long section of the Berlin Wall featuring graffiti by 100 artists from around the world
Brandenburg Gate
Built in the 1790s, one of Germany’s most recognisable landmarks was a focus for celebrations when the Wall came down in 1989
Museum Island
sample deal
The iconic Brandenburg Gate
CITY HIGHLIGHTS
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