Berlin recommendations

Scented Meat

Scented Meat

Power User
Traveling there for the first time in 22 years (to visit family) at the end of November. What shouldn't I miss?
 
If you're interested in historical stuff, there are some places to check out. Checkpoint Charley, Reichstag, but having been there a few times, I can't really think of a lot to do there. It's kind of a boring city IMHO. The best stuff I did was hopping on a train and heading to other cities. If you hunt them down, there might be some cool metal concerts going on with bands that don't make it to the US often/ever.

I guess you're there during the Christmas markets, so there is that. Go hang downtown, eat lots of good stuff, and drink gluhwein with everyone else. That's actually a pretty good time, and I wish we had that sort of thing in the US. It's what the holidays should be like. The cool thing is that the markets are different all over Germany, with some towns doing specialty versions.
 
Berlin is a thriving city, frozen in time for 50 years, and rejuvenated with a young population in the last 15 years. There’s a lot to see that’s connected with the war and the immediate post war period. The former Stasi offices, East Side Gallery which is pictures painted of remains of the wall, Bernauer Strasse which straddled the wall, Brandenburg Gate, Jewish Museum, Jewish Memorial, Fernsehturm in Alexander Platz from which you get a good panoramic view of the city. If you book ahead you can walk around the Reichtag. The Technical museum is interesting if you like ships and planes, and there’s a long list of museums on Museum Island. Further afield the Charlottenburg Palace, Tempelhof airfield where they some times run tours of the Nazi era terminal building, and Sachsenhausen concentration camp.
 
I hadn't been to Berlin in over 20 years until last year.

Checkpoint Charlie was disappointing to me. I went through it a number of times growing up to visit family in East Germany (my mom and her parents fled the east but most of the rest of her family was stuck there until the wall came down). To me it was a cold and kind of scary place. It was about as bleak and uninviting as it could be. Now it's a cheesy fucking tourist stop. There's two complete douchebags in east vs. west "military-like" uniforms clowning around to pose for pictures. There's a damn McDonalds and other tacky stuff there.

So from my perspective, what should be a somber place for reflection of some messed up times is now like a lame traveling carnival attraction. I'm sure others feel different.

Beyond that, Berlin is a fantastic city. There's some amazing shopping, cool flea markets, great food everywhere, etc. The Olympic Stadium was cool - we saw U2 there in the Red Zone.
 
Thanks for the input.

I've been to Berlin in 1981 (when Checkpoint Charlie was...a checkpoint, and a frightening place indeed), in 1990 (as part of honeymoon; 2 weeks after official reunification, a very exciting time) and again in 1995, when the most notable thing about the city--apart from everyone's fascination with the OJ trial--was the forest of giant skyscraper-building cranes throughout the city (but especially around Potsdamer Platz). Now I'm keen to see the results of all that construction, and hope to see some changes to what was 22 years ago a very dreary (former) East Berlin.

I do love historical sight-seeing and plan to return to the Reichstag, now that it's the seat of government, along with trips to the German Historical Museum and the DDR museum. I hope to visit the Kathe Kollwitz museum. But I'd also love to hear about interesting sights--historical or otherwise--that might be off the beaten path. A good blues bar would be appreciated as well.
 
The former East Berlin is pretty nice. Going through Checkpoint Charlie to the east used to be just grey abandoned buildings and the only people that were there were taxi drivers. Now there's nice apartments, shopping, and restaurants. You really can't even tell anymore in most places.
 
Just got back from a weekend in Berlin. The weather has been beautiful, and warmer than the UK. I’m sure that won’t be true of November.

There are two things to watch out for if you’re planning a visit. Firstly, shops are closed on Sundays. Only bars and restaurants open. Second, museums and many tourist destinations are closed on Mondays.
 
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