Berlin mini break with DD 11 in July - where to stay?

[tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz]

Evening all

Title sums it up really! Looking to be fairly central and close to as many sites as possible, self catering so open to an apartment or flat (dubious about Airbnb) as did similar in Rome] but the ease of a hotel appeals.

I don't actually know what area is best to look at (Berlin newbie) hence vague request! I'm assuming the transport links around the city and to/from airport will be efficient?! t the same time once we have our bearings we're happy to walk lots so would look to clock up a few steps if necessary too.

any pointers to help me make a start on looking would be grand!

Thanks.

[JustMyName]

Re. food, have currywurst (sausage) at a Imbiss (snack) stand, There's an excellent one at underground station Wittenberg.

Theres a Blockhaus around the corner from the Zoo near the tube station entrance, they serve slightly upmarket burgers, but still self serve and not too expensive.

The cafe at the top of KaDeWe is expensive, but good and you have views over the city if you can get a window seat.

Cake in Germany is always lovely.

Agree about Rausch, it's lovely, but a bit much, so go easy.

Bear in mind some bars in Berlin still allow smoking.

I wouldn't bother with the Hard Rock cafe, it's over priced and when we went the food was very greasy and just not great, however, it is an experience.

There's a lovely Christmas shop just off Kudamm (Kurfurstendamm), open all year and full of Christmas decorations.

[JustMyName]

Sorry, the tube station is Wittenbergsplatz.

[tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz]

We're going in July!

I'm an ex army brat and lived in Germany (near Duss) when I was 10-15 and not been back since. When I was a toddler we lived in Berlin but I've not been back to Germany since. I can't wait to have bratwurst mitt pommes from a Schneli again

Some fab tips and recommendations I'm going to check out tomorrow / thanks again for posting all!

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

It's lovely in the summer. I'll almost certainly be there at some point in August.

[OverByYer]

Ooh I’m going next weekend, some good tips thanks

[tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz]

Over WBVU to not report back on your return!

[tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz]

I'm hoping for nice weather but not too warm as hotel doesn't have AC Remus

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

It'll be fine. We stayed there (Gat Point) in August 4 or 5 years ago, when temperatures hit 36 degrees! The rooms were perfectly pleasant.

[CatteStreet]

Cafe Orange in Oranienburger Strasse is good for ample and reasonably priced breakfast (I haven't been there for a few years admittedly). The synagogue is just down the road. If it's specifically a really, really good breakfast I want I will take people to Cafe Berio near Nollendorfplatz, but that's not really near anywhere touristy.

I like the Wall memorial at Bernauer Strasse (very moving) and the (non-commercial) Wall museum across the road from it. The Tränenpalast museum at Friedrichstrasse station is free and smallish but very informative. Yy to Deutsches Historisches Museum, very good. I also agree that the DDR Museum is a tiny and over-full tourist trap, but I found the bit about the Stasi quite effective. The former Stasi prison at Höhenschönhausen is worth a visit, but quite upsetting.

I really like the Südgelände park at Südkreuz, which is a former goods rail yard and has been given back to nature (with some art installations etc). It's off the beaten track and would need a special trip, but to me that sort of place is 'Berlin'.-

[CatteStreet]

Oh, if youn walk down the river by the Dom Aquaree/near the DDR museum (opposite bank to the Dom), look out for the four figures sitting on the wall looking out at the river. I first saw those in their original incarnations (in a fountain several hundred yards up the road) when I first came to Berlin 25 years ago and for some reason they really struck me. They disappeared for years and years and it was wonderful when they turned up again on the river bank. Like seeing old friends.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Yes to Bernauer str museum. Excellent.

There's a tiny museum in Mitte that is free and worth a visit. www.museum-blindenwerkstatt.de/en/first-of-all/

Good graffiti near it too!

[tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz]

Who are the figures of? They sound interesting!

[ContinuityError]

And if there are any mad keen Ramones fans there is a Ramones “Museum” - well it’s more of a pub with a Ramones memorabilia room but it’s worth a stop off for a beer.

[ContinuityError]

Three Girls One Boy

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

11 yr old will also probably like East Side Gallery for photo ops, but go EARLY and be prepared to have to wait to take photos of your favourite bits!

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Wrong pic!

[ContinuityError]

My East Side Gallery favourites:

[ContinuityError]

Meant to add, the Technik Museum is good too.

technikmuseum.berlin/en/

[Sewingbea]

We went to Berlin last summer with DDs who were 14 and 11. We got a good deal for the Movenpick hotel and thought it was fantastic.
DDs enjoyed the DDR museum and the zoo, the zoo has pandas! They also (surprisingly) loved the Pergamon, especially the Ishtar gate.
I used to live in Germany twenty years ago ,(Fally / Hohne which will mean something to you OP as you were a pad brat ) but hadn't been back to Berlin since weekend there in that period of time. The city has changed, and for the better. We had a fantastic time and all want to go back. And despite years away it all felt very familiar.

[tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz]

You lot are brilliant ... I've now collated a list with basically every place you've recommended. God now show we'll cram it into 4 days but I can't wait to try. Lots of Currywurst, cake and chocolate should help I reckon!

Going to spend some time now refining my list by area then cross ref with food and drink places (yup. I take planning a trip very seriously!).

I shall call back when I've got more questions if that's ok?

Sewing were you one too? I loved living there, every minute. We were lucky and whilst close to barracks were actually in a block of flats slap bang in a normal civvy neighbourhood so German signs and sounds were the norm. I still remember lots of the language but of course going from speaking it every day to nothing really for 25+ years (except eavesdropping on conversations on holiday ) I'm hoping with an app like Duolingo it'll all come back and I'll be comfortable again asking directions, ordering food etc! I was literally a young toddler in Berlin so don't remember anything but I'm so looking forward to this trip!

[WendyMoiraAngelaDarling]

We stayed at Crowne Plaza City Ctr Nurnberger. It was very central with the zoo nearby, lots of shopping and restaurants, landmarks within walking distance and the free tourist buses within a ten minute walk. Fabulous breakfast too. Highly recommend.

[WendyMoiraAngelaDarling]

I'm an ex army brat and lived in Germany (near Duss) when I was 10-15 and not been back since.

I'm an ex brat too and then later a serving soldier. Lived in Paderborn, Minden, Bielefeld and Soest. Actually found it very hard to come back and settle in the UK as had lived so many years in Germany. Going back for a visit a few years ago felt like going home 🇩🇪

[Sewingbea]

@tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz I wasn't a pad brat, I taught in a primary school on camp for almost four years and thought the kids were great, I loved it. I lived on camp and would sometimes be woken by the night firing on the ranges or the tanks on the tank road on camp boundary. It was a different world 😀 I had colleagues who had taught in Berlin before drawdown and envied them that experience, but that was before my time with SCEA. I still love Germany.

[bingohandjob]

Some nice little coffee places, shops and restaurants to mooch around here www.hackesche-hoefe.com/?page=15 and just a few yards away you'll spot the cinema bar which is a wonderful polar opposite with a more ramshackle bar and interesting art spaces to explore. One of my favourite places to eat and pick up tasty treats for the apartment is markthalleneun.de/ We enjoyed Angry Chicken www.angry-chicken.com/ and really, loads of kebap/brat quick stops around the city. It's a brilliant city to explore on foot. Hope you have a great time.

[LifeExperimentation]

Brilliant apartments was incredible last year.