Berlin, then

[rick derris]

my new fav city. been there 4 times in the last 3 years. going again next thursday. actually running Hannover marathon SUnday

done the main stuff and there is a lot of main stuff. I stay near kark marx allee. what are the hidden gems recommendations?

also, games. friday night dynamo berlin home. sat lunchtime tennis berlin. sunday, arminia hannover

[Felicity, I guess so]

Berlin, then

As you know we just missed you there last Easter.

There's a huge charity shop at Alexanderplatz, at the bottom of one of the DDR-era towerblocks. And, appropriately, it sells DDR-era clothes, so if you REALLY want a crimplene jacket...

We loved the Rosa Luxemburg Platz area: a good record shop; a great vintage cinema, the Volksbuhne theatre (impressive building, lively bar/café) and die Linke's HQ (it was election time last year, so it was busy). The U-bahn station has photos of the platz in its heyday.

We did a tour of leftie monuments and statues: Liebknecht against a backdrop of DDR tower blocks near Prenzlauer Berg; an International Brigades statue next to a park in Friedrichshain.

We also toured the old cinemas, and K. Marx Allee has the wonderful 60s 'glamour' one, whose name I'd have to look up, opposite the Russian restaurant/niteklub of the same vintage. Bar/lounge with armchairs overlooking the Allee for a pre-film snifter. Huge screen, great amphitheatre. Loved it. (The film, Eva Wasikowska and camels, was incidental).

[Toby Gymshorts]

Berlin, then

I think you're thinking of Kino International, FIGS. Glorious place.

[My Name Is Ian]

Berlin, then

Did you do the Stasi Museum before? It's a little bit out of the centre of town, but it was the most interesting thing that I went to there (in 2011.)

[rick derris]

Berlin, then

yes I did Ian. not far from the part of the berlin wall still standing. is indeed excellent

will check out the DDR hypermarket also the computer museum on karl mark allee which I noticed last time when it was closed

[Toby Gymshorts]

Berlin, then

I've been to that one Rick, it's pretty interesting; although it's a computer game museum, not just computers in general. It's pretty small, too, so your visit won't take long.

Oh, and be warned - if you buy your ticket in advance via the website, you must have a printed copy, otherwise they won't let you in. We found that out the hard way.

[treibeis]

Berlin, then

Oh, and be warned - if you buy your ticket in advance via the website, you must have a printed copy, otherwise they won't let you in.

Just the one printed copy? As I've been saying for some time now, the country's going to the dogs.

[Wouter D]

Berlin, then

Was there last February to meet up with a former colleague of mine who moved there recently. On his suggestion I visited the Plaenterwald park, which is just beyond the Treptower Park (featuring the Soviet WW2 memorial, which is impressive enough to warrant its own visit). The Plaenterwald used to be home to a theme park, which went out of business in 2002. Rather than clearing the site, all the attractions were left out there to just gather dust. Hence, if abandoned theme parks are your thing, this might be worth a visit. You can't get too close to the attractions, since they're fenced off, but I found it worth the visit anyway. More pictures here.

My brother suggested I go to the Teufelsberg, which is home to an abandoned NSA listening station. Unlike the Plaenterwald, the Teufelsberg complex offers guided tours. I didn't have enough time to fit this into my schedule, so I cannot vouch for it personally.

Neither of these things is in the city center, though.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Berlin, then

Potsdam's worth a trip on the train.

[sw2borshch]

Berlin, then

Don't start Fussbudget on Potsdam.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Berlin, then

Why? Did you refuse to buy her an ice cream in the Sansoucci gift shop?

[sw2borshch]

Berlin, then

No, but I did make her go to a museum and look at neo-classical architecture.

[Andy C]

Berlin, then

This is what I was greeted with the last time I was in Berlin:

[Toby Gymshorts]

Berlin, then

san2sboro wrote: No, but I did make her go to a museum and look at neo-classical architecture.

You vicious bastard.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Berlin, then

My girlfriend's gone to look at neo-classical architecture.

Jamaica?

No, Potsdam.

[treibeis]

Berlin, then

My wife’s going to a notorious district of Berlin next weekend to celebrate a very special occasion with friends of ours who’ve been living in sin for years.

Wedding?

No, Marzahn.

[Duncan Gardner]

Berlin, then

My wife's run off to Berlin suburbia with an amorous winger/ attacking midfielder.

Waidmannslust?

Well, I can only hope his intentions are honorable.

Chicken joint recommendation: turn left from Kopenick station, about 300 metres down the Hauptstrasse.

[treibeis]

Berlin, then

Last weekend, my wife performed a sex act on a perfect stranger in the woods during a day out in a village near the Mecklenburg-Brandenburg border, about an hour’s drive from Berlin.

Suckow?

No, she swears it was a ‘just’ a hand job.

[treibeis]

Berlin, then

In a fit of remorse, she wreaked rather brutal revenge with one of her ‘specialities’ on another perfect stranger, in that cheap boozer in Schöneberg.

Willi Mangler?

Not quite, but his clackersack will probably be giving him hell for the next two days.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Berlin, then

I'm going to be there next week, staying near my employer's German office in/on Alexanderplatz. Going early on Sunday to have a look around before team dinners etc take over duing the week.

Any tips for the afternoon and a decent place to drink a variety of good beer?

[Squarewheelbike]

Berlin, then

Avoid Alexanderplatz, utterly soulless!

[steveeeeeeeee]

Berlin, then

Good start.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Berlin, then

Alexanderplatz isn't soulless, it's just big, and redolent of East Berlin. The Fernsehturm is always worth a look but it might be worth booking entry in advance, so you can skip the queue. Not a lot of great places to drink around there, I'd recommend heading towards Friedrichstraße U-Bahn and going to Berliner Republik if you want a selection of beers. Depends how far you're willing to venture, really.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Berlin, then

Oh, and bear in mind lots of shops will be closed on Sunday too.

[ursus arctos]

Berlin, then

Earlier thread, with four or five others embedded.

I stand with TG on Alexanderplatz. I'd take it any day over the corporate glitz of Potsdamer Platz.