DK Travel : Berlin

Berlin is Germany’s liveliest city and one of the most fascinating capitals in the world. You’ll find no other place where art and culture, museums and theatres, entertainment and nightlife are more diverse and exciting than on the banks of the Spree River. Once reunited, Berlin quickly developed into a cosmopolitan city, and today there is an air of energy and vibrancy about it.

Multi-lingual tourist information: www.berlin.de or: www.btm.de

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Opera Houses

Berlin is an absolute must for opera lovers or those who want to give it a go. There are three opera houses in the centre of Berlin; all are heavily subsidised, resulting in modestly priced tickets without any sacrifice of quality. The most prestigious, where you are likely to find world class stars, is the Staatsoper on Unter den Linden, it has all the red plush and opulence of tradition. The Komisch Oper, also on U d L, is a charming, mirrored confection of a building which produces a wide variety of operatic offerings from Mozart to Lehar via Verdi. Finally the Deutsche Oper in Charlottenburg, again producing a wide variety of operas often adventurously and originally directed and starring internationally renown singers. Mingle with Berliners and have a drink/coffee and cake before the performance in an opera house bar. Choose your seat and buy your tickets on line, the sites are all easily navigated and located. I have a photograph but it's too large and I'm unable to manage shrinking it. Sorry...
Pension Am See

Situated at the lake "Falkenhagener See". The rooms are cosy and clean.
Propeller Island City Lodge

On an inconspicuous side of the street, just off Berlin’s resplendent Kurfürstendamm boulevard is the city’s most eccentric hotel: the “habitable work of art”, Propeller Island City Lodge.

It is home to 27 of the most radical rooms ever to have been slept in. It is a live-in gallery where even the most passive beholder happily becomes an active explorer. Spread across three floors, the hotel is a labyrinth of passageways full of quirky details like distorting mirrors, washbasins made from beer barrels and a very heavy metal lamp that was once part of a railway track.

Guests are treated to a room for every taste; ranging from the Castle, where all the pieces of furniture are buildings, to the Crypt Gallery, with coffin beds and grinning skulls, and the Symbol room, with 283 striking black and white graphic symbols covering literally everything.

But the rooms are not only designed to please the eye, they also please the ear. By pressing a button on the little control box on the wall you can choose one of six different soundscapes to fit your mood: from waves crashing on the beach or the sounds of the jungle to experimental “sound sculptures”.
Reconciliation Chapel

Built on, and with, the remains of its predecessor, this small earth and timber constrcution gives many subtle but significant reminders of Berlin's past. It is located on Bernaeur Strasse, on the exact site of the reconciliation church which was destroyed after the Wall was constructed. Completed in 2000, this unique but poignent space is a must for visitors - the chapel's site lies opposite the preserved section of Wall, and a public viewing tower/exhibition, so a combined visit is recommended.
Salut Café Bar

Cosy café/bar in the Goltzstrasse in Schoeneberg. Open till late everyday, very friendly people, enjoy a beer, a latte macchiatto, chiabatta, antipasto, bio wine.
Singer 109 Apartment Hostel

The first thing that crosses your mind about Singer 109 is a question: is it a hostel or is it a series of apartments? The answer, ultimately, is a bit of both.

If you’re looking for private digs, it’s got everything you could want in a Berlin apartment: it’s well located (a quick stroll away from Alexanderplatz and Mitte) and set in a handsome converted 19th century factory; it’s also comfortable, sparklingly clean and staffed by people who are only too happy to point you in the right direction of the best Berlin nightlife. So far, so good…

But Singer 109 is also very much a hostel, which means you’ve got top-class facilities and a lively communal vibe. Along with the free internet access, a 24hr bar boasts a dart board, foosball, a pool table and even a Nintendo Wii! And where there’s a bar open all night, you’re hardly going to have trouble meeting people.

Then there’s the price… Despite all the swanky touches and nice little extras, it still comes in at around the same price as any other hostel in Berlin. And the downside? There isn’t really one – which makes Singer 109 one of the most tempting budget Berlin accommodation options out there.
Spandau and Charlottenburg Palace

Beautiful and historic ladmarcs. Spandau Prison was where Hess, one of Hitlers henchmen died in prison as the sole prisoner. Take it from somewone who was brought up in Berlin with a forces family, Berlin is a magical place with amazing architecture and life.
Stasi Museum

The original Stasi headquarters just as they were found in 1990. A fascinating glimpse into German history, this museum gives great insight into the spying methods used - from secret compartments to cameras in bird houses! Well worth a visit.
The Bear Pit - Bärenzwinger

The home of Berlin's "Official" Bears.
The Weekend Club

Berlin's hippest house and techno club located on the 13th floor of a Soviet block on Alexanderplatz. Definitely one of the best venues in Berlin.