Date published: 2006/03/12
Berlin is no London or Paris, but it makes up for in recent history what it lacks in punch. The first thing you notice about Berlin is how spread out and low-rise it is. It really is a collection of villages. (The same is said about London, but more in nostalgia than reality.)
The second thing you notice is that there is a tonne of graffiti. Everywhere. Most of it the same rubbish you see elsewhere (e.g. New York). Now and again a bit cleverer. Some of the best is on a large section of the remainder of the Berlin wall (the "East Side Gallery") on Mühlen Strasse.
The third thing you notice is that there are still quite a few old (i.e. pre-war) buildings left, although some have of course been restored so just look old. There is still quite a bit of construction going on post-reunification, and there are acres and acres of derelict land even close to the centre of the city, just waiting re-development (e.g. next to Mühlen Strasse).
As a result of the building boom, of course there is a lot of new architecture. The Reichstag re-development by Norman Foster is perhaps the best known. There are queues to go up to the top to see the dome. It's not clear why because it's not that great. And it's partly open to the elements, hence very cold on a winter's day. (Berlin has been having lots of cold weather and snow this winter.)
A lot of the architecture is better at night, when it is lit up, for example the area around the Brandenburger Tor and also around Potsdamer Platz.
There are two subway networks, the U-Bahn and the S-Bahn. The subway interconnects do not work particularly well, in the sense that you often need to go via the street on the way from one platform to another. Fortunately this is not a real problem because there are no ticket barriers. You just buy a ticket on any platform and go on your way. (The day card at 5.80 Euros is good value for money.) There are plain-clothes inspectors now and again to keep everyone honest.
Berlin seems to be a fairly relaxed city, in spite of the federal government now being located there. Graffiti does not have the threatening status that it does elsewhere. People drink beer on the subway. There are markets where even in snow people will stop to have a coffee on outside tables. In the snow, parents drag their children along the sidewalks on sleds.
Air Berlin can be recommended (Stansted to Tegel). You get a specified seat, you get a snack (a reasonable sandwich) and you get free newspapers. So definitely a step up on service from Ryanair.
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