The Germany capital is full of tradition, history, culture and art.
It was considered by the UNESCO as “City of design” to be a cultural and artistic global city of 1st level.
Galleries and Museums
If you want to get to know this magnific city, you can not leave its violent and oppressive past behind.
I advise you to visit the remains of the berlin wall, the Brandenburg Gate (symbol of reunification of the country) and the Topography of Terror Museum (also known by the Germans as “Erinnerungsorten” – places of remembrance and memory which recount some of the more bizarre events of the Nazi history).
If you enjoy art I recommend you to visit the Bauhaus museum and the Island of
Museums where you will find five different museums:
Bauhaus Museum:
Is a museum dedicated to the architectural style of Bauhaus.
Museum Pergamon
One of the most popular attractions in Berlin, the Pergamon Museum is world famous for its archaeological holdings.
Today, it accommodates three separate museums: the Collection of Classical Antiquities, the Museum of the Ancient Near East and the Museum of Islamic Art.
In the Collection of Classical Antiquities, the 2nd century BC Pergamon Altar, considered a Hellenistic masterpiece, has a frieze depicting a battle between the Gods and the Giants; the Market Gate of Miletus shows an important example of Roman architecture.
Altes Museum:
Is one of several internationally renowned museums on Museum Islind in Berlin.
The royally appointed commission, which was responsible for the conception of the museum, decided to display only “high” art in the museum. This precluded the incorporation of ethnography, prehistory and the excavated treasures of the Near East.
Museum Neues
The Neues Museum on Berlin’s Museum Island was opened in 1859 to bring relief to the over-popular and over-crowded Altes Museum. It was one of the most ambitious building projects of its time due to its use of new industrial construction technologies such as the steam engine.
The Neues Museum will once again house the archaeological collections of the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection, the Museum of Pre- and Early History, as well as works from the Collection of Classical Antiquities.
Alte National Galleries
The Alte National Galerie (Old National Gallery) houses one of the most important collections of 19th century painting in Germany and includes masterpieces by Caspar David Friedrich, Adolph Menzel Edouard Manet Claude Monet, not to mention Auguste Renoir and Auguste Rodin.
Museum Bode
The museum’s treasures include the sculpture collection with works of art from the middle ages to the 18th century. Of particular interest are the halls devoted to the Italian Renaissance with the glazed terracottas by Luca della Robbia and other masterworks from Donatello, Desiderio da Settignano and works from the German late Gothic school. The Bode museum is best known for its Byzantine art collection and the coin cabinet.
Good news! On Sundays the museums are free!
Points of Interest and fun
And why not to get some knowledge while you have some fun?
The city is known for having one of the largest zoos in the world (with low price), or ride the fastest elevator in Europe that rises the Potsdamer Platz so you can enjoy the magnificent view over the city.
Refering to nightly entertainment, you can not miss Kreuzberg, nightclubs and bars make this the best place if you want to spend your time with the youth in a fancy neighborhood.
If you like walk, I recommend a visit to Potsdam’s Garden.
Design Shops
Gestalten:
Like all the best concept stores it combines a healthy amount of the literary (including rare archive items that fans will swoon over) with designer nick-nacks (think Bearbricks, quirky Lola Goldstein ceramics, and Japanese-imported novelties) that make good gifting options for the fussy.
Dudes Factory:
Bringing new meaning to customization, this store in Berlin’s bustling Mitte recently opened under two ex-advertising execs.
The concept? Bring in some of the city’s finest illustrators, street artists and graphic designers, challenge them with unusual briefs, materials and techniques, and let the customer create their own final product.
Design Centers
IDZ:
Since its founding in 1968, the International Design Center Berlin (IDZ) has been a communications platform connecting business, society and culture, and is dedicated to current as well as future topics and questions in design. Design comprises much more than aesthetics: design is a holistic process.
Luxury properties
Country House Villa:
The outstanding location, a straight-line layout and grand living comfort are the hallmarks of this property. In refurbishing it, the current owners took great care to not only use the finest materials, but also to preserve the original decoration. This property offers a unique combination of the typical Berlin Altbau charm and the benefits of modern architecture and interior design.
Art Shows
Chert:
A Kreuzberg institution since its opening in 2008, Chert’s multi-national aspect means that there’s always something of interest on show, from points right across the globe. With a current roster of around ten artists, including Mexico’s Alejandro Almanza Pereda, the British sculptor Carla Scott Fullerton and Swiss experimental installationist Jérémie Gindre, Chert is a small, perfectly formed and consistently rewarding experience.
Galerie Max Hetzler:
Galerie Max Hetzler’s current position as one of the city’s most respected and popular art spaces is the result of decades of careful operation and ambitious, long-running and perfectly balanced exhibitions, drawing on some of the biggest names in European and US contemporary art of the past few decades, as well as foregrounding lesser-known, yet equally deserving names.
Showrooms
Haworth
Wineries
Weinhandlung Suff
The name pretty much says it all. If you want to get drunk in style, here you will find the perfect wine. The selection is great and very good.
Good Port Wine is including in its range.
Hammers Weinkostbar is a wine bar, small but very nice. Also includes wine shop.
If you would like to purchase traditional products, culinary specialties, here is the right place.
Some nights are also held some seminars (winemaker).
Restaurants
After a day full of emotions can opt for the typical and famous berlin food. I suggest the:
Die Quadriga
Finnish chef Sauli Kemppainen blends Scandinavian ingredients with a hint of the Mediterranean to create a menu full of crisp, clean flavors. Norwegian salmon is paired with Spanish chorizo and Greek octopus and the spring/summer menu is especially light, combining fresh meat and fish with the earthy flavours of truffle, saffron and vanilla.Die Quadriga’s interior is equally refined thanks to the traditional white tablecloths, oak wood panelling and Art Deco touches Aigner – The prices are a little high, but is considered one of the best in Germany
Hartmanns
Hartmanns offers a refreshingly uncomplicated dining experience, based on the simple principle of classic cuisine and friendly, relaxed service. Chef Stefan Hartmann won Berlin’s Chef of the Year 2008 and his innovative French-Mediterranean menu reflects his creative style perfectly. The simple style of the décor allows the cuisine to shine, while artwork by photographer Jeppe Hein adds a dose of romance. Culinary novices can pick up tips by taking one of Stefan Hartmann’s well-attended cookery course.
Luchs
Luchs restaurant, which specialises in rustic Italian cuisine, embodies understated elegance. The small number of seats, only 100 in all, creates an intimate atmosphere in which to enjoy the delicious dishes. Chef Oliver Cramer focuses on homemade pasta coupled with meats and fish of the highest quality. The expansive terrace is perfect for summer dining while the light-filled rectangular dining room features picture windows, charcoal-grey cushioned seating and a polished wooden floor.
Shops
Montblanc
Known for generations as the place to buy sophisticated and high-quality writing instruments, Montblanc also creates timepieces that have become synonymous with long-lasting style. Any would make an ideal gift for anyone who values classic high-precision pieces.
Galeries Lafayette
If perfume is what you seek, Galeries Lafayette will probably have the one you’re looking for. The department store’s beauty floor stocks many international designer brands, as well as fragrances from specialists such as classic London brand Penhaligon’s and the Italy’s famous Acqua di Parma.
Thomas Sabo
German jewellery designer Thomas Sabo started making high-quality silver pieces with a special emphasis on fashionable design in 1984 and hasn’t looked back since. Everything he creates has personality, but pieces from the Charm Club collection make particularly good gifts as they can be added to over time
Hotels
Cosmo Hotel Berlin Mitte
Situated in the heart of Berlin’s Mitte district, the Cosmo Hotel Berlin Mitte is the perfect urban retreat for travelers who appreciate individualized style and hospitality. From its elegant and timeless scent restaurant specializing in “aroma cuisine” to its 84 minimalist-designed rooms and relaxation spaces, it offers cosmopolitan citizens personal attention and access to the best of real Berlin
Das Stue
Occupying a 1930s building that originally was Berlin’s Royal Danish Embassy, Das Stue’s unique heritage is reflected in its name, the Danish term for “living room”. The hotel incorporates the prominence of its classicist facade and the natural beauty of its leafy Tiergarten address, formerly the city’s royal hunting grounds.
Q! Hotel Berlin
Situated just off Berlin’s grand boulevard Kurfürstendamm, Q! Hotel Berlin’s avant-garde aesthetic combines futuristic forms with simple elegance. Owner and visionary Wolfgang Loock developed Q!’s distinct design together with the renowned architecture studio Graft, perhaps most famous for creating Brad Pitt’s Hollywood studio.
With its focus on fluid lines and undulating spaces, Q! does not have any right angles. The hotel’s shimmery red lobby and lounge, earthy spa, and “sand room” were designed to create a continuous flow in both form and space.
