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Berlin Holidays, Hotels & Travel Guide
Travel guide to hotels & holidays in Berlin
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Berlin Holidays Overview
A guide to holidays in Berlin - For most of the latter part of the 20th century,
Berlin has stood as a symbol of the division between East and West,
split by the infamous fortified wall erected to separate the
socialist sector from the democratic district. When the Berlin Wall
was pulled down in 1990 the city discovered that it suddenly had
two of everything, most notably two very distinct societies
separated both socially and economically. The past decade has seen
Berlin embracing unification and rebuilding itself as a modern
European capital.
More than 100 streets have
been reconnected, and signs of the Wall's existence have all but
disappeared. Years of division are still reflected in the new
city's architecture, however, with a modern city of skyscrapers,
retail centres and urban developments in the West contrasting with
most of the pre-War city that remains in the East.
For nearly 30 years the Wall sealed off the imposing
Brandenburg Gate from the West, but now traffic passes through it
freely. Similarly Alexanderplatz, which was one of the main centres
of 1920s Berlin, and later post-war East Germany, has once again
become one of the city's focal centres. The site of the infamous
Check Point Charlie with its threatening monitoring tower erected
to ensure no one crossed over from East to West, is now a museum,
and while the tower no longer stands, visitors can see the East
Side Gallery, a surviving chunk of the real Wall, now decorated by
local artists. Berlin is once again a vibrant
centre for the arts, with many museums, galleries and theatres. At
the Kulturforum visitors will find a number of impressive museums
and concert venues from the spectacular Berliner Philharmonie
concert hall to the complex's Picture Gallery, which houses a vast
collection of European paintings from the 13th to 18th
centuries. Berlin still boasts a fantastic
nightlife, and while tastes have changed since the height of the
cabaret halls of the 1920s and 30s, there is a vast array of venues
catering to all tastes. Berlin's calendar is also packed with
festivals and parties from the Christopher Street Day gay and
lesbian parade in June to the massive Love Parade dance party in
July and the Jazz Fest Berlin in November.
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Berlin
holidays - Top Places To Go
1. Brandenburg Gate
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What is it? The impressive and symbolic Brandenburg Gate
that lay forlorn for so long in the no man's land behind the Berlin
Wall, is now once again renovated and accessible, along with the
newly reconstructed Pariser Platz that links the gate to the
beautiful Unter den Linden Boulevard. The gate is Berlin's only
remaining city gate, built of sandstone between 1788 and 1791 with
12 Doric columns according to a design by C.G. Langhans. Six
columns support an 36ft (11m) transverse beam, similar to the
propylaeum of the Acropolis in Athens. The massive gate is topped
with a stunning statue of the Goddess of Victory facing east
towards the city centre (this was added in 1794). The gate is
closed to traffic, as is the adjacent Pariser Platz, a gracious
square that was once surrounded with beautiful buildings sadly
destroyed in the Second World War. Since the fall of the Berlin
Wall new buildings have been built, however, to designs closely
following those of the originals.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
2. Checkpoint Charlie
Friedrichstraße 43-45
www.Mauer-Museum.com |
What is it? The infamous border crossing point in the
wall dividing West and East Berlin has now become a shrine to the
wall's memory with the addition of a museum, Haus am Checkpoint
Charlie. For nearly 30 years, between 1961 and 1990, Checkpoint
Charlie in the Friedrichstrasse was the only crossing point between
East and West Berlin. The soldier's post can be visited, and
tourists can be photographed under the border
sign.
Hours of Operation: Daily 9am to 10pm; documentary films are screened
throughout the day, with showings of the historically significant
feature films 'Mit dem Wind nach Westen' daily at 5.30pm and 'Mein
Kampf' daily at 7.30pm
Phone:(030) 253 7250 |
3. Eastside Gallery
Mühlenstraße 10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain
www.eastsidegallery.com |
What is it? The remains of the infamous Berlin Wall have
now become the largest open-air art gallery in the world. The
longest section of the wall, which has been preserved, stretches
from Ostbahnhof station to the Oberbaumbrucke, and has been given
over to graffiti artists from around the world. A total of 118
artists from 21 countries have exerted their skills on the 4,318ft
(1,316m) long section of the wall, and this collection has become a
Berlin landmark and a tourist attraction. Best known paintings are
Dimitri Vrubel's Brotherly Kiss and Gunther
Shaefer's Fatherland. The gallery is billed as
an international memorial for freedom.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
Berlin
holidays - Top Events
1. Carnival of Cultures
From 2007-06-02
To 2007-06-05
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What is it? The Carnival of Cultures is a fabulous
display of traditional and modern cultures reflecting the many
different ethnic communities living within the city. It began as a
project to encourage communication between the diversity of
nationalities, religions and customs in Berlin, and today the
extravaganza is one of the biggest events on the cultural calendar.
The festival includes international music, dance and theatre
performances, as well as traditional crafts, food and drink. The
highlight is the colourful street parade with hundreds of
magnificent floats accompanied by swirling dancers, jugglers,
musicians, and entertainers.
Where is it? Streets of Kreuzberg District |
2. Love Parade
From 2007-07-01
To 2007-07-31
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What is it? Originally the creation of German DJ Dr
Motte, the Love Parade is quite simply the biggest global dance
event on the calendar. It began as a 'demonstration for peace, love
and tolerance between different nations' with music as the sole
medium of communication. Revellers are overwhelmed by the enormity
of this event - literally thousands of people dance through the
streets to the beat of the latest tunes spun by international DJs
aboard a procession of floats.
Where is it? Tiergarten, culminating at the Brandenburg Gate |
3. Berlin International Film Festival
From 2007-02-08
To 2007-02-18
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What is it? The coveted Silver and Golden Bears of the
Berlin International Film Festival are the symbol of achievement in
one of the top events in the film industry. The Berlinale has
become one of the biggest and most reputable events in the
international business of artistic media and film, where
world-class filmmakers launch their latest films under various
categories of the competition. Film screenings are shown in a
variety of festival cinemas, and different events include
filmmaking workshops, and opportunities for young producers and
directors to screen one-minute films during the festival. For more
information, email info@berlinale.de or call
+49 (0)30 259 200.
Where is it? Potsdamer Platz |
4. Christopher Street Day
From 2007-07-14
To 2007-07-21
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What is it? The gay pride parade CSD has its origins in
New York's Christopher Street, the site of violence between
customers in a gay bar and raiding police in June 1969. To
commemorate the social 'coming out' of gay and lesbian communities,
huge street parties and parades take place to celebrate a greater
tolerance among the public and to demonstrate self-confidence in
their homosexuality. Although a huge, colourful festival with
hundreds of thousands of participants, including heterosexual
revellers, its political focus is the demand for legalization of
homosexual partnerships.
Where is it? |
5. Classic Open Air
From 2007-07-05
To 2007-07-09
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What is it? Set in one of Europe's most beautiful
squares, Classic Open Air stages the romantic summer sounds of
classical music presented by internationally acclaimed musicians,
conductors and composers. The concert series attracts large crowds
to evenings of music under the starlit sky, against the romantic
backdrop of the Gendarmenmarkt. For more information contact the
organisers on +49 (0)30 315 754-0.
Where is it? Gendarmenmarkt |
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