Top Reader Tips for Berlin
Good day! Did you know that the Jelly Donut blooper is a myth ? This week on Hack Your City, we asked for advice on Berlin . We’ve got plenty of them, plus a couple of generous readers have posted extensive travel guides with recommended activities, weather warnings, and itineraries. Here are the highlights.
Every Monday onHack Your City, we ask readers for the best tips about the city: driving tips, restaurant tips, entertainment, and any other tips for visitors and locals alike. Then, on Thursday, we present the best comments. We work in the USA and around the world.
Some highlights from the Marneasada guide :
- “The Museum under the Jewish Memorial is much more exciting than the actual Jewish Museum. It’s free too. There is a room where they read tiny biographies of all the famous victims of the Holocaust; it takes six years to complete the list. “
- “Berlin is super green and the best way to get to know the city is to buy a couple of beers from the local späti and enjoy it somewhere in the green or by the water.”
- “If you think opera is not for you, go to Komische Oper. All librettos are in German (you didn’t live to see Carmen translated into German and set in the 1980s), plus each seat has a small monitor so you can choose the language translation you want “.
Highlights from Elena’s travel guide :
- “Keep in mind that Germans rarely use their credit cards and most places (bars, restaurants, even some subway ticket machines) do not accept them, so carry cash with you at all times.”
- “Tierpark is a beautiful zoo with plenty of room for animals. Its West Berlin counterpart, the Zoological Garden, has pandas, but for my taste it is too small. “
- “Expect to receive ‘bad’ service or really ‘serious’ service in bars and restaurants. People are as friendly as they need to be, not less, but certainly not more. If that doesn’t suit you, no one cares. After a while, you may even fall in love with it (maybe Stockholm Syndrome?). “
- “Read a few articles about the collapse of our airport building, otherwise you will not understand half of the jokes!”
Highlights from the domoarigato manual :
- “Best Doner Kebab: Mustafa. Their vegetarian is my favorite, although the standard is meat. Melek Pastanesi Café on Oranienstrasse, BEST Turkish bakery. Cafe Pasternak at the weekend is a great Russian brunch. Il Duo Forni, owned by Italian anarchists – service is poor, but the pizza is fantastic, plus they have chili oil to dip the pizza in. “
- “If you’re looking for cool architecture that [not] is only Berlin’s big hits: Bruno Taut’s Gartenstadt Falkenberg; Siemensstadt by Walter Gropius; And if you like urban decay, then Birpinsel is awesome. Abandoned Berlin will have many more suggestions, instructions and locations. “
- Gerlitzer Park: If you are looking for a pot, this is your place. often you don’t even need to go to the metro station, people will come to YOU to buy. “
And tips from different readers:
- “If you ask for water in a restaurant, you will get soda by default. If you want still water ask for more vassa (“still” water). “- Cfer
- “If you need a place to store your luggage, there are lockers in Berlin Central Station at a fairly low price (I think the largest lockers cost 6 € for 24 hours)” – blackholeinakan
- “Off the beaten path, on the banks of the Spree, is the GDR Museum [depicting the life of historic East Germany]. This is a must-see. ” – Gray viper.
- “Don’t cross the road. Seriously, you will die. ”- O2 thief.
- “Be aware that toilets are not always available everywhere unless you are expected to pay (50 cents)” – feo98jo239j023r
- “Specific advice to the Reichstag: as far as I know, the building is still free to visit, but you need to make an appointment in advance through their website ” – Bart_T
That’s it for Berlin! Read more comments in the original thread and come back on Monday when we move to the US West Coast.
Comments have been slightly edited.