Five insiders' tips for Berlin
If you already went to Berlin and checked for all the tourist attractions you might want to dig a little deeper. These tips will help you find attractions away from the tourist magnets everybody goes to. If it is your first time in Berlin, you may also want to take a break from your sightseeing tour and enjoy something special.
Presents for the Loved Ones
If you want to bring something more special than boring kitsch, the beauty shop "Frau Tonis Parfum" is just right for you. Here, you can chose from a range of 30 exclusive fragrances you won`t find anywhere else. By the way, one of the fragrances was the favorite of the famous German actress Marlene Dietrich. The shop is very individual and the service is really good.
A Walk trough Grunewald
Flee from the hectic into the green. Grunewald is west Berlin inner city, almost at the edge of the town. On a sunny day, this is a perfect spot for a magnificient walk. Grunewald is a elegant residential area, right in the greenfield. Simply take the city train (line S7) to the station Grunewald. From the inner city this is only a ten minutes ride. At the station, you can enjoy a walk down to the beautiful Grunewaldsee. There, you can visit the "Jagdschloss" which is Germany`s oldest castle. It hosts a hunting museum with historic pictures and ancient hunting weapons.
Museums far from Mainstream
Berlin is well known for its big number of museums. In over 175 of them, you can discover many different things and topics. The Berlin Museum Island, which hosts many of the museums, is part of UNESCO World Heritage since 1999. A recommended museum off the beat is the GDR museum. Here, you can find out how the daily live was in a communist country during cold war times: The German Democratic Republic. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine that people in Eastern Germany lived in a totally different system. The entry fee is 5 €.
Fashion & Accessories you won`t find anywhere else
If you are looking for the fancy stuff, try the flagship store of Berlinomat. In a smooth atmosphere you can shop for fashion, jewellery and fabulous decorations to make your home look special. Almost all items you will find here are made by Berlin based designers. This makes the shop real different. They offer many unique fashion items you won`t find anywhere else and give a platform to rising stars of the Berlin fashion scene.
Heaven for Vegetarians
The Cookies Cream is the place to go if you plan to have an exciting dinner. First of all, you have to find this place. The club restaurant is well hidden. It is located at the backyard of the Westin Grand Hotel behind an unremarkable grey metal door and between garbage bins. What sounds like a run-down dive is actually one of the best vegetarian restaurants you will find in Germany and probably Europe. Now meat lovers don`t panic. This food is so tasty and good you won`t miss anything.
The inside of the Cookies Cream is simply yelling “Berlin!”. Painted walls and industrial design meet upholstered red sofas and stylish decorations. A three course meal is about 35 €, which is truly worth the price.
It is Spring Again!
After an unusual hard winter in Germany, spring seems to be just around the corner. In fact, it was a strange winter for German circumstances. From the middle of November until the beginning of March, Germany has seen record-breaking minus temperatures and lots of snow.
Germany is truly not known as a sunshine state but this type of winter had Sibirian qualities. Hopefully this was a flash in the pan and next winter will be back to normal.
However, if your Germany vacation starts in the next couple of days / weeks you can be tickled. The temperatures are about to rise to about 60 Fahrenheit and the winter finally seems to go for good.
Survey approves improvement of German-American relationship
The relationship between Germany and the United States is improving again. According to a survey conducted by the German embassy in Washington DC, 41% of participants classified the relationship between both states as excellent or good. 48% said, they have a very good general impression of Germany.
Both values are the highest since 2002. The survey is conducted at regular intervals with 1051 participants. In the last survey in October 2008, only 34% of participants classified the relationship as good or excellent.
Many questioned Americans see Germany as a innovation leader in environmental technology and cherished the cultural scene. Also German beer was praised by 35% of the respondents.
At a bottom position was the interest in German sports. Only 15% show some interest. That is not surprising. In Germany soccer is the most popular sports while the Americans favor American Football, Basketball and Baseball. More Americans are interested in German films, music, literature, politics or economy than sports. A clear sign soccer probably will never be one of the bigger ones in the US.
