Berlin sehen - day 1

Some impressions from our Berlin visit ... I'd never been and came back fascinated by this city. So much to see and not enough time, so we definitely must return.

:: Dahlem Dorf

We stayed here because it was right next to the University where A's conference was being held. It was peaceful and quiet, but only about 20 min from the center. The hotel was great, the Ethnological museum and the Botanical Gardens were located there (unfortunately we didn't have the time to visit either) and we found a fantastic Italian restaurant (Piaggio) where we had a lot of our meals.







We started our first day at Potsdamer Platz, and walked towards the Brandenburger Tor and the Reichstag. On our way we stopped briefly at the Holocaust Memorial, and for some strolls inside Tiergarten.

:: Pieces of the Berlin Wall on Potsdamer Platz



:: Tiergarten



::The Holocaust Memorial





:: Around the Reichstag

There was a huge queue that morning to visit the Reichstag (and apparently everyday) so we decided to come back another time and just strolled around on our way to Museum Insel. I tried to make a reservation for one of the free guided tours a few weeks before we came but it seems it has to be booked way more in advance.









:: Museum Insel

Due to our limited time, we chose to visit just the Pergamon Museum, and were awed by the main exhibitions.



:: Pergamon Museum









:: The Berliner Dom

The impressive Berlin cathedral was our next stop, and it was so worth paying the ticket to visit the interior and climb up to the dome - the views are incredible.







:: Views from the Berliner Dom







:: Kunst Markt

Between the Berliner Dom and Alexander Platz we came across this artsy Kunst Markt, full of creative and original art works.





:: Nikolai Viertel

This reconstructed medieval quarter is lovely and turned out to be one of our favorite places.







:: Alexander Platz and the TV tower

You can see the TV tower from almost anywhere in Berlin. We rested briefly here when returning from Nikolai Viertel and while we decided where to go for dinner nearby.



:: Checkpoint Charlie

I suppose no visit to Berlin is complete without a stop here. I didn't feel like visiting the museum but had to stop by just to take a couple of photos.



:: The Brandenburger Tor

We walked by this Berlin landmark quite a few times. It was always incredibly busy and full of tourists, but in the evening when we were heading back to our hotel it seemed almost peaceful and the light was just magical.