Advice for Berlin trip over Christmas

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condyk

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Dave
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I have a bit of a European cities thing going on every Christmas and for 2016 have booked Berlin. Am staying near the Gendarmenmarkt on Charlottenstrasse. Nice and central location and transport looks good so pretty flexible about where to go.

Am keen to get any advice from anyone who's been, i.e. good places to shoot, eat, drink coffee, visit and hints around usual tourist stuff to make life easier. I tend to like 'gritty urban' scenes, but will shoot anything interesting!
 
Hi Dave its been 26 years since I left Berlin (it was in 2 parts then) I would say there is loads to shoot from the Holocaust Memorial, Brandenburg Gate, if any of the wall still standing? just fund this web site

forgot about the Olympic Stadium

http://www.timeout.com/berlin/en
 
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+1 for Brandenburg gate and Holocaust memorial, still lookout towers and graffiti ridden wall, but these are all now regular tourist venues.

Trying to find something a bit diiferent is the challenge.
 
Kingo46 said:
Hi Dave its been 26 years since I left Berlin (it was in 2 parts then) I would say there is loads to shoot from the Holocaust Memorial, Brandenburg Gate, if any of the wall still standing? just fund this web site

forgot about the Olympic Stadium

http://www.timeout.com/berlin/en
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Yeah, good link that. Got a few interesting places as well as the usual. The Olympic Stadium was recommended by my nephew. Looks a great photo opp.

shreds said:
+1 for Brandenburg gate and Holocaust memorial, still lookout towers and graffiti ridden wall, but these are all now regular tourist venues.

Trying to find something a bit diiferent is the challenge.
Click to expand...

Agree, it's like everything has been seen and shot. But still looks a great city to visit even if the camera stays in the bag.
 
There have been a few similar threads about Berlin, it's one of my favourite cities - hopefully going back for a couple of weeks later this year..

Summary of some personal top tips (based on summer visits) off the top of my head:
  • Book a dinner in the revolving restaurant of the Fernsehturm, fantastic experience and the food is excellent <- this is my #1 must do tip
  • The best view of the city is from the observation deck of Park Inn, Alexanderplatz. Walk straight through the foyer, take the lift to the top,follow the signs up a couple of flights of stairs. Wrap up warm,it's open air.
  • There's a small alley to the right of Hackesche Höfe that has some decent graffiti and an alternative art shop, cinema, cafe and bar
  • Kreuzkoelln (the border area between Kreuzberg and Neukoelln) is a fairly happening place that's worth an explore
  • Beelitz Heilstätten is s short train journey away, been a couple of years since I was last there but it's been an urbex legend for a decade - be very careful
  • Every underground station is visually unique, do look around you when using public transport as some of them are very pretty
  • Lots of films have been shot in Berlin, these provide some useful location inspiration
  • If Berliner Unterwelten (http://berliner-unterwelten.de/) are running tours whilst you're there they are very interesting - no photography though
 
That's a great list Alastair and will definitely look into the Fernsehturm option. Thanks so much.
 
Ha, ha ... that Spreepark is just so up my street! Added to the list!
 
It's been on my to do list for my past 2 trips to Berlin, but the nightlife always gets in the way!!!

I'll be very jealous if you make it there and pretty keen to see your shots! There's some info at the bottom of the page so make sure you give it a read as there's some tips for getting in and avoiding security. Good luck!!
 
Jonesy83 said:
Also, if you fancy dodging some security guards and going to see a creepy abandoned theme park that belongs in a scooby doo cartoon then check out Spreepark......

http://www.abandonedberlin.com/2010/04/spreepark-and-how-to-get-in.html
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They've been running tours of Spreepark for the past few years, no need to dodge guards - and I think the plan is for the park to open properly again later this year. They've been doing a lot of tidying from the reports I've seen.

They were also running tours charging for admission at Tuefelsberg the last time I was in Berlin.

The Irish Berliner's site is well worth several evenings of reading,www.abandonedberlin.com - just go careful relying on the older reports if they've not been updated.
 
All noted Alastair and much appreciated!
 
Alastair said:
They've been running tours of Spreepark for the past few years, no need to dodge guards - and I think the plan is for the park to open properly again later this year. They've been doing a lot of tidying from the reports I've seen.

They were also running tours charging for admission at Tuefelsberg the last time I was in Berlin.

The Irish Berliner's site is well worth several evenings of reading,www.abandonedberlin.com - just go careful relying on the older reports if they've not been updated.
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I thought the tours had stopped recently? And that they were a bit restrictive as to where you could and couldn't go on them. I don't live in Berlin so can't say for sure, but a mate who's there thought that the tours had stopped as the lady who used to run them (who is a daughter to the original owners) is no longer living on the site? I heard that the land had been bought by the govt and was going to redeveloped at some point, although I have no clue on a time line or how accurate what I've just typed is!
 
Jonesy83 said:
I thought the tours had stopped recently? And that they were a bit restrictive as to where you could and couldn't go on them. I don't live in Berlin so can't say for sure, but a mate who's there thought that the tours had stopped as the lady who used to run them (who is a daughter to the original owners) is no longer living on the site? I heard that the land had been bought by the govt and was going to redeveloped at some point, although I have no clue on a time line or how accurate what I've just typed is!
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I'll hopefully be in Berlin later in the year so I can check in person. It's getting complicated with Spreepark since the city bought it and set up a company to run it, plus the recent pictures I've seen suggest that there are active construction/maintenance works ongoing so the usual fence-hopping guides are probably out-of-date. Last time I was there, there was a choice between the tours operated by the family (which had a habit of being cancelled at the very last minute) and occasional open days that were parts of the discussions around the future of the park. The latest reports I've read suggest that the park will be open in the summer under the new company the city council set-up. If all the works go to plan. But things never go to plan in Berlin, and the whole city has been a building site since reunification with no end in sight!

The Bourne films are a really good source of interesting locations in Berlin, particularly The Bourne Supremacy where the city doubles for most of the locations seen in the film - http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/b/bourne_sup_1.html#.VyOCrTArJhF - places like the Messe are off the tourist trail but have some fascinating architecture, and the Funkturm at the Messe is on my list for my next visit as it was closed when I was last in the city.
 
Thanks again ... the more I read the more I wonder why I have never bothered going before. It seems an outstanding visit for photographers. Every Christmas when I go away there's always been somewhere cheaper to fly to in Europe and where nicer hotels are available at better prices. This year, £370 flight and 5 nights in a 4* place right in the middle of things is as good a deal as I've ever got elsewhere, so really looking forward to December! Just hope the weather is OK ...
 
Where are you staying? - my favourite hotel is Hotel Upstalsboom in Friedrichshain, good area of town (former east, not the modern centre), with plenty of cheap eats around and good travel options via Warschauer Strasse and Frankfurter Tor. Bounce it off Hotels.de and the usual travel comparison sites for a deal. You can generally get ten days in Berlin (including flights) for less than a long weekend somewhere in the UK.
 
B\ooked at the Novum Winters Hotel Gendarmenmarkt at Charlottenstr. 66, Mitte for five nights. Modern, easy, free wifi, good sound proofing! Seems a fairly safe bet. There's plenty of choice for sure and decent standard at OK prices. Lots of food options nearby. Key for me is top quality coffee/diner kinda place for breakfast and then I'm set for the day!
 
ear plugs for when your trying to sleep. A 24hr city.
A lovely photographic mecca for any photographer. Try a boat trip and just walk
 
Cheers ... always carry ear-plugs. I used to do a lot of freelance work in London staying 3-4 nights a week in cheap hotels with wafer-thin walls! I learnt quickly :-) Boat trip isn't something I've considered but will look into it.
 
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