Berlin

[MartinGT]

I have just got back from a long weekend in Berlin.

Berliners & Germans on the forum, you should be proud of your city & country, what a fantastic place.

I am already planning my next trip, it was great

 

[Bavarianrider]

You`ve got a have a weird taste budy
Berlin is one big dirty ****hole that gets nothing done and is totally broke.
80% of Germans totally despise that trasch can of a city.

 

[MartinGT]

You`ve got a have a weird taste budy
Berlin is one big dirty ****hole that gets nothing done and is totally broke.
80% of Germans totally despise that trasch can of a city.

Come and vist Leeds

Where would you suggest to visit?

 

[Bavarianrider]

Come and vist Leeds

Where would you suggest to visit?

Doesn'T really matter which big town you wannt to go.
They are all better then Berlin! Not kidding, Berlin is considered a disgrace for Germany by most people outside of Berlin!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Berlin is great for the tourist though, because of the historical significance. It is a living, breathing monument to the excesses, follies and contradictions of the last 200 years, and is without parallel as that. I enjoy the place.

 

[Amsterhammer]

But Berlin is still "eine Reise wert" to most foreigners, if for no other reason than the history of the last quarter century. You may call it a dump, but it is an historic dump with lots of interesting stuff to see.

I only this summer discovered Regensburg, an absolutely stunning medieval town in Bavaria! I fully intend to go back and spend a whole day or two there. Also, there's an Italian ice cream parlor on the main square that sells the darkest, blackest, chocolate ice cream I've ever seen. It was amazing.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

You`ve got a have a weird taste budy
Berlin is one big dirty ****hole that gets nothing done and is totally broke.
80% of Germans totally despise that trasch can of a city.

Trash can of a city?? Ever been to Detroit?

 

[Maxiton]

Detroit looks like Berlin. In 1949 or thereabouts (in other words, after the rubble was cleared away, but before anything was built to replace it).

 

[Bavarianrider]

Trash can of a city?? Ever been to Detroit?

I don't no for other countries.
But within Germany, Berlin is really the most horrible and dirty city!

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

I don't no for other countries.
But within Germany, Berlin is really the most horrible and dirty city!

Next thing you say is it ain't green.
That's also why so many people want to go to university in Berlin, because it's all so nicely grey. Zero trees, zero lakes, zero parks.

 

[Caruut]

I have just got back from a long weekend in Berlin.

Berliners & Germans on the forum, you should be proud of your city & country, what a fantastic place.

I am already planning my next trip, it was great

One of my favourite places.

 

[Caruut]

I don't no for other countries.
But within Germany, Berlin is really the most horrible and dirty city!

Have been to Koln, Munich and Berlin in Germany and Berlin was my favourite. The culture, the history and the slightly hippy nightlife are great. The beer halls in Munich were amazing, sadly I only had three days there and lost one of them to the worst hangover of my life. Koln is strange to visit. The mix of a few bits of old architecture with mostly 50s and 60s is weird to see, especially as a British person knowing why it was all built so recently. Sipping Koelsch outside the bars and watching the world fly by was pretty cool though. Berlin overall out of the three, really unique place. I like dirty, gritty, cities though.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Have been to Koln, Munich and Berlin in Germany and Berlin was my favourite. The culture, the history and the slightly hippy nightlife are great. The beer halls in Munich were amazing, sadly I only had three days there and lost one of them to the worst hangover of my life. Koln is strange to visit. The mix of a few bits of old architecture with mostly 50s and 60s is weird to see, especially as a British person knowing why it was all built so recently. Sipping Koelsch outside the bars and watching the world fly by was pretty cool though. Berlin overall out of the three, really unique place. I like dirty, gritty, cities though.

dirty, gritty cities you say? Indian cities esp mumbai? Mate, i don't think you will like it that much

 

[Christian]

I must say from the few German cities that I have been to Berlin is my favourite one. I went there twice, once in 2008 and once this June.

In 2008 there was a place called "Tacheles" that was still open. That was one of the most amazing places I have ever been to. Unfortunately, now it has closed.

The partying scene is absurdly wild. There are still clubs in abandoned warehouses, "impromptu" parties in empty swimming pools, under bridges, in squats ... Of course I know that most of this is rather fake and commercialized nowadays, but it still gives you a small taste of what it must have been like in the early 1990's. In general it is much too hip for me though. Everyone is so incredibly hip that as a non-Berliner you can't help but feel way too lame in comparison.

The historic sites are unique. Personally I recommend the Bernauer Strasse, where the wall is still almost untouched. In June I went to the Treptower Park, where there is a HUGE Sovjet monument, neatly taken care of every day. That is very impressive to see.

I would love to go see the Teufelsberg, where there is a huge abandoned US-espionage complex from the cold war. There have been organised tours for 2 years now but people have been going there illegaly for decades so it must look pretty cool. You can also visit the Olympic Village of 1936 (?), which also seems quite impressive, but I believe it is a bit outside of the city.

So in general I would say it is a fun city in the sense that there are many unconventional things for visitors to do, that other cities might not offer. But I would not want to live there. In general, I am more of a francophile though so that doesn't have anything to do with Berlin in specific.

I think German Band Kraftklub got it spot on: "Even though other cities suck, I don't want to go to Berlin"

 

[Descender]

Best capital city I've been to.

 

[Black-Balled]

I also loved Berlin. can't say it is definitely my favorite Euro city, but it might be.

I think Bavarianrider needs to get out a bit more.

 

[Descender]

Doesn'T really matter which big town you wannt to go.
They are all better then Berlin! Not kidding, Berlin is considered a disgrace for Germany by most people outside of Berlin!

That is not true... some people dislike Berlin, and many others like it.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

I would love to go see the Teufelsberg, where there is a huge abandoned US-espionage complex from the cold war. There have been organised tours for 2 years now but people have been going there illegaly for decades so it must look pretty cool. You can also visit the Olympic Village of 1936 (?), which also seems quite impressive, but I believe it is a bit outside of the city.

Go there. It is and has always been illegal to enter the hilltop complex, but as long as there are holes in the fence and the security personnel's only in spotty attendance you should try to get in there. Who knows how long it will stay like this. You'll meet the strangest people you can imagine there: hippies, UFO freaks, teenage dope smokers, kissing couples... and the views over the Grunewald and the rest of Berlin is fantastic.

http://s7.directupload.net/images/120930/7d2fsjrq.jpg

And in regard to the discussion here: Berlin is the only place in Germany worth living at. Especially western Germans aren't in love with the city as it's still too new for them. They barely visit the former GDR part of Germany. Their loss.

 

[Christian]

Go there. It is and has always been illegal to enter the hilltop complex, but as long as there are holes in the fence and the security personnel's only in spotty attendance you should try to get in there. Who knows how long it will stay like this. You'll meet the strangest people you can imagine there: hippies, UFO freaks, teenage dope smokers, kissing couples... and the views over the Grunewald and the rest of Berlin is fantastic.

http://s7.directupload.net/images/120930/7d2fsjrq.jpg

Thanks for the lively descriptions! But from what I understand, there are legal tours of the complex that you can go on now. This is rather new, I think maybe 2 years. I wanted to do it when I was there last time but didn't get around to it ...

Here is the link:

http://www.berlinsightout.de/englisch.htm

 

[SafeBet]

dirty, gritty cities you say? Indian cities esp mumbai? Mate, i don't think you will like it that much

Benares beats them all.

I dig Berlin. I've got a few friends living there so I've had the chance to visit several times. Sure it is dirtier and less efficient than most german cities but there are plenty of beautiful places to chill out. Arts and architectures are appealing. Nightlife is varied and sometimes wild. Plus it's a very cheap city for western european standards.