I am taking a trip to Berlin with a friend in March. What are some things to do, and to avoid? We also might be taking a side trip to munich, so anything to do there would be good too.
Thanks, Dopers
A freind of mine lived in Berlin for almost a year, and sent me a very comprehensive walking tour and to-do list. Email me (see my profile) and I’ll forward it to you so you see if it’s your thing.
I especially enjoyed the Tiergarten, the Reichstag and its observation dome, and the transit system.
In Munich, the Englisher Garten is worth a look, and I highly recommend the Deutches Museum if you’re interested in any kind of technology at all. Munich is also famous for its glockenspiel - a very elaborate cuckoo clocktower. The open-air markets are definitely worth checking out - the Viktualienmarkt especially.
Du sollst etwas machen 
Drink beer. Lots of it. In Berlin, there is a weird thing where they add flavor shots to beer… One is raspberry, and red, and the other? Well, I think it’s Waldmeister, which is terribly nondescript. It reminds me of lime jello with whipped cream. Odd, but they’re good. Different from regular beer, but not necessarily better.
Eat a lot of food. I didn’t find a single thing there that I did not like. Those Germans can cook.
Go to a leather bar, or a crazy sex place like in Eurotrip.
What? It looked funny when it happened to him.
Actually, the Vandersexxx was in Amsterdam. Well, crap.
What to do in Berlin? That is like asking what is there to do in New York City…
You can pretty much do anything in Berlin…the only city in Europe with 24 hour bars that never have to close, with more bridges that Venice, lots of parks and waterways, great museums, theater, opera, sex shows/clubs, night clubs, discos, shopping (you HAVE to go to KaDeWe, a department store that makes Bloomingdales look like Walgreens…hit the top floors for the food and drink area), plus there are all kinds of interesting historical tours, lots of cafes with lots of young folks hanging around talking politics (I wouldn’t advise wearing your American flag on your backpack these days)…let’s see, there is also an abundance of funky clothing shops, great cheap restaurants with food from around the world, a great subway/bus system, art gallaries…
…or you could just get rip roaring drunk and wake up with a tattoo and somebody named Lola in bed next to you.
The one thing hard to do in Berlin is to be bored.
Berlin is one of my favorite cities. Drink lots of beer, try the currywurst, and just walk around and get lost in the city. It’s impossible not to have a good time in Berlin.
(Berlin is not the only city in Europe with 24-hour bars. Budapest has plenty of them, and I’m sure there other cities across Europe which do, too.)
What’s so exciting there? I didn’t enjoy it much because I didn’t have any way of cooking whatever I would have bought.
The natural history and technical museums in Berlin are decent but not spectacular. There’s a good musical instrument museum and a film museum at the Potsdamerplatz. I’m not sure how the weather will be by March, but there are a few companies doing bicycle tours, which would be a good way to learn your way around. Depending on your age, Checkpoint Charlie and the preserved sections of the wall can be pretty damn good reminders of how screwed up that city was in the not-too-distant past.
(During the airlift, did they fly the garbage out or just chuck it over the wall? I forgot to ask.)
In Munich, definitely the Deutches Museum.
I liked the Pergamon Museum and all the artifacts they looted from the Middle East in the early 20th century.
Pergamon Museum - definitely. Keep your eyes open around that neighborhood, you will see buildings that still have unrepaired bullet hole damage from WW2.
http://www.berlin.de/visitorsguide/Museums/ancient/index.html
Potsdam - it’s an all day trip, but well worth the effort.
Checkpoint Charlie - see the last remaining part of the Belin wall. There’s also a museum nearby, I found to be interesting, although somewhat depressing.
http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/history/checkpoint-charlie.htm
http://www.mauer-museum.com/index-english.html
The Brandenburg Gate - plenty of activity around here, especially during the weekend. Walk from Eest to Wast Berlin through the gate, it’s a luxury many people didn’t have for many years.
http://www.berlin-landmarks.com/brandenburg_gate.html
In general:
http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/index.en.php
Get daily or weekly passes for the mass transit, it’s easier than buying a ticket ever time. Ride the subway, it’s clean, quiet and safe.
Eest to Wast Berlin??? :smack:
You might try the Hofbräu House in Munich. And if you have time I would definitly reccomend the Hofbräu House.
I second this! 6 floors of shopping shopping shopping!
You can get some decent souveniers here, but there are other places that offer more and a better price. But you have to get something from here. It is required.
I liked their toy department and right next to it is their hair salon, where mr. Ujest took our bob-cut little girl and got her a short and very sassy euro-cut style that everyone says it is oooooh, so ca-ute!
I have a special place in my heart for this overpriced place. It is the Disney for shoppers . All s’s would be spelled with an $.
Go to Humbolt University. It’s where Einstein, Lennon (the other one), Marx ( the other one) and a bunch of other smarties went. When we were there in August of last year they had a lovely display in the main entryway ( that is huge) of the Brothers Grimm’s stuff. It was really cool and there is a small gift shop to the left tucked away in a small room. Buy something, wouldja
Oh, and there are museums and parks and stuff too. I feel so shallow.
You were really there? Seriously? Who said anything about taking food home to cook? You didn’t happen to notice about 100 areas where you could drink beer right there, or try Le Notre French pastry, or sample one of about 400 different kinds of salamis, or see fruits and vegetables you have never even seen before, let alone eat, or go to the chocolate candy section or, or the wine street…and that is on only 1 of the two top floors.