Berlin - can you take my breath away?

[andymackem]

It seems I'm heading to Germany in November and willl be passing a weekend in Berlin. Suggestions on good places to stay / things to do would be appreciated.

As luck would have it Qntal are playing, which takes care of one evening.

Speaking German is not one of my talents, so keep it visual, eh?

[canon docre]

Wot? Mr. Mackem invades Berlin?

*trembles in fear, then runs away to make a quick call to gather our former allies - close the Berlin wall - get a new airlift on duty to feed fellow Berliners - ducks and covers herself in the Luftschutzbunker.*

[andymackem]

Not a bad plan. If you bring the Russians back I'll have someone to talk to. I like your thinking

[markfiend]

My catch-all German phrase: "Es tut mir leid; ich spreche nur ein bisschen Deutsch"

Pronunciation guide: "Ess toot meer light; ish spre-sher noor an biss-shen doitch" (roughly)

Works wonders.

[andymackem]

More wonders than 'zwei weltkreig und eine weltclasse'?

My Germany stretches all the way from Bayern to Munich, but I gather beer sounds much the same in either language.

[timsinister]

You're really sick of this island, aren't you?

Envious old me. Have a great time, please don't start a War.

[boudicca]

I'd dearly, dearly love to go myself, but haven't been so far.

However, I believe there is some wall or something that you might wanna check out...

[andymackem]

I thought the Scorpions single-handedly demolished the wall with their Winds of Change a few years back.

Maybe there's still a breezeblock or two left.

[markfiend]

There's a few bits left here and there.

[Mrs RicheyJames]

Haven't been since I was five. So can't help you really!!!

Unless you want to go the the swings?

[aims]

My catch-all German phrase: "Es tut mir leid; ich spreche nur ein bisschen Deutsch"

Pronunciation guide: "Ess toot meer light; ish spre-sher noor an biss-shen doitch" (roughly)

Works wonders.

Unlike my naive "Es tut mir leid, aber ich spreche kein Deutsch"

Needless to say, they didn't believe me

[markfiend]

"Es tut mir leid, aber ich spreche kein Deutsch"

Funny that. I'm sorry, but I don't speak any English.

[aims]

Exactly.

It was followed by a swift "Also, ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch, aber nicht viel" once the game was up

[markfiend]

Works for me.

[andymackem]

A rare lapse into relevance: is Schoenenfeld Airport anywhere near Berlin? The budget carriers seem to like it, which makes me fear it's on the outskirts of Gdansk or something.

I'm still recovering from the plane that claimed to be going to Bratislava Vienna from Stansted last week.

[markfiend]

When I went we flew to Schoenenfeld (courtesy of sleazyjet). It cost 40 Euros by taxi from there to the city centre.

[boudicca]

I thought the Scorpions single-handedly demolished the wall with their Winds of Change a few years back.

I've heard David Hasselhoff pretty much taking the credit for the collapse of Communism in East Germany by releasing some soft-rock ditty or other...

Some people just shouldn't be allowed to live.

[canon docre]

A rare lapse into relevance: is Schoenenfeld Airport anywhere near Berlin? The budget carriers seem to like it, which makes me fear it's on the outskirts of Gdansk or something.

I'm still recovering from the plane that claimed to be going to Bratislava Vienna from Stansted last week.

Yes, Schönefeld in the outskirts of Berlin, but the only place where the low costs carriers are landing. As MF said, 40 Euro is the cab price, but there should be some dodgy trains to the city too.

re. "things to do": I don't know what exactly you're looking for. If you're up for the g*th- hangouts, I researched not so long ago some hotspots for the Black Alices. If you're looking for something else, I'm sure, I can find whatever fits your particular likings.

[andymackem]

Dodgy trains are fine. I'm an expert in dodgy trains. Knowing what I'm looking for is more of a challenge, but you don't need to know about the rest of my life.

Depending on my time away from work I may only have one evening (gig) and two pretty full days (early morning flight Friday, late night departure Saturday). I know next to nothing of Germany; certainly nothing outside of doing 20th-century European history at school (how to demonise a nation in one easy step!).

I'm not really a goth (would 'goth-curious' sound too dodgy?) and have a lingering post-Cold War fascination with Eastern Europe which suggests I've arrived in Berlin at least a decade too late.

This isn't helping at all, is it!

[Delilah]

A rare lapse into relevance: is Schoenenfeld Airport anywhere near Berlin? The budget carriers seem to like it, which makes me fear it's on the outskirts of Gdansk or something.

no, I flew from Schonefield back to the Stansted after my crazy birthday weekend in April. It is about 40 mins from the City on the train (S-bahn). Trains are very frequent, the airport is towards the East Berlin (but it seem you don't mind East, Andy ). I got there 3 hours too early, having some nice German boys on my mind, so I forgot that my plane was at 9:25 not 6:25, haha! And speaking of Gdans - it is a very beautiful city, let me know when you fancy a trip to Poland and I can show you around!

I'm still recovering from the plane that claimed to be going to Bratislava Vienna from Stansted last week.

was it the famous SKYEUROPE?

[pikkrong]

Berlin is great
Kreuzberg in the night Even if you are walking some kilometres (with your heavy suit-case) to find the place to stay (and in the morning, before 6, again the same way to Ostbahnhof) - as I did. I'm not ironic. That was really nice prologue to my Sisters tour. Lovely Floodland-views from the bridge which name I have forgotten

[Planet Dave]

Berlin is indeed a marvellous city

Not that i can remember too much more than christmas lights and the relaxed atmosphere in Cafe Zapata.

And some stout blokes with lots of fire and leather.

[canon docre]

Dodgy trains are fine. I'm an expert in dodgy trains. Knowing what I'm looking for is more of a challenge, but you don't need to know about the rest of my life.

Depending on my time away from work I may only have one evening (gig) and two pretty full days (early morning flight Friday, late night departure Saturday). I know next to nothing of Germany; certainly nothing outside of doing 20th-century European history at school (how to demonise a nation in one easy step!).

I'm not really a goth (would 'goth-curious' sound too dodgy?) and have a lingering post-Cold War fascination with Eastern Europe which suggests I've arrived in Berlin at least a decade too late.

This isn't helping at all, is it!

Here's my schedule to your stay:

Day 1:
Early flight in.
Trying to find your way from the airport to town for the next couple of hours.
Arrival at venue later afternoon.
Getting fascinated by the post Cold War Eastern Europe looks around K17.
Curiously watching the incoming goths for the gig.

Day 2:
sleep long, then head to the airport.

[Black Alice]

I have to agree that Berlin is a great city. It is far greener than you would expect (well - if you didn't know that it is built in a valley over an underground river..............which we didn't until a very nice taxi driver told us )..

If you want clubs to go to - even if you're "goth curious" rather than "goth" - Duncker is excellent for a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday; K17 for the rest of the week.

East Berlin is really interesting - if a little devoid of people

West Berlin is good for shopping (except goth shopping - you have to go east for that).

Go to Check Point Charlie - there's also a museum there.


Any further details needed - pm me

We really enjoyed ourselves - in fact, we're going back in October. But we are goths and went for the goth clubs and goth shops (of which there are plenty and they are good).

Oh..............and the people are really lovely

[andymackem]

Well, flights are now booked. A punitively early departure on Friday Nov 11, and a return at 10pm on the Saturday. All for just £33, and no need to break into holiday time.

With my growing enthusiasm for bands like Qntal, DL, Helium Vola etc, some hints on places to acquire armfuls of CDs from these and similar groups would be welcomed. For some reason Lonely Planet is silent on such things.

Cheap central accommodation tips would be handy as well, though I'm debating ditching the idea of a hotel and just stopping out all night.

@ Delilah: oddly enough I was looking at going to Poland next year to visit some people I met while I was travelling. Warsaw and Bialystock (and whatever the country park near the Belarussian border is called), probably. Don't know much about Gdansk apart from shipyards and Solidarity, but might swing through Sopot since it's Southend's twin town. Quite fancy ducking into Belarus and Kaliningrad as well, just because they are there.