The best way to see any European country is really by train. Germany has good trains and is more enjoyable if you "leave the driving" to the efficient, comfortable train system. You can purchase a rail pass to suit your time and needs. Particularly good is the German Rail Pass which provides you with any 4 to 10 days unlimited train travel in a month, anywhere on the national rail networks of Germany. It has an added value of being good for free or discounted travel on certain Europa Buses and steamers.
So buy this rail pass and go! Remember, you can adjust your schedule anytime within the month to stay longer or leave earlier from any network train station. A few places you might consider:
BERLIN: In the days of a divided Berlin, the main station for Western visitors was Zoo, named because of its proximity to the famed Zoologischer Garten. While the Ostbahnhoff (East Station) has pretty much taken over as the main station, the neighborhood around Zoo remains more lively and interesting to tourists. With restaurants, hotels, shopping and parks all nearby and a quick link to the Berlin Metro (subway), this seems the most sensible one to use as your disembarkation point.
Berlin, the capital and the biggest city in Germany, has a population of about 3.5 million and an excellent variety of destinations for the curious tourist. The Museumsinsel, (Museum Island), dating back to the 1830′s and in the historic city center, offers some excellent museums including: the Altes Museum (classical antiquities); Alte Nationalgalerie (picture gallery); Bode Museum; Museum of Antiquities and Byzantine Art, Neues Museum of Egyptian and pre and early history and the Pergamon Museum, (classical antiquities).
An alternative West Berlin Museum area developed in the 1960′s when Berlin’s older art institutions lay behind the Wall, is situated in the Potsdamer Platz area. This complex includes the Neue Nationalgalerie (National Gallery), Gemalde Galerie (Picture Gallery completed in 1998), Kunstbibliothek (Art Library), Kupferstichkabinett (Museum of Prints and Drawings), Staatsbibliothek (State Library). A third museum complex, the Dahlem, houses collections of extra-European art, under one roof: Museum of Indian Art, Museum of East Asian Art and the Museum of European Cultures. If museums are your fascination, you’ll spend a few days enjoying Berlin’s museums. Be warned, however, that most museums in Berlin are closed on Monday.
You can enjoy quite a few walking tours throughout the city: The Government Precinct Tour, Wall Tour, Alexanderplatz to Pariser Platz, Adenauerplatz to Wittenbergplatz or around the Royal Palace. Maps, suggestions and details can be found at:
http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de
Don’t forget to visit the Berlin Zoo which has quite an extensive range of species and was initially constructed in 1841 on the site of a former royal pheasant run. There is an aquarium and the whole area provides interesting and informative glimpses into history.
Getting Here and Away by Train – Berlin
