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Things to see in Berlin
#1
I'm off to Berlin today until later in the week and will do a fair amount of site-seeing. Bit last minute, but I thought I'd ask for later: what should I definitely see in terms of the museums? I plan on going to the Pergamon museum and pillaging it with my camera, but where else should I consider visiting?
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#2
Quote:I plan on going to the Pergamon museum and pillaging it with my camera, but where else should I consider visiting?
The Berliner Unterwelten are spectacular.

Of the big museums, the Pergamon Museum is a must, but it is crowded and the guards haven't improved their old GDR manners. The Neues Museum is overestimated; the Altes Museum is partly closed, but what is open is superb; the Bode Museum is a delight. My reviews here.

There's a small museum for the Kennedies, opposite the Brandenburger Tor; nicer than you'd think. The GDR Museum is to be avoided at all costs. Do not forget Sony Plaza (cinema in original language), the Gemäldegalerie and the Bendlerblock (Von Stauffenberg).

Make a walk along the Schinkel monuments. The man was a genius, and if you start at the Opernplatz, continue to the Friedrichswerdersche Kirche, cross the Schloßbrücke , see the Altes Museum, return over the bridge, and look at the Neue Wache, you've seen five of his finest works. The restaurants opposite the Neue Wache are excellent and not expensive.

The Jewish Museum is overestimated. The pretentious building creates a sense of chaos that distracts from the objects. Nearby Checkpoint Charlie - well, go there if you haven't seen it; otherwise, no longer worth a detour. (Although I had to smile when I noticed that the Kochstrasse is now called Rudi Duschke Strasse. Axl Springer's HQs are now in a street named after the man who was nearly killed by Springer's newspaper.) The Zeughaus might have been interesting if they had allowed the designers to follow up the advise that "in der Beschränkung zeigt sich erst der Meister". In other words: too big.

Plus this, from an earlier thread.
Jona Lendering
Relevance is the enemy of history
My website
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#3
Thanks for the advice, Jona. It came in very handy. I made sure to see the museums on the island. I was surprised by the national art gallery as there wasn't anything there I was familiar with, but I decided to go simply because I had a 3-day pass. There is quite a bit there that caught my eye. However, it's a shame that so much is closed for remodeling at practically all five major musuems. I was hoping to see all the Pergamene arms reliefs, but unfortunately only half were out and much of the Greek section was closed. I was very happy, however, to see the Caesar portrait at the Altes museum. Much of the works there are so much nicer to see in person and there are a number of gems of which I had no idea existed -- such as the Roman trophy model.

The Schinkel monuments are great to see. So much of the architecture in the city is just incredible to look at whether it is the Altes museum or even the new train station. I missed my chance for the Berliner Unterwelten and the ridiculous prices for the stamps at Checkpoint Charlie turned me off. The general demeanor of the guards at the museums were as you described. The only truly nice one was the incredibly gay guard with the Pride pin who checked my bag at the Pergamon museum. If more like him were staffed there, it would have been an overall better experience.

If there is one thing I have certainly taken away from Berlin is that the food there is fantastic. There is this pizza place called Ron Telesky's, which is a sort of "Canadian-style" pizza. Absolutely incredibly. Never thought I would pour maple syrup on pizza, but it works.
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