Guest Blog!!! Berlin Details from Jan!!

My friend Jan did an amazing job planning a really fantastic long weekend in Berlin....and he agreed to a guest post to share the details! See below!!! I think you'll see he was a fantastic guide and we saw a lot! (THANK YOU JAN!) (Also it's 11:30 and I've just finished work, so this guest blog comes at a fantastic time!)

Here is Jan reading a map, so I didn't have to. (Such a treat) Below are a smattering of other pictures...more to come on particular themes :-)

Friday, March 28th

Boulevard “Unter den Linden” – Brandenburg Gate – Reichstag (buliding) (residence of the German
parliament (“Bundestag”) – View to the German chancellery and main station – Memorial to the
murdered Jews of Europe – Tiergarten – representation of the state Lower Saxony at the Federal
Government (“Red elephant”) - Potsdamer Platz (Sony Center) – Music theatre “Blue man group” –
Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin (Parliament of the federal state of Berlin) - Exhibition “Topographie of
Terror” – Gendarmenmarkt (square of Konzerthaus and German and French cathedral)

Dinner in Kreuzberg (Turkish restaurant) near underground station “Schlesisches Tor” – Blue man
group at music theatre– Beer in Brauhaus Potsdamer Platz




Saturday, March 29th

S-Bahn from station Friedrichsstraße to Potsdam main station – by bus to Park Sanssoucci – terraces
of Sanssoucci – New chambers – Kitchen, Bakery and vine cellar of Sanssouci – Sanssoucci – Chinese
House – New Palais – by bus to the city centre – Dinner in german restaurant – Osterfeuer with
Glühwein and beer in Volkspark Potsdam (Kleiner Wiesengarten) – Taxi and S-bahn back to Berlin



Additional Details on Royal Palaces and Park Sanssoucci

The royal palaces of Potsdam, mainly built in the 18 th century by Friedrich II. (“the Great”, “Der alte
Fritz”) were residences of the Prussian kings and the german emperors. They are very impressive
buildings with beautiful decorated rooms and halls. We visited four of the palaces:

1. Palace Sanssoussi (without sorrows): The former summer residence of Friedrich II mainly for relaxing
2. New chambers of Sanssoussi: Friedrich’s guest house west of palace Sansoussi
3. Chinese House: Garden pavillon built in Chinese architecture
4. New Palais: A huge palace that should represent Prussian’s power

Permanently, parts of the buildings have to be closed to the public because of restoration reasons.
We had a very long walk in the park and took the bus back to the city centre.

Sunday, March 30th

Boulevard “Unter den Linden” (e.g. Humboldt-University) – Museum Island (Pergamon Museum,
Bode Museum) – New Synagogue (Oranienburger Str.) – Hackesche Höfe – Old National gallery
– Berlin cathedral – Information center „Reconstruction of the Berlin city palace“ - Marx-Engels
Monument – Red Town Hall – Alexandersquare – Nikolai Quarter – East Side Gallery (painted wall)
– Underground from station “Schlesisches Tor” back to the hotel – Osterfeuer at Culture Brewery in
Prenzlauer Berg - Dinner at Austrian restaurant nearby