One of the more beautiful train stations in Berlin. Emerging from underground and coming out of…read morethis amazing building, and then walking on the square almost feels like going back in time. Love it.

The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church was heavily bombed towards the end of war. What's left, is a…read moreliving memorial to the violence and destruction that the allies wrought upon this city. This church was a casualty but also a focal point for Berliners to rebuild. Sadly, when it comes to churches, everyone has their own opinion... which is why today, the ruins stand as a testimony to the destruction of the Second World War. But! The citizens did build a beautiful Kirche next to the ruins. The discussions are ongoing, on the next phase of the rebuild. Some eighty-five years after the end of the fighting. See the many, many photos of both the New, and old Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche. The new octagon sanctuary is magnificent! May I suggest you plan your visit around enjoying its beauty, splendor and peaceful solitude. You'll thank me later.

This is a review of the buildings and their setting alone; I'm not reviewing the church as a…read moreworshiping, political, or theological body. If you visit Berlin, you must visit the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. The old church was built in the 1890s and largely destroyed by Allied bombing in 1943 during World War II. Like St. Nicholas Church in Hamburg, the ruins of the old church have been preserved as both a memorial and a statement against war and its devastating effects on society. Locally, it's referred to as The Hollow Tooth. The ruins are striking from a distance--especially the damaged spire--but they have removed the other parts of the church at very right angles so that when you're standing right next it, it doesn't feel like the result of bombing but, rather, construction. The new church's horrid bell tower and main building itself being right next to the old church (on either side) doesn't help either. Inside the old church, there are informational panels about the history and destruction of the church. There are also three important artifacts: a damaged statue and two crosses. The statue is of Jesus, and it used to be on the main altar of the church before it was destroyed. The first cross is made of nails that came directly from the roof of Coventry Cathedral in England, which was damaged by German bombing in 1940; there's so much symbology, both secular and religious, in the fact that the German damage to a British church became a gift of peace to a German church damaged by British bombs. The second cross is an icon donated by the Russian Orthodox Church, also highly theologically charged, as Soviet forces obliterated large eastern portions of the city (and raped scores of German women) during the Battle of Berlin, which ended the war in Europe but also led to the partition of the city between east and west and further untold suffering of its civilian population; in my mind, this cross is less an expression of pure solidarity among nations and more solidarity among different sects of Christianity, as the Soviet Union was officially an atheist country that was virulently and violently anti-religious, and it actively repressed the Russian Orthodox Church and all other churches. (One of my great uncles [probably technically a cousin] was a Jesuit priest who survived being sent to the labor camps in Siberia.) From the outside, the new church is only interesting because of its scale. A totally random visitor might ask Why did they build such a huge boxy glass thing right next to this old ruin, and what's inside? When I first went inside, though, it was one of the most striking transitions I've ever experienced, and I've been to many churches. The stained-glass windows comprise these tiny square panes, which you can see from the outside but which look like plain glass blocks rather than beautiful liturgical art. And maybe that's the point; Jesus didn't come as a conquering king but as the child of a poor family. What looks ugly and plain from the outside is breathtaking inside. It's a good reminder for all of us, especially those of educated in Jesuit institutions, to find God in all things, no matter how off-putting or insignificant-seeming. The floor tile is also beautiful and really well done. Almost everything about the interior of the new church is interesting at first and even better when you've spent some time looking at it. The old and new churches have a prominent location on the Kurfürstendamm, a huge street with lots of shops in Breitscheidplatz, south of the world-famous zoo. When the city was still divided, this was Berlin's city center, but within all of reunited Berlin, it's part of the Zoo Quarter, which is in the western part of the city. It still feels important, but I can imagine that especially at the height of the Cold War the damaged church spire was a constant reminder of what could happen again at any moment. As it's easy to imagine, damaged buildings require a great deal of maintenance so that they don't collapse completely. In another sign of former enemies reconciling, one of the champions of raising money to maintain the old church's structural integrity was Charles Jeffrey Gray, a former British bomber pilot who flew bombing raids over Berlin during World War II.

As plazas go in Berlin, this one has a lot of good and a fair bit of bad…read more The good is the size of the space and the traffic that wanders through, The bad is the serious lack of soul and warmth, and a church from the modernist era that really does not do justice to the ruin it accompanies. The Plaza: A place where many paths cross, transit brings the masses and shopping and street kiosks do everything possible to provide the shopper with places to spend money. The Europa Center anchors the East side, providing a time capsule of 1980s cheesy architecture, a funky fountain and a generally lackluster facade taken up with (mostly) signs for the businesses that inhabit that space. The Kaiser Church ruin: One really wishes there was more space around the tower so that it stood silent testament to the horrors of war, and the end result of an overwrought militarism. But no, there are these two carbuncles attached to it. One is locally called the 'pillbox' and in any other place would be pretty cool. Actually, if he pillbox was alone, it would be acceptable... but no... it has a companion. A tower called locally called "the lipstick tube", and it has about that much character, It blocks a side of the broken tower, and thats a pity. And inside its base is a really tacky shop selling imported crap. Yeah, great way to honor the purpose of the church and the ruin. Fail. Entry into the ruin and church are free, as they should be. The west side is mostly forgettable, as are the buildings on the north and south. This place combines amazing traffic with lackluster architecture to succeed in spite of itself. Its a place with people - lots of them - but go on a Sunday, when its almost empty, and see just how bland and uninspired that space really is.

This is a mid range hotel in the Accor family, situated on Wittenberplatz in Berlin. Location is…read moreexcellent: close to the Metro station, the large KaDeWe department store, and the shops along Kleiststrasse. There are a handful of reasonably priced restaurants by the entrance of the hotel. It is located in part of a much larger building, occupying most of the upper floors, but rooms can have views over the front, rear or the side streets. The decor is unashamedly modern, and we found our room - a standard Queen bedded room with sofa - to be very comfortable. The decor is muted in browns and greens, the only jarring note being with a large signature picture of a Lolita-esque young woman over the bed and on the shower screen, which was a bit overpowering. The room itself was very clean, and it had everything we needed. Tea and coffee making facilities are provided, still and sparkling water is replenished daily, there's a safe, hairdryer and TV, and the shower has both rainforest and ordinary showerhead options. The only downside was that the heating and air-conditioning is centrally controlled, which means only heating in winter and air-conditioning in summer. As we were here in April, this meant that, when our room got warm in the evening, there was no way of really cooling it down. We could open the windows during the day, but street noise would prevent sleep at night. The temperature control is also set between 20C and 24C, and I prefer a rather cooler bedroom in which to sleep. So it was warmer than I would prefer. The huge bed was very comfy, though. The major plus was having very nice and friendly staff, who were unfailingly helpful. Breakfast (buffet) is over €20, so we chose to eat out in the mornings at one of the nearby cafés. Overall, we would be happy to stay there again.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here! A very upscale boutique hotel without over paying. It has a…read morefashion theme which is very cool and even an on-site bar and restaurant. The location is perfect- in a high traffic area just steps away from restaurants, gay bars, the tube station and more! The room was a nice size- very large for Europe. We heard no noises in the room and it got very dark and the AC could go very cold- I've never slept better! There is 1 free still and sparkling water in the fridge. There is a scary picture of a "model" above the bed that just stares...if that's not bad enough she's in the bathroom, just staring a judging while you shower and so your business haha. The water pressure could be better but there's a hand held that increases the flow and settings. We signed up for the rewards and got a 2-for-1 breakfast buffet at the hotel (normal €18pp). It was soooo good! A lot of healthy, endless options! Make your own yogurt, with granola, fruits, eggs, bacon, pastries, pancakes, frittatas, all types of fresh squeezed juices and hot teas and the best espresso machine I've ever seen! Just click what you want and WAH-LA! It knows how much cream/foam/espresso, etc to make he perfect, fresh cup....I need to save up for one at home! It even has a section for espresso beans, regular coffee beans and chocolate (for mochas or hot cocoa)... :insert break while I clean up my drool: There is a wait staff to clear your dirty dishes and the food was hot and fresh. Even worth it if we had paid full price. I hope this hotel isn't just in Berlin as they have my business for the future!

Wow, what was that two days ago? First, I thought someone got slaughtered!…read more I have never seen you flooded with strawberry red water before, dear World Fountain! What a sensation!! I wanted to tear off my clothes and jump into your rushing and gushing liquid surrealism, but managed to pull myself together before turning into a public nuisance ;OD! I do not know why you did it, but, please, do it again! I love to get hypnotized!! Maybe a different colour every week? I am sure you can wear them all!

CSD (Christopher Street day) is the day that the community of LGBT people all get together, to be…read morepride and walk long the city. That's the gay pride parade in Germany. Usually depend on which city you are, the date of CSD also will be different. At the very beginning, just like most of the gay pride. It was more a political movement. Though time, the political message is less than before, more tend to the celebration direction. For some people may dislike the present gay pride or CSD. But personally I still find it brilliant. The concept and the meaning behind it still have impact to the people. I mean, more and more people be proud of who they are and celebrating it with other. It's definitely a good thing. I have been to the CSD in Berlin serval times now. There is quite a lot going on inside parade. It totally Just don't miss out the fallen gifts from the sky. It totally depend on yourself if you want to walk with different parties or just be an audience. That's kinda a special part of the CSD. I have tied them both. My experience is, if you don't mind the crowd and the loud music. The walk with the people, it really cool experience, they offer you a pair ear plus anyway, when you need them. If you don't like these two but still want to have a look or celebrate with others. Being an audience isn't a bad idea either. And don't look up for the fallen gift from the sky. It's quite nice that they let people just join if want. The CSD is definitely one of the biggest events of the gay sense in Berlin. It usually starts in June. Every year it offer something new and of course some parts are the same. And this is the place you can dress up or to be yourself freely. And people are really kind and friendly. Don't be afraid, if you find something or someone interested, want a photo or make a conversation with. Just go there, simply say hi.

Very convenient location near multiple train lines (regional and local), restaurants, and sites…read more Nice lobby with the expected service, very good. Professional and well trained staff from the valet to the reception. Fresh baked cookies and water for guests in the lobby. The only time eating at the restaurant was for breakfast, but it was very good. Great buffet offering and a pretty good menu to order from too. The nice local touch was the apple strudel with vanilla cream sauce. Sooooo good. Very classy, nice bar but it's a separate business even though it's attached and accessible through the lobby. Well appointed room with a very comfortable bed. Shower has two heads and great pressure. Instant hot water. Turn down service is always nice.

A very spacious and beautiful hotel. Easy access to the U and S Bahn stations. Safe area. Very…read moreclean hotel, amazing shower head! Did not get to use the bathtub. The breakfast buffet was extremely comprehensive and delicious! Nice service.

One of The free but awesome places in this extremely commercialized area. Love The exotic Birds and…read moreThe huge Berlin bear Statue . Good Place for a relaxed lunch break Or a sunday breakfast in one of The small Restaurants.

Excellent Berlin hotel, located close to Zoo station, Ku'damm shopping area, and the Tiergarten…read more Friendly, engaging staff are always ready to offer suggestions on tours, places to see, go, etc, as well as meet your customer experience expectations. The restaurant is large, well appointed, with knowledgeable servers. Food is A-1. Breakfast is the usual buffet-style but offers a huge range to suit all tastes, allergies, special requirements, etc. Bedrooms are modern, well-equipped with sufficient power outlets for the business traveller, and fast, free wi-fi. Bathrooms were large, spacious, spotless. In all this is an excellent choice for the business or personal vacationer to opt for.

This Wyndham hotel is definitely in a great location located just southwest of Tiergarten and…read morewalking distance to the zoo. They have a small parking garage off which 6 slots are dedicated to hotel staff. Parking costs €19 per day, and you can get an in and out ticket for daily use if you plan on seeing things faster away (Brandenburg Tor is 3.5km away). Besides the hotel restaurant there are tons of excellent dining options within walking distance. The hotel entrance and lobby is very attractive. The front desk staff attentive, friendly, and polite. No issues using our Wyndham Rewards program to pay for our 3 night stay. The rooms are small. A king bed is actually two singles pushed together, which leaves little open space. The bathroom is a closet (when they remodeled the bathroom it would have been better to remove the decades old and extremely narrow tub to create a shower stall instead). The roomsize would have been better if they used a queen bed in stead of two singles. There is a mini bar fridge that is stocked with the typical over priced drinks. Take a 5 minute walk west there is a grocery store under there banhof bridge. The rooms use your keycard to run the lights and AC. Recommend getting an extra keycard and leave it in the slot for electric, otherwise the room gets very muggy and stale. The hallway carpet on the 5th floor is extremely worn, stained, dirty, and musty (biggest negative during stay). 4 stars start Minus 0.5 star for gross hall carpet. Minus 0.5 star for room setup / size. I would use this location again.