This is one of those grand European architectural locations. Once you get anywhere near this area,…read morewhat you will find are great cathedrals, beautiful buildings, and a very large square. The center point of this area is the large square. My suggestion is that you go and stand in the center of it, look around, and study its true uniqueness. What you will experience is one of the best places to view the grandeur of historic Berlin. Around this very large square, what you will find, (occasionally), is that they will have marketplaces. These marketplaces are usually seasonally orientated. Meaning, if it's Christmas season, you will find a great selection of Christmas orientated items. The main reason you come here is not so much simply to go shopping or dining, of which there are a lot of places to check out around the surrounding area, but to go inside some of the structures, and truly bask in the architectural glory of the statues, the way the buildings were constructed, and all of that kind of stuff. This isn't really a highly-touristy Berlin location. Which, is a good thing. Meaning, you can come here and really bask in a historic Berlin, which is deeply rooted in history. It will provide you with the true flavor and culture of Berlin. Overall, I would suggest that you do go here. You just need to know what to expect. There's not necessarily a lot to do, unless you truly appreciate the finer elements of architecture. But, it's a great place to visit.

One visits Gendarmenmarkt to take in the local flavor. There are beautiful buildings and sculptures…read moreto view and appreciate. People come here to hang out with their families and loved ones. I especially enjoyed looking at the expressions on the faces of the sculptures within the gates of the church. The artist truly captures a feeling. I walked here from the hotel I was staying at and enjoyed lunch in the immediate vicinity. It is a place to visit when in Berlin.

Rathaus Schöneberg is the city hall that in charge of the Schöneberg district. When it comes to…read morecivil services like identification, marriage registration and others, people will need to come here for that. The city hall building might look quite simple outside, but it has rich history. Former U.S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was here, as he was making his speech back then. Inside the city hall, there is Paternoster lift which still working. If you have the chance, give it try and snap some pictures for memories, but be careful with it. It also holds a flea market at the weekend in front of the buidling and a gorgeous park next to, to have a walk.

The Schoeneberg City Hall is famous for the being the place where JFK delivered his "Ich bin ein…read moreBerliner" speech in 1963. It also contains the Freiheitsglocke - the Freedom Bell, a gift from the American government - which is rung everyday at noon. The City Hall also has an exhibition called "Wir waren Nachbarn - Biografien juedischer Zeitzeugen" (in English: We Were Neighbors Once - Biographies of Jews in Schoeneberg and Tempelhof under the Nazi Regime), which contains biographies of Jews from the Schoeneberg and Tempelhof neighborhoods of Berlin. [The biographies were in German - only a few had short English translations contained within.] An interesting place to explore if you're in the Schoeneberg area.

Absurd is the first word that comes to Mind when recalling…read morethe ATMAN exhibition. For several reasons. First because of the incompetence of the staff and their attitude. The overweight women there didn't seem to serve much purpose at all, and when asked if there was a possibility to get a drink of water they would huff and puff and say there is nothing there. Ironic as they were sitting at the counter above which a sign saying "Wasser €0.50" was prominently displayed. But enough about the fat ladies and let me tell you about the exhibition itself. As said. Absurd. Unless of course you feel like communing with 20 other strangers in utter silence pretending to be sheep. Here's the concept: a dozen fairly good 2m/2m portraits are displayed in each a different room. In total darkness. You cannot utter a single word. You must stay with the crowd of strangers at all times and the aforementioned flock of sheep will stand one meter from the picture. So 25 people (1.8m tall) standing one meter from a 2 meter picture... I let you imagine the quality of the viewing. Sod it. I came for the pictures so I skip ahead to see them with the appropriate quality of viewing. Only to be severely reprimanded by the fat lady (the one with the moustache) for straying away by myself. I am sure the artist meant these pictures to be seen. Not guessed. What a waste of good work.

From the owner: Wir sind Gestalter eines Ortes, der durch Kreativität und Kultur geprägt ist und sich durch eine…read moreumweltbewusste Positionierung hervorhebt. Dabei verstehen wir uns als pulsierende Insel in einem großstädtischen Gewerbegebiet, die zu unkonventionellem Denken einlädt. Die gründerzeitlichen Klinkerbauten versprühen an allen Ecken ihren besonderen Charme und bieten Raum für neue Impulse und kreativen Dialog. Mit viel persönlichem Einsatz kümmern wir uns täglich um unsere Besucher, unsere Mieter und um die "große Rote".

A powerful site that you can feel the chill running down your spine. Was here on a raining morning…read moreand it was just a site. No names no words but just that...just wow!

Another day in Berlin and another museum reminding us all about World War II and the Holocaust…read more It's free, but you have to wait to get in. They let you in in staggered blocks. If you see a long line, just get on it. It moves quickly. Much of the staff is multilingual, too. I saw the young people working the ropes talking to people from all over Europe in their own languages. Outside there is a staggeringly large monument of large grey slabs. Some are leaning, and I'm not sure if it is intentional or due to disrepair and the elements. What I do know is it is a kind of maze which people seem to mainly use to play hide and seek or do parkour on, even though it's a museum dedicated to the Jews murdered in Europe. Kind of sad to witness. Inside is a large multi room museum documenting personal stories with various types of exhibits of the people rounded up, killed, or the few who survived. There are readings of testimonials of survivors of the camps that you can listen to on phones in the wall. It's very depressing but oh so important. And considering how much antisemitism there is in the world today and how trendy it is, it was somewhat moving to see so many people who wanted to come in and get educated on the horrors the Jews went through in World War II Germany. A really important part of history well told. Check it out and then you can walk over and see a bunch of tourist stuff like Brandenberg Gate and the Reichstag. You'll probably need a drink, but it is definitely worth checking out. Especially if you have a teenager and especially if you are Jewish yourself.

This was an amazing place to visit. We did not pay for the guided tour, but we did walk around and…read moreinside the church to see the amazing architecture, including what was destroyed in war and rebuilt. It was very interesting to see the lasting cracks and damage. The inside of the church has information about the church's history that you can read at your own pace for free. We also visited the chapel, which was beautiful.

While we were in Germany for the Berlin Marathon we had a chance to explore and visit the Kaiser…read moreWilhelm Memorial Church. It's over 100 years old and was badly damaged during the WW2 allied bombings. Amazing that it's still standing and is a reminder of such a terrible time in history. There is a newer more modern looking addition that is actively used and we viewed a listing of events and times to attend. We didn't have a chance to do these as we were on a tour with a quick stop here. Just from the outside you can view the remnants of the church, some sculptures, art pieces, and information. Some of the original church was rebuilt and restored and it's a beautiful piece of architecture. Definitely worth a visit if you're a history buff.