One of my favorite Christmas markets in Berlin. I would say it's one of the top Christmas markets…read morein Berlin. Perfect example of how a Christmas market should be. It has a cosey and warm feeling to it. Nothing tasteless or cheesy about it. Location is ideal as well. Definitely make sure to explore the community. Beautiful area, it has so much to see. The best time to come to Berlin is during winter for the (Christmas Markets) or during Autumn, Spring, and Summer as well.

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.

Berliner Dom ist sehr groß und schön. We came here on our visit to Berlin. Walking from the Silent…read moreLibrary, on the Humboldt University campus, down Unter den Linden to the historical Cölln district of old Berlin. Given our family members who are clergy, we seem to visit churches wherever we go. But the Berliner Dom is special. It's to the former DDR credit that they allowed for its rebuilding in the 1950-60s. But for me, it's their music program and pipe organs that are most impressive. JS Bach also played here in the early 1700s and his sheet music was on display on our visit. See photos.

Beautiful and the biggest church in Berlin located on the museum island. It is very massive both…read moreoutside and inside...you have to pay for entrance and you can climb to the top to see 360 degree view of Berlin, worth it but it's 267 steps each way..no bathroom so go before climbing. Somehow I was there and there was a mass in German an I stayed 1/2 way and it was lovely. I'm not a church person but do appreciate the service. The building, the decor, the history itself is worth to check it out for sure. There are plenty of crypts within the church so you can check them outs along with shop and café upon exiting.

We thought long and hard about visiting this site…read more But for all the self agonizing, it was all for naught. Since today, it's just a gravel parking lot, for some local apartments. There are some signs you can read, which discuss the events of April 30th,1945. They have also put up some architectural drawings, of what Dear Leader's bunker looked like down below. So feel free to come here and as one Yelper puts it, walk all over his grave. But if may suggest, afterwards... please walk down to the Jewish Memorial (about 50 meters) and offer up a prayer of remembrance for all those who lost their lives. Nie wieder!

The fuhrer bunker is a must see when in Berlin but little to no effort has been put into telling…read morethe story. Many tourists stop here, some in organized groups, but there is really just a simple sign detailing what occurred here. This is all potential and should be improved, however I am mindful that, as a matter of public policy, the government does not wish to appear to be glorifying the issue.

We thoroughly enjoyed viewing the Fernsehturm from outside and seeing the views offered from the…read moreinside! Inside there are photos with points of interest numbered so you can look for specific Berlin landmarks from above. Going inside and up was very easy. We already had tickets we bought online, so we got in line for security as soon as we went in. Security was quick and kind, much like airport security. We were able to get on the elevator to go up almost immediately after security too. It was a bit busy up there, but there was more than enough room to walk around the entire viewing area and look for each point of interest we wanted to search for. We didn't have a long wait to get back into the elevator to go down when we were done either. There is a small store inside you can buy a souvenir from if you choose.

Although it's a complete tourist trap, when in Berlin, yes, I recommend visiting the Berliner…read moreFernsehturm. You cannot avoid seeing it from anywhere in Berlin. There is only one entrance, and you can purchase tickets on site. It cost $34.50 Euros for a standard ticket, which I felt is a little pricey. They search for weapons before you get in the elevator. If you look up while going up in the elevator, you get an interesting view of the interior. Once you get out of the elevator, you are allowed to roam all around and get a view of all of Berlin. There is also a bar, where I purchased a Latte Macchiato and Salzige Brezel. Even though my drink was machine made, it wasn't bad. The salted pretzel, however, was the driest pretzel I've ever eaten. The bartender was friendly, but a little slow. Seating is very limited. Only a handful of stools. After heading down in the elevator, I perused the gift shop. Didn't purchase anything though.

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.

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.

Yelp asks "How would I rate my experience here and how many Stars would I give it?" After a couple…read moreof thousand reviews, I find we were completely speechless here. Later in our Viking trip, we visited both Birkenau and Auschwitz. Those visits and here, are bookends to horrors of hate and the decent into humanities worst period of cannibalisms. I phrase it like that, because the people of that period, consumed and devoured the living nightmare of hate, as if it was to purge the world of group(s) of people they just didn't like, didn't understand and wanted to eradicate. So this place is a memorial of their memory, but also a reminder of what happens, when we allow Hate to devour our humanity and our souls. Five Stars and hopefully, never again! But I/we know better.... Seattle, Christopher Straße Tag...

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.