"K2T Wisata"
Berlin is a big city where there is a lot to discover. Even after living there for months, or sometimes years, you will realize there is still always something new to see, a concert to attend, an exhibit you have not yet visited or an area you have not toured.
But what if you are only taking a
trip to Berlin for a weekend or just a couple of days? With
low cost airlines putting up all their winter season specials and promotions, you may find yourself all of a sudden booking a flight to Berlin and a
hotel in Berlin, and planning tourism in the city without knowing what to expect.
Berlin is a German city, the capital of Germany, but many say it is completely different from the rest of Germany. It is a city that is all about history, with its rich past including the rising and falling of the Berlin wall, and the city being the main division and joint at the same time for the former Eastern Germany and Western Germany.
Aside from history, Berlin is also about art, about being able to express oneself and free to do so. Many move to Berlin because they feel like they can be more free, accepted and tolerated when living in Berlin, since it is a very diverse and cosmopolitan city.
The aspect of the city is very eclectic, combining traditional historical architecture and huge old buildings with more modern and functional architecture of recent times. The combination of both styles has not been planned or carefully studied, but is the result of the transformations and modernization of the city, so it is a good way to track how Berlin moved from the past into the XXI century.
If you are interested in the city’s history, its past and its present, but you do not have much time to see it all, you might be interested in our Berlin Half-Day Sightseeing Tour and GDR Museum, which will give you a chance to see the best of Berlin in a 3-hour long tour in Berlin. This way, you only need to allow half a day of your visit to see the best of tourism in Berlin.
We meet after breakfast, 10 in the morning in the
Kurfurstendamm/corner Rankestrasse – opposite the
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. The Kurfurstendamm – or Ku’damn, as known by the locals – is considered the Champs-Élysées of Berlin and is, therefore, one of its most famous streets. If arriving by metro –the
Berliner U-Bahn – take the exit in Kurfurstendamm or the one in Zoologischer Garden.
From there we hop on our bus for a comprehensive morning guided tour in Berlin, seeing its most iconic attractions and landmarks. Our fully narrated tour will first take you to the Branderburg Gate – in German, Brandenburger Tor – an old entrance to the city of Berlin, built in the late 18th century resembling the main entrance of the Acropolis of Athens, and one of the main symbols of both Berlin and Germany.
We will next visit the
Reichstag, which houses the German Bundestag -Parliament and the Federal Government-. Since 1999 it houses the Parliament, and features a cupola from where those who visit the Reichstag can see Parliament workers in action at their main hall – a symbol of the government’s transparency.
Checkpoint Charlie will be our next stop. You have probably heard that name already, as it is the most renowned crossing point for the former Berlin Wall, which was only used – during the Cold War – by the Allies, the military, foreigners, GDR officials and employees of the Permanent Representation; but it was also the scenery of spectacular escape attempts from Eastern to Western Germany.
We will from there ride through Berlin to the Tiegarten. Get to know the largest park in Berlin and, if you are lucky to take the tour on a sunny or warm day, you will see Berliners walking around, enjoying the sun, chatting, on a picnic or doing sports in all parts of the 210 hectares that are part of this urban oasis.
From the Tiegarten we will ride to Potsdamer Platz – in English, Potsdam Square. A very popular attraction of the modern Berlin, also called the “New Berlin”, Potsdam Square is surrounded by big modern buildings, as well as a great variety of restaurants, shops, theatres and cinemas.
Continuing with the modern parts of Berlin we will next visit the city’s main boulevard, Unter den Linden, and learn about the origin of its name, which in English means “under the linden trees”. This iconic boulevard in central Mitte district is a great place for shopping, with the major commercial stores and famous shopping malls located on both sides of the road.
Our tour will then conclude with a visit to the GDR Museum. If you are fascinated by the history of the city of Berlin and the former division between Eastern and Western Germany, then this museum is for you, as it is dedicated to the history of the former German Democratic Republic – Eastern Germany – showing you what life was like in this former socialist state.
The GDR Museum is also considered the most interactive museum of Berlin, so you can really get hands-on and experience history by exploring each of the rooms. You will be able to zap TV channels to see East or West German programs, open drawers, look behind cupboards and try the engine of an old “Trabant” car from Eastern Germany.
With a combination of sightseeing and museums, our tour in Berlin is the perfect introduction of the city to first-time visitors.
