Berlin impressions (live) (page 2 of 3)

CHECKPOINT CHARLIE

A reconstructed checkpoint with sandbags, this was one of the few crossing points for occupying armies between East and West Berlin.

In front, there’s a large Christmas tree decorated with Ukrainian flags as garlands, and on a nearby street wall, there’s a huge yellow and blue sign—in English and Ukrainian—saying that defending Ukraine means defending freedom and European territorial unity.

It’s one of Berlin’s most touristy spots, surrounded by souvenir shops.

Worth seeing for the history and the symbolism.

JEWISH MUSEUM Free

Long line, whether you booked online or not.

Last spring, I visited the Jewish Museum in Warsaw and found it more beautiful, interactive, and interesting than Berlin’s.

The museum covers Jewish life in Germany through three themes: exile, the Holocaust, and continuity. Don’t miss the Holocaust Tower—a dark, cold space with high concrete walls—or the "Shalekhet" installation on the floor, covered in metal faces.

The building’s architecture is a bit disorienting, but I think it’s very successful.

Right now, there’s an exhibition on Claude Lanzmann and his documentary *Shoah*.

TOPOGRAPHY OF TERROR Free

Packed with tourists (lots of Asians and Italians).

This was where the SS headquarters were located.

Mostly explanatory panels with photos. Since this period of European history is well-documented (books, films, reports, etc.), I didn’t learn much new—Hitler’s cult of personality, concentration camps, shaved-headed women, the Nuremberg Trials, etc.

What struck me was the significant number of female SS officers in the concentration camps. It’s easy to forget that women were part of the SS too, even if their roles were subordinate.

TO BE CONTINUED...

The Christmas markets are closing, but you still stumble upon one because they’re in every neighborhood.

Today I tried "Grünkohl mit Knacker" (smoked sausage with kale that simmers for a long time in a huge flat pot)—it’s not bad, but way too salty.

I also tried fried cauliflower, broccoli, and other veggies served with a choice of sauce (I went for the quark dip). Pretty good!

The "Marzipanstollen"—a Christmas cake with dried fruits, spices, and marzipan—is tasty and lighter than you’d expect.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Two small museums are worth a visit to discover the city from a different angle: the Kreuzberg Museum (free entry) and the Museum of Things.

Kreuzberg Museum This museum tells the story of the Kreuzberg district, known for its diversity and transformations. Photos, models, and films show how the neighborhood has changed over time, with the arrival of new populations and social struggles. The museum also organizes guided walks through the district. Address: Adalbertstraße 95A, 10999 Berlin Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 AM–6 PM Free entry

Museum of Things (Museum der Dinge) Here, everything revolves around everyday objects: packaging, toys, household appliances... The museum shows how these objects have evolved and what they say about our society. It’s simple, clear, and often surprising. Address: Oranienstraße 25, 10999 Berlin Hours: Thursday to Monday, 12 PM–7 PM Admission: around 8 € (reduced 5 €)

These two museums, close to each other in Kreuzberg, can easily be visited in the same day.

Thanks Didier for the museum tips—luckily in Berlin there are plenty of museums to escape the cold!

SCHLOSS CHARLOTTENBURG (CHARLOTTENBURG PALACE) ♥️ 12 € or 19 € for the Old Palace and the New Wing

One of the most beautiful examples of Baroque architecture in Berlin.

The "Golden Gallery" in the New Wing, all gilded, is stunning! In this wing, you’ll find some paintings by Watteau.

There’s a park that must be gorgeous in the warmer months—right now, the small lake is completely frozen.

Tons of tourists at Charlottenburg Palace (lots of Asian, Italian, and Hispanic visitors).

GENDARMENMARKT PLATZ ♥️

A very pretty square where the French Church faces the German Cathedral, with the neoclassical Konzerthaus standing between them.

At the moment, the Christmas market is set up on the square, and entry costs 2 €.

Next to the square, there’s a lovely shop selling handcrafted wooden Christmas decorations. I saw a really nice light-up Christmas pyramid there—medium-sized, it costs 1320 €. They also have other traditional items you won’t find in France.

TO BE CONTINUED...

When it comes to German Christmas market specialties:

Schupfnudeln mit Sauerkraut: "Schupfnudeln" are finger-shaped gnocchi served with sauerkraut and little bacon bits. It’s not haute cuisine, but it’s edible!

Rahmbrot: A slice of bread topped with cream and garnished with onions, herbs, little bacon bits—melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Elisen Lebkuchen: Delicious round spiced cookies with candied fruit, on a thin unleavened wafer (like a communion wafer), and coated with chocolate glaze.

And did you get to try a ....Berliner?

Michel

I’ve known Kennedy’s phrase for a long time (the one you see in tourist souvenir shops), but I didn’t know the connection with the doughnut—your article is really interesting!

I’ve tried this doughnut, but it goes by another name. The first time was at the Christmas market at Alexanderplatz. It was served piping hot (even the jam!), and yesterday, I bought one at a bakery near the Jewish Museum. That one was cold, though. I really like these doughnuts—they’re soft and not too sweet.

Otherwise, bread in Germany is generally really good. Yesterday, I bought a small "flute" with fennel seeds—it was delicious.

For the last day of the year, it's snowing heavily in Berlin. Today, we're rediscovering the city's iconic spots under the snow—there's already a nice layer on the ground! !

Hello,

And which flight is the return on? 🙂 Snow means delays, even in Berlin.

Michel

Hi there,

I’m flying back on Sunday via Amsterdam, and snow isn’t out of the question. Ever since I’ve been here, I’ve had a feeling it might snow—it’s been really cold.

Today, unfortunately, the snow didn’t stick. It turned into freezing rain instead. Too bad, because Berlin under snow is gorgeous!

I found a little Euronews video of Berlin this morning with snowball fights, and I even saw locals with their sleds!

https://youtu.be/P5HH9xEpWTc?si=mmD-L50LQknhJDcc

Today it was really hard to know what was open or not—the official websites didn’t match reality, and museums that were supposed to be open until 4:00 PM were closed all day.

KÖRPER WELTEN (Body Worlds) 19 €

We walk past this museum at Alexanderplatz every day, and today it was one of the few places open all day (until 6:00 PM).

The museum features real human bodies preserved using plastination, a technique invented by a German scientist in 1977. A video shows the entire process, which makes the bodies dry, odorless, and durable.

There have been traveling exhibitions in several countries, and they’ve sometimes sparked controversy over the "commercialization" of these human bodies. Some have claimed they were the bodies of Chinese prisoners who didn’t give their consent.

In Berlin, the first panel of the exhibition—the only one written in French, Chinese, and Russian in addition to English and German—thanks those who donated their bodies and clarifies that these individuals had given their consent.

The exhibition isn’t macabre at all; it’s quite educational. They explain how the brain, blood vessels, muscles, etc., work. There’s even a little booklet in German for kids, "Dr. Junior Quiz Tour." There were quite a few visitors, and I saw a few children.

There are also animal bodies: a yak, a lion attacking an oryx, etc.

For those interested in the subject, there’s a "Plastinarium" you can visit in Guben.

Still, the entry fee is pretty steep since there isn’t all that much to see.

Best to save this visit for the most curious.

Now we're going to enjoy this Berlin night where fireworks are already going off everywhere...

Guten Rutsch !

When it comes to fireworks, the Germans are several levels above the French... Viel Spaß.

Michel

Actually, the fireworks had already started yesterday! But today they’re really ramping up!

For New Year’s Eve in Berlin, the tradition is that everyone sets off firecrackers and fireworks.

We’re staying near Karl Marx Allee, and it was impressive—this morning, we walked up the avenue to Frankfurt Tor, and the sidewalks were littered with remnants of firecrackers and fireworks. There was stuff everywhere...

KARL MARX ALLEE ❤️

I recommend strolling down this avenue to immerse yourself in pre-fall-of-the-Wall East Berlin.

The avenue is striking for its Soviet-style architecture. Starting at Alexanderplatz, right at the beginning of Karl Marx Allee, don’t miss the communist mosaics depicting Science, family life, education, and more...

Nearby, the Moskau restaurant also has a huge, beautiful mosaic, and along the avenue, some building entrances feature mosaics with the hammer and sickle, the arts, etc....

Other buildings have bas-reliefs or Soviet-style statues of workers, mothers with children, and so on...

Opposite the Moskau restaurant, don’t miss the Kino International, another relic from the communist era.

Some signs at the top of certain buildings are also from the communist era. That’s how I spotted a sign for Tatra vehicles, with the logo of a brand that, I think, no longer manufactures them: "LKW Tatra Motokov."

I noticed there’s a Pablo Neruda library on this avenue, named after the Nobel Prize in Literature winner and communist opponent of Pinochet’s dictatorship. In Hispanic countries, many libraries or bookshops bear his name, but I didn’t know there were any in Germany—it’s great! I hope young Germans study and read Neruda.

Along the avenue, there are explanatory panels about the buildings, architects, etc...

GROPIUS BAU ❤️ 15 euros

A beautiful Renaissance-style building that hosts exhibitions and artistic performances.

Right now, there’s an exhibition featuring 455 photos by Diane Arbus, most of which were taken in New York.

There are a few portraits of celebrities: Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, Jayne Mansfield, Mae West in bed with her monkey, Herbert von Karajan and his wife, Marcel Duchamp and his wife, etc...

You’ll also see lots of photos of drag queens, carnival performers, naked families in a nudist camp, elderly New York socialites in fur coats with ridiculous hats and pearl necklaces. There are also many photos of people with Down syndrome.

It’s a stunning retrospective with unseen works by one of the most important photographers of the 20th century.

This exhibition runs until January 18, 2026.

In the same building, there’s an exhibition (free, I think) by Ligia Lewis, a choreographer born in the Dominican Republic, raised in Florida, and now living and working in Berlin.

The exhibition consists of dances projected on a large screen with someone speaking in English over the images. I’ll admit, I didn’t understand anything—neither the visuals nor the words. All I gathered was that it was about slavery.

TO BE CONTINUED...

HAMBURGER BAHNHOF ♥️ 16 euros

A superb contemporary art museum housed in a former train station that connected Berlin to Hamburg. Signs explain that this is the station where the Nazis organized deportations to concentration camps.

Today, you can see high-quality exhibitions in a unique setting. The installation by Czech artist Klara Hosnedlova in the central hall is a marvel: organic-material carpets over 9 meters tall, with songs in a Czech dialect that fit perfectly into the space.

I really loved the opera and enchanting installations by Kosovar artist Petrit Halilaj. Also, the surprising installation by Colombian artist Delcy Morelos—a gigantic block of earth with scents—was fascinating. Nigerian artist Toyin Ojih Odutola’s installation is interesting too, featuring beautiful paintings in an imaginary train station with departure announcements and other station sounds. The French artist Saâdane Afif exhibited all the articles (in various languages) he’s collected about Duchamp’s urinal, filling several walls.

Like any contemporary art museum, there are some incomprehensible or uninteresting works, but it’s a must-see for contemporary art lovers—and architecture enthusiasts too.

HAUPTBAHNHOF

This is Berlin’s main train station, the largest in Europe. It’s also a shopping center, and right now, it’s decorated for Christmas, including a massive tree that nearly reaches the ceiling.

There are several floors, and you can see trains moving above and below you...

The station is packed—it’s a real hive of activity, almost dizzying. The construction stats are staggering too: 11 years of work and a whopping 700 million euros!

If you’re in the area, step inside!

THE CUBE BERLIN

For architecture lovers, this imposing and striking building stands on one of the station’s plazas. It’s said to be Europe’s smartest office building, thanks to its use of natural light, ventilation, and more.

If you’re nearby, don’t miss it!

BIKINI BERLIN

Near KaDeWe, across from the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, there’s this smaller, charming shopping center in a restored historic building with exposed metal beams. For shopping: clothes and upcycled items (Berlin has plenty of secondhand stores), two well-stocked Japanese shops with goods from Japan—dishes, home linens, Japanese books, etc. (some items I couldn’t even identify!). There’s also a stand selling Christmas specialties.

For shopping fans, it’s a great combo with nearby KaDeWe.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Thanks for all the comments about the different spots. It’s making me want to go back to Berlin.

Hi Bluequark,

I don’t know how many days you spent in Berlin, but for me, tomorrow will make it 14 full days here, and I feel like I’ve seen nothing! I’m already thinking about coming back in the spring!

I’ll talk more about it in my wrap-up.

Otherwise, weather-wise, this morning there were a few snowflakes, then some fine freezing rain. There’s still a glacial wind—it’s not great weather for outdoor activities.....

From what I remember, five days. It’s really short. There are so many places you mentioned that I would’ve loved to visit, but we just didn’t have enough time.