Can anyone advise please?

Question

Im off to Berlin soon and wondered if someone could advise the best central area to stay in. How about things to do? I like to eat out in nice restaurants. Like the culture and so would appreciate if you could advise some of the sights to see. Much Obliged.

Answer 1

Affordable restaurants can be found all over the city. It is known for not being too pricey. You can find good food and different cuisines in the most unlikely places, e.g. great oriental food in Bergmannstrasse in Kreuzberg. The most central districts are Mitte (which also means "middle"/center), Kreuzberg, Schöneberg and parts of Wilmersdorf and Friedrichshain. Since a lot of the sites - such as the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, museum island etc. - are in Mitte, staying there would be a good idea. For authentic dinners and going for a drink in a nice pub or bar, I would recommend strolling through Friedrichshain, e.g. Simon-Dach-Strasse. Hackescher Markt and Oranienburger Strasse are also always busy, but more "touristy". Steer clear of the Ku'damm (short for Kurfürstendamm) area. Way too expensive and boring in my opinion (but go have a look anyway just to make sure you saw it)! Another great place I like to hang out in the summer is the Café am neuen See. It's a lovely beergarden with yummy beers and all sorts of food (from German to Italian......the pizzas are HUGE and delicious!) in the middle of the Tiergarten (=park) close to the station Zoologischer Garten. Have fun and enjoy!

PS: I'm sorry if rhirhi has made bad experiences with the locals in Berlin not speaking English, but I personally know many people there who speak English very well and tourists are always welcome. You don't need to speak German as a tourist in Berlin (of course a "danke" or "bitte" is always appreciated, but not expected), so don't worry, you'll get by!

Answer 2

Hi check out this site

http://www.berlin-economy-hotels.com/sig...

Berlin is a very pretty country but I hope you speak the language, as they are not the most helpful, I lived there for a year, not my most favourite country.

Answer 3

I lived and worked in Berlin for seven years. I'm native German from Bavaria, and I tried to give some advice here on how and where to stay in Berlin. It all boils out to just one thing:

Go there. See for yourself. Find out.

Berlin is not a dangerous city, in no way. Just to remind you: I lived there seven years, and when I got there, I did know nothing about it. I just found out. And like in every big city, you'll have to find out which neighborhood suits you best and is the most to your liking.

The pretty thing about Berlin is that you can do that without any serious danger. So go there, and enjoy.

Answer 4

Berlin has no real central area, it is very spread out and a bit of a working class city. Your are more likely to find good and cheap food in small, unpretentious restaurants in side alleys than upper class restaurants, although that is changing with all the yuppies swarming the city.

Make sure you stay close to an S-Bahn or U-Bahn station and inside the S-Bahn ring (Berlin transport zone A.).

Mitte (City) would be good for your needs as well as the area of Charlottenburg that is relatively close to Zoo train station.

Personally however I would prefer to stay in the area around Ostbahnhof or Warschauer Strasse or around Friedrichstrasse and take the S-Bahn or the U-Bahn to the places for dining out.