BERLIN
I have always snubbed it after seeing documentaries, photos, stories, etc..
then the moment came, thanks to the proximity to Poland which I had chosen for my new trip to Eastern Europe.
I must admit that I was an idiot because Berlin is perhaps the most beautiful and interesting European city.
My daughter visited it the other year and immediately told me that she wants to settle in Berlin to live in that a city which, moreover, offers young people not only entertainment but also good opportunities for work or study.
And today I agree with you, if I were your good age, I too would try to go and live in this fabulous capital.
Why? Because Berlin is the city at the forefront of everything and it is very liveable, very pleasant, not at all stressful like other European cities, no chaos, no impossible traffic, no bad air and instead a multi-ethnic, open city, at the top for every aspect of modern life, well organized and administered, with cycle paths on every street (and I am a fanatic of bicycle transport which I practice on the few paths in Milan), a city alive from a cultural point of view and with great architecture with the best professionals who they expressed themselves at their best in this enormous construction site which took over after the collapse of the wall.
I lived there for 5 days in a grand way, arriving from the splendid Krakow, one of the most beautiful European cities, so I was very demanding in this regard, but Berlin It didn't disappoint me, in fact it pleasantly surprised me.
It's the second largest city in the world after Los Angeles, which I know very well but which is much inferior in many ways.
I'll start by saying that I love Los Angeles for certain aspects, but Berlin has entered me more, perhaps because European culture is far superior to American culture, which is more interested in business and appearances than in real culture.
I tried to compare it to the most beautiful city in the world, Paris, but Berlin comes out the winner even though I was in Paris way back in 1969 and then in 1979 so I haven't seen the latest modernizations, like LES HALLES.
Berlin has the Spree which is more beautiful than the Seine, it has museums such as the Pergamon and the Neues Museum plus the Bodemuseum and others on Berlin's museum island which overall are superior to the Louvre.
If Paris has Pigalle and Montmartre, Berlin responds in a big way with Kreuzberg, Schoneberg and Preslauer Berg.
If Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Berlin has the TV Tower, symbol of the GDR, former Eastern Germany.
And if Paris has Versailles and Fointenbleau, Berlin has the castles of Charlottenburg and those of Sans Souci and Neues Palais in Potzdam at a 'hour by metro.
And if Paris has Les Halles (which I haven't seen), Berlin has Potsdamer Platz which is a triumph of modern architecture of excellent taste thanks also to our architect Renzo Piano but also many others world-famous.
What about a city that makes everything very easy and organized with the usual German scruple and precision but which at the same time is crazy and alternative as experienced in Kreuzberg, triumph of multi-ethnicity, of murals, of pubs, of music of every taste, of various kinds of locations, to the point that crowds of young people from tourist circuits but also limousines of the usual eccentrics who have to get noticed but who cannot ignore visiting even the neighborhood properly lacquered and luxurious.
There are places in Kreuzberg that have sent me into raptures. Luckily I was staying at the Motel One in Moritzplatz adjacent to Orianenstrasse, the liveliest street full of clubs and pubs where the nightlife pulsates.
There are Indian, Nepalese and Chinese clubs with lights and statues of Buddha and Krishna in a triumph of lights and special effects and then Mexican restaurants and others with Bohemian chandeliers and soft lighting. I remember the simple but evocative Buccaneer housed in a deep old courtyard, with a torch-lit entrance bridge and a hippie atmosphere, a huge neighboring and looming building but with an impressive mural for customers to admire the same or the starry sky sitting on comfortable deck chairs, sipping a cocktail or a beer while listening to impressive rock notes.
Berlin has a particular charm along the Spree, its river which passes through various bends the most beautiful areas of the metropolis.
Boats sail there carrying hundreds of tourists who want to enjoy the beautiful city from the river while others remain on the banks sitting in deckchairs enjoying the river breeze and the surrounding green parks.
But let's get to architectural Berlin and artistic that make up the lion's share: the Berlin Cathedral, although quite recent, makes a good impression with its imposing appearance, like the famous Brandenburg Gate and the futuristic squares of Postdamer Platz and Alexander Platz in which international architects of great prestige such as our Renzo expressed themselves at their best Piano.
They are not the usual impersonal skyscrapers of New York or Shanghai, but the incomparable taste of marrying modern and slender forms of glass and steel with a mix of lawns in which Berliners sunbathe, of trees growing in the middle of the concrete, open spaces with fountains, restaurants, theatres, 3D cinemas, in short, a living environment adapted to the needs of the passing citizen or tourist.
And if we want to talk about shows, performances, concerts, Berlin is second to none. Classical music is queen, but so are musicals. Friedrichstrasse, the central street of boutiques and large banks, is home to the Friedrichpalais where every evening you can admire great shows that have nothing to envy of the Crazy Horse or the Lido in Paris.
There are also various musicals scheduled : Dirty dancing at Postdamer Platz, the musical "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles and arriving on July 15th, CABARET with Tippy to recall the great film with Liza Minnelli.
Let's enter into the dramatic memory of the holocaust
Berlin also remembers and honors the millions of fallen soldiers with the recent monument in front of the German Parliament, then the wall of the Jewish ghetto and an adjacent photographic exhibition.
If we talk about museums, already mentioned, the Pergamon Museuem is the absolute king with the white marble altar of the Greek colony of Pergamon on the Turkish coast overlooking Greece with Troy to the north and Ephesus to the south.
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The bas-reliefs and white statues dating back to 180-150 BC are exceptional such as the Babylonian gate of Ishtar in light blue and yellow with depictions of various animals and then the imposing gate of Miletus and the sumptuous wooden walls decoration of a Syrian noble house in Aleppo. For those who are fond of archaeology, the best museum in the world, even superior to the famous British Museum in London.
Then go north-east and find the splendid district of Preslauer Berg in the east Berlin. All pastel colored houses, boutiques, Italian restaurants, in short, great class around Kolwitz Platz and Schoenhauser Allee and another area of evening and night entertainment.
Or you change area and land in Schoneberg, a central but also high class residential area with classic style buildings, tree-lined avenues, shopping streets such as Kurfurstendamm and the gay district with its meeting places, bars and restaurants that make Berlin capital one of the busiest metropolises by this community.
In Berlin I was able to see the retrospective dedicated to the great painter FRIDA KAHLO with all her paintings, clothes, personal photos and the documented story of her life.
There was close to this exhibition, near Postdamer Platz a large photographic exhibition on the Holocaust next to the wall of the Jewish ghetto.
In the center of Friedrichstrasse there is the famous Check Point Charlie with the photo of the American and Russian soldier, the flags and two boys in American military uniform which lend themselves to photos with tourists.
Not far away there is a fragment of the wall and in the middle of a green lawn the base of the wall marked by stones.
In Warschauer Strasse about a kilometer of the wall remained which was completely covered with colorful and artistic murals, one of the most spectacular things in Berlin.
Murals are found everywhere in Kreuzberg, on the lower floors of houses, including entrance doors and in facades without floor-to-ceiling windows.
The Pergamon it is the most important museum in Berlin. It contains the white marble altar dating back to 180-150 BC of Pergamon, a Greek colony in Asia Minor, the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, the Gate of Miletus, the walls of a beautiful decorated and colored wooden room from Aleppo and many other artefacts from Asia Minor and the Middle East.
Another stage of the visit leads to the German Parliament, an enormous classical building with a hemispherical dome of glass and steel which can be explored inside in the circulate while listening on headphones to a 360° description of what can be seen outside the city panorama as well as information on German political life and the activity of parliament.
The view of Berlin is even greater if seen from the TV tower which in the visitable sphere reaches a height of 200 metres, symbol and pride of the former DDR.
Nearby is the old town hall in red bricks and the new one in white stone.
Another obligatory stop is the Gendarmenmark square with the statue of Schiller and the classical buildings of such fine workmanship that it is compared in beauty to Piazza Navona in Rome.< br />Friedrichstrasse is the street of fashion boutiques and home to the big banks.
Other famous streets are the Kurfurstendamm, a lively shopping street and Unter den Linden, that is, under the lime trees, the trees that embellish its long route that arrives at the Brandenburg Gate, symbol of Berlin and meeting place for major events such as the New Year's Eve.
Another important square is Alexander Platz which competes with Potsdamer Platz for the grandeur of its modern buildings .
Around the Parliament there are various embassies which are housed in buildings of great visual impact.
In the Tiergarten park you can admire the halfway point of the 17th June road which crosses it all up to the castle of Charlottenburg, the decorated column which carries the statue of the victorious goddess, Siegesaule, now under restoration.
At the eastern edge of the park there are the botanical gardens and the largest zoo in Europe, made famous by the film, " The girl from the Berlin zoo".
But with all the heat I encountered and after the many kilometers traveled on the bicycle I had rented for three days, I found moments of refreshment and rest in the parks where Berliners sunbathe (some even naked) or along the cool banks of the Spree.
In the last few days, having left my bike behind, I have traveled around Berlin by underground U-bahn and surface S-bahn, all excellently connected with the usual great order and German precision. I think there are about ten subway lines and many more external ones, making it easy to reach any destination in the enormous city which in terms of size is second only to Los Angeles.
You can get there in less than an hour in the nearby city of Potsdam, full of parks, churches and historic buildings such as the Prussian castle of Sans Souci and the Neues Palace built by Frederick II who is the most celebrated and remembered historical figure with many equestrian statues throughout Berlin as well as in Potsdam.
Halfway between Berlin and Potsdam you can go down to the beautiful Waansee lake which has a beautiful and large sandy beach and which allows Berliners to swim and cool off in its waters, even naked because there is a sector for naturist swimmers.
To the south, however, there are the enormous swimming pools of Neukoelln, with park and slide, tree-lined lawns and refreshment areas.
In short, Berlin is ready to satisfy every need and is not expensive.
Yes you can travel around the entire transport network with the day pass for 6 euros, you can have a snack based on the classic frankfurter with sandwich, mustard or ketchup for 2.5 euros. A beer at a bar and restaurant costs around 3.5 euros, but many people buy it in the many drinks shops that give it to you cold for 1.20 euros.
A meal in a restaurant with a single dish of meat and potatoes and vegetables with beer costs around 10-12 euros.
For a hotel room you spend from 50 euros up, but in a hostel in the dormitories you can sleep for 10-20 euros.
I stayed at the Motel One in Moritzplatz bordering Orianenstrasse which is the street in Kreuzberg full of pubs and various places for nightlife.
I paid 49 euros for a double room with air conditioning, TV, internal bathroom with shower, all of excellent quality comparable to a 3 star hotel but even more.
The rental of the bike for 3 days cost me 30 euros, the entrance to the two museums 14 euros with a combined ticket.
Another 10 euros for the visit to the tower while the visit to the German Parliament is free.
I hope I haven't forgotten anything and I haven't repeated myself as sometimes happens in the enthusiasm of the story.
< br />This two-week holiday in Poland and Berlin cost me around 1,000 euros, three flights included, two of which with Ryanair (Bergamo-Krakow and Berlin-Bergamo) at around 50 euros per flight and one with Berlinair (Krakow -Berlin) for 80 euros
then the moment came, thanks to the proximity to Poland which I had chosen for my new trip to Eastern Europe.
I must admit that I was an idiot because Berlin is perhaps the most beautiful and interesting European city.
My daughter visited it the other year and immediately told me that she wants to settle in Berlin to live in that a city which, moreover, offers young people not only entertainment but also good opportunities for work or study.
And today I agree with you, if I were your good age, I too would try to go and live in this fabulous capital.
Why? Because Berlin is the city at the forefront of everything and it is very liveable, very pleasant, not at all stressful like other European cities, no chaos, no impossible traffic, no bad air and instead a multi-ethnic, open city, at the top for every aspect of modern life, well organized and administered, with cycle paths on every street (and I am a fanatic of bicycle transport which I practice on the few paths in Milan), a city alive from a cultural point of view and with great architecture with the best professionals who they expressed themselves at their best in this enormous construction site which took over after the collapse of the wall.
I lived there for 5 days in a grand way, arriving from the splendid Krakow, one of the most beautiful European cities, so I was very demanding in this regard, but Berlin It didn't disappoint me, in fact it pleasantly surprised me.
It's the second largest city in the world after Los Angeles, which I know very well but which is much inferior in many ways.
I'll start by saying that I love Los Angeles for certain aspects, but Berlin has entered me more, perhaps because European culture is far superior to American culture, which is more interested in business and appearances than in real culture.
I tried to compare it to the most beautiful city in the world, Paris, but Berlin comes out the winner even though I was in Paris way back in 1969 and then in 1979 so I haven't seen the latest modernizations, like LES HALLES.
Berlin has the Spree which is more beautiful than the Seine, it has museums such as the Pergamon and the Neues Museum plus the Bodemuseum and others on Berlin's museum island which overall are superior to the Louvre.
If Paris has Pigalle and Montmartre, Berlin responds in a big way with Kreuzberg, Schoneberg and Preslauer Berg.
If Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Berlin has the TV Tower, symbol of the GDR, former Eastern Germany.
And if Paris has Versailles and Fointenbleau, Berlin has the castles of Charlottenburg and those of Sans Souci and Neues Palais in Potzdam at a 'hour by metro.
And if Paris has Les Halles (which I haven't seen), Berlin has Potsdamer Platz which is a triumph of modern architecture of excellent taste thanks also to our architect Renzo Piano but also many others world-famous.
What about a city that makes everything very easy and organized with the usual German scruple and precision but which at the same time is crazy and alternative as experienced in Kreuzberg, triumph of multi-ethnicity, of murals, of pubs, of music of every taste, of various kinds of locations, to the point that crowds of young people from tourist circuits but also limousines of the usual eccentrics who have to get noticed but who cannot ignore visiting even the neighborhood properly lacquered and luxurious.
There are places in Kreuzberg that have sent me into raptures. Luckily I was staying at the Motel One in Moritzplatz adjacent to Orianenstrasse, the liveliest street full of clubs and pubs where the nightlife pulsates.
There are Indian, Nepalese and Chinese clubs with lights and statues of Buddha and Krishna in a triumph of lights and special effects and then Mexican restaurants and others with Bohemian chandeliers and soft lighting. I remember the simple but evocative Buccaneer housed in a deep old courtyard, with a torch-lit entrance bridge and a hippie atmosphere, a huge neighboring and looming building but with an impressive mural for customers to admire the same or the starry sky sitting on comfortable deck chairs, sipping a cocktail or a beer while listening to impressive rock notes.
Berlin has a particular charm along the Spree, its river which passes through various bends the most beautiful areas of the metropolis.
Boats sail there carrying hundreds of tourists who want to enjoy the beautiful city from the river while others remain on the banks sitting in deckchairs enjoying the river breeze and the surrounding green parks.
But let's get to architectural Berlin and artistic that make up the lion's share: the Berlin Cathedral, although quite recent, makes a good impression with its imposing appearance, like the famous Brandenburg Gate and the futuristic squares of Postdamer Platz and Alexander Platz in which international architects of great prestige such as our Renzo expressed themselves at their best Piano.
They are not the usual impersonal skyscrapers of New York or Shanghai, but the incomparable taste of marrying modern and slender forms of glass and steel with a mix of lawns in which Berliners sunbathe, of trees growing in the middle of the concrete, open spaces with fountains, restaurants, theatres, 3D cinemas, in short, a living environment adapted to the needs of the passing citizen or tourist.
And if we want to talk about shows, performances, concerts, Berlin is second to none. Classical music is queen, but so are musicals. Friedrichstrasse, the central street of boutiques and large banks, is home to the Friedrichpalais where every evening you can admire great shows that have nothing to envy of the Crazy Horse or the Lido in Paris.
There are also various musicals scheduled : Dirty dancing at Postdamer Platz, the musical "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles and arriving on July 15th, CABARET with Tippy to recall the great film with Liza Minnelli.
Let's enter into the dramatic memory of the holocaust
Berlin also remembers and honors the millions of fallen soldiers with the recent monument in front of the German Parliament, then the wall of the Jewish ghetto and an adjacent photographic exhibition.
If we talk about museums, already mentioned, the Pergamon Museuem is the absolute king with the white marble altar of the Greek colony of Pergamon on the Turkish coast overlooking Greece with Troy to the north and Ephesus to the south.
/>
The bas-reliefs and white statues dating back to 180-150 BC are exceptional such as the Babylonian gate of Ishtar in light blue and yellow with depictions of various animals and then the imposing gate of Miletus and the sumptuous wooden walls decoration of a Syrian noble house in Aleppo. For those who are fond of archaeology, the best museum in the world, even superior to the famous British Museum in London.
Then go north-east and find the splendid district of Preslauer Berg in the east Berlin. All pastel colored houses, boutiques, Italian restaurants, in short, great class around Kolwitz Platz and Schoenhauser Allee and another area of evening and night entertainment.
Or you change area and land in Schoneberg, a central but also high class residential area with classic style buildings, tree-lined avenues, shopping streets such as Kurfurstendamm and the gay district with its meeting places, bars and restaurants that make Berlin capital one of the busiest metropolises by this community.
In Berlin I was able to see the retrospective dedicated to the great painter FRIDA KAHLO with all her paintings, clothes, personal photos and the documented story of her life.
There was close to this exhibition, near Postdamer Platz a large photographic exhibition on the Holocaust next to the wall of the Jewish ghetto.
In the center of Friedrichstrasse there is the famous Check Point Charlie with the photo of the American and Russian soldier, the flags and two boys in American military uniform which lend themselves to photos with tourists.
Not far away there is a fragment of the wall and in the middle of a green lawn the base of the wall marked by stones.
In Warschauer Strasse about a kilometer of the wall remained which was completely covered with colorful and artistic murals, one of the most spectacular things in Berlin.
Murals are found everywhere in Kreuzberg, on the lower floors of houses, including entrance doors and in facades without floor-to-ceiling windows.
The Pergamon it is the most important museum in Berlin. It contains the white marble altar dating back to 180-150 BC of Pergamon, a Greek colony in Asia Minor, the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, the Gate of Miletus, the walls of a beautiful decorated and colored wooden room from Aleppo and many other artefacts from Asia Minor and the Middle East.
Another stage of the visit leads to the German Parliament, an enormous classical building with a hemispherical dome of glass and steel which can be explored inside in the circulate while listening on headphones to a 360° description of what can be seen outside the city panorama as well as information on German political life and the activity of parliament.
The view of Berlin is even greater if seen from the TV tower which in the visitable sphere reaches a height of 200 metres, symbol and pride of the former DDR.
Nearby is the old town hall in red bricks and the new one in white stone.
Another obligatory stop is the Gendarmenmark square with the statue of Schiller and the classical buildings of such fine workmanship that it is compared in beauty to Piazza Navona in Rome.< br />Friedrichstrasse is the street of fashion boutiques and home to the big banks.
Other famous streets are the Kurfurstendamm, a lively shopping street and Unter den Linden, that is, under the lime trees, the trees that embellish its long route that arrives at the Brandenburg Gate, symbol of Berlin and meeting place for major events such as the New Year's Eve.
Another important square is Alexander Platz which competes with Potsdamer Platz for the grandeur of its modern buildings .
Around the Parliament there are various embassies which are housed in buildings of great visual impact.
In the Tiergarten park you can admire the halfway point of the 17th June road which crosses it all up to the castle of Charlottenburg, the decorated column which carries the statue of the victorious goddess, Siegesaule, now under restoration.
At the eastern edge of the park there are the botanical gardens and the largest zoo in Europe, made famous by the film, " The girl from the Berlin zoo".
But with all the heat I encountered and after the many kilometers traveled on the bicycle I had rented for three days, I found moments of refreshment and rest in the parks where Berliners sunbathe (some even naked) or along the cool banks of the Spree.
In the last few days, having left my bike behind, I have traveled around Berlin by underground U-bahn and surface S-bahn, all excellently connected with the usual great order and German precision. I think there are about ten subway lines and many more external ones, making it easy to reach any destination in the enormous city which in terms of size is second only to Los Angeles.
You can get there in less than an hour in the nearby city of Potsdam, full of parks, churches and historic buildings such as the Prussian castle of Sans Souci and the Neues Palace built by Frederick II who is the most celebrated and remembered historical figure with many equestrian statues throughout Berlin as well as in Potsdam.
Halfway between Berlin and Potsdam you can go down to the beautiful Waansee lake which has a beautiful and large sandy beach and which allows Berliners to swim and cool off in its waters, even naked because there is a sector for naturist swimmers.
To the south, however, there are the enormous swimming pools of Neukoelln, with park and slide, tree-lined lawns and refreshment areas.
In short, Berlin is ready to satisfy every need and is not expensive.
Yes you can travel around the entire transport network with the day pass for 6 euros, you can have a snack based on the classic frankfurter with sandwich, mustard or ketchup for 2.5 euros. A beer at a bar and restaurant costs around 3.5 euros, but many people buy it in the many drinks shops that give it to you cold for 1.20 euros.
A meal in a restaurant with a single dish of meat and potatoes and vegetables with beer costs around 10-12 euros.
For a hotel room you spend from 50 euros up, but in a hostel in the dormitories you can sleep for 10-20 euros.
I stayed at the Motel One in Moritzplatz bordering Orianenstrasse which is the street in Kreuzberg full of pubs and various places for nightlife.
I paid 49 euros for a double room with air conditioning, TV, internal bathroom with shower, all of excellent quality comparable to a 3 star hotel but even more.
The rental of the bike for 3 days cost me 30 euros, the entrance to the two museums 14 euros with a combined ticket.
Another 10 euros for the visit to the tower while the visit to the German Parliament is free.
I hope I haven't forgotten anything and I haven't repeated myself as sometimes happens in the enthusiasm of the story.
< br />This two-week holiday in Poland and Berlin cost me around 1,000 euros, three flights included, two of which with Ryanair (Bergamo-Krakow and Berlin-Bergamo) at around 50 euros per flight and one with Berlinair (Krakow -Berlin) for 80 euros
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