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The capital of Germany is a city of opportunities just waiting to be seized in all areas, like entertainment, recreation, economy, science and academic life.

Let´s get started our Berlin Tour with some sightseeing… But first of all we´ll have a delicious breakfast at Café Sydney. The “Eiweiss-Schock” (A creamy Yoghurt with honey, Cornflakes and fresh fruits) is highly recommended.

Most of you did listen to some German people talking already… they will wonder why the Berlin folk sounds so… different. They have their own accent. I´ll show you by “borrowing” John F. Kennedy´s famous words: “Ich bin ein Berliner / Ick bin een Berliner”

This is how “I am from Berlin” it sounds in “proper” German…

… and in Berlin:

You can still hear some Berlin accent, but this only happens when I´m drunk *Oooops*

Ready to go? Don´t worry, we will concentrate on the city´s main impressions.

The best place to begin is in the historical centre of the city, in Mitte, whose fully restored architecture gives you some idea of the Prussian splendour of bygone days. They stand in stark contrast to the building style of the period when the country was divided and this part of town was under East German rule.

Alexanderplatz was made famous through Alfred Doeblin’s novel of the same name and is dominated by the Fernsehturm (TV Tower), Berlin´s tallest edifice. The spectacular panoramic windows offers a breathtaking view out over the whole city. The tiny Marienkirche (Church) looks a bit lost among the many modern buildings at Alexanderplatz, but its “dance of death” fresco is well worth a closer look.

From Alexanderplatz we´ll walk down to Unter den Linden, the magnificent boulevard featuring numerous well-known buildings of architectural interest. On the right we will soon come to the impressive (Berlin Cathedral), the court church of the Hohenzollern Dynasty. The Lustgarten (Pleasure Garden), now restored according to the original plans, offers an opportunity for a pleasant stroll and not only for museum visitors heading towards the Museumsinsel (Museum´s Island) with its imposing museums whose collections are easily on a par with those in other cities of the world.
Returning to Unter den Linden we cross the Schlossbruecke (Palace Bridge) which was designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and is once again resplendent with its once lost statues.

To our right is the Zeughaus (Old Armoury) which is currently undergoing extensive repair work. The Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum), that will present an exhibition about German history, will open in June 2006.
Next to the Zeughaus stands the Neue Wache (New Guardhouse), the official memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany. To the rear of the small chestnut wood lies the Maxim-Gorki-Theater, which was built in 1827 for the Singakademie (Academy of Singing). The next building is home to Berlin’s oldest university, the Humboldt-Universitaet, built between 1748-66. Standing in the middle of Unter den Linden at a level with is the monumental equestrian statue by Christian Daniel Rauch depicting Friedrich II on his favourite horse Condé.
The Staatsoper (State Opera House) is located on the other side of Unter den Linden. This was the first building constructed as part of the ‘Forum Fridericianum’. In the centre of the Bebelplatz square is a memorial set into the ground commemorating the “book-burning” of 1933.

At the southern end of the same square we will find Hedwigs-Kathedrale (St. Hedwig’s Cathedral) with its unconventionally shaped dome. To its right stands the Alte Bibliothek (Old Royal Library), known locally as the “chest of drawers” because of its crescent-shaped frontage. It is well worth making a short detour to the Gendarmenmarkt, which with its ensemble of Konzerthaus (Concert Hall), Deutscher Dom and Franzoesischer Dom (German Cathedral and French Cathedral), is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. The new architectural face of Berlin is well in evidence in the nearby Friedrichstrasse – WOO-HOO! Elegant stores and shopping malls like “Galeries Lafayette”, “Quartier 205″ and “Quartier 206″. Here we will also find the most famous of all memorials to the division of Germany – the Checkpoint Charlie border-crossing point – recalling one of the more tragic periods of Berlin history.

Pariser Platz lies at the western end of Unter den Linden, a grand 1.5 km long and 60 m wide boulevard. A series of imposing corporate, commercial and embassy buildings are strung along this most famous of the city’s thoroughfares. Just off to the right of Pariser Platz we can see the legendary Hotel Adlon and the Russian Embassy, an icing-cake style building constructed during the Stalin Era of the 50s. A few yards further one, stands the Komische Oper, one of the three Berlin opera houses, this one presenting German language versions of opera and operetta. Pariser Platz is of course the location of Berlin´s most prestigious landmark, the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), a symbol of the division and reunification of the city of Berlin.
Situated on the former border between East and West Berlin, it provides the most moving reminder of the city’s recent history. Not far away is the Reichstag, another notable landmark of historic dimensions. Looking out over the roof garden or through the glass dome you can enjoy a unique view of the inner city and at the same time feel right at the centre of German politics.

Potsdamer Platz has also undergone complete reconstruction. The glass facaded Sony Center, the debis headquarters and the Kollhoff-Hochhaus combine to form part of the new hub of the city, a synthesis of contemporary architecture and urban lifestyle. In the newly-designed Kulturforum (Cultural Forum) just round the corner from Potsdamer Platz the Gemaeldegalerie (Picture Gallery) houses a collection of old masters to wonder at. Back at Potsdamer Platz we can take a walk through the Tiergarten park, Berlin’s “green heart” and arrive in the western centre of the city. On the way there we pass by the Siegessaeule (Victory Column) on whose summit “Golden Victoria”, an angel- like figure, seems to float over the city.

My feet are burning, I´m hungry. I guess it´s time for lunch. When in Berlin you mustn´t forget to try the local delicacy, Currywurst (fried sausage in curry ketchup), the classic fast-food speciality or a Berliner Bulette (meatball). Berlin also boasts a traditional drink, Berliner Weisse, particularly refreshing in summer when relaxing in one of the many beer gardens or street cafés.

The Kurfuerstendamm, Berlin´s western centre, is full of shops and department stores – an ideal place to find a souvenir or two to take back.
KaDeWe, Europe´s largest store, is a real shoppers´ paradise.
The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedaechtnis-Kirche (Memorial Church) was kept as a memorial to the horrors of war. There are two contrasting churches here, one the old ruined church and the other a modern-looking construction. Beyond them we can already make out the all-glass Kranzlereck complex pointing up into the sky. This is one of the city’s most recent building
As the day closes it´s time to visit one of the many restaurants on or not far from the Kurfuerstendamm – for example, at nearby Savigny Platz – to relax and soak up the Berlin atmosphere.

And the restaurants in and around the Hackeschen Hoefe in the district of Mitte, within easy reach of Alexanderplatz, offer similar hospitality and are an ideal starting place for setting out in the evening to get a taste of Berlin´s night-life in some of the thousand and one all-night clubs and bars spread throughout the city.
Kollwitzplatz in Prenzlauer Berg and Goltzstrasse in Schoeneberg are two more venues for enjoying Berlin´s vibrant nightlife.

Ship Ahoy,

Oh, you´ve been a Non-Cruiser till now? You can still come on board
We´ve started our Fun Cyber Cruise at Stockholm with a great party, hopped over to Oslo having incredible fun with Tor and Renny, visited Napoleon´s Waterloo, got sun tanned in Barcelona and we´re attacked by pirates and taken to Tortuga!!! Tomorrow we will stop by at Alaska!

And now…
… our moment of Homer J.:

Homer: [drunk] Look, the thing about my family is there’s five of us. Marge, Bart, Girl Bart, the one who doesn’t talk, and the fat guy. How I loathe him.