Berlin Travel

Once you are in the Grunewald Forest, it is hard to imagine that you are only a short train (or car) ride away from the heart of Berlin. This massive forest was originally a popular stomping ground for the German elite looking to get out of Berlin for a while and if you spend enough time in Grunewald Forest, it is easy to see evidence of its regal past.

There are a few key sights worth visiting in Grunewald if you are looking for something beyond a pleasant stroll in the woods. The landmark building in the Grunewald Forest is the Grunewald Turm (Grunewald Tower). This 55 meter structure provides for a stunning panorama view if you feel like climbing all the way to the top. If you plunge deeper into the forest, you will come to the Jagdschloss Grunewald, an old civic hall built in 1542 and rebuilt (Baroque of course) in 1700. The Renaissance Hall here has some paintings by Van Dyke and Rubens but the real draw to the Jagdschloss Grunewald is just to see the impressive structure buried deep in the woods. If you are looking for a bite to eat while in the Grunewald Forest, head to the southwest corner of the forest to Forsthaus Paulsborn, an old hunting lodge turned delicious restaurant.

While you can reach the Grunewald Forest via a short S-Bahn ride from central Berlin, a car and a whole day to stomp in the woods is my vote for the best way to take in this lovely forest.

Click here for more information about hotels near Grunewald Forest: Dorint Novotel Berlin Potsdam hotel, and the Best Western Parkhotel Potsdam.

Berlin is a city I would want to live in. While the sightseeing is great and the food is eclectic, it is the intangible energy of Berlin that captivates me. Since I can’t move to Berlin anytime soon, I settle quite happily for a stay at the Schoenhouse Apartments whenever I am in Berlin, instead. What’s more, the hotel is only 3 years old so it feels like a moving into a brand new Berlin apartment whenever I stay. The deluxe apartment at the Schoenhouse is a spacious place with a nice, cozy bedroom (and comfy bed), a clean bathroom (shower only), and a nice seating area. The seating area has a good TV and DVD player (DVDs available for free from the front desk) to watch after a long day out in the city. The kitchen is equipped with the most important appliances: microwave, oven and dishwasher. With a supermarket nearby (the front desk gives excellent directions) we were always able to stay well-stocked and equally well-fed.

The Schoenhouse Apartments are quite close to the shops and restaurants of Hackinscher Hof quite near the subway lines. It is not far from the up-and-coming neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg as well as the Mitte (central) part of Berlin.    

The Quentin Design Hotel Berlin is a modern, well-designed hotel that does not skimp on aesthetic or comfort. Shoppers can delight in the Quentin Design Hotel Berlin’s proximity to the Kurfurstendamm shopping district and the massive KaDeWe department store (Europe’s largest). Socialites can enjoy the nightlife of Shoneberg in the Fuggerstrabe area. This is Berlin’s “gay district” that extends an equally welcoming arm to straight couples.  Despite the Quentin Design Hotel Berlin’s location to these busy parts of a busy city, the hotel itself sits on a quiet residential side street making for short walks back for a peaceful night’s sleep. There are also several U-Bahn stations in the area to whisk you away to all the must-see destinations in Berlin.

On the inside, the Quentin Design Hotel Berlin manages to pack in little tasteful details everywhere you look. Well-chosen photography hangs in the lobby and in the rooms and small statues and sculptures sit alongside dry flower displays on many of the hotel’s flat surfaces. Our room felt clean and stylish with an LCD TV, a large bed (with great pillows—a rare hotel treat), free internet, and a fantastic, cool shower and bath area. We did not eat at the hotel as we found plenty of food choices in the area but the dining space looked very comfortable and the food looked good.
Pictures of the Quentin Design Hotel Berlin accurately show what is in store. We were not disappointed.

The city of Potsdam makes for a very easy daytrip from Berlin and is a wonderful way to escape the city feel and take in one of the most beautiful palace complexes in all of Europe. While Potsdam was heavily damaged by Allied bombings, the city’s crown jewel attraction remained largely unscathed. The sprawling 709 acres of Park Sanssouci (sans souci in French means ‘without a care’) was started as a regal respite for Frederick the Great in 1745. The name can either refer to Frederick’s desire to go somewhere where he could be carefree for a time or the fact that the architects and builds clearly didn’t have to care about a budget when constructing the massive palace and gardens.

If you are visiting Park Sanssouci as a daytrip from Berlin and are a bit pressed for time, focus your sightseeing efforts on the Neues Palace and the Schloss Sanssouci. The Schloss Sanssouci is the oldest building in the complex and is the heart of what Frederick the Great wanted built in Potsdam. There are numerous sights to take in within Schloss Sanssouci but the stunning, domed Marmorssaal (Marble Hall) is truly awe-inspiring. Today visitors can also tour the private chambers of the king and see how well royalty lived in centuries past. At the other end of the park, The Neues Palace is a vast two-story structure with hundreds of sculptures on the exterior to enjoy. Inside, over 200 opulent rooms can keep you busy for a while.

If you have some time to linger on a nice day, enjoy Park Sanssouci’s lovely gardens. There is the Lustgarten (Pleasure Garden) for smelling the roses, the gardens around the Roman Baths and the gardens of Schloss Charlottenhof (a palace located southwest of the Neues Palais).

Check out this nearby hotels: Steigenberger Hotel Sanssouci and the Schlossgarten Hotel am Park von Sanssouci.

The Zoologischer Garten (Zoological Gardens) in the heart of Berlin is a great place for young and old alike to enjoy a day with land-based creatures as well as the creatures of the sea. As per many of the sights in and around Berlin, the Zoological Gardens are monumentally large. In fact, the Berlin Zoo claims to have the most number of species of any zoo in the world and the adjacent aquarium is one of the largest in Europe.

The Zoological Gardens contain a remarkable number of animals and, like any large zoo, it is best to focus on the animals that you typically enjoy watching. Two areas of particular note are the hippopotamus pool and the monkey house. The hippo pool is under two beautiful glass domes and has a glass wall that allows visitors to observe these graceful giants underwater. Monkey houses are almost always entertaining and the Berlin Zoological Garden is no exception with species like orangutans and a family of gorillas keeping visitors entertained. The Berlin Aquarium (http://www.aquarium-berlin.de/en/) features an impressive group of sharks as well as a wonderful coral reef highlighting the busy eco-environment of this endangered world.

The zoo is connected to the southwest of the Tiergarten and is open from 9:00 to 6:30 pm every day during the summer (Mid-March to Mid-October) and 9:00 to 5:00 in the winter. Adult admission is €11,00 for the zoo or €16,50 for the zoo and aquarium together. Go ahead a see both as the aquarium is an equally impressive complement to this wonderful zoo.

To book a reservation in a hotel nearby please visit: Crowne Plaza Berlin City Centre or the Art'otel Berlin City Center West, by Park Plaza