#GuestTravelTips to visit this great city in 3 days in the most complete way!
DAY 1
Start the day at the Brandenburg Gate, the famous gateway to the city built in Prussian times and maintained to this day. Very emblematic and of great value, not only because of its meaning, but also because, for example, in World War II, it was one of the few things that remained standing after the bombing. No bomb hit it. Also, above you can see the statue of the Queen of Victory with her horse, which Napoleon stole in the first Franco-Prussian war and took it to the Louvre. After the second war against the French, and emerging victorious this time, the Germans asked for the statue to be returned to them and put it in her place but with the Queen of Victory looking towards the French embassy; a subtle message. Likewise, that square, where the iconic door is located, was named Parisierplatz: Paris Square. Another subtle message...
Right in front, at Starbucks, you can book to do a free city tour with the Sandemans company. Highly recommended. Berlin is a city that has a lot of hidden history, and you really miss out a lot that they don't want to showcase because they are afraid that if they build a museum there it will start to spark some interest from Nazi fanatics. So if it is not with a guide to tell you, it is difficult to know everything that happened. In addition to various curiosities such as those commented before about the door and the square.
Before or after taking the tour from the Brandenburg Gate, we recommend going through the gate onto Unter den Linden, which is where royalty used to cross to reach the Tiergarten gardens. If you cross there you arrive at Potsdamer Platz, the "financial" area of Berlin. You will see the Sony Center, a gallery and very modern buildings. For lunch we recommend Lindenbraü, it is excellent.
There are different types of tours; among them, you can choose the "general" tour that takes you briefly to know each key place and then you can continue on your own with a more general idea. We recommend this.
With this tour, you will pass by the Holocaust Memorial, Topography of Terror (Nazi history museum) and Checkpoint Charlie (one of the crossing points from one side of the wall to the other). And from there to Gendarmenplatz, a large square called "the square of tolerance" by the Germans. In its center you can see the Concert Hall and on the sides two identical Protestant churches. One, requested by the Huguenot French, and one by the Lutheran Germans (when they found out that the French had one, they asked for another just for themselves). In both you can see some dark and dirty statues, they are the original ones that were rescued after the war. Everything else was rebuilt.
Very close, you can visit Bebelplatz, the square where the book burning took place (called "the square of intolerance"). Further you'll see the Monument to the Victims of War and Tyranny. There are several monuments throughout Berlin dedicated to different victims. This is a practically empty place and in the center a statue of a mother with her deceased son in her arms. In the ceiling, a hole just above them. It means that even if it rains, snows, shines or whatever happens, nothing will stop the suffering of a mother for losing her child.
The tour ends on the Museum Island.
We recommend taking some time to visit the Reichstag and go inside the iconic glass dome. Reserve your place in advance, otherwise you may not be able to get it for the day you prefer.
Upon entering the dome, you will see a staircase from where you can have a great view of Berlin. In the middle, a kind of funnel-shaped column full of mirrors. Next, the conference room where members of parliament close laws and make other decisions for the country. The reason the dome is made of glass is to give a message of transparency. That place is public and if there is a conference on the day of your appointment you can see it from right there. The mirrors are there so that when members of the government look at them, they see the reflection of the people and remember that they are there for them.
When you leave you can go explore Friedrichstrasse, a street full of shops.
A highly recommended neighborhood to return to at night.
#GuestTravelTips: All the words that have SS were changed to a Beta type symbol, due to the bad memories that these acronyms bring; another way to leave behind everything related to that terrifying time.
For dinner, we recommend Nikolaiviertel. It is a very nice little neighborhood.
DAY 2
Book in advance another free tour with Sandemans to go to Sachsenhausen. It leaves from the Brandenburg Gate and the journey is 40 minutes. You have to take something to eat because at one point, inside the field, there is a break for lunch and there is nothing there to buy.
As you approach the concentration camp, the tense atmosphere begins to rise. At the entrance, upstairs, there is a clock with the time stopped at 11 and 7 approx.; the Soviets stopped it when they released the prisoners.
Upon entering, each prisoner received her striped uniform with a number, which is what “objectified” them, since they ceased to be people to become objects. On their chests they used triangles of different colors, classifying them as follows: green for criminals, red for the Soviets, pink for homosexuals, black for those who were considered lazy or drunk or who did not know how to be classified, and for the Jews they also added a yellow triangle on top of the other but upside down, forming The Star of David.
You are going to tour the rooms, dining rooms, punishment rooms, firing squad, pharmacy... (isn't it ironic?). They explain that they had just for good image, since they of course did not tell all the horrible things as they were inside; or also to test medicines since they did it on the prisoners; among other disgusting things.
The complete tour lasts approximately 3 hours.
On the way back, without the tour, if you have time you can go to Check Point Charlie, the last open crossing point from one side of the Berlin Wall to the other. And from there to Topography of Terror, a museum of Nazi history (with the general tour you pass by but you don't go in).
We recommend going into the museum, although you have to consider that it is very explicit, it explains with photos and text how the SS, SA and SD are organized. They expose all of them, there are photos of a large part of the members, documents written by them...
Finish at East Side Gallery seeing the impressive Berlin Wall.
For a change of scenery for what's left of the day, you can go to the Hackeschermrkt, where you can enjoy the Hackescher Hofe, a kind of huge open-air gallery with enclosed patios connected to each other. You have several places for dinner, we chose 1849.
DAY 3
Be sure to go to Potsdam, the castles area. You can go on your own but we recommend going with the free tour; If you don't go with someone who know the area, you can waste time and miss several things.
The tour goes through its enormous lakes, the forests, you see castles of all sizes and styles. You walk until you reach a small town lost in the middle of the forest. All the houses are quite similar, which gives them a certain harmony, and they have a church and a school. There you take a bus and go to the main town.
Very pretty. All streets are made of stone, there is practically no cars, the little bars are German style one next to the other. You stop to eat something with the group and you continue touring.
In Potsdam there are 3 large gates, the last one is at the end of the town and you go through the woods until you reach Sanssouci, the largest park and the area with the most imposing castles. You'll see the iconic Sanssouci Palace.
You end the tour in a castle that Federico “El Grande” made just for show off since he did not live there, he had it built for when someone from outside came to visit him. It has 200 rooms.
When you return to Berlin, we recommend ending the day at the Kadewe. 7-story luxury shopping mall, considered the largest delicatessen in the world. There are millions of islands with different types of food. The best brands, hyper elegant, with species from all over the world. You will find everything: cheeses, chocolates, cakes, pastas, leberwurst, sausages, breads... and more.
It closes at 8:00 p.m. and it takes time, so the recommendation is to go at least two hours before. There are other floors with different things. One for handbags and shoes. Another for clothes. Another for interior design, full with great stuff. Another full of toys... Definitely worth the pass.
And now you can close the night and eat there to end the tour of this great city.