May 15th, 2010 by admin

Your stay at Berlin will never be fun if you just stay around inside your suite at one of the 5 star hotels. You need to explore Berlin and have fun! No more excuses, it’s all about fun, fun and much more fun.

Berlin is the right city to be for all your leisure needs. Whether it might be a trip to a zoo, a museum or just a stroll around the streets of Berlin, surely you will have fun discovering what this magnificent city has to offer for you.

The following are just few out of the many that you can enjoy in Berlin:

1. Visiting a zoo

Are you an animal lover? If yes, then come and visit Berlin’s zoos. There are a lot of zoos to visit from. But if you want to immerse and acquaint yourself with a total of 15,000 animals, then Zoological Garden is the place to be. It is the oldest zoo found in Germany.

For a beautiful landscaped garden with a nearby zoo school that is full of animals and plants, then Tierpark Friedrichsfelde is the perfect place for you.

2. Fun at Berlin’s attraction

Get the chance to explore Berlin in a whole new level through enjoying the numerous attractions that will fit for the entire family.

A must-see place is FEZ-Berlin. It is a leisure and recreation area where you can find lots of sports, games and other recreation facilities. You can choose to visit the museum, laboratory, theater or the astronautics center. The choices are endless.

If you fancy a lot of fun, then visiting Filmpark Babelsberg (a place that showcase the world of film), Madame Tussauds (wax museum), or just drop by at LEGOLAND Discovery Center.

3. Solitude only in Green Berlin

If you want to find solitude and be at peace with Mother Nature, then Berlin is the right city for you. You got to find the luscious and green parks, gardens, and beautiful lakes.

The perfect place to just enjoin Mother Nature is Müggelsee. It is dubbed as Berlin’s greatest lake. It is situated at the end of a huge recreation area and then going towards the Treptower Park, Plänterwald and end at the Müggelberge. You can stroll around the area; do biking, hiking and even bathing.

Another great place to visit is the Volkspark Friedrichshain which is the oldest city park in Berlin. The area comprises with lakes, fairy tale fountain and lakes.

4. Relax and Enjoy the Spa

The best thing to do with during your leisure is paying a visit to a spa. Only at Berlin where you can just take a break and simply spend hours’ worth of relaxation at one of the top class spas. Give your body energy and rejuvenation after a long day of touring and shopping around Berlin.

There are a lot of budget hotels and luxury hotels offer spa as one of their facilities. However, if you fancy getting it from somewhere else, then it’s all up to you.

You can drop by at LIQUIDROM, Surya Villa – Ayurveda Wellness Zentrum, Solf Sauna, Kristalltherme, or Öko Wellness Farm. All of these are modern and top quality spas and wellness centers where you can just relax and enjoy the moment.

November 20th, 2009 by admin

One of the best things about living in another country as an expatriate is imbibing the new culture and language of the land. As far as I’m concerned, I have not forgotten my American heritage but I have also come to love my new home, Germany.

Germany has many to offer my family and me. For one thing, I was convinced to move here due to work-related reasons. Second, the culture and history of Germany is so rich that I cannot get enough of it. My children have grown so accustomed with their new life that they speak way better German than me and my wife do.

When I first arrived in Germany many years ago, I was alone on a business trip. I had a minor culture shock because colleagues mostly surrounded me and my trip was limited only to the office and airport. My second visit, and third and so forth, were already more relaxed and I was able to visit more places than just the office. Until such time when I received an offer to handle the job here, so I decided to relocate and bring along the whole family. As an expat Germany is now my second home away from home.

For someone considering on bringing their families with them to relocate to Germany, I suggest that you should check the following important things bring before heading to the airport. First, you have to make sure that you brought with you your VISA and WORK PERMIT (or Residence Permit, so should be the case for some). Without these pertinent documents, you would be held at the airport and be sent back home ASAP. These are the MOST IMPORTANT documents for you and should never be lost, given or shared with anyone at all. Next, you should have already contacted your German employer if they are helping you relocate. Ask them what the house is like and where is it located. If ever your employer will not be helping you with your relocation, consider contacting a relocation agency in Germany to help you get accommodation when you are already there. You have to also decide what to do with your present home whether you will be selling it or renting it to someone.

The next items that you have to check are your insurance coverage as well as the banking system. Ask your insurance company if they will still be able to cover you in Germany. Also, you need to convert your money to European and must be able to open a new account in a German bank. Try to contact your bank as well if they have connections in Germany and how to get transfers done in a jiffy. Also, you might need to consider the type of appliances that you have. Germany has 220-volt or 50Hz current and some of your American-made appliances, DVDs, and TV sets might not work properly when in Germany. Make sure that you have German products only as these are better in quality and make. Bring along your computer so you could still make contact with family and friends at home. It’s one of the most important tools that we have nowadays to maintain an open communication with everyone.

Before you leave for Germany, train your family and yourself some basic German words and phrases. Even a simple “Hello. How are you?” (“Hallo. Wie gehts es Ihnen?”) would bring you to places. Remember that not everyone in Germany can speak English. Even if your work requires you to speak in English, it would still be important to be able to know the basics in language to be able to move around your new community comfortably. Plus if the children are to be schooled in Germany, since Germany does not allow home schooling, you have to decide if the kids will be enrolled in an International School, a regular German school or a parochial school.

October 10th, 2009 by admin

Are you running out of clothes? For sure you don’t want to mess around and search your luggage if you have the best clothes to wear or a pair of jogging pants and sweat shirt to use for strolling around the streets of Berlin.

Then, you need to explore Berlin even more and indulge yourself in hours and hours worth of shopping. This is the experience you have been wanting for!

Your vacation at Berlin will never be complete without dropping by at few of the shopping centers that offer relaxing atmosphere while giving you a whole new experience in shopping.

Whether you are on the search for souvenirs or just fancy getting a nice pair of shoes, surely Berlin shopping centers has a lot to offer for you.

Here are few shopping areas where you can find great bargains and deals:

1. Old Town of Spandau

Roaming around through old-fashioned buildings is such a relaxing way of shopping from one boutique to another. Here you can find different sorts of boutiques offering varieties of goods, apparels, and anything your heart desires. Turn your shopping tour into a more memorable one only at Spandau.

2. Nikolaiviertel

Travel through the hands of time as you go along the little alleys of Nikolaiviertel. This is the perfect place to shop for souvenirs, antiques and applied arts. You can even drop by at the nearby museum and Nikolai church before you even go start shopping.

3. Friedrichstraße

Fancy shopping under a modern flair? Sure you can, at Friedrichstraße where you will be transformed into a whole new world where you got the chance to experience New York style of shopping at the heart of Berlin.

4. Kurfürstendamm

Along the roads of Kurfürstendamm, you can have the perfect avenue to shop for extraordinary products from small shops. The streets along this area are full of beauty from its marvelous architecture down to wondrous landscape that only Kurfürstendamm can offer. Apart from shopping for shabby chic items and alluring fashion products, you can even have the chance to just unwind, relax or chill out from the nearby restaurants and cafés with picturesque views.

For your luxury shopping, you can drop by at KaDeWe. It is the largest department store found within the European continent that offers different sorts of international designer labels to its customers. You can find simply the best products for cosmetics, jewelry, clothing and furniture supplies. You got everything you need only at KaDeWe.

You got everything you need right here at Berlin! From great bargains, deals and discounts down to the exquisite luxury shopping, it is simply breath-taking. With the different nice views you got to see as you stroll around and drop from one shop to another, there is nothing more like Berlin shopping.

So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and stroll around the streets of Berlin and shop! You might never know you got to see those beautiful 5 star hotels as they shimmer as the sun sets.

September 30th, 2009 by admin

If you are always on the go and want to have a little bit of fun out from your relaxing abode at any of Berlin’s 5 star hotels or cheap hotels. You will have the night of your life in this marvelous city of Berlin.

Berlin is a city that is full of excitement, fun and it is young and dynamic bursting with too much enthusiasm that can make any tourist or local alike to shout for more!

Guess what? Berlin is home to the best techno club in the world, Berlin-Friedrichshain according to DJ Mag, a world renowned British magazine.

If you are searching for the best bar, club or restaurant, there will always be the perfect spot for you.

1. Bars and Lounges

Come and chill out in Berlin’s wide collection of excellent bars that offer superb cocktails while creating the right and indulging atmosphere that fits for every one who wants to chill out.

If you want great view and get inspired by the wonders that Berlin has to offer visit 40 Seconds, it’s the right club to be. With a beautiful interior design coupled with one-of-a-kind cocktail bar, you can never go wrong with it.

If you fancy hiring a nightclub for an exclusive party with friends go and visit Adagio. It has everything you need from a playful interior design: a mixture of arched Romanesque windows and antique choir pews, it is just perfect.

There are other clubs, bars, and lounges you can visit namely: Aedes, Bar 25, CSA Bar, Dante, Greenwich, Heinz Minki, and Newtown Bar.

2. Dining and Wining

Berlin offers tourists variety of simple yet sumptuous dishes that will satisfy anyone’s palate. With a warm and cozy atmosphere, guests will feel comfortable and relax while eating a delicious meal.

Try one of Berlin’s well-known dishes the “Boulette” which simply means fried meatballs. To top it all down, try drinking beer with juice or locally known as “Berliner Weiße”.

Apart from fried meatballs and beer with juice, Berlin has a lot to offer such as tasteful meals and first-class drinks that you would not dare to miss.

If you are looking for original and home-made Berlin meals, then visit Alt Berliner Restaurant “Zur Gerichtslaube”. For beer fanatics, do drop by at Brauhaus Lemke am Schloss and taste home-brewed beers as well as German cuisine.

Nothing ever tastes as good as traditional dishes fresh from grandma’s recipe. All you have to do is try one of the simple dishes offered at Rikes Gasthaus.

What about eating at a traditional house built in 1907 where German home-style cooking is offered plus 12 draught beers? Visit Xantener Eck to know more.

If you want to have a taste of home-made, traditional Berlin’s cuisine or maybe just want to chill out and drink few mugs of draught beer the choice is really yours. The night is young at Berlin and this wonderful city is offering you once in a lifetime cool and beautiful nightlife that you have ever experience!

September 20th, 2009 by admin

Berlin is famous for its museums where approximately a total of 170 museums have been jump packed with all the world’s treasures as well as impeccable fascinating and rich historical exhibitions.

Whether you are staying in one of the 5 star hotels or budget hotels in Berlin, for sure there is one museum that is around the vicinity where you stay. Thus, it would be much easier for you travel by foot or get a cab for a 5-10minute ride.

To help you narrow down your choices on what museums to visit, here are few of which you can choose from:

1. Alte Nationalgalerie

Berlin’s impressive museum showcases the beauty of 19th century art. Works from world-renowned artists such as Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne, Adolph von Menzel, and Louis Corinth are displayed for public viewing.

2. Berlinsche Galerie

A magnificent museum that depicts Berlin art starting from the 1870s down to the present day. Exhibits include from different disciplines of art such as architecture, sculpture, graphic arts, painting, photography and video.

3. Bröhan-Museum

When it comes to Functionalism, Art Deco and Art Nouveau from 1889 until 1939, Bröhan-Museum is the right museum to visit. It displays different exhibits in arts and crafts, porcelain, ceramics, applied art, graphics, silver, lights and paintings.

4. Friedrichswerdersche Kirche

Wide varieties of classicist sculptures from early 19th century are displayed at the Friedrichswerdersche Kirche museum. Exquisite and magnificent works from Ridolfo Schadow, Emil Wolff, Theodor Kalide and many more offers tourists and visitors a tour to the classical era. The highlight of the museum is its tribute to world famous Berlin architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel through documentation of his life and works.

5. Gemäldegalerie

Gemäldegalerie is the home to the world’s most famous and important collections of paintings in Europe between the 13th – 18th century with a total of 2,700 paintings have been displayed. Masterpieces from well-known painters such as Raffael, Rembrandt, Bruegel, and Eyck are displayed.

6. Jagdschloss Grunewald

Jagdschloss Grunewald is the oldest palace remaining in the country. It houses different collections of paintings from famous painters Cranach and Rubens as well as German and Dutch paintings made during the 17th century.

7. Museum Berggruen

Museum Berggruen showcases first-class collection of sculptures as well as paintings during the classical modernist period which include masterpieces from Picasso, van Gogh, Cezanne, Klee, and Giacometti among others. There are approximately a total of 70 exhibits for Picasso’s work.

8. Villa Oppenheim – Galerie für Gegenwartskunst

Villa Oppenheim is the home to special exhibitions under different art disciplines such as photography, painting and video all done by a contemporary artist.

If you are fond of art and always get inspired by watching at different exhibits from the famous Picasso down to a contemporary artist, then you will definitely love all the different museums found in Berlin. The exquisite and well-designed façade adds up to the beauty that each museum depicts on its visitors plus an array of magnificent collections that will totally satisfy anybody’s hunger for art.

September 10th, 2009 by admin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and the second most populous city in the Europe. Its geographical locations provide a natural and built environment and because of the European Plains, Berlin is very much known for the temperate and seasonal climate in Europe. Today, Berlin is a major hub and center point of attraction in Germany that holds around 147 foreign embassies. There are many varied rich and diverse cultures both in entertainment and science that makes Berlin among the popular tourist destinations worldwide. Berlin also stands in its own unique education systems, where it houses many research institutes and sporting events. The well-known and famous universities provide the students from all over the world with the research and development in various fields.

Berlin is situated in a slightly marshy terrain area neighboring Poland. Fresh water flowing from melting ice-sheets at the end of the last ice age helped form the Berlin-Warsaw Urstromtal which is now called the famous Spree that flows into the valley. The climatic conditions are also very pleasant in Berlin with a mesothermal or temperate climate. Extreme heat or snow conditions are very rare in this part of the country.

The architecture and the city’s appearance the way the structures are built in Berlin attracts many people to visit this place quite often. The famous TV tower in Berlin, called by the name Fernsehturm is the second tallest building in the European Union. There is a high-observation floor located on one of the topmost floors in this building from where the whole city can be viewed in sight-seeing angles, making it a popular spot for tourists. There are many ancient and monumental residential buildings of the Stalin Era, the Karl-Marx-Allee and many other architectural buildings that mark their own presence describing the Socialist Classism Style.

A popular iconic landmark of Berlin and Germany is the Brandenburg Gate. This Gate also appears on the German euro coins marking its tradition. This is still among the most popular attractions among the tourists today. The German Parliament was once destroyed in the World War II and it was later renovated in the 1950’s to become the popularly known Reichstag Building. It was later again remodeled in early 1990’s and now it features a glass dome over the session area adoring the roof of the building and today it stands unique as an amazing and sight-seeing structure by people in Germany. Schloss Charlottenburg is still the largest existing palace in Berlin, though it was largely destroyed in the Second World War. It was renovated, rebuilt and its structure today marks the ancient tradition of Berlin, much popular among the tourists who visit this place. Berlin is also a home of many art museums and galleries. The Jewish Museum hosts the historic collection of the German-Jewish artifacts and presents a standing exhibition being one of the largest museums in Germany. The Ishtar Gate of Babylon is also famous after it was reconstructed that marks the entrance of the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.

There are other varieties of arts and culture that uniquely stand out and make Berlin as among the popular tourist spots in the world today.