Holiday program in Berlin. To Berlin! How to relax on a budget in the German capital From Berlin by car to where

On vacation or a business trip, sooner or later you wonder where to go for one day. Seeing picturesque surroundings and visiting one of the suburbs or neighboring cities is quite possible, even if you plan the trip yourself. A detailed map and schedule of public transport are available on the Internet, and traveling by rented car will allow you to enjoy stops and photo sessions against the backdrop of magnificent scenery.

Capital of the state of Brandenburg

Most often, when planning excursions, travelers go to. This city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its entirety, and its history is full of historically important events. When choosing where to go from Berlin for the weekend, tourists prefer Potsdam also because the cities are separated by only 20 km. They are easy to overcome on S-Bahn trains, departing several times an hour from Berlin's Zoo, Charlottenburg and Hauptbahnhof stations. Take a walk around Potsdam and find yourself in Berlin during a long flight connection - trains depart here from the capital's airport once an hour.
The main architectural attractions of the suburbs of the German capital are the parks and palaces of Sanssouci, Babelsberg and Pfaueninsel. Pearls of the Renaissance and Baroque era, they are also amazing examples of the art of landscape designers.
Fans of German cuisine prefer to take excursions to Potsdam to enjoy the best dishes of local restaurants. Especially lucky are those who come during the traditional Potsdamer Erlebnisnacht night festival.

In the land of silent giants

Both the Germans themselves and numerous guests of the country prefer to relax in Saxony. When choosing where to go from Berlin, nature lovers will certainly pay attention to this national park in Germany.
Saxon Switzerland is located in the upper reaches of the Elbe. It is only a few kilometers away, and about two hundred from the capital. There are several ways to get to Dresden:

By bus. The travel time will be about two hours, the price of a round-trip ticket is from 10 euros, depending on the schedule and class of the bus. In the capital, buses depart from Alexanderplatz, Central Station and Schönefeld Airport.
By train. The fastest - EU - departs from Berlin's main station Hauptbahnhof. The journey takes about two hours, but the price is about 50 euros in both directions.
By car. Take the A13 highway southeast of Berlin. The advantage of this option is that Potsdam is on the way and you can combine a visit to its parks and palaces with a visit to Saxon Switzerland.

The main attractions of the national park are the unique mountain landscapes and landscapes. The most famous are the rocky bastion with the Bastei observation deck, soaring to a height of 200 meters, and the Lichtenhain Falls, from where many walking routes around the park begin.

It's time to talk about the beautiful things :) No, really, there will be food, music, cities, and small villages... all together, and you choose what you like.

Besides Berlin, the city I love so much, I would like to show something that is seasonal, something that is a must for tourists, and something that not everyone knows about.

Confused? Intrigued?

Now let's unravel :)

So, imagine that you have been in Berlin for several days or are not here for the first time. We’ve already walked under the linden trees, photographed the Brandenburg Gate, and explored Museum Island. We had breakfast on the Gendarmenmarkt, went shopping on Kudamm, swam along the Spree, became our own in the Hack courtyards, climbed the Reichstag, understood the difference between spicy and non-spicy currywurst, and even took a liking to some hipster cafe in Kreuzberg.

In the mornings, go for a run in the Tiergarten, wave to Golden Elsa and really don’t know what else to do. In fact, even inside the city there are a million more small amazing corners. But today we’re taking our backpack to the train!

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Less than an hour as the crow flies, and we are already in another federal state, Brandenburg, and hello to its capital - Potsdam.

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Strictly speaking, Potsdam deserves a hundred times to stay for a few days in one of the small hotels and very slowly explore the city, parks, palaces... But even like this, by visiting, you can get some things done.

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If only there was a whole long summer day ahead. Where will you start? After getting off the train, do you immediately go to the first bakery you come across to try some fruit pies?

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From the unique Dutch quarter, where bicycles are parked along traditional red brick houses and where fluffy pancakes are baked with a wide variety of fillings?

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Or immediately to Sans Souci, the very palace “without worries” of Frederick the Great?

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To admire the statues of ancient gods, look at the old mill, get lost in the shadow of the green arches, go out onto the deserted path of the park and walk under the old trees, completely losing track of time.

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Suddenly find a Chinese tea house or walk to another palace - Charlottenhof or Orangerie.

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Finding some special staircase and thinking about what should be here, among the roses and bindweed, Cinderella dropped her shoe.

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Immerse yourself in extraordinary silence, suddenly catch this feeling - wonderful loneliness somewhere in the forest. What in German is called "Waldeinsamkeit" is romantic and melancholic, a kind of unity with nature.

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And then, having worked up an appetite, choose one of the cafes right here in Potsdam.

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Drink cocoa, and then decide that you can’t have too much sweets and take dumplings with chocolate filling, almonds and whipped cream.

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Plan “B” - we also take the train and also travel for about an hour, but in the other direction, towards Cottbus. If everyone has heard about Potsdam, excursion groups are constantly taken there, then Lübbenau/Spreewald is a place that has not been replicated at all. There are enough tourists here, but they are all locals who came to see the beauty of the river and forest.

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If you delve a little deeper into the topic, it turns out that German Venice is located in a small cozy German town and you can still argue where the trip will be more interesting.

The Lusatian settlement region located here is a very special region, even within the borders of Brandenburg. It is Slavic, Lusatians live here, which, of course, affects both the language and cultural characteristics.

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From the very morning (from about 9.30) large and small boats depart from the pier. If you arrived earlier, it’s a sure thing, go to the bakery. There are fresh buns and the latest news.

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You’ll find out everything, have breakfast, and then walk along narrow and wide canals, past traditional houses, to ladies in folk costumes who will gladly offer you a taste of local delicacies.

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In most cases, all paths converge at the village of Lede and, depending on the amount of time you have, you can go to the museum and learn about history and culture, or stay somewhere on the shore in the shade.

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Drink local Fassbrause. It will definitely be appreciated by lovers of cider, Austrian almdoodler and similar stories. It is prepared from fruits and berries with the addition of malt.

Local raspberry - Lübbenauer Himbeerfassbrause - a drink that tastes very close to Berliner Weisse, but, perhaps, quite light, like unsweetened lemonade.

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Any menu will contain an incredible amount of everything cucumber: soups, cucumber plates, salads, bread (with cucumbers!) and hot dishes... Of course, this is a specialty of the region and the fame of Spreewald cucumbers resounds far beyond the borders of Brandenburg.

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Laugh and laugh as much as you want until you try it, and once you try it, you will definitely want to take a couple of jars with you :)

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What else to offer - throw your bag on the bus and let's go around Saxony! It’s very close and here, what do you want to do - stay or just look around for daylight?

The forests of Brandenburg give way to golden Saxon fields, and where will the bus turn? To Dresden or to Leipzig? We’ve already said a little about Dresden and I hope more will be said, but for now let’s turn to Leipzig. University, cozy, smelling of coffee, with the music of Bach and lines from Faust.

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The city went down in history with the Battle of the Nations, which took place in the surrounding area and is still memorable. The massive Völkerschlachtdenkmal, which overlooks Leipzig, is proof of this. However, this is not the whole city life and certainly not the whole history. Johann Sebastian Bach worked here (buried in the Church of St. Thomas), and the vaults of Leipzig cathedrals still remember his music. Of course not, because an international festival named after the great composer is held here. But the townspeople went further and named one of the cakes in honor of Bach. So, welcome to Leipzig, another piece of Bachtorte please.

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If you want to quote Goethe, great, Auerbach’s cellar is perfect. The famous urban legend about the warlock Faust riding up the stairs to the exit riding on a large barrel took place here. Either evil spirits really intervened, or the wine cellar's regulars had too much wine - who can figure it out now. But the first part of Faust, by the will of the author, takes place here, now advertising is advertising for centuries.

Even if the evening turns out to be rainy, all you have to do is run to a cozy cafe in the city center and you are already enveloped in the warm aromas of freshly brewed coffee.

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Which one would you like: let's continue the musical theme and order Mozart with egg liqueur, cream and dark chocolate shavings? Or let's take a mug of the most delicate, like angel wings, white chocolate with honey? Not cloying, not oily... tender, gentle. And the warmth runs through the veins.

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We won’t say goodbye to ideas of “where to go from..”. I hope there will be more to show and tell. And don’t be left behind, pack your suitcase and go to Germany.

maria_kitchen
13/08/2015 11:00

The opinions of tourists may not coincide with the opinions of the editors.

Fragment of the Berlin Wall

Do you think you already know enough about Berlin? Can you walk from the Brandenburg Gate to Alexanderplatz with your eyes closed? Do tourists get advice from you, and are they greeted by name in the bar near the apartments? After reading the article, did you confidently cross out all the points? In this case, we can safely move towards the suburbs. So where to go from Berlin for one day?

Potsdam

Only 30 min. from Berlin and you are transported to the amazing architecture of Potsdam. Wander in the shade of the rich royal garden that surrounds the magnificent Sanssouci Palace. See a mini version of the Brandenburg Gate, which opens up to a delightful shopping street. Wander the narrow streets of the Dutch Quarter. See Bebelsberg Castle and the park of the same name. Potsdam is a gem of 18th-century architecture whose attractions fully compensate for the lack thereof in bombed-out Berlin.

Spreewald

One of Germany's most beautiful natural areas, the Spreewald is just an hour's train ride from Berlin's main station. The Spreewald's landscape is breathtaking: more than 200 canals criss-cross a long strip of marshland dotted with pine forests, meadows and islets dotted with villages. In the protected part of the Spreewald, local residents still use the waterways to get to work or shop. Many of them are descendants of the Slavic tribes of the Serbs, who have preserved their language, traditions, costumes and recipes.

Greeted by local “Dobry žeń” and “Pomogaj Bog”

Just look at the Spreewald cucumbers that the hero of the film “Goodbye Lenin” searched for for his mother during the day. By the way, the film is recommended to all those who want to become better acquainted with the history of the Berlin Wall. The best way to explore this extraordinary biosphere reserve is by taking a traditional punt boat ride.

Former concentration camp Sachsenhausen

The slogan on the entrance gate reads "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work makes you free)

The Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum was built in 1936. The camp was one of the important concentration camps in the Third Reich. The architectural layout of Sachsenhausen served as the prototype for most concentration camps in Nazi Germany. Sachsenhausen, unlike Auschwitz, was not planned as an extermination camp. But the concentration camp is not a sanatorium: hard forced labor, malnutrition, torture and disease claimed the lives of more than 100 thousand people.

Germany is full of historical monuments and unique attractions. To explore them, it will be most convenient to stay in Berlin, which has a convenient location and developed transport links with the whole country.

Instructions

180 km west of Berlin is Wernigerode, a tiny, quiet town with a centuries-old history. This place is the most beautiful in the country and is rightfully included in the UNESCO list: the ancient town hall and houses with pointed turrets, forged cast-iron fences and winter gardens framed with multi-colored glass mosaics, water mills and fountains with heraldic symbols. Everything here is imbued with a fascinating and amazingly beautiful half-timbered style that will not leave any traveler indifferent.

Driving just 35 km southwest of the German capital, you can find yourself in the city of Potsdam. Despite its small territory, it has a huge number of centuries-old palaces and gardens dating back to different eras.

It is worth traveling from Berlin to Dresden, located 150 km south of the capital. This unique city is the birthplace of European porcelain and an exemplary example of the Baroque style. Once here, you can visit the world-famous Dresden Opera, see Raphael’s masterpiece “The Sistine Madonna”, located in the Dresden Art Gallery, and also visit a theme park that tells through small performances about the life of the peoples of the world in different periods of time.

A truly natural paradise is located 90 km south of Berlin. The Spreewald area, divided by river channels into small islands, helps every visitor get as close to nature as possible, because 18,000 species of animals and plants coexist harmoniously on its territory.

Traveling south from Berlin about 50 km, you can visit the city of Senftenberg. It was glorified by a military fortress, which until the 18th century was used for its intended purpose and was one of the most powerful defensive structures in the surrounding lands.

Berlin is a city worth visiting. Here the past harmoniously combines with the present, there are many architectural monuments, attractions, and historical relics. But if you have the time and desire, you can also visit amazing places in the vicinity of the German capital. There are many of them Where It’s up to you to decide whether to go.

So, you have already walked along the famous Unter den Linden alley, visited the State Opera House, the Lustgraten Museum, the Old Library, looked at the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. You can also visit numerous bars and shops, go to one of the two zoos, and take an excursion to the underground city and the Dungeon Museum. But what next? It's time to go explore the area Berlin If your plans do not include trips that will take several days, take the regional train or S-Bahn to Potsdam. The Prussian kings valued this small town even more than Berlin itself. It really is cozy here, you can stroll through the ancient Dutch Quarter, see the magnificent palace of Frederick the Great of Sans Souci, and walk in the wonderful park around it. The Cecilienhof Palace is also worthy of attention - it was where the famous Potsdam Conference took place. Be sure to check out the village of Aleksandrovka - this is a Russian colony where Germans now live. Everything there is very colorful; on weekends they give performances and serve Russian cuisine. Dresden is a city that is also located not far from Berlin. This is the birthplace of Augustus the Strong and the place where porcelain first appeared in Europe. By bus and train it is about 3 hours away (but a bus ticket will be cheaper). To be in Germany and not go to the famous Dresden gallery, where Raphael’s great Sistine Madonna is kept, is wrong. And, of course, it’s very pleasant to walk along the streets of the capital of Saxony and explore the Old Town, where the houses are made of sandstone, which over time has become completely dark. You will be delighted by the beautiful Baroque buildings, and if you stay for the evening, you can go to the Dresden Opera. An hour and a half drive from Berlin– an amazing place Spreewald. This is some kind of Venice in miniature: countless islands, boats, a beautiful park, a stylized village connected by canals. It’s simply impossible not to enjoy a trip there. It’s also a good idea to visit Hamburg, the modern business center of Germany. However, there is also a picturesque Old Town, an ancient town hall, and the picturesque Alster Lake. A famous local attraction is the Red Light District. Travel time from Berlin– about 2 hours. And to the fairy-tale city of Wernigerode it takes longer – 3-3.5 hours. But the Germans themselves rightfully consider it the most beautiful place in the country. First of all, the architecture there is striking - unusual buildings in a half-timbered style. If you come to Berlin with children, be sure to go to Tropical Island. These are truly real tropics in the center of Europe. After a short journey by train and then by bus, you will find yourself on tropical islands, dense forests, sea and sandy beaches. The complex operates 24 hours a day. Of course, all the places listed above are only a small fraction of those Where can be reached from Berlin. Arm yourself with a map, read guidebooks, look for information on the Internet, on the Vinsky forum. And you will definitely make your travel plan.

I decided to go to Berlin in November, because I don’t like to travel during the “high season” and specifically plan vacations for unpopular months. I never take tours, and anyway, why are they needed if you know languages and don’t have complete and incurable topographical cretinism)

At the beginning of November, I bought Aeroflot tickets (since they were the cheapest), booked a hotel, and applied for a visa. Here it’s probably worth mentioning right away that I applied for the visa through the visa center, since there was less hassle. You can take photos on the spot, buy insurance, and even fill out forms for a fee. In order not to hang around in line for half a day, I bought insurance online, took a photo on the way home from work, and filled out the form on the weekend. I applied for a regular visa, but it was done in 4 days, so everything was very quick.

I have wanted to go to Berlin for a long time, probably a kind of childhood dream that I approached with an adult seriousness that was unusual for me. The trip was designed for 8 days and scheduled by day.

Arrival day. The most relaxed day. I arrived at 11:00 am in Berlin at Schönefeld Airport. It’s worth saying right away that Berlin is divided into zones A B C and tickets for public transport are purchased in accordance with these zones. So Schönefeld is located in zone C and this must be taken into account when buying tickets for public transport. I immediately bought a pass for 7 days (zones A B C), since I had to travel a lot and a one-time pass was very expensive. The pass is sold at the airport itself on the ground floor.

Having bought a ticket, I immediately went on the S-Bahn to get to the city and check into a hotel. Back in Moscow, I downloaded a public transport map onto my phone (it’s just a brilliant invention) and I chose in advance how to get to the hotel. As a matter of fact, there are several ways to get from the airport.

1. By taxi, which in my opinion is expensive.

2. By bus.

3. By S-Bahn (something like our light metro and MCC)

4. S-Bahn+RE (regional trains)

My hotel was called Holiday Inn Express Berlin City Center West, three stars. Very good territorial location, namely in the center, next to the zoo. Excellent rooms, breakfast and service. The road to the hotel took about 1.5 hours, provided that a couple of times I asked the way to the hotel and looked where to go. At one o'clock I was already in the room. Having quickly unpacked my things, I went to the cafe to have lunch. “Alt Berliner” caught my eye, as it later turned out that this is the name of a dime a dozen cafes. After lunch I took bus 100 and went to Alexanderplatz.

Alexander parade ground.

It seems to me that almost every subsequent journey began from here, since there is a large transport hub here. In addition, there are many shops nearby, including the famous “Gallery” in Germany.

Among the attractions here it is worth looking at the TV Tower, and there is also a clock in a strange, Soviet design. After seeing a couple of sights and shopping, I returned to my room.

Second day.

It was dedicated to a trip to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp located next to Oranienburg, which is located near Berlin. The easiest way to get there is to take the S-Bahn (line S1 to Oranienburg station), there is a bus stop next to the station that goes all the way to the camp. It is difficult to miss the bus, as there is always a crowd of tourists there.

Before your trip, I recommend that you check the opening hours and go there around 12 o’clock, because you will be there for at least 3 hours. Another feature of German attractions is that they are often free. Sachsenhausen is no exception; admission is free, but for a few euros you can get an audio guide in Russian. To be honest, I studied the map and read about the camp in advance, so I didn’t take a guide, but even without one I walked there for 4 hours.

Some may think that this is too difficult a place to visit, but in my opinion, such monuments should also be seen and known about them, especially when it comes to a trip to Germany.

Day three

After a long trip to the camp there was a day of rest. First I went to the Brandenburg Gate - this is the first thing I remember when thinking about Berlin. The best way to reach the gate is along Unter den Linden street. Along the way you can see the university building, visit a couple of shops and even have a cup of coffee. Also on this day I visited the well-known Berlin Wall, which once divided the west and east. In general, you can find the remains of the wall all over Berlin, but the place where I suggest you go is an open-air museum + a building with photographs opposite the wall. The Berlin Wall memorial complex is simply worth seeing, to see a gray wall made of concrete and reinforcement, a wall without embellishment or graffiti, to see and touch the history.

Day four.

Berlin Cathedral is a majestic and beautiful building. The first museum I had to pay for (7 euros), but it's worth it. Here, if I were you, I would take an audio guide and tour the entire building. Also

Be sure to go up to the observation deck from there you can see the whole of Berlin.

There are several cafes next to the cathedral, right on the embankment. My attention was given to one of them, where they served Currywurst (sausages in curry), I highly recommend trying them. And after a short snack, you can move on to the museum island, which is located within walking distance from the cathedral. Here you can buy a single ticket to three museums or choose one. I only went to the Pergamon Museum, which is so famous all over the world. To be honest, I was disappointed. Maybe for Europeans and Americans who don’t travel that much, it’s cool to see the ruins of temples, but for a person who has seen ancient temples in the open air, this is absolutely cool. The museum is small, only two floors. The first is ruined, the second is smaller ancient monuments (carpets, dishes, etc.), for me the Pergamon Museum cannot be compared with the Pushkin Museum. But it’s probably worth seeing what Europe is so passionate about.

Day five.

Rise and shine, wake and shine. We get up early, have a hearty breakfast and set off on a wonderful trip to Spreewal. Spreewald is the birthplace of those same pickled Spreewald cucumbers, German Venice as it is also called. A must visit place. We go to the main station and pay attention - we buy a ticket to Lubbennau, if we used to ride everywhere using our travel card, then here we will have to go with a different ticket (price 15 euros). On the way, by the way, we pass a tropical island which, unfortunately, I didn’t know about and therefore didn’t have time to visit.

And so we arrived in Lubbennau, we go to the central square and look for the main harbor. There, for 10 euros, a mustachioed German who doesn’t speak English will poop you on a boat for two hours, give you mulled wine to drink and give you a blanket. A great outdoor adventure. If you visit during the warm season, there are hotels there where, if you wish, you can spend the night away from the noisy city. What do you want after such a trip? Eat! There, in the main harbor, there is a cafe on the second floor of one of the buildings. It is designed in the shape of a ship. I highly recommend the trout and fish soup, plus the bread with the famous cucumbers. Well, once you’ve walked around the town (it’s very small), you can head back to the hotel.

Sixth day.

Again, relaxed. We are going to see the wall, or rather its most famous part. Westside gallery - wall with graffiti. It is located right on the embankment. For reasonable money you will even be allowed to draw something on it yourself.

Next, my plans included visiting the Reichstag, but since I had not booked a place on the website in advance, I had to take a photo outside and go see Bellevue Palace. Beautiful, with a perfect green lawn, but unfortunately closed for reconstruction. What to do when things are so bad? It’s right to go to an open-air museum. And this was the Berlin Wall Museum next to Checkpoint Charlie, which was a famous meeting place in the last century. Well, and from there the monument to the victims of the Holocaust. Some people may not be interested in this monument, but in my opinion it is worth seeing such an unusual structure.