Newcastle Airport launched a regular, direct service to Berlin for the first time this summer
Berlin city centre(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Berlin is renowned as one of Europe’s most exciting city breaks. However, for years, North East travellers have not been able to fly directly to the German capital.
That has changed this summer with the introduction of a direct Eurowings flight from Newcastle Airport. The twice-weekly service on Thursdays and Sundays is the only regular and direct flight to Berlin from the North East and Yorkshire.
Home to historic monuments such as the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag, there is a vast array of attractions for all types of travellers.
Here are some of ChronicleLive’s suggestions for things to do in Berlin
East Side Gallery
The East Side Gallery is a popular spot for tourists but with good reason. The world’s longest open-air art gallery at 1.3km, it is a preserved section of the Berlin Wall.
The most famous section is “My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love’ by Dmitri Vrubel, but you may know that as the Berlin Wall Kiss.
Go clubbing!
Berlin’s clubbing scene is world-renowned, and a night out here might blow your mind if you think the Bigg Market is a mad one. The most famous club is Berghain, a techno club, but that can be quite tricky to get in.
Other popular clubs are KitKatClub, Renate, Sisyphos and Klunkerkranich.
Reichstag Building and Brandenburg Gate
Visiting the German Parliament and Government building might sound a bit heavy – but the Reichstag is a popular (and free) tourist attraction. The modern dome atop the building, designed by British architect Norman Foster offers panoramic views of the city skyline.
Half a kilometre from the Reichstag building is another of Berlin’s best-known landmarks, the Brandenburg Gate. The gate once symbolised Germany’s division into east and west, but when the Wall came down, it instead became a symbol of Germany’s reunification.
Museum Island
Also known as Spreeinsel (Spree Island), there are five large museums in this quarter of Berlin. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the island is home to the Altes Museum (Old Museum), Neues Museum (New Museum), the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), the Bode Museum and the Pergamon Museum (the latter is closed for renovations until 2027).
Highlights of the museums include a 3,000-year-old bust of Nefertiti, a royal queen of Ancient Egypt, in the Neues Museum; and the circular dome of the Altes Museum.
Head off the beaten track
Berlin also has some wonderfully weird attractions. Curious traveller could head off to the Monsterkabinett, an underground animatronic monster tour; seek out mysterious objects at the Museum of Unheard of Things; or take a tour of Hansa Studios, where David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Nick Cave have recorded albums.
And for those looking for something truly weird, stay at the Circus Hostel, where there is a (very small) museum dedicated to David Hasselhoff in the basement.
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