48 hours in Berlin, what to do? Hard decision , of course. Because the city is design, history, art, gastronomy... in short, one of those stops with as many faces as you want to turn the prism. But it is always possible to get a general idea of the must from anywhere. If there is no time for more, in two days these are the stops In Berlin that you cannot miss.
DAY 1. FROM ALEXANDERPLATZ TO POTSDAMER PLATZ
9:00 a.m. We start the day walking between the communist architecture of the Karl Marx-Allee , which is synonymous with discovering emblematic buildings such as the Kino Internacional, a cinema of the 'East Berlin' that hosted premieres until the fall of the Wall.
All you need to do this is a comfortable walk that soon leads to alexanderplatz , nerve center of Berlin and the square where it is located the Weltzeituhr world clock and the TV Tower , which with its 368 meters is the tallest public access building in Europe.
The world clock at Alexanderplatz.
Just a few minutes away, you can have breakfast and make your first purchases in Hackescher Hofe, the largest enclosed courtyard area in Germany, listed as a national historical monument.
Of course the Museum island (with national jewels such as the Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie or the Pergamonmuseum, among others) is essential on a first visit to Berlin.
Another interesting cultural option is the Martin-Gropius-Bau , which houses important temporary exhibitions throughout the year in an imposing building. In addition, next to it is the successful exhibition of The Topography of Terror , a visual review with impressive documents of the recent german nazi history.
The Martin-Gropius-Bau museum.
1:00 p.m. At lunchtime, it is best not to leave the center mitte. Full stomach, in the commercial artery of Freidrichstrasse awaits Checkpoint Charlie , the most famous checkpoint between the allied zone and the soviet zone.
Before you can (and should) make a stop at the beautiful Plaza de Gendarmenmarkt and the shocking Monument to the Murdered Jews of Europe , a large labyrinth made up of more than 2,700 columns.
5:00 p.m. And we ended up in front of the brandenburg gate and the imposing Reichstag , whose modern dome signed it Norman Foster. There are only a few steps that separate us from the goal: the Potsdamerplatz.
Potsdamerplatz.
Destroyed during World War II and Split in two by the Berlin Wall . The stop here is essential, as is looking up.
Only one building that formed part of the square managed to survive: the Haus Huth , a six-storey building that withstood bombing thanks to its steel structure Something revolutionary for the time.
In the square Some remains of what was the luxurious Grand Hotel Esplanade are also preserved. To discover part of the façade, you have to approach the sony center, a contemporary architectural jewel whose glass and steel dome illuminated with changing colored lights are unmissable.
Inside Sony Center.
Here you can upload to the Kolhoff Tower , with 25 floors and more than 100 meters high, to enjoy one of the best views of central berlin . The entrance to the viewpoint, called Panoramapunkt, is located on Alte Potsdamer Strasse.
8:00 p.m. To round off the day, you can enjoy a musical in the area or retrace slightly what has been walked to go to the Bar Tausend , where to finish (or start) the evening.
DAY 2. FROM THE MARKET TO THE ZOO
9:00 a.m. Start the second day of this 48 hours in Berlin. If it's Sunday, it's best to go to the neighborhood of Friedrichshain to go hunting for the hidden treasure the flea market in Boxhagen Platz.
With or without purchases, after enjoying a brunch in Macondo to regain strength, it's time to head to the inevitable West Side Gallery to see the Berlin Wall.
Berlin Wall.
1:00 p.m. On the way back, the Markthalle Neun gastronomic market and the alternative area of Kreuzberg they are always worth a visit, also an interesting stop to refuel.
4:00 p.m. We took the subway to get to the berlin zoo . Next to the Zoologister Garten station, the museums Helmut Newton Foundation Y C/O Berlin compile the best photographic collections of the German capital.
After going through the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church -whose peculiar aspect of a ruined castle gives it a special charm-you can stop at the historic shopping center Berlin Bikini and say goodbye to the city from the sky in the neighboring restaurant Neni, with direct views of tiergarten , the green lung of a city that never stops.
View of Tiergarten from the Neni Berlin restaurant.