By the end of the Second World War, up to a third of Berlin had been destroyed by concerted Allied air raids and street fighting. The so-called Stunde Null marked a new beginning for the city. Greater Berlin was divided into four sectors by the Allies under the London Protocol of 1944, one each for:
- the United States, consisting of the Boroughs of Neukölln, Kreuzberg, Tempelhof, Schöneberg, Steglitz and Zehlendorf;(See : commandants of Berlin American Zone)
- the United Kingdom, consisting of the Boroughs of Tiergarten, Charlottenburg, Wilmersdorf and Spandau; (See :commandants of Berlin British Zone)
- France, consisting of the Boroughs of Wedding and Reinickendorf; (See :commandants of Berlin French Zone)
- the Soviet Union, consisting of the Boroughs of Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Pankow, Weißensee, Friedrichshain, Lichtenberg, Treptow, and Köpenick; (See :commandants of Berlin Soviet Zone) .
Berlin was the capital of Prussia until 1945 and the capital of Germany between 1871 and 1945 and again since the reunification of Germany on October 3, 1990. (The German parliament, called Bundestag, and the German government moved from Bonn to Berlin in 1999.) Between 1949 and 1990, it was divided into East Berlin, the capital of the German Democratic Republic, and West Berlin. It was divided by the Berlin Wall between August 13, 1961, and November 9, 1989.
In present Berlin has so much attraction in his lap with lots of amazing moments. Berlin is back on today’s city skyline with the magnificently restored golden dome of the 19th-century New Synagogue. Also has captured a lot joys and unforgettable moments with its wonderful attractions bunches.
Travel from London to Berlin by London Berlin Train
Train journeys from London to Germany generally start from London St Pancras International Station on the Eurostar.This is the best travel mode while thinking about the momentum journey. The most logical routing is via Brussels in Belgium with the fastest journeys taking just over ten hours.
The Eurostar trains stop in Belgium at Brussels Midi Eurostar station from where it is about a 15-minute walk for transfers to regular long-distance trains. Eurostar trains have check-in times, usually half an hour before listed departure time, while other trains can be boarded up to seconds prior to departure.
From Brussels-Midi station, travelers can take either the Thalys TGV or the Germany Inter-City-Express (ICE) train to Cologne Main Station (Köln Hauptbahnhof). The journey is two hours fifteen minutes. From Cologne, frequent ICE trains run to Berlin in just over four hours.
Eurostar trains are the fastest means of transport across Europe. You can easily travel from one country to another within couple of hours with high speed Eurostar (186mph). The Eurostar trains are the most convenient way to travel from London to Berlin. You can easily reach Berlin with Eurostar, simply need to change at Brussels and cologne and you can travel on to Berlin with Eurostar Partner Thalys and ICE. You just hop on the Eurostar train from London spectacular St Pancras International station to Brussels Midi. It will take 1hr 51min to reach Brussels. From Brussels you can travel to Berlin via Cologne. You just hop on the Thalys train from Brussels to Cologne then from Cologne to Berlin by ICE trains.
London to Berlin by Train is an exciting journey. First you have an exciting journey by Eurostar London Brussels Train and then you take Brussels Cologne (London Cologne Train) and finally from Cologne to Berlin. From Brussels, you need to use services of Thalys or ICE hi Speed Train services in Europe.
Berlin hotels:
There are cheap hotels in Berlin and your Berlin City experience can start from as little as GBP£27.00 at Hotel Baerlin Berlin, which you’ll find at Scharnweberstrasse 17-20, Berlin, Berlin, , Germany.
For the best accommodation in Berlin City, enjoy luxury from GBP£105.00 at the Pullman Berlin Schweizerhof Hotel, located at Budapesterstrasse 25, Berlin, Berlin, , Germany.
For travellers seeking a balance of comfort and value for money, accommodation starts at GBP£27.00 for a room at the Hotel Baerlin Berlin, conveniently situated at Scharnweberstrasse 17-20, Berlin, Berlin, , Germany.
And for just GBP£65.00, discerning visitors looking for budget accommodation in Berlin City can base themselves at the Holiday Inn Express BERLIN CITY CENTRE-WEST which is located at Kurfuerstenstrasse 78, Berlin, Berlin, , Germany.
Lastly, for the family or group travellers you may prefer a Berlin City apartment, starting from GBP£35.00 at the RS Apartments Berlin, Kurfuerstendamm 94/95, Berlin, Berlin,Germany.
1.Angleterre Hotel Berlin:
A model of international standard four-star service, Angleterre Hotel Berlin will have your Berlin visit off to the most relaxing possible start.
Angleterre Hotel Berlin is easily accessible in the Berlin City neighbourhood, at Friedrichstrasse 30, Berlin, Berlin, Germany, and is an ideal launch pad for sampling the sights of Berlin or doing business, sure to be a highlight of your trip to Germany.
Use our map facility to find Angleterre Hotel Berlin or search for other accommodation in the Berlin City area of Berlin here.
2.Altberlin Hotel Berlin
For comfort and security, the three-star Altberlin Hotel Berlin opens the door to the delights of Berlin.
A fixture of the Berlin City area, Altberlin Hotel Berlin can be found at Potsdamerstrasse 67, Berlin, Berlin, Germany. From here, you are perfectly placed to explore Berlin, a quintessential experience for any visitor to Germany.
Use our map facility to locate Altberlin Hotel Berlin or look for other hotels in the Berlin City area.
3. Mitte Tiergarten
There are cheap hotels in Berlin and your Mitte Tiergarten experience can start from as little as GBP£26.00 at Wedding Pension Berlin, which you’ll find at Schulstrasse 40, Berlin Wedding, Berlin, , Germany.
International standard rooms with service is available from GBP£61.00 at the Hotel Gates Berlin City East, which can be found at Invalidenstrasse 98, Berlin, Berlin, , Germany.
And for just GBP£26.00, discerning visitors looking for budget accommodation in Mitte Tiergarten can base themselves at the Wedding Pension Berlin which is located at Schulstrasse 40, Berlin Wedding, Berlin, , Germany.
4. Prenzlauer Berg
There are cheap hotels in Berlin and your Prenzlauer Berg experience can start from as little as GBP£62.00 at The Park Plaza Prenzlauer Berg Berlin, which you’ll find at Storkowerstrasse 162, Berlin, Berlin, , Germany.
International standard rooms with service is available from GBP£62.00 at the The Park Plaza Prenzlauer Berg Berlin, which can be found at Storkowerstrasse 162, Berlin, Berlin, , Germany.
For travellers seeking a balance of comfort and value for money, accommodation starts at GBP£99.00 for a room at the Old Town Apartments Berlin, conveniently situated at Schoenhauser Allee 5, Berlin, Berlin, , Germany.
Lastly, for the family or group travellers you may prefer a Prenzlauer Berg apartment, starting from GBP£99.00 at the Old Town Apartments Berlin, Schoenhauser Allee 5, Berlin, Berlin, , Germany.
5.Charlottenburg Wilmersdorf
There are cheap hotels in Berlin and your Charlottenburg Wilmersdorf experience can start from as little as GBP£26.00 at Alecsa Hotel am Olympiastadion Berlin, which you’ll find at Glockenturmstrasse 30, Berlin, Berlin, , Germany.
International standard rooms with service is available from GBP£43.00 at the NH Hotel Berlin City West, which can be found at Bundesalllee 36/37, Berlin, Berlin, , Germany.
For travellers seeking a balance of comfort and value for money, accommodation starts at GBP£43.00 for a room at the Arche Hotel Pension Berlin, conveniently situated at Kantstrasse 104a, Charlottenburg Wilmersdorf Berlin, Berlin, , Germany.
And for just GBP£26.00, discerning visitors looking for budget accommodation in Charlottenburg Wilmersdorf can base themselves at the Alecsa Hotel am Olympiastadion Berlin which is located at Glockenturmstrasse 30, Berlin, Berlin, , Germany.
Top Sights and Attractions in Berlin:
The vibrant German capital offers a lot of entertainment as well as cultural delights. You can see most of the city from a boat trip on the Spree River. Tours usually go around Museum Island, past the government buildings and reveal the most picturesque parts of the city. Particularly attractive is the night tour, which allows you to see the city in a totally different light. If not from the waterways, discover the city walking along its streets and squares, such as the most famous, Unter den Linden or Kurfuerstendamm alleys and the former East Berlin centre – Alexander Platz or the only recently adapted to a shopping and entertainment centre Potsdamer Platz. Don’t forget about the zoo and the vast Tiergarten park in the very centre of the city, right next to the central railway station.
1.Brandenburg Gate
Erected in 1791, the Brandenburg Gate was one of the German capital’s 14 original city gates. Today, the only evidence of the others’ existence are the names of metro stations, such as Schlesisches Tor and Kottbusser Tor. The design of the Brandenburger Tor was inspired by the Acropolis in Athens. The famous statue on top of the gate is Victoria, the goddess of triumph riding atop a four-horsed chariot. It was crafted by the sculptor Gottfried Schadow. In 1806, the sculpture was taken to Paris by Napoleon’s troops as a war trophy only to be returned to Berlin after the ultimate war defeat of the French.
2.King Friedrich II of Prussia Monument
The monument of King Friedrich II of Prussia (1712-86) stands at the end of Forum Fridericianum, marking the beginning of the boulevard of Unter den Linden. The monument forms part of what is known as Via Triumphalis, stretching from the victory arch of Brandenburg Gate to the Berlin Castle. Monuments along this route have been added by several generations of artists since the 18th Century. The statue of King Friedrich II was erected in 1851 and is one of the best known works of Christian Daniel Rauch. It significantly contributed to the later style of royal monuments.
3.Holocaust Memorial
This intriguing monument to Jewish victims of the Third Reich was unveiled in the German capital 60 years after the tragic events of World War II. Nearly 15 years elapsed between the time it took to conceptualize and its final completion. It can be found beside the Brandenburg Gate and the remains of Hitler’s underground bunker. It has since become an internationally recognised symbol of the victims of the Holocaust.
4.Berliner Ensemble
Berliner Ensemble is a famous theatre of Berlin, continuing the tradition which started in 1949 when Bertold Brecht and his wife Helene Weigel established a theatre group under this name. It was designed as a touring theatre, but five years later the theatre moved to the present building, earlier occupied by Theater am Schiffbauerdamm. Since then, it has staged plenty of plays by Brecht. With his wife and a team of directors, stage designers, composers and other collaborates, Brecht managed to prepare a number of excellent performances, such as ‘Mother Courage’ or ‘The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui’ and the Berliner Ensemble achieved a large success. After Brecht’s and Weigel’s deaths, the theatre extended its repertoire to plays of other European playwrights.
5.Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin
The Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, or Berlin State Library, boasts more than 350 years of history and is the largest and most important academic and research library in Germany today. It was founded in 1661 by Friedrich Wilhelm I von Brandenburg and since then gathers and catalogues diverse materials. Nowadays its impressive collection includes 10 million books, 13,5 million images in the picture archive, 1 million maps and atlases, more than 180,000 newspaper volumes, around 60,000 manuscripts, a large number of autographs, print music editions and personal archives. The library also possesses a state-of-the-art electronic catalogue and databases. This huge treasure is housed in two locations of the library in the centre of the capital – the original site in Unter den Linden, in the former East Berlin and the new building on Potsdamer Strasse, in the West.
6.Nikolaikirche
Nikolaikirche is situated in the heart of Berlin, exactly where the city was founded. It is the oldest standing church in Berlin and it is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. The church lies in the eastern part of central Berlin, in the district known as Mitte. It is surrounded by the historical streets of Spandauer Strasse, Rathausstrasse and the Muhlendamm, which contain many, restored Medieval houses. The over 400 kilometres long River Spree flows beside the church.
7.Deutsche Oper Berlin
A monumental structure, the Deutsche Oper occupies a central spot at Bismarckstrasse in Berlin-Charlottenburg. Active since 1961, the building towers over its surroundings, thus providing for one of the principal Berlin landmarks. The interiors of the Oper are vast and airy, with a spacious foyer. The work of architect Fritz Bornemann, the building has clear, distinct angles and simple architecture. The main auditorium follows the same rule of simplicity, and offers outstanding acoustics. The colouring is minimal, and the entire hall is clad in wooden panels.