Country Guides - Germany
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The 'Well of Justice', Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen, was built in Frankfurt's central square of Romweberg in 1541. About 70 years later the wells received stone interiors and the Statue of Justice watched over them. In 1612, when Kaiser Matthias was crowned, it was not water, but wine that flowed freely from the stone lions' mouths. In 1887, the wells were renovated and the stone figures copied. The original sandstone statues were moved to the Museum of Local History.
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Eschenheimer Turm
The Eschenheimer Turm is one of the few remaining towers of the medieval fortifications that encircled the city of Frankfurt. The 154-foot high (47m) gothic tower was built as part of the Medieval wall which encircled the city in the 15th century when approximately 60 towers surrounded the city. Citizens used build high walls and watchtowers to protect Frankfurt from danger.
Telephone: (069) 292 244
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Brandenburg Gate
The impressive and symbolic Brandenburg Gate that lay forlorn for so long in the no man's land behind the Berlin Wall, is now once again renovated and accessible, along with the newly reconstructed Pariser Platz that links the gate to the beautiful Unter den Linden Boulevard. The gate is Berlin's only remaining city gate, built of sandstone between 1788 and 1791 with 12 Doric columns according to a design by C.G. Langhans. Six columns support an 36ft (11m) transverse beam, similar to the propylaeum of the Acropolis in Athens. The massive gate is topped with a stunning statue of the Goddess of Victory facing east towards the city centre (this was added in 1794). The gate is closed to traffic, as is the adjacent Pariser Platz, a gracious square that was once surrounded with beautiful buildings sadly destroyed in the Second World War. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall new buildings have been built, however, to designs closely following those of the originals.
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Checkpoint Charlie
The infamous border crossing point in the wall dividing West and East Berlin has now become a shrine to the wall's memory with the addition of a museum, Haus am Checkpoint Charlie. For nearly 30 years, between 1961 and 1990, Checkpoint Charlie in the Friedrichstrasse was the only crossing point between East and West Berlin. The soldier's post can be visited, and tourists can be photographed under the border sign.
Telephone: (030) 253 7250
Website: www.Mauer-Museum.com
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Opening times: Daily 9am to 10pm; documentary films are screened throughout the day, with showings of the historically significant feature films 'Mit dem Wind nach Westen' daily at 5.30pm and 'Mein Kampf' daily at 7.30pm
Eastside Gallery
The remains of the infamous Berlin Wall have now become the largest open-air art gallery in the world. The longest section of the wall, which has been preserved, stretches from Ostbahnhof station to the Oberbaumbrucke, and has been given over to graffiti artists from around the world. A total of 118 artists from 21 countries have exerted their skills on the 4,318ft (1,316m) long section of the wall, and this collection has become a Berlin landmark and a tourist attraction. Best known paintings are Dimitri Vrubel's Brotherly Kiss and Gunther Shaefer's Fatherland. The gallery is billed as an international memorial for freedom.
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Website: www.eastsidegallery.com
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Jewish museum
Although relatively new the Jewish Museum in Lindenstrasse has already gained an international reputation for its significant architecture and unique exhibitions that bring history alive. The bulk of the museum is housed in a windowless and doorless steel-clad, silver building, designed by Daniel Libeskind, sited alongside the yellow Baroque edifice of the Berlin Museum. Visitors enter the Jewish Museum through the Berlin Museum to explore the exhibition rooms, which are clustered around a main axis void, designed to signify the empty and invisible aspects of Jewish history.
Telephone: (030) 25993 300
Website: www.juedisches-museum-berlin.de
Transport: U1, U6 Hallesches Tor or U6, Kochstraße
Opening times: Monday 10am to 10pm, Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 8pm
Hamburger Bahnhof
One of the most popular art galleries in Berlin is housed in a train station. The historic Hamburger Bahnhof, built in 1846 at the Tiergarten, was badly damaged during the Second World War, but has been restored and reopened, with some modern elements added to the architecture, as an exhibition venue for an extensive contemporary art collection. The former station now offers 107,639 square feet (10,000 sq metres) of space filled with works by the likes of Andy Warhol, Josephy Beuys and Roy Lichtenstein. The basis of the exhibition is the Marx private collection, but there are changing exhibitions and good examples of the Italian Transavanguardia and minimalist art on show too.
Telephone: +49 (0)30 266 3660
Website: www.smb.spk-berlin.de
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Opening times: Tuesday to Friday 10am to 6pm; Saturdays 11am to 8pm; Sundays 11am to 6pm. Guided tours are conducted on Sundays at 4pm
Potsdamer Platz
This vibrant square is the heart and soul of the 'New Berlin', which has emerged since the fall of the wall in 1989. The original square was once one of the busiest junctions in Europe with a major train station sited on it. However after damage during the Second World War and being cut through by the divisive wall, it became a decayed wasteland. Since the fall of the wall, however, a building boom has been taking place around the Potsdamer Platz, which now boasts an exciting mix of restaurants, shopping centres, hotels, a casino, theatres and cinemas that draws both Berliners and tourists seeking good food and recreation. Focus of the square is the 22-storey Debis Haus, designed by Renzo Piano, featuring an atrium with cathedral-like dimensions, and its neighbouring Potsdamer Platz Arkaden, a shopping mall with an Imax cinema. The Sony Centre is the most recent addition, consisting of seven buildings around a light-flooded arena, which also houses Berlin's popular Film Museum. The Kollhoff building features a panorama platform, reached by Europe's fastest express elevator, which offers views of the city.
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Website: www.potsdamerplatz.de
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Opening times: The panaroma platform is open Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 8pm; the Film Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm (Thursday until 8pm)
Hofbrauhaus
Beer has been swilled at this world-famous tavern site in the centre of Munich since it became a royal brewery in 1605. Equally famous is the Bavarian jollity and conviviality, known as 'gemuchtlikheid', which has emanated directly from the Hofbrauhaus in Munich along with the beer which flows freely there each day, served by robust rosy-cheeked young women clad in Bavarian dress in litre-sized beer steins. The cheerful atmosphere that reigns constantly in the establishment's different halls is helped along by the foot-tapping strains of traditional Bavarian 'oom-pah' bands and drinking songs. When the beer becomes too much, soak it up with a delicious salty pretzel or a German speciality from the menu, such as liver dumplings, potato soup or a variety of delicious sausages.
Telephone: (089) 29013610
Website: www.hofbraeuhaus.de
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Marienplatz
The Marienplatz is the heart of Munich and the site of its most important historic buildings. The square is dominated by the Neo-Gothic Town Hall featuring its famous Glockenspiel, both built in the 19th century. The Glockenspiel delights visitors when it chimes the hours every day at 11am, 12pm, 5pm and 9pm with its 43 bells, accompanied by moving clockwork figures that display vingnettes from Munich's history. The Town Hall has a tower that can be accessed by a lift. The centre of the square - which was once a vibrant farmer's market - features a statue of the Virgin Mary after which Marienplatz was named. Visitors can also explore a toy museum in the Old Town Hall on the square, and the Frauenkirche, Munich's cathedral, dating from the 15th century.
Telephone: New Town Hall: (089) 2331; Toy Museum: 294 001; Frauenkirche: 290 0820
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Opening times: Town Hall: Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm, Friday 9am to 1pm, and weekends 10am to 7pm. Toy Museum: daily 10am to 5.30pm. Cathedral: daily 10am to 5pm
Olympia Park
Munich's massive Olympic park complex was constructed for the 20th Olympic Games in 1972, but remains a marvel of modern engineering. Its main stadium is a like a massive tent, which can seat close on 70,000 spectators, topped by the largest roof in the world, extending for 720,000 square feet (66,890 sq metres) and made of tinted acrylic glass. The roof collects rainwater which is used to fill the adjacent Olympic lake. Tent roof tours (with or without an abseiling option) are on offer. Visitors to the site can enjoy a spectacular view from the revolving restaurant and observation terrace which tops the 950ft (290m) high Olympic Tower. Near the tower is the BMW Museum, which displays the history of Germany's famous automobile manufacturer. Far from being a remarkable 'white elephant', the park is still in constant use as a lively leisure and recreational centre for the city; on more than 200 days of the year it is the venue for rock and pop concerts, sports events, exhibitions and trade fairs.
Telephone: (089) 30670
Website: www.olympiapark-muenchen.de
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Opening times: The tower is open daily 9am to midnight
Nymphenburg Palace
About five miles (8 km) from the city centre, accessible by tram and bus, is the interesting Schloss Nymphenburg, originally a summer home for the Munich aristocracy. The palace has been expanded, altered and fitted with various eccentricities by succeeding owners over the centuries since building began on it in 1664. Today it is a delight for tourists who revel in exploring the villa and grounds. Inside there are some interesting frescoes in the main hall. An arcaded gallery features a collection of 36 provocative paintings ordered by King Ludwig I showing the most beautiful women of his day. The surrounding park has some surprises too, with some interesting pavilions hidden among the English-style gardens. There are also collections of Ludwig's elaborate coaches on display, and a porcelain museum.
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Website: www.schloesser.bayern.de/englisch/palace/index.htm
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Opening times: Daily 10am to 4pm (November to March), and 9am to 6pm (April to October)
Alte Pinakothek
Munich's art museum houses one of the most important collections in Europe on two floors of a large neo-classical building. Nearly 1,000 paintings are on display featuring the work of the greatest European artists from the 14th to the 18th centuries. Highlights include works by Dutch and Flemish masters, as well as the Italian masters such as Botticelli and Titian. The gallery is massive, consisting of dozens of rooms, and requires a great deal of time to explore thoroughly.
Telephone: (089) 23 80 52 16
Website: www.pinakothek.de
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Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm (Tuesday to 8pm)
Goethe-Haus
The house where Johan Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's world-famous poet and writer, was born in 1749 is now a shrine to his memory, preserved as an example of how the well-to-do lived in the late Baroque era. The house, which is a reconstruction because the original was destroyed during the Second World War, consists of two neighbouring half-timbered houses in Grosser Hirschgraben, and is sited next to the Goethe Museum, which contains a huge library of books, documents and graphics relating to the poet.
Telephone: (069) 138 800
Website: www.goethehaus-frankfurt.de
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Opening times: 10am to 6pm daily
Botanical Gardens
The well ordered and interesting Botanical Garden in Frankfurt is administered by the University. The gardens are designed to take visitors on a journey through different areas of the plant kingdom, from the hardwood forests of North America to the barren savannah of Africa. The gardens cover more than eight hectares (20 acres) and contain more than 6,000 different botanical species, from exotic rainforest flowers to European weeds.
Telephone: (069) 2123 3939
Website: www.palmengarten-frankfurt.de
Transport: Entrance Palmengartenstraße: trains U6, U7 or buses 32, 33, 50 to Station Bockenheimer Warte
Opening times: Daily 9am to 6pm between March and October, with earlier closing during winter months
Altona Fish Market
It may be billed as a fish market, but there is just about anything and everything on sale at this lively, colourful Hamburg market that takes place early on Sunday mornings, and has done since 1703. There is a restaurant in the historic Fish Auction Hall, along with some live musical entertainment, to rejuvenate tired shoppers.
Telephone: (0)40 380 120
Website: www.fischmarkt-hamburg.de
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Opening times: Daily 5am to 12pm; from 7am in winter
Warehouse complex
The world's oldest warehouse complex, built of red brick with gables and turrets, is a century old and still in use for storing exotic goods from around the world. Known as the Speicherstadt in German, this historic section of the Free Port between the Deichtorhallen and Baumwall has been turned into a tourist attraction by the addition of an open air theatre, a spice museum, a miniature exhibition and an old Russian submarine open for exploration. Another attraction is the 'Hamburg Dungeon', an interactive experience showcasing the more unpleasant and gory aspects of the city's history. The Speicherstadt is illuminated at night, creating an enchanting spectacle, particularly viewed from a boat on a harbour night tour (Tel: 040 31 31 30).
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Hamburger Kunsthalle
Hamburg's premier art gallery offers the chance to view works across the time spectrum from the Middle Ages through to the present day. The Kunsthalle's main aim is to educate about art, rather than showcase particular art treasures, and exhibitions are constantly changing to introduce new forms of art.
Telephone: +49 (0) 40 428 131 200
Website: www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de
Transport: Suburban Fast Train: Main Station (S1, S2, S3, S4, S11, S21, S31). Underground: Main Station (U1, U2, U3). Bus 112
Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm; Thursday 10am to 9pm; closed Mondays
Blankenese
This quaint destination on the steep Elbe hillside was once a fishing village favoured by retired ship captains. Today it has become popular with locals as a weekend outing, and visitors also throng the narrow alleys and stairways between picturesque houses packed together on the cliffside. The village offers an abundance of cafes and restaurants where patrons can relax and watch ships steaming in and out of the harbour. There is a ferry service to Blankenese from St Pauli-Landungsbrucken in Hamburg's Free Port.
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Museum of Hamburg History
The museum gives a detailed description of the city of Hamburg from the 8th through to the 20th centuries. Scale models have been used to illustrate the changing shape of the city's famous harbour. Exhibits also include reconstructions of various typical rooms, such as the hall of a 17th-century merchant's home to an air raid shelter from World War II.
Telephone: 42841 2380
Website: www.hamburgmuseum.de
Transport: Subway Line U3, St Pauli stop. Bus 112, 'hamburgmuseum' stop
Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm, Sundays 10am-6pm
Reeperbahn
Hamburg's notorious red light district to the east of the city centre in the St Pauli zone has become its second-greatest tourist attraction, according to the city management. The Reeperbahn (Rope Street) is where rope used to be produced for the ships in the harbour. It is now a half-mile long street which, along with its cross-streets, is filled with bright lights and flirtatious prostitutes, crammed with bars and establishments offering erotic entertainment. The Reeperbahn became the neighbourhood where sailors of old were encouraged to seek entertainment after they were banned from invading the city's more respectable areas in the 19th century. The district also boasts an Erotic Art Museum (at Nobistor 10A), which is privately owned and restricted to persons over 16.
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Transport: St. Pauli (U3) or bus 36, 37, 112
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LEGOLAND Discovery Centre
The newly opened LEGOLAND Discovery Centre is the first indoor LEGOLAND in the world and provides an interactive journey through a land of colour, creativity, learning and play. There is a fun factory, where real LEGO bricks are made, a 4-D cinema show, opportunities for visitors to make their own creations, Miniland Berlin, a themed ride and much more all under one roof.
Telephone: (0)30 30 10400
Website: www.legolanddiscoverycentre.com
Transport: Bus M41 to Potsdamer Platz, or M48, 200, 357 to Varian-Fry-Str. U-Bahn U2, S1, S2, S25, RE3, RE4, RE5 to Potsdamer Platz station
Opening times: Daily 10am to 5pm; closed 25 December
The Story of Berlin
One of Berlin's most popular attractions, the unusual exhibition recounts the history of the German capital city from its foundation until the fall of the Wall. The Story of Berlin is divided into 25 themed rooms and pays attention to the feelings, thoughts and living conditions of common Berliners. One of its main attractions is the nuclear bunker that was built during the Cold War in the 1970s. Guided tours are available every hour.
Telephone: (0)30 887 20 100
Website: www.story-of-berlin.de
Transport: Subway to Uhlandstrasse or Kurfürstendamm, S-Bahn to Savignyplatz or Zoologischer Garten, or bus to Uhlandstrasse
Opening times: Daily 10am to 8pm. Last guided tour at 6pm
Gendarmenmarkt
Said to be one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, the Gendarmenmarkt is certainly one of Berlin's most impressive squares that was created as a market place in the 17th century. During World War II most of the buildings were destroyed, but have since been returned to their former glory. The square is dominated by the beautiful Konzerthaus (concert house), which is home to the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, as well as the twin churches of Deutscher Dom and Franzosischer Dom, the identical German and French Cathedrals. Gendarmenmarkt is also host to Berlin's best Christmas market and various concerts. Surrounding the plaza are a number of cafes and restaurants.
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Transport: Bus N6 or U-bahn U2 and U6
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Charlottenburg Palace
Schloss Charlottenburg is the largest palace in Berlin, an 18th-century baroque structure that was originally constructed as the summer home for Sophie Charlotte, the wife of Elector Frederick III who became the first Prussian king. The splendid interiors are festooned with art masterpieces, while the surrounding gardens contain a mausoleum, pavilion and the Belvedere, which houses the porcelain museum.
Telephone: (0)30 320 911
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Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 5pm. The new wing is open 10am to 5pm (April to October) and 11am to 5pm (November to March); closed Mondays
Berliner Dom
The Berlin Cathedral was built between 1895 and 1905 and is a magnificent basilica that stands on the site of several earlier structures. Inside the crypt contains over 80 sarcophagi of Prussian royals, while other areas of interest are the pulpit, the organ, and the stained glass windows. Visitors can climb the dome, which is decorated with intricate mosaics.
Telephone: (0)30 2026 9136
Website:
Transport: S-bahn and U-bahn to Alexanderplatz; bus 100, 157 or 348; tram 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15 or 53
Opening times: Monday to Saturday 9am to 8pm, Sunday 12pm to 8pm
Pergamon Museum
This huge museum has three main departments, the Antiquity Collection, Islamic Art Museum and the Middle East Museum that house parts of reconstructed monumental buildings transported from original excavation sites from ancient lands. The Antiquity Collection contains the Pergamon Altar from the second century BC, as well as the Market Gate of Miletus from Roman antiquity. The main attraction in the Islamic Art Museum is the Mshatta façade originating from a Jordanian desert palace, while the Middle East Museum boasts the Ishtar Gare and the Procession Way of Babylon, as well as the throne room façade of Nebuchadnezzar II.
Telephone: (0)30 2090 5577
Website: www.smb.spk-berlin.de
Transport: U-Bahn and S-Bahn to Friedrichstrasse; tram M1, M4, M5, M6, or 12; bus 100, 200 or 147
Opening times: Daily 10am to 6pm, until 10pm on Thursdays
Liebieghaus
Situated on the south bank of the river Main, the Liebieghaus was built in 1896 for Czech Baron Heinrich Liebieg, but today is the home of Frankfurt's Museum of Sculpture. Exhibits include sculptures from ancient times, such as Sumeria, Egypt, Greece and Rome to more modern Baroque, Rococo and Renaissance examples. A range of Egyptian and Asian pieces also feature in the range as well as a few works of some world-renowned artists.
Telephone: (069) 2123 8617
Website:
Transport: Tram 15 or 16 to Otto-Hahn-Platz
Opening times: Tues and Thurs-Sun 10am-5pm; Wed 10am-8pm (last entrance is at 4:30pm even on Wednesday)
German Film Museum (Deutsches Filmmuseum)
One of Germany's finest film museums, the Deutsches Filmmuseum shows old films from its collections continuously. These can be viewed on the second floor of the museum while the downstairs rooms tell the story of Germany's filmmaking history while exhibits are also on display, including models illustrating how special effects are shot as well as Emile Reynaud's 1882 Praxinoscope and Edison's Kinetoscope from 1889.
Telephone: (069) 212 388 30
Website:
Transport: U-Bahn Schweizer Platz
Opening times: Tues, Thurs-Fri, and Sun 10am-5pm; Wed 10am-8pm; Sat 2-8pm
Historical Museum (Historisches Museum)
The Historical Museum (Historisches Museum) has many permanent exhibitions on display featuring objects and works of art ranging from the Middle Ages to present day. The museum's changing exhibitions covers a range of themes such as cultural history, art history and general history. Collections feature examples of gold and silver crockery and jewellery; pottery and porcelain; paintings, photographs; and scaled-down models of the Altstadt at various periods of its development. The Children's Museum, which lies adjacent to the Historical Museum, features a variety of special offers and exhibitions for youngsters of all ages.
Telephone: (069) 212 355 99
Website: www.historisches-museum.frankfurt.de
Transport: U-bahn Römer
Opening times: Tues, Thurs-Fri, and Sun 10am-5pm; Wed 10am-8pm; Sat 1-5pm
Städel Gallery
Frankfurt's most important art gallery is the Städel Gallery, containing a fantastic collection of most European schools of painting. The first floor features the works of German painters of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as famous French Impressionists such as Renoir and Monet. The second floor offers visitors the pleasure of viewing an outstanding collection of Flemish primitives, 17th-century Dutch artists, and 16th-century German masters such as Dürer, Grünewald, Memling, Elsheimer, and many others with one of the most impressive paintings being Jan van Eyck's Madonna (1433).
Telephone: (069) 605 0980
Website: www.staedelmuseum.de
Transport: U-Bahn Schweizer Platz
Opening times: Wed-Thurs 10am-9pm; Tues and Fri-Sun 10am-5pm
Frankfurt Zoo
The Frankfurt Zoo, located in Ostend, was nearly totally destroyed in the Second World War when only 20 animals survived. It was rebuilt in the early 1950s and since then one of the most recent additions to the zoo is the Big Cat Jungle. Frankfurt Zoo features 3200 animals and 600 species and is renowned for keeping them in environments that most closely resemble their own natural habitats. It has a reputation as one of the most attractive, pleasant and popular to visit in Europe and features two restaurants as well as a Zoo terrace to enjoy in the summer months. A major draw card for the zoo and one of its most unique features is Grzimek House which houses nocturnal animals who think it's night-time during the day. The Exotarium houses fish, insects, reptiles and penguins, all kept in their natural surroundings.
Telephone: (069) 212 33735
Website: www.zoo-frankfurt.de
Transport:
Opening times: Open daily from 9am to 7pm in summer and daily from 9am to 5pm in winter
Cities & Regions: Berlin | Munich | Frankfurt | The Black Forest | Hamburg
The remains of the infamous Berlin Wall have now become the largest open-air art gallery in the world. The longest section of the wall, which has been preserved, stretches from Ostbahnhof station to the Oberbaumbrucke, and has been given over to graffiti artists from around the world. A total of 118 artists from 21 countries have exerted their skills on the 4,318ft (1,316m) long section of the wall, and this collection has become a Berlin landmark and a tourist attraction. Best known paintings are Dimitri Vrubel's Brotherly Kiss and Gunther Shaefer's Fatherland. The gallery is billed as an international memorial for freedom.
Telephone:
Website: www.eastsidegallery.com
Transport:
Opening times:
Jewish museum
Although relatively new the Jewish Museum in Lindenstrasse has already gained an international reputation for its significant architecture and unique exhibitions that bring history alive. The bulk of the museum is housed in a windowless and doorless steel-clad, silver building, designed by Daniel Libeskind, sited alongside the yellow Baroque edifice of the Berlin Museum. Visitors enter the Jewish Museum through the Berlin Museum to explore the exhibition rooms, which are clustered around a main axis void, designed to signify the empty and invisible aspects of Jewish history.
Telephone: (030) 25993 300
Website: www.juedisches-museum-berlin.de
Transport: U1, U6 Hallesches Tor or U6, Kochstraße
Opening times: Monday 10am to 10pm, Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 8pm
Hamburger Bahnhof
One of the most popular art galleries in Berlin is housed in a train station. The historic Hamburger Bahnhof, built in 1846 at the Tiergarten, was badly damaged during the Second World War, but has been restored and reopened, with some modern elements added to the architecture, as an exhibition venue for an extensive contemporary art collection. The former station now offers 107,639 square feet (10,000 sq metres) of space filled with works by the likes of Andy Warhol, Josephy Beuys and Roy Lichtenstein. The basis of the exhibition is the Marx private collection, but there are changing exhibitions and good examples of the Italian Transavanguardia and minimalist art on show too.
Telephone: +49 (0)30 266 3660
Website: www.smb.spk-berlin.de
Transport:
Opening times: Tuesday to Friday 10am to 6pm; Saturdays 11am to 8pm; Sundays 11am to 6pm. Guided tours are conducted on Sundays at 4pm
Potsdamer Platz
This vibrant square is the heart and soul of the 'New Berlin', which has emerged since the fall of the wall in 1989. The original square was once one of the busiest junctions in Europe with a major train station sited on it. However after damage during the Second World War and being cut through by the divisive wall, it became a decayed wasteland. Since the fall of the wall, however, a building boom has been taking place around the Potsdamer Platz, which now boasts an exciting mix of restaurants, shopping centres, hotels, a casino, theatres and cinemas that draws both Berliners and tourists seeking good food and recreation. Focus of the square is the 22-storey Debis Haus, designed by Renzo Piano, featuring an atrium with cathedral-like dimensions, and its neighbouring Potsdamer Platz Arkaden, a shopping mall with an Imax cinema. The Sony Centre is the most recent addition, consisting of seven buildings around a light-flooded arena, which also houses Berlin's popular Film Museum. The Kollhoff building features a panorama platform, reached by Europe's fastest express elevator, which offers views of the city.
Telephone:
Website: www.potsdamerplatz.de
Transport:
Opening times: The panaroma platform is open Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 8pm; the Film Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm (Thursday until 8pm)
Hofbrauhaus
Beer has been swilled at this world-famous tavern site in the centre of Munich since it became a royal brewery in 1605. Equally famous is the Bavarian jollity and conviviality, known as 'gemuchtlikheid', which has emanated directly from the Hofbrauhaus in Munich along with the beer which flows freely there each day, served by robust rosy-cheeked young women clad in Bavarian dress in litre-sized beer steins. The cheerful atmosphere that reigns constantly in the establishment's different halls is helped along by the foot-tapping strains of traditional Bavarian 'oom-pah' bands and drinking songs. When the beer becomes too much, soak it up with a delicious salty pretzel or a German speciality from the menu, such as liver dumplings, potato soup or a variety of delicious sausages.
Telephone: (089) 29013610
Website: www.hofbraeuhaus.de
Transport:
Opening times:
Marienplatz
The Marienplatz is the heart of Munich and the site of its most important historic buildings. The square is dominated by the Neo-Gothic Town Hall featuring its famous Glockenspiel, both built in the 19th century. The Glockenspiel delights visitors when it chimes the hours every day at 11am, 12pm, 5pm and 9pm with its 43 bells, accompanied by moving clockwork figures that display vingnettes from Munich's history. The Town Hall has a tower that can be accessed by a lift. The centre of the square - which was once a vibrant farmer's market - features a statue of the Virgin Mary after which Marienplatz was named. Visitors can also explore a toy museum in the Old Town Hall on the square, and the Frauenkirche, Munich's cathedral, dating from the 15th century.
Telephone: New Town Hall: (089) 2331; Toy Museum: 294 001; Frauenkirche: 290 0820
Website:
Transport:
Opening times: Town Hall: Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm, Friday 9am to 1pm, and weekends 10am to 7pm. Toy Museum: daily 10am to 5.30pm. Cathedral: daily 10am to 5pm
Olympia Park
Munich's massive Olympic park complex was constructed for the 20th Olympic Games in 1972, but remains a marvel of modern engineering. Its main stadium is a like a massive tent, which can seat close on 70,000 spectators, topped by the largest roof in the world, extending for 720,000 square feet (66,890 sq metres) and made of tinted acrylic glass. The roof collects rainwater which is used to fill the adjacent Olympic lake. Tent roof tours (with or without an abseiling option) are on offer. Visitors to the site can enjoy a spectacular view from the revolving restaurant and observation terrace which tops the 950ft (290m) high Olympic Tower. Near the tower is the BMW Museum, which displays the history of Germany's famous automobile manufacturer. Far from being a remarkable 'white elephant', the park is still in constant use as a lively leisure and recreational centre for the city; on more than 200 days of the year it is the venue for rock and pop concerts, sports events, exhibitions and trade fairs.
Telephone: (089) 30670
Website: www.olympiapark-muenchen.de
Transport:
Opening times: The tower is open daily 9am to midnight
Nymphenburg Palace
About five miles (8 km) from the city centre, accessible by tram and bus, is the interesting Schloss Nymphenburg, originally a summer home for the Munich aristocracy. The palace has been expanded, altered and fitted with various eccentricities by succeeding owners over the centuries since building began on it in 1664. Today it is a delight for tourists who revel in exploring the villa and grounds. Inside there are some interesting frescoes in the main hall. An arcaded gallery features a collection of 36 provocative paintings ordered by King Ludwig I showing the most beautiful women of his day. The surrounding park has some surprises too, with some interesting pavilions hidden among the English-style gardens. There are also collections of Ludwig's elaborate coaches on display, and a porcelain museum.
Telephone:
Website: www.schloesser.bayern.de/englisch/palace/index.htm
Transport:
Opening times: Daily 10am to 4pm (November to March), and 9am to 6pm (April to October)
Alte Pinakothek
Munich's art museum houses one of the most important collections in Europe on two floors of a large neo-classical building. Nearly 1,000 paintings are on display featuring the work of the greatest European artists from the 14th to the 18th centuries. Highlights include works by Dutch and Flemish masters, as well as the Italian masters such as Botticelli and Titian. The gallery is massive, consisting of dozens of rooms, and requires a great deal of time to explore thoroughly.
Telephone: (089) 23 80 52 16
Website: www.pinakothek.de
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Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm (Tuesday to 8pm)
Goethe-Haus
The house where Johan Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's world-famous poet and writer, was born in 1749 is now a shrine to his memory, preserved as an example of how the well-to-do lived in the late Baroque era. The house, which is a reconstruction because the original was destroyed during the Second World War, consists of two neighbouring half-timbered houses in Grosser Hirschgraben, and is sited next to the Goethe Museum, which contains a huge library of books, documents and graphics relating to the poet.
Telephone: (069) 138 800
Website: www.goethehaus-frankfurt.de
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Opening times: 10am to 6pm daily
Botanical Gardens
The well ordered and interesting Botanical Garden in Frankfurt is administered by the University. The gardens are designed to take visitors on a journey through different areas of the plant kingdom, from the hardwood forests of North America to the barren savannah of Africa. The gardens cover more than eight hectares (20 acres) and contain more than 6,000 different botanical species, from exotic rainforest flowers to European weeds.
Telephone: (069) 2123 3939
Website: www.palmengarten-frankfurt.de
Transport: Entrance Palmengartenstraße: trains U6, U7 or buses 32, 33, 50 to Station Bockenheimer Warte
Opening times: Daily 9am to 6pm between March and October, with earlier closing during winter months
Altona Fish Market
It may be billed as a fish market, but there is just about anything and everything on sale at this lively, colourful Hamburg market that takes place early on Sunday mornings, and has done since 1703. There is a restaurant in the historic Fish Auction Hall, along with some live musical entertainment, to rejuvenate tired shoppers.
Telephone: (0)40 380 120
Website: www.fischmarkt-hamburg.de
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Opening times: Daily 5am to 12pm; from 7am in winter
Warehouse complex
The world's oldest warehouse complex, built of red brick with gables and turrets, is a century old and still in use for storing exotic goods from around the world. Known as the Speicherstadt in German, this historic section of the Free Port between the Deichtorhallen and Baumwall has been turned into a tourist attraction by the addition of an open air theatre, a spice museum, a miniature exhibition and an old Russian submarine open for exploration. Another attraction is the 'Hamburg Dungeon', an interactive experience showcasing the more unpleasant and gory aspects of the city's history. The Speicherstadt is illuminated at night, creating an enchanting spectacle, particularly viewed from a boat on a harbour night tour (Tel: 040 31 31 30).
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Hamburger Kunsthalle
Hamburg's premier art gallery offers the chance to view works across the time spectrum from the Middle Ages through to the present day. The Kunsthalle's main aim is to educate about art, rather than showcase particular art treasures, and exhibitions are constantly changing to introduce new forms of art.
Telephone: +49 (0) 40 428 131 200
Website: www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de
Transport: Suburban Fast Train: Main Station (S1, S2, S3, S4, S11, S21, S31). Underground: Main Station (U1, U2, U3). Bus 112
Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm; Thursday 10am to 9pm; closed Mondays
Blankenese
This quaint destination on the steep Elbe hillside was once a fishing village favoured by retired ship captains. Today it has become popular with locals as a weekend outing, and visitors also throng the narrow alleys and stairways between picturesque houses packed together on the cliffside. The village offers an abundance of cafes and restaurants where patrons can relax and watch ships steaming in and out of the harbour. There is a ferry service to Blankenese from St Pauli-Landungsbrucken in Hamburg's Free Port.
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Museum of Hamburg History
The museum gives a detailed description of the city of Hamburg from the 8th through to the 20th centuries. Scale models have been used to illustrate the changing shape of the city's famous harbour. Exhibits also include reconstructions of various typical rooms, such as the hall of a 17th-century merchant's home to an air raid shelter from World War II.
Telephone: 42841 2380
Website: www.hamburgmuseum.de
Transport: Subway Line U3, St Pauli stop. Bus 112, 'hamburgmuseum' stop
Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm, Sundays 10am-6pm
Reeperbahn
Hamburg's notorious red light district to the east of the city centre in the St Pauli zone has become its second-greatest tourist attraction, according to the city management. The Reeperbahn (Rope Street) is where rope used to be produced for the ships in the harbour. It is now a half-mile long street which, along with its cross-streets, is filled with bright lights and flirtatious prostitutes, crammed with bars and establishments offering erotic entertainment. The Reeperbahn became the neighbourhood where sailors of old were encouraged to seek entertainment after they were banned from invading the city's more respectable areas in the 19th century. The district also boasts an Erotic Art Museum (at Nobistor 10A), which is privately owned and restricted to persons over 16.
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Transport: St. Pauli (U3) or bus 36, 37, 112
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LEGOLAND Discovery Centre
The newly opened LEGOLAND Discovery Centre is the first indoor LEGOLAND in the world and provides an interactive journey through a land of colour, creativity, learning and play. There is a fun factory, where real LEGO bricks are made, a 4-D cinema show, opportunities for visitors to make their own creations, Miniland Berlin, a themed ride and much more all under one roof.
Telephone: (0)30 30 10400
Website: www.legolanddiscoverycentre.com
Transport: Bus M41 to Potsdamer Platz, or M48, 200, 357 to Varian-Fry-Str. U-Bahn U2, S1, S2, S25, RE3, RE4, RE5 to Potsdamer Platz station
Opening times: Daily 10am to 5pm; closed 25 December
The Story of Berlin
One of Berlin's most popular attractions, the unusual exhibition recounts the history of the German capital city from its foundation until the fall of the Wall. The Story of Berlin is divided into 25 themed rooms and pays attention to the feelings, thoughts and living conditions of common Berliners. One of its main attractions is the nuclear bunker that was built during the Cold War in the 1970s. Guided tours are available every hour.
Telephone: (0)30 887 20 100
Website: www.story-of-berlin.de
Transport: Subway to Uhlandstrasse or Kurfürstendamm, S-Bahn to Savignyplatz or Zoologischer Garten, or bus to Uhlandstrasse
Opening times: Daily 10am to 8pm. Last guided tour at 6pm
Gendarmenmarkt
Said to be one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, the Gendarmenmarkt is certainly one of Berlin's most impressive squares that was created as a market place in the 17th century. During World War II most of the buildings were destroyed, but have since been returned to their former glory. The square is dominated by the beautiful Konzerthaus (concert house), which is home to the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, as well as the twin churches of Deutscher Dom and Franzosischer Dom, the identical German and French Cathedrals. Gendarmenmarkt is also host to Berlin's best Christmas market and various concerts. Surrounding the plaza are a number of cafes and restaurants.
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Transport: Bus N6 or U-bahn U2 and U6
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Charlottenburg Palace
Schloss Charlottenburg is the largest palace in Berlin, an 18th-century baroque structure that was originally constructed as the summer home for Sophie Charlotte, the wife of Elector Frederick III who became the first Prussian king. The splendid interiors are festooned with art masterpieces, while the surrounding gardens contain a mausoleum, pavilion and the Belvedere, which houses the porcelain museum.
Telephone: (0)30 320 911
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Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 5pm. The new wing is open 10am to 5pm (April to October) and 11am to 5pm (November to March); closed Mondays
Berliner Dom
The Berlin Cathedral was built between 1895 and 1905 and is a magnificent basilica that stands on the site of several earlier structures. Inside the crypt contains over 80 sarcophagi of Prussian royals, while other areas of interest are the pulpit, the organ, and the stained glass windows. Visitors can climb the dome, which is decorated with intricate mosaics.
Telephone: (0)30 2026 9136
Website:
Transport: S-bahn and U-bahn to Alexanderplatz; bus 100, 157 or 348; tram 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15 or 53
Opening times: Monday to Saturday 9am to 8pm, Sunday 12pm to 8pm
Pergamon Museum
This huge museum has three main departments, the Antiquity Collection, Islamic Art Museum and the Middle East Museum that house parts of reconstructed monumental buildings transported from original excavation sites from ancient lands. The Antiquity Collection contains the Pergamon Altar from the second century BC, as well as the Market Gate of Miletus from Roman antiquity. The main attraction in the Islamic Art Museum is the Mshatta façade originating from a Jordanian desert palace, while the Middle East Museum boasts the Ishtar Gare and the Procession Way of Babylon, as well as the throne room façade of Nebuchadnezzar II.
Telephone: (0)30 2090 5577
Website: www.smb.spk-berlin.de
Transport: U-Bahn and S-Bahn to Friedrichstrasse; tram M1, M4, M5, M6, or 12; bus 100, 200 or 147
Opening times: Daily 10am to 6pm, until 10pm on Thursdays
Liebieghaus
Situated on the south bank of the river Main, the Liebieghaus was built in 1896 for Czech Baron Heinrich Liebieg, but today is the home of Frankfurt's Museum of Sculpture. Exhibits include sculptures from ancient times, such as Sumeria, Egypt, Greece and Rome to more modern Baroque, Rococo and Renaissance examples. A range of Egyptian and Asian pieces also feature in the range as well as a few works of some world-renowned artists.
Telephone: (069) 2123 8617
Website:
Transport: Tram 15 or 16 to Otto-Hahn-Platz
Opening times: Tues and Thurs-Sun 10am-5pm; Wed 10am-8pm (last entrance is at 4:30pm even on Wednesday)
German Film Museum (Deutsches Filmmuseum)
One of Germany's finest film museums, the Deutsches Filmmuseum shows old films from its collections continuously. These can be viewed on the second floor of the museum while the downstairs rooms tell the story of Germany's filmmaking history while exhibits are also on display, including models illustrating how special effects are shot as well as Emile Reynaud's 1882 Praxinoscope and Edison's Kinetoscope from 1889.
Telephone: (069) 212 388 30
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Transport: U-Bahn Schweizer Platz
Opening times: Tues, Thurs-Fri, and Sun 10am-5pm; Wed 10am-8pm; Sat 2-8pm
Historical Museum (Historisches Museum)
The Historical Museum (Historisches Museum) has many permanent exhibitions on display featuring objects and works of art ranging from the Middle Ages to present day. The museum's changing exhibitions covers a range of themes such as cultural history, art history and general history. Collections feature examples of gold and silver crockery and jewellery; pottery and porcelain; paintings, photographs; and scaled-down models of the Altstadt at various periods of its development. The Children's Museum, which lies adjacent to the Historical Museum, features a variety of special offers and exhibitions for youngsters of all ages.
Telephone: (069) 212 355 99
Website: www.historisches-museum.frankfurt.de
Transport: U-bahn Römer
Opening times: Tues, Thurs-Fri, and Sun 10am-5pm; Wed 10am-8pm; Sat 1-5pm
Städel Gallery
Frankfurt's most important art gallery is the Städel Gallery, containing a fantastic collection of most European schools of painting. The first floor features the works of German painters of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as famous French Impressionists such as Renoir and Monet. The second floor offers visitors the pleasure of viewing an outstanding collection of Flemish primitives, 17th-century Dutch artists, and 16th-century German masters such as Dürer, Grünewald, Memling, Elsheimer, and many others with one of the most impressive paintings being Jan van Eyck's Madonna (1433).
Telephone: (069) 605 0980
Website: www.staedelmuseum.de
Transport: U-Bahn Schweizer Platz
Opening times: Wed-Thurs 10am-9pm; Tues and Fri-Sun 10am-5pm
Frankfurt Zoo
The Frankfurt Zoo, located in Ostend, was nearly totally destroyed in the Second World War when only 20 animals survived. It was rebuilt in the early 1950s and since then one of the most recent additions to the zoo is the Big Cat Jungle. Frankfurt Zoo features 3200 animals and 600 species and is renowned for keeping them in environments that most closely resemble their own natural habitats. It has a reputation as one of the most attractive, pleasant and popular to visit in Europe and features two restaurants as well as a Zoo terrace to enjoy in the summer months. A major draw card for the zoo and one of its most unique features is Grzimek House which houses nocturnal animals who think it's night-time during the day. The Exotarium houses fish, insects, reptiles and penguins, all kept in their natural surroundings.
Telephone: (069) 212 33735
Website: www.zoo-frankfurt.de
Transport:
Opening times: Open daily from 9am to 7pm in summer and daily from 9am to 5pm in winter
Cities & Regions: Berlin | Munich | Frankfurt | The Black Forest | Hamburg
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