In this post we’re pleased to welcome Simon Dance, a self-confessed Berlin addict who visited the capital three times last year and who works for vacation rental marketplace HouseTrip. With one of his trips flying out of London Gatwick early on a Saturday morning, only to return on the Sunday evening (a total of 36 hours in Berlin) he’s going to share some top tips for enjoying a memorable family holiday in Berlin, and seeing the very best the city has to offer.
Even if you´re planning a two-day break in Berlin you will be pleased to know this amazing and versatile city has plenty of exciting things to see and do which will please the whole family.
Kollwitz Platz Playground
The wonderful wooden park of Kollwitz Platz in the centre of Berlin is an ideal place for lots of family-fun. Roam around the leafy park, play on giant toys shaped like vegetables and have a knock-about on the ping-pong tables before grabbing an ice-cream from one of the family-friendly parlours. On Saturday and Wednesday mornings there is also a local farmers market where you can buy crafts, fresh vegetables and fruit as well as some hot and cold food. Prenzlauer Berg is a beautiful district, and the area around Kollwitz Platz is often busy with families enjoying lunch in one of the restaurants or cafes that line Kollwitzstraße.
Legoland at Potsdamer Platz
Found under the impressive silver dome of the modern Sony Centre, Legoland is an indoor theme with park fun rides, adventure trails made out of lego and hundreds of lego-bricked sculptures, classic lego figures and a miniature-sized Berlin made from 1.5 million pieces of Lego bricks. There is also a reserved space for children to be creative and build their own lego-made masterpiece.
Berlin Zoo
Pass through the ornate oriental style gate at the front entrance and you and your family enter into the immense animal kingdom that is Berlin Zoo. Home to almost 14,000 animals this massive zoological complex is a real eye-opener to the life of animals and you can get up close and personal to some fascinating animals. Watch the hippos both on land and under water in the hippopotamus aquarium and watch how elephants use their long trunks to eat, drink and bathe in the elephant house.
What´s on at the Film and Television Museum
The extravagant complex known as the Filmhaus is a fascinating multimedia experience into the history of TV and film in Germany. The permanent exhibition showcases a step-by-step guide throughout the revolutionary techniques developed in the moving images and visual entertainments industry including things like special effects and model sets. Some of the highlights include the expressionist masterpieces of Fritz Lang´s futuristic epic Metropolis filmed in 1921 which was ahead of its time in more ways than just the storyline, together with his classic “The Cabinet of Dr Caligari”.
Explore the green space of Berlin’s Tiergarten
The massive green space of Tiergarten Park in the centre of Berlin near Potsdam is great to explore. There is plenty of room to throw a ball about and enjoy a picnic, but the real fun comes renting a paddle boat on the lake before exploring overgrown paths for hidden bridges, monumental statues, the pinnacle of which is the Victory Column topped with a golden angel. Climb the winding stairs to the top and you will be rewarded with great views looking out over Tiergarten.
Explore the Secret Tunnels of Berlin´s Underground
Behind the obscure green door of Berlin´s Gesundbrunnen is a labyrinth of tunnels that were built by the Nazi´s during World War 2. Take a guided tour through the network of subterranean bunkers and listen to the stories that took place in here during the Second World War and the Cold War.
Rent a Bike and experience Berlin like a local
If you´re towing children round Berlin, hire a bike. It will be much easier, much more fun and you will get to see more of the city during a short stay. With 620km of cycle lanes, Berlin is geared towards cycling and because it´s flat there is very little strain involved. There are also plenty of bike hire companies offering great daily rates of around 10 Euro. Most bike hire companies also offer a guided tour which is worth a pedal for your money. You can even take your bike with you on to the U-bahn, and can be stored safely overnight in your rented apartment in Berlin.
Another option is to pick up a “Call a Bike” organised by the Deutsche Bahn. You can pick these up from designated areas located near a train station or major intersections, but they can be quite expensive for an entire day´s rental. For a couple of hours however, they are a better option than bike rental shops.
Take a Cruise along the River Spree
If you want a change of pace and see the city from a different perspective, take a boat ride along the River Spree. The river flows right through the heart of the city and along the way passes some of Berlin´s most monumental landmarks such as the infamous Reichstag from where Adolf Hitler orchestrated his axis of evil. But boat trips in Berlin offer that little bit more than the ordinary run-of-the-mill tourist attractions as the Spree is intersected with canals which allows you access to some of the more unusual sights of the city you might not ordinarily see – especially during a 36-hour visit. There is a good choice of options with boat trips and can be taken on a short close up view of the hotspots or a full day adventure throughout the entire network of waterways.
Go Swimming in the Badeschiff Battle Ship
If you´re looking for something unusual to do with your children, you might want to check out the spa and swimming baths on the Badeschiff moored on the River Spree. Swimming may not sound too unusual, but breaststroke in a swimming pool built into an abandoned cargo ship gives it a different feel to the average leisure centre. Massages and Finnish saunas are also available.
Fighting Machines at the Technical Museum
Rather than just any old museum take your kids to the Technical Museum, especially if they like planes, war machines and computer technology. Located in Kreuzberg the Technical Museum is a mecca for transport and technology enthusiasts and features large aircraft such as the Messerschmitt Bf 110, a Stuka and the V1 rockets the Nazis used to bomb London with during the war.
Berlin Sea Life Centre
Finding Nemo comes to life with a visit to the Sea Life Centre in Berlin, but with 30 tanks containing over 50 species of fish from the River Spree to the seas around the world, you will discover more than you see on the popular children´s animation film. The AquaDom is the world´s largest cylindrical aquarium where you are surrounded by 1500 tropical fish including blowfish, soldierfish and silver moonfish. It´s all very attractive and colourful, and a great day out for all the family in Berlin.
So there you have it, a handpicked selection of Berlin family favourites. Is something missing? Feel free to share it in the comments below.
(Images: lilithis, toomuchkatherine, heimchen, Baptiste Pons, nauj27, stefanx80, and Anke L)
