H eadlines
Berlin Now an Affordable Travel Destination
T R AVEL
JEFF AND VIRGINIA ORENSTEIN |
JE FEATURE
IF YOU ARE LOOKING for
a European destination that
is rich in history, splashed
with eclectic architecture and
vibrating with a dynamic
nightlife, head for Berlin.

And if that’s not enough
inducement, the German capi-
tal is affordable and welcoming.

Walking the streets of Berlin,
the capital of past and present
Germany, it is impossible to
escape history. The city dates
from the 13th century and
has experienced centuries of
Prussian and German political
achievements and turmoil and
was essentially destroyed during
World War II. It also played a
huge role in the Cold War with
its infamous Berlin Wall.

Despite being occupied and
divided in the aftermath of
World War II, contemporary
Berlin has recovered smartly in
the last generation.

Its architectural mixture of
new and old reflects both its
history and the city’s deliberate
and ongoing choice to recover
fully from its destruction. Its
Holocaust Memorial, Jewish
Museum and historical mark-
ers are evidence that the city is
trying to both remember and
denounce its Nazi past.

Although the city gleams
with new skyscrapers and
striking modern architecture,
visitors can find many restored
and/or preserved buildings
such as the Reichstag and city
gates. With its many trendy
clubs and restaurants, Berlin
has attracted throngs of young
people and has again become a
significant business center.

With smart shopping streets,
a vibrant street café scene and
great museums, Berlin is defi-
nitely worthy of a visit, espe-
cially since its hotel rates are
among the lowest in Europe.

2019 is a good time to visit
12 FEBRUARY 28, 2019
The Fernsehturm (TV Tower) is visible from most of central Berlin.

It boasts a popular rotating restaurant.

Photos by Jeff Orenstein
since it marks the 30th anni-
versary of the fall of the Berlin
Wall and, as usual, boasts a
busy cultural calendar which
will reflect a now thoroughly
united metropolitan area and
the 100th anniversary of the
Bauhaus movement, so influ-
ential in modern architecture
and banned by the Nazis.

Tegel (TXL), 5 miles from the
Berlin Central Train Station.

Schoenefeld (SFX) is another
airport served mainly by
budget airlines. It is linked
by train to Central Train
Station, 15.5 miles away.

• By car, Berlin is served by
Autobahns 9 to Munich,
24 to Hanburg and 13 to
Dresden. • By train, Berlin has a cen-
tral train station and several
outlying stations and is part
of the DB and Eurail system.

• The nearest cruise port is
Warnemunde, 165 miles
north. Before You Go, Check Out:
• visitberlin.de/en
• handluggageonly.

co.uk/2017/01/09/17- sights-you-need-to-see-on-
a-first-time-visit-to-berlin- germany/
• youtube.com/
Must-Sees for a Short Trip:
watch?v=4TwGid87U8g Among attractions that you
should take in are:
Getting There and Getting
• Getting a Berlin Welcome
Around: Card and taking advantage
Berlin can be reached by
of included public transporta-
highway, air or train.

tion and museum admissions.

• By air, Berlin’s main airport is
JEWISH EXPONENT
The ruins of the former Anhalter Bahnhof train station, once the largest
in Europe. Started in 1839 and rebuilt in 1880, it was an important station
used to ship soldiers and supplies to the fronts of World War I and II, by
visitors to the 1936 Olympics and, involuntarily, by Jews on the way to
Nazi death camps after 1942. It was bombed in WWII and closed in 1952.

One of the many historic city gates in Berlin
• Explore the walkable Mitte
District which includes
Checkpoint Charlie, the
Brandenburg Gate, the
Berlin Wall, the Holocaust
Memorial, the Fernsehturm
(TV Tower) with its rotat-
ing restaurant and the
Reichstag (parliament)
building. Also noteworthy
in Mitte are the Cathedral
Church, Tiergarten park,
Alexanderplatz, Museum
Island and Potsdamer Platz.

JEWISHEXPONENT.COM