Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [89]
OLYMPIASTADION
Built for the 1936 Olympic Games, the Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium; off Map; 2500 2322; www.olympiastadion-berlin.de; adult/concession €4/3, tours in German €8/7; 9am-8pm Jun–mid-Sep, to 7pm mid-Mar–May & mid-Sep–Oct, to 4pm Nov–mid-Mar on non-event days; Olympiastadion) emerged from a major makeover just in time for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The most notable addition is the spidery oval roof that softens the bombastic bulk of the Colisseum-like Nazi-era structure. On non-event days you can explore the stadium on your own or with an audioguide (€2.50). Guided tours are also available, taking you into locker rooms, warm-up areas and VIP areas that are otherwise off-limits. The gate is on the east side of the stadium. Call ahead to make sure that the stadium is open for touring before making the long journey out here.
The best views of the stadium are from the 77m-high Glockenturm (Clock Tower; off Map; 305 8123; adult/concession €3.50/1.50; 9am-6pm; Pichelsberg), where interesting exhibits document the 1936 Olympic Games and the history of the grounds. Northwest of here, the Waldbühne ( tickets 01805-570 070; www.eventim.de) is a lovely outdoor amphitheatre used for summer concerts, film screenings and other cultural events.
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Southwestern Berlin
Much of Berlin’s southwest is covered by forest, rivers and lakes. Besides the Freie Universität and the Botanischer Garden ( 8385 0100; Königin-Luise-Strasse 6-8; adult/concession/family €5/2.50/10; 9am-dusk; Botanischer Garten), you’ll find several excellent museums here.
MUSEEN DAHLEM
Unless some mad scientist invents a magic time-travel-teleporter machine, the Museen Dahlem ( 830 1438; Lansstrasse 8; adult/concession/under 16yr €6/3/free, last 4hr Thu free; 10am-6pm Tue-Fri, 11am-6pm Sat & Sun; Dahlem Dorf), which displays pre-industrial, non-European art and objects, will be your best bet for exploring the world in a single afternoon.
Exhibits combine the collections of two museums: the Museum of Ethnology and the Museum of Asian Art. There are lots of highlights, but must-sees include the masks, ornaments, vases, musical instruments and other objects of ceremonial and everyday life in the Africa exhibit and the cult objects, outriggers and other handcrafted vessels in the South Seas hall. Another wing houses Asian art, including such prized items as exquisite terracottas, stone sculptures and bronzes as well as wall paintings and sculptures scavenged from Buddhist cave temples along the Silk Route.
Attention-span-challenged kids should make a beeline for the basement to have their horizons broadened by the touchy-feely exhibits in the Junior Museum ( 1-6pm Tue-Fri, 11am-6pm Sat & Sun).
ALLIIERTEN MUSEUM
The original Checkpoint Charlie guard cabin, a Berlin Airlift plane and a reconstructed spy tunnel are among the dramatic exhibits at the Alliierten Museum (Allied Museum; 818 1990; Clayallee 135; admission free; 10am-6pm Thu-Tue; Oskar-Helene-Heim, then any bus north on Clayallee). Exhibits document the history and challenges faced by the Western Allies during the Cold War.
BRÜCKE MUSEUM
In 1905 Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Erich Heckel and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner founded Germany’s first modern-artist group, called Die Brücke. Rejecting the techniques taught in stuffy academies, they experimented with bright, emotional colours and warped perspectives that paved the way for German expressionism and other art genres. Schmitt-Rottluff’s personal collection forms the basis of the exquisite Brücke Museum ( 831 2029; Bussardsteig 9; adult/concession €4/2; 11am-5pm Wed-Mon; Oskar-Helene-Heim, then bus 115 to Pücklerstrasse). A visit here is easily combined with a stroll over to the Jagdschloss Grunewald and the Grunewaldsee (swimming allowed), a paradise for joggers and doggies.
HAUS DER