Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [90]
In January 1942, a group of elite Nazi officials met in a stately villa on Wannsee to hammer out the details of the ‘Final Solution’ – the systematic deportation and murder of European Jews in eastern Europe. Today the same building houses the memorial Haus der Wannseekonferenz Gedenkstätte ( 805 0010; www.ghwk.de; Am Grossen Wannsee 56-58; admission free; 10am-6pm; Wannsee, then bus 114 to Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz). You can stand in the room where discussions took place and study the conference minutes. Other rooms chronicle the horrors leading up to – and perpetrated during – the Holocaust.
LIEBERMANN-VILLA AM WANNSEE
If you need a mood-enhancer after visiting the Haus der Wannseekonferenz, head over to the nearby Liebermann Villa ( 8058 5900; www.max-liebermann.de; Colomierstrasse 3; adult/concession/family €6/4/14, audioguide €3; 11am-6pm Wed-Mon, to 8pm Thu Apr-Sep, 11am-5pm Wed-Mon Oct-Mar; Wannsee, then 114 to Colomierstrasse), the summer home of Berlin Secession founder Max Liebermann from 1909 until his death in 1935. Influenced by French Impressionism, Liebermann loved the lyricism of nature and gardens in particular and often painted the scenery right outside his window. In summer, there are few more languid spots than the cafe terrace overlooking the formal garden facing the Wannsee.
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Eastern Berlin
Anyone interested in GDR history, and the Stasi in particular, should head out to the following two chilling sites.
The former head office of the Ministry of State Security is now the Stasi Museum ( 553 6854; Ruschestrasse 103, House 1; adult/concession €3.50/3; 11am-6pm Mon-Fri, 2-6pm Sat & Sun; Magdalenenstrasse), where you can marvel at cunningly low-tech surveillance devices (hidden in watering cans, rocks, even neckties), a prisoner transport van with teensy, lightless cells and the obsessively neat offices of Stasi chief Erich Mielke. Panelling is in German only and exhibits are not always self-explanatory, so you may want to invest a few euros in the English-language booklet. From the U-Bahn station, turn north on Ruschestrasse, then turn right after about 100m and walk another 50m across a parking lot towards the buildings straight in front of you.
Victims of Stasi persecution often ended up in the grim Stasi Prison ( 9860 8230; Genslerstrasse 66; tour adult/concession €4/2, Mon free; tours 11am & 1pm Mon-Fri, also 3pm Mar-Dec, hourly 10am-4pm Sat & Sun), now a memorial site officially called Gedenkstätte Hohenschönhausen. Tours (in English at 2pm Saturday and sometimes during the week; call ahead) reveal the full extent of the terror and cruelty perpetrated upon thousands of suspected regime opponents, many utterly innocent. To get here, take tram M5 from Alexanderplatz to Freienwalder Strasse, then walk 10 minutes along Freienwalder Strasse.
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ACTIVITIES
Cycling
Berlin is flat and bike-friendly, with special bike lanes and quiet side streets for stress-free riding. There are even eye-level miniature traffic lights at intersections. Still, it pays to keep your wits about you (and preferably with a helmet on) when negotiating city streets. Getting a tyre caught in the tram tracks is particularly nasty.
Of course it’s far more relaxing to pedal around leafy suburbs. The Grunewald forest, for instance, with its many lakes, is a great getaway. Or follow the course of the former Berlin Wall along the marked Berliner Mauerweg. For more ideas, consult the guide published by the bicycle club ADFC (Map; 448 4724; www.adfc-berlin.de; Brunnenstrasse 28; noon-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat). It’s available at their offices, bookshops and bike stores. For guided bike tours, Click here.
Bicycles (Fahrräder) may be taken aboard designated U-Bahn and S-Bahn cars (though not on buses) for the price of a reduced single ticket (see the table, Click here). Deutsche Bahn charges €4.50 for a bike ticket (Fahrradkarte) on regional RE and RB trains.
Many hostels and hotels rent bicycles to their guests or can refer you to an agency.