LGBT TRAVEL :: Berlin. There’s never been a shortage of things to see and do in the renowned city of Berlin, which has a thriving gay scene. With the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall coming November 9, 2014, there’s never been a more exciting time to visit this beloved international hotspot. Special events and exhibits to commemorate the peaceful reunification of a divided city in 1989-1990. The weekend of November 9th is expected to be an especially impactful experience for visitors. A special light installation will be set up along the former course of the Wall as a symbol of hope for an entire world without walls. Made of thousands of lit, helium-filled balloons, a border made of light will run for 12k across the city centre that entire weekend.
LGBT Berlin is a must-visit at any time, too. You can do everything from walking through the Tiergarten, to taking a boat tour along the River Spree and of course, visiting all the monumental landmarks.
Here are S.Travel’s Top 10 Berlin Experiences (for our favourite restaurant and accommodations, click here):
- Potsdamer Platz once was the street dividing East and West Berlin and now is the major artery for such landmarks as the famous Brandenburg Gate and Holocaust Memorial.
- Take a walk through the dome at the Reichstag.
- Take a sightseeing tour with Berlin experts, Culture Trip and have them take you to visit The Berlin Wall and Check Point Charlie. While you’re there make sure to grab yourself Berlin’s favourite food, the Currywurst! (Over 7 million servings are served in Berlin alone each year.)
- The Asisi Panorama of The Divided City of Berlin. Yadegar Asisi’s theme for this panorama is the Berlin Wall on a fictitious November day in the 1980’s. The surface area is 900 square meters and 15 meters in height. It’s truly an experience for anyone who wonders what it was like to live in the divided city that Berlin once was.
- Museum Island includes five world-renowned museums in an extraordinary layout.
- The East Side Gallery: A 1.3 km long section of the original 160km stretch of the Berlin Wall where over 100 artists from all over the world painted images, a colorful memorial to freedom.
- Sitting on one of the most popular streets in Berlin, Alexanderplatz, the 368 meter-high Fernsehturm (‘Television Tower’) is the fourth highest freestanding structure in Europe.
- The Berlin Cathedral– The largest church in the city.
- The Kurfurstendamm: The Kadewe for short is the largest department store in continental Europe. With over 60,000 square meters of selling space and more than 380,000 articles available you’ll find everything from high-end fashions to gourmet foods.
- Club Scene
- Office building by day and party anthems by night, GFM Club is the place to party on a Sunday night.
- Once housed as a power plant, Berghain is known worldwide and it’s where good techno music meets the best DJ’s.
P.S You’ll notice that many gay bars and clubs don’t indicate closing hours. That’s mainly due to the fact that Berlin no longer has closing hours. You’re welcome!
- S.Travel TIP: The Berlin WelcomeCard is your travel card to free public transportation, offers over 200 discounts to partner venues, and comes complete with a city map and guide. You can customize your card based on the duration of your stay. Awesome!
– S.Travel Approved*
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