Me and my 5D2 vs. Berlin

[Anorakus]

Me and 'er indoors have a long weekend in Berlin lined up..

Any suggestions for photogenic places to visit? We already have the Jewish Museum and the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery lined up.. other than that I'm open to suggestions!

Taking my 24-70mm f/2.8 L, 17-40mm f/4 L and 50mm f/1.4

A.

 

[tarmac_chaser]

I've been to Berlin but it was in the days where I had a compact. Can get some nice urban shots around Potsdamer Platz in the evening with the glass buildings. You can go to the top of the red brick building at Potsdamer for the views if you can't be bothered to queue for the Fernsehturm Tower. Checkpoint Charlie is interesting. Hit East Berlin for the trams and a slightly rougher feel. Don't forget the Brandenburg Gate, can't go Berlin without seeing it

 

[Arkady]

East Berlin is awesome - Treptower Park and the old Soviet war memorial there is good...the area around there has a very 'bohemian' feel to it these days; great little bookshops and cafes and restaurants.
West Berlin is a bit pants - at least I thought so...I liked the old bits that the East Germans had left largely undeveloped...
The Luftwaffe museum over on the west side of Berlin at the old Gatow airport is worth a look if you like 'Tcherman' aeroplanes.
Also for history-buffs there's site of the Wannsee conference (Google it for the exact location)... The old citadel and fort at Spandau (the prison is long gone) is pretty groovy too if you like Napoleonic-style fortifications...

 

[Astraeus]

If you're interested in the more modern Berlin, then look at the Sony Center at Potsdamer Platz. It's a fantastic building which looks superb at night. Other than that, the Marriott hotel (boring...I know!) around the corner is a great building from indoors with a huge atrium. I found the U and S-Bahn stations very interesting as well although Frankfurt probably edged it in terms of variety for stations.

Also, as said above, definitely worth doing the Jewish Graveyard, the remaining parts of the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie.

 

[JasonPC]

The Reichstag is a must. Right next to the Brandenburg Gate. If you queue outside the front of the building you can go up to the roof dome for a decent, and free, view of the Gate, the Tiergarten and the city skyline.

The Holocaust Memorial is close to the Reichstag and is very eerie and well worth a visit. It's basically a series of huge blocks of varying heights that you walk amongst. My description doesn't do it justice though - it's well worth a look.

There are some impressive buildings around Bebel Platz - universities and the like.

Wannsee is a nice place and well worth a look. Get the S1/S2 train to Wannsee in around 30 minutes. If you want a depressing but worthwhile place to visit then head on the same train, north this time, to Oranienburg and visit the Sachsenhausen concentration camp memorial.

HTH. Berlin's an utterly fantastic city with loads and loads to do.

 

[Astraeus]

The Reichstag is a must. Right next to the Brandenburg Gate. If you queue outside the front of the building you can go up to the roof dome for a decent, and free, view of the Gate, the Tiergarten and the city skyline.

Can't believe I forgot Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag! Fantastic photo locations!

 

[JasonRS]

East Berlin is awesome - Treptower Park and the old Soviet war memorial there is good...the area around there has a very 'bohemian' feel to it these days; great little bookshops and cafes and restaurants.

Agreed! It's one of my favourite european cities.

You have to, and I really mean have to go to Helmut Newton's permanent exhibition. (Free)

http://www.helmutnewton.com/


Also, I'd recommend taking a walking tour (Free).

http://www.newberlintours.com/nbt/content/view/1/2/lang,en/

And check out Ampellmann too, an East German icon

Don't go to the KitKat club, Cabaret it ain't.....