Visit Berlin virtually

[Skybird]

On this page you find many 360° panoramic HR-photos. You can increase the pictures to full screen, and rotate them via mouse in any direction. choose a category on the left, and the pics from the bar at the bottom - note most categories have several pages in that picture bar at the bottom.

http://berlin-begehung.de/?bg_referrer=begehungen

And a virtual tour through the Berliner Philharmonie. The principle is comparable.

http://www.berliner-philharmoniker.d...ller-rundgang/

The building does not only look cool inside, but also has sensational, truly exceptionell accoustics.

P.S. and a second site with Berlin panoramas:

http://www.stadtpanoramen.de/berlin/index.html

[Skybird]

and while we're at it, here are panoramas from the town I liike more than any other, Lübeck:

http://www.stadtpanoramen.de/luebeck/index.html

Famous with American tourists - Heidelberg, very romatic places in the old town:

http://www.stadtpanoramen.de/heidelberg/index.html

and there are more cities, to be found on the map that shows up on the right on every last page of a town's picture set.

I had heard that Berlin was rather sterile, government/bearucratic style and all. I was hoping to get a different impression but the links aren't working for me. Perhaps its my connection. I will try again later and hope to see some great views. Thank you.

[Skybird]

Find out with this:

http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/

All links work for me, though.

Thanks Skybird but, I would rather visit Berlin in RL

[Happy Times]

Nice, i visited both briefly as planned before.
In Berlin we took your advice and mostly just walked around.
We did take a short tourbus ride first to get our bearings tough.
Some observations.
Germany doesnt work, look or feel very foreign to Skandinavians.
It would be very easy to move there, without a culture shock.
For some tourists it can make it boring maybe.

You can easily travel with your own car. Even Berlins traffic in the rush hours works like it should.

The people are very nice and eager to help.
Some tought we were Germans, but the service was just as good when we turned out to be tourists.
Berliners seem to have a dry sense of humor that works for me also.

The architecture of Berlin suprised me.
Honestly the modern Mitte is ugly as hell. It should be rebombed..
The old parts that survive are beutiful.
The surrounding apartment areas looked the same as older parts of Helsinki and Tampere in Finland. Im ready to bet the architects studied in Berlin..

There is a serious graffiti problem in Berlin. I know there were big May day riots but im sure many were older than few days.
I would recommend heavy penalties for these terrorists.

Lübeck is beautiful, im planning to go back in the end of summer. A true summer destination that i can recommend to everyone.

It was a nice trip but too short, so im going to have return as soon as possible.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Happy Times

Honestly the modern Mitte is ugly as hell. It should be rebombed.

Oh yes...! And when you're at it make sure you take out the old Reichstag as well. That the allies missed that ugly block I will never forgive them.

There is a serious graffiti problem in Berlin.

Yes, it has always been like that, even in the 80s. there was a strong "alternatoive cultural scene" with raidcal lefts, anarchos etc present in west berlin, with serious major battles of squatters with the police. such a scene is being reinforced now by left multi-culti movements lining up with social low class-foreigners (while many german middle class families have moved out of Berlin). The immense financial, social and criminal problems of Berlin are because of these dramatic demographic shifts. Because of this and a major banking corruption scandal some years ago, the debts of the city are stellar.

Parts of Mitte and the Potsdamer Platz (ten years ago Europe's biggest construction site) have been built against the bitter resistance of local residents and Berliners, so you are not the only one disliking the sight. Very many people did not want it to be done the way they did, but politicians - did like they and their business friends wanted, violating the people'S call, and afterwards claimed they just fulfilled the people's will. However, Potsdamer Platz also is a massive miscalculation. Companies residing there make losses and do not gain the benefits from the location they hoped for. Mercedes (or Deutsche Bahn, I am not sure) have sold their major building there, the biggest tower on the plaza. I hope they all go bancrupt at that location.

I personally will always prefer the West, southwest and south of former West Berlin, the new centre that shifted to the East is something I cannot find anything pleasant in. Many of the centralised living districts imo simply are utmost ugly. My preferred areas in Berlin are Glinicke, Gatow, Charlottenburg, Zehlendorf, Friedenau, the old district of Schöneberg. These are also the districts that are the richer ones amongst Berlin's districts - and that has it's benefit for the general looks and appearances of streets, houses, and areas. They are very green also.

Germany doesnt work, look or feel very foreign to Skandinavians.
It would be very easy to move there, without a culture shock.

Yes, especially germany's North and the areas bordering to the baltic certainly are very close to Scandinavian culture, like many Germans travelling in southern Norway, Denmark and Sweden also say it is not so totally different at all. My family once made holidays ion some Danish island when I was still at school, and we all liked it very much and felt a bit like in a "better" home - more nature, local residents very kind. It was a good time. Scandianvian powers influenced the German North in past centuries, and surely left some heritage there, especially the Danish and the Swedes.

Similiar things could be said about Germany'S North-West and Holland, or the border area between France and Germany, and Bavaria and austria. In the border regions, people tend to adapt to the people on the other side of the border, and making borders disappearing somewhat. Which certainly is not a bad thing.


Lübeck was centre and head of the Hanse alliance (not Hamburg, as many would guess). It influenced the architecture of many of the old Hanse-cities, therefore. The oldtowns of Wismar or Bremen or parts of Hamburg , as well as Rostock and Danzig will strongly remind you of Lübeck, therefore. But Lübeck is the one and most beautiful jewel amongst them. The old town of Wismar also is worth a tour - it is like a miniature Lübeck. To be found 30-40 car-minutes east of Lübeck.

If you go back to Lübeck at the end of summer season, be advised that during holiday season and again at around christmas the town is tourist's hell. If I were you, I would wait until autumn, late septembre or early octobre, then the trees are colourful, and the weather still not cold. the prices for flats have fallen. If you can invest some time, several days, rent a so-called "Ganghaus" instead of a hotel room, they can be cheap at that time (but you have to book early). It is more comfortable, extremely "gemütlich" if you pick a nice one, and does not compare to a hotel. I personally HATE hotels.

Or go there over christmas indeed. There are five churches with seven towers, and believe me, all of them have a very wonderful ringing. Later on crhistmas night, make a walk thoruhg nthe streets, when the night matters will be celebrated, I think around 2300. Whereever you are, the whole old town is filled with the ringing of beautifull bells, and the air is deeply vibrating no matter where you go. We do not use to go to church, this night walk has become a tradition for us, my parents and me, whenever we stayed in Lübeck for christmas. I never have experienced something like this in any other city I know. Lübeck also has a nice "Weihnachtsmarkt". But as I said, be prepared for a crowded city during summer and christmas season.