Ich bin ein Berliner

1. Türkischer Markt: A vibrant and busy Turkish market where you can find everything from fruit to fabrics. It is open every Tuesday and Friday between 11:00 and 18:30 o’clock. It is a great place to look around and even buy groceries for you lunch which you can eat nearby at the river. We even sat and watched live acoustic music under the sun.
2. Flee market in Mauerpark: One of the better flee markets we have been to. The whole time we wanted to move to Berlin just so we could fill out home with these crazy unique rugs, tables, lamps, plates, mirrors, and much more. If you stay until the end you can enjoy public karaoke nearby. 
3. Templehof: An abandoned airport used heavily in World War II was closed in 2008. Instead of building over this land the city kept it as a public space filled with cool installations, community garden, and plenty of space to run or bike in the flat expanse.
4. East Side Gallery: This is where you come to see history. A 1.3 km long section of the Berlin Wall near the center of Berlin. You can walk along the wall now covered in graffiti artwork centered around the theme of freedom. A reminder of how divided the city once was and how so many tried to flee to the West. 
5. B Flat (free on Wednesdays): One of the many live jazz bars around the city. We went when they were playing some pretty weird music but it was still enjoyable. Be prepared to order a drink though.
6. Charlottenburg palace: Although you need to pay to get in to the Palace, the grounds are free to walk through. View the palace, feed the swans, or sit on a bench and enjoy the park.
7. Tiergarten park/Unter den Linden: Walk along this long street to pass through the Brandenburger Tor, a large gateway to the city which is one of the most iconic Berlin landmarks. The Tiergarten park is huge and filled with lots of grassy spaces to enjoy the nice day or a beer (drinking beer in public is legal so go for it!)
8. Holocaust Memorial: A solemn array of gray pillars precisely aligned like a graveyard. Take a walk through the maze like memorial which is open to everyone.
9. Topography of Terror: An outdoor history museum where the “Third Reich” the headquarters of the Secret State Police, the SS and the Reich Security Main Office were located at the site. This exhibit outlined how Nazi carried out suppression and terrorism leading up to and in the Holocaust.
10. The Berlin Wall Documentation Center: The most informative free museum we visited in Berlin. The museum described the historical and political reasons why the wall was put up and why it was finally destroyed. Watch videos of people who escaped East Berlin and people who were there when the wall was taken down. The museum was very well done and very moving. You can even walk up to the top and view part of the Berlin wall the is still preserved as it was.

Things to Do:

1. Rent bikes: Fat Tire bikes lets you have the bikes for 4 hours for €7. We rode ours around the Tiergarten park and the north part of the city. Unfortunately we got stuck in a huge thunder storm on our way back to Fat Tire. At first it was fun to ride our bikes in the rain but after about an hour of riding fully soaked and cold we were ready to head back inside. Definitely a time to remember though. 
2. Photoautomats: You will find these photo booths all over the city. For €2 you can get a strip of 4 pictures. It is a fun time and a cheap souvenir!
3. Bauhaus Archive: As Designers in Germany we had to go to the Bauhaus Archive. We were huge design nerds at this museum and spent way too long here. The museum highlighted a great deal of print, architecture, and industrial design work from the archive. Great place if you are a designer or a fan of the Bauhaus.
4. Checkpoint Charlie Museum: Warning: Do not go here! It is overpriced and probably the worst museum so far. The museum talked about the history of the Berlin wall. It was hard to navigate, digest the tons of information, and wasn’t very informative. I think we came out even more confused. Checkpoint Charlie, a border station on the wall between East and West Berlin, is a must to see but the museum is super touristy and not worth the money.
5. Paragon Museum (Museum Island): Located with many other museums on the Museum Island, Paragon houses original-sized, reconstructed monumental buildings from around the world. The line to get in took about an hour but the museum was pretty breathtaking. To be able to see the fully reconstructed monuments was fascinating. All of the museums on the island were pricey and would take a full day or two to visit them all.
6. Berliner Dom: Berlin cathedral located on the Museum Island and well worth the visit. We usually hate to pay to enter a church but the one is a massive church, dome, and crypt. For €5 you get to view the inside of this luxurious cathedral and walk up to the top of the dome for a beautiful view of the city. The basement also houses a crypt which is interesting to see.
7. TV Tower: As the tallest structure in Germany, it is a landmark symbol in Berlin. You can always situate yourself within the city based on the TV Tower. Pay €13 and go to the top for a view of the city. We passed on this because for cheaper we got a great view from the Berliner Dom.