WHAT to DO in THIS GREAT CITY! EVENT VENUE - EUROPEAN 2018 CONFERENCE Hotel Palace Berlin Budapester Str
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VISIT BERLIN WHAT TO DO IN THIS GREAT CITY! EVENT VENUE - EUROPEAN 2018 CONFERENCE Hotel Palace Berlin Budapester Str. 45 10787 Berlin We selected this venue for many reasons. Its perfect for business and pleasure with an indoor pool/spa and ideally located next to some great sights/activities outlined in this brochure. For example we are next door to a shopping center, German beer cellar, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. Directly opposite is the Bikini shopping center and famous Monkey Bar (very popular for great views and atmosphere!) The Zoo is also opposite the hotel and we are at Kurfürstendamm – a major shopping district. There are numerous transit options – the U-Bahn, S-Bahn and buses all literally right outside. Plus we are 2 stops from the main train station! Look for this symbol in the document to show where you can go within minutes from the hotel. Remember we have negotiated special rates for delegates but you have to use our discount code or book through us to save! Deadline for discounts is 25th March 2018 BERLIN DISTRICTS CHARLOTTENBURG PALACE Discover the magic of the rococo at the beautiful Charlottenburg Palace – once a royal summer residence, today Berlin’s largest and most magnificent palace. Sophie Charlotte of Hanover was the younger sister of George Louis of Hanover, who succeeded to the British throne as George I. In 1684, she married Friedrich III, the Elector of Brandenburg and the then Duke of Prussia. Friedrich gave Sophie Charlotte a large estate and the village of Lietze/Lützow, at that time still outside Berlin, and this was the site of her summer palace. Completed in 1699, it was initially known as Lietzenburg Palace. Sophie Charlotte, a great lover of the arts, invited poets, philosophers, musicians and artists to join her at her “court of the muses”. Even her husband King Friedrich I could only visit if she personally invited him. After her death, Friedrich named the palace and the surrounding area Charlottenburg in her honour. Sophie Charlotte was not the only Prussian queen to leave her mark on Charlottenburg – so did Queen Louise, who was much revered by the general populace. She died in 1810, and is buried in the mausoleum with her husband, Friedrich Wilhelm III, and her son. In the course of the nineteenth century, Charlottenburg Palace was gradually forgotten by the royal rulers. Schloss Charlottenburg From 1880, it was no longer classified as a royal residence, and the grounds were opened to the public. In the Second World War, the palace was badly Spandauer Damm 10 -22 damaged, though it was later rebuilt. 14059 Berlin Germany Spandau Citadel, the Zitadelle Renaissance fortress, is just ten minutes’ walk SPANDAU CITADEL from Spandau’s old town. Today, the old sixteenth-century Citadel hosts a wealth of cultural events – from medieval festivals and banquets, to concerts, plays and performances. As you enter the impressive fortress, it’s easy to imagine the sounds of the past – the neighing of horses and shouts of the medieval knights. In these walls, the Renaissance era truly comes alive! The Citadel was constructed in the sixteenth century to protect the city of Berlin. As a defensive fortress, it was designed symmetrically with four bastions connected by four walls of equal length, leaving no blind spots for attackers to hide. The four bastions are called Queen (Königin), King (König), Crown Prince (Kronprinz) and Brandenburg. The site originally held a thirteenth-century castle. Since the surviving Julius Turm tower was part of that complex, it is now Berlin’s oldest building – and at 34.6 metres high, it is still Spandau’s signature sight. The Julius Turm is open to the public, and the top level offers truly stunning views across Spandau and the River Havel. The Spandau Citadel is one of the best preserved Renaissance fortresses in all of Europe – and strolling across the grounds inside, history seems to come alive! Zitadelle Spandau Am Juliusturm 64 13599 Berlin Germany REICHSTAG Reichstag Platz der Republik 1 11011 Berlin Germany The Reichstag is an internationally recognisable symbol of democracy and the current home of the German parliament. Every year, thousands of guests visit the Reichstag - and with good reason: It is not often that you can enjoy such an amazing panorama while, just beneath your feet, the political decisions of tomorrow are being made. Both as an architectural wonder and a historical testimony, the Reichstag has an important role to play in Berlin. Under Nazi dictatorship, the building falls into neglect and is severely damaged during the Second World War. In 1945 it becomes one of the primary targets for the Red Army due to its perceived propaganda value. After the war, West Germany’s parliament is relocated to Bonn, and the building remains a virtual ruin until 1961 when a partial renovation is undertaken in the shadow of the newly erected Wall. In 1995, just prior to the commencement of Norman Foster’s restoration of the building, artist Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude wrap the Reichstag in fabric. Foster’s careful restoration and redesign of the building is completed in 1999, and the new German government convenes at the Reichstag for the first time on April the 19th. CHECKPOINT CHARLIE Checkpoint Charlie was the setting for many thrillers and spy novels, from James Bond in Octopussy to The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. Located on the corner of Friedrichstraße and Zimmerstraße, it is a reminder of the former border crossing, the Cold War and the partition of Berlin. The barrier and checkpoint booth, the flag and the sandbags are all based on the original site – and are a popular subject for photos. It’s no wonder that Checkpoint Charlie is one of the sights of Berlin that you really should see. It became the most famous crossing point between East and West Germany. On 22 September 1961, Allied guards began registering members of the American, Friedrichstraße 43-45 British and French forces before trips to East Berlin and foreign tourists could 10969 Berlin find out about their stay there. Germany Once the checkpoint was designated a crossing point for members of the Allied armed forces, a month later in October 1961 it became the scene of a tank confrontation. American and Soviet tanks took up position and faced each other with weapons primed. Checkpoint Charlie was not only an important Cold War site, but also witnessed numerous attempts to escape from East Berlin. An open air exhibition on the corner of Schützenstraße and Zimmerstraße tells the story of those that failed and those that succeeded. An installation by the artist Frank Thiel and a commemorative plate also mark the memorial. WALL – EAST SIDE GALLERY Once it was the Berlin Wall. Now it’s the longest open-air gallery in the world. At 1316 metres long, the open-air art gallery on the banks of the Spree in Friedrichshain is the longest continuous section of the Berlin Wall still in existence. Mühlenstraße Immediately after the wall came down, 118 artists from 21 countries 1 began painting the East Side Gallery, and it officially opened as an 10243 Berlin open air gallery on 28 September 1990. Just over a year later, it was Germany given protected memorial status. In more than a hundred paintings on what was the east side of the wall, the artists commented on the political changes in 1989/90. Some of the works at the East Side Gallery are particularly popular, such as Dmitri Vrubel’s Fraternal Kiss and Birgit Kinders’s Trabant breaking through the wall. They are not just a popular subject for postcards – you’re sure to want to photograph them yourself. GENDARMENMARKT Gendarmenmarkt 10117 Berlin Germany Once, soldiers matched here, but today Berliners and tourists stroll across the square. It’s said to be the most beautiful public square in Berlin, and perhaps the most beautiful north of the Alps. The ensemble of the concert house and two church buildings embellished with towers is in perfect harmony. In summer, orchestras play the most beautiful classical melodies at the Classic Open Air, and in winter the square transforms into a winter wonderland with a Christmas market. The Friedrichstadt quarter was built by Friedrich I at the end of the 17th century according to plans by Johann Arnold Nering. Its main residents were Huguenot refugees from France, which is why the French Protestant community was given one church on the square, and the Lutheran congregation the other. The square got its name from the “Gens d’armes” cuirassier regiment, whose stables there were demolished by Friedrich II. Between the two churches, a new theatre, now known as the Konzerthaus Berlin, was built. Right in the middle of the square, in front of the Konzerthaus, is a statue of the poet Friedrich Schiller. It was not until twelve years after the foundation stone was laid that the monument was unveiled. After the Second World War, the square lay in ruins. In the 1970s, the East Berlin government had it rebuilt in its current form. Having been renamed Platz der Akademie in 1950, Gendarmenmarkt got its old name back in 1991 after reunification. THE HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL A place of contemplation, a place of remembrance and warning. Close to the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin you will find the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. In 1999, after lengthy debates, the German parliament decided to establish a central memorial site, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The competition to design it was won by the New York architect Peter Eisenman.