Use the public double-decker bus to explore the city. Any bus of the 100 or 200-line takes you from west to east and back passing most of Berlin’s sights along the route.For example, you could take the 100 Bus towards Alexanderplatz. It leaves from the bus stop Bayreuther Straße, just around the corner 50 meters away from the hotel.The 100 route takes you past “Großer Stern” (Big Star), with the victory column at the centre (called “Gold-Elsie” by the Berliners), towardsBellvueCastle, the residence of the Federal President Joachim Gauck. It carries on along theSpree passing the “Haus der Kulturen der Welt” (House of the Cultures of the World) and the “Reichstag” (Parliament House). Continuing its route along “Unter den Linden” you catch a sight of “Brandenburger Tor” (Brandenburg Gate).It crosses Friedrichstraße , passes Humboldt-University, the “Neue Wache” (New Guardhouse), Deutsches-HistorischesMuseum” (German Historical Museum), “Museumsinsel” (MuseumIsland) and “Berliner Dom” (BerlinCathedral) before you reach “Alexanderplatz” and the freshly renovated television tower.Along these routes the following stops are especially attractive: 

• “Brandenburger Tor” (Brandenburg Gate) invites a stroll across “Pariser Platz” (Paris Square), and maybe treat yourself to a coffee at the Adlon Hotel.
• „Friedrichstraße“offers a wide range of shops, like “Galeries Lafayette”, cafés and restaurants. Close by you find “Gendarmenmarkt, often praised as the most beautiful square in Berlin,where both “Deutscher Dom” and “Französischer Dom” are located;
• “Museumsinsel”is an UNESCO world cultural heritage on an island in the river Spree providing a unique variety of architectural- and art-treasures: the “Neue Museum” (New Museum), the “Alte Museum” (Old Muesum), “Alte Nationalgelerie” (Old National Gallery), “Pergamonmuseum” and “Bode Museum”;
• Close by you find “Hacksche Höfe”, Germany’s largest area of interconnected rear courtyards: a hotspot for strolling and shopping.

For your return we suggest the 200 Bus, as it takes a different route from the 100 Bus. This allows you to also see “Potsdamer Platz”, the “Philharmonie” and the diplomatic quarter. Should this city-tour have left you hungry, we are happy to recommend a Restaurant close to the hotel. Click here to see the map on pinterest!

City-tours by ship are highly popular with Berlin tourists. We recommend the “Brückenfahrt” (bridge-cruise), a round trip of 3 hours and 15 minutes along the Spree and the Landwehrkanal. Not only will you pass underneath numerous beautiful bridges, but you will also see many interesting parts of town from the water.: The “Regierungsviertel” (governmental district), “Museumsinsel” (Museum Island), as well as parts of the boroughs Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Schöneberg, Tiergarten and Moabit. Start your boat-trip from “Corneliusbrücke” (Corneliusbridge), only a few minutes by foot from the hotel. We are happy to provide information about times and tickets at the reception.Afterwards, you could use the second half of the day for a stroll along the most beautiful boulevards of the City West, Tauentzien and Ku’damm. Right around the corner from our hotel there is the KaDeWe, a department store you should not miss. From there you can stroll along Tauentzien, past the “Europa-Centre” and “Gedächtniskirche” where Tauentzien turns into the kilometre-long Ku’damm. These streets are shopping-paradise – however, they can also be enjoyed by non-shoppers, as you will find many street-cafés and restaurants that are perfect for watching your fellow strollers.

Here we offer some tips for excursions and things to do with children:The “Deutsches Technikmuseum” (Museum of Technology), just a few stops by underground away from the hotel, shows the history and science of transport, communication, energy and production-technologies in an easy, accessible and hands-on way. As soon as you arrive there you get an idea of what is on offer as the roof is decorated with an historic US-airplane, the so called “Rosinenbomber”.The “Museum für Kommunikation” (Museum for Communication) shows the historical development of postal and telephone-services, telecommunication, radio, and television. It is located in Leipziger Straße in Berlin-Mitte, easy to reach with the U2 underground or the 200 Bus.Legoland Discovery Centre at Potsdamer Platz, which again is easily reached by U2 underground or the 200 Bus, offers everything Lego-Fans could possibly wish for.The „FEZ“, Europe’s largest centre for children, youngsters, and families, is located in a forest-like park. A 100.000 square metre outdoor-area and a 13.000 square-metre indoor space offer a wide range of activities, including an ecological island, a space flight centre, a climbing-tower, a museum for children, circus and theatre-performances. However, it will take you a little while to get there as the “FEZ” is located in the far eastern part of the city. We are happy to help with directions.

An excursion to Sanssouci Castle in Potsdam is a special experience where you can immerse yourself in Prussian history. “Sans souci” means “without worry” in French, and was the name Frederick the Great chose for his hideaway on the famous terraced vineyard. The castle’s park alone would be worth the trip. However, a guided tour (40 minutes approximately) through the castle and its gorgeous rooms with their sumptuous original 18th century furniture is even more stunning.From April to October the castle is open daily (except Mondays) between 10:00 and 18:00, from November to March daily (except Mondays) between 10:00 and 17:00. The entrance fee is 12 Euros in summer and 8 Euros in winter.This year the trip to Potsdam is especially worthwhile: The exhibition “FRIEDERISIKO”, presented in the “Neue Palais” at the western end of the park, recognizes the 300th Birthday of Frederick the Great. About 500 exhibits and precious original furniture tell the life-story of the Prussian King.You can easily get to Potsdam by taking a “Regional Express” train or an “S-Bahn” train of the S7 line from “Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten”, just a couple of hundred metres away from our hotel. Once you’ve reached “Potsdam Hauptbahhof” the tram 91 and the busses 605 and 606 will take you to the castle.If you fancy a little detour after your castle-tour, take the time to visit Potsdam’s “Holländische Viertel” (Dutch quarter). It is a unique closed building Ensemble of 134 Dutch houses, built in the first half of the 18th century forimmigrants from the Netherlands. Today it is home to cafés, restaurants and plenty of small shops selling antiques and crafts.