Berlin (Eyewitness Travel Guides) (Paperback)

by DK Publishing (Author) "BERLIN, THE CAPITAL OF the Federal Republic of Germany, has a population of approximately 3.5 million and covers 889 sq km (343 sq miles)..." (more)
Key Phrases: allowing photography, observation terrace, spree river, Potsdamer Platz, Friedrich Wilhelm, West Berlin (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Eyewitness Travel Guides are the original illustrated travel guidebooks-and they're still the best. Since 1993, the Eyewitness brand has established itself as one of the industry leaders, with sales of more than 6.5 million copies in the U.S. alone. Featuring more than 70 worldwide destinations, new titles are being added to the best-selling Eyewitness Travel Guides series each year. In 2003, to mark the 10th anniversary of the publication of Eyewitness Travel Guides, DK is re-launching the entire series, fully updated, and with a brand-new look.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: DK Travel; Revised edition (January 31, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789494302
• ISBN-13: 978-0789494306
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #687,927 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great travel companion, great souvenir!, August 16, 2000

By	Anna L. Kroll "annalois" (Newhall, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Eyewitness Travel Guide to Berlin (Paperback)

Adding to other reviews, I just returned from a visit to Berlin with this wonderful book as my travel companion. The pictures are great, the descriptions wonderful, and there is a lot of good, practical information to help one get around in the city. There are a series of maps in the back which covers the whole city in sections which is also in grids. Sites refer to page number and grid on the map, so one can easily find where it is in the city. The city is divided into sections and color coded, with information about each section, since the city is characterized by the different areas in it. I found this particularly helpful in knowing where I was and where I wanted to go.

The only drawback, if one were to find one for this great book, is its weight. Because it is on heavier stock paper, the pictures are better, but the weight is increased. Overall, though, the extra weight is worth carrying around. I found this to be a great souvenir of my trip upon my return. In fact, I stayed with friends who are now living in Berlin. They found the book so useful, they begged to be able to keep it. I am ordering another copy for myself.

47 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Guide Out There!, July 11, 2000

By	gellio "gellio" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eyewitness Travel Guide to Berlin (Paperback)

Just got back from a trip to Europe. Thought before hand that Prague or Paris would have been my favorite city. Although everything you may have heard about Prague is true- it is the most charming and beautiful place I've ever been - Berlin is simply magnificant.

I recently read, in a book (name escapes me) "Berlin is always in a state of becoming and never in a state of being." That was first said around 1900 and it again holds true 100 years later.

That in part, is what makes Berlin so magnificant. It has so many things that no other city in Europe has. Bombastic imperialistic architecture lies within bombastic communistic showpiece architecture, which lies next to classic baroque architecture, which all lies next to ultra modern architecture. West Berlin the capitalist show piece during the Cold War and East Berlin was the communist show piece. United as one- Berlin is in the state of becoming Europe's showpiece.

This guide takes you through Berlin like no other guide could possibly do. I had the unfortunate circumstance of being in Berlin a few weeks before this guide came out. I hit the main sights -but missed so much more because I used Time Out! It is unfortunate because this guide is so much better- save the lack of hostel information... but it shows you everything you could possibly want to see and do and know..

From strolling down the beautiful Unter den Linden to sitting in the Lustgarten or roaming through the green arces of the Tiergarten...or even soaring to the top of the television tower. Eyewitness Guide will take you there.

If I could be anywhere in the world right now, I'd be anywhere and everywhere in between the Brandenburg Gate and Alexander Platz.

If you're thinking of going to Berlin- stop thinking and go... If you're thinking of buying this guide, stop thinking and buy.

42 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Travel Guide, Beautiful Coffee Table Book!, June 5, 2002

By	Doulos (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eyewitness Travel Guide to Berlin (Paperback)

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Summary:

Every Dorling Kindersley Guide has been a great and interesting book... and delightful to have and use, even if you are not traveling to that location, but are only interested in learning more!

The Guides are well organized in a logical and easy to follow manner. They are beautifully illustrated, well developed with accurate information (it is unusual for hotel and restaurant information to be that accurate), have enough history to help the reader understand the people and cultural background, and have a lot of useful travel information and useable maps in the appendixes.

The really great attraction to this book is several fold; it is:
............Very complete
............Easy to read
............Beautifully and artistically completed
............Good shopping, safety and other tips
............Gorgeous photographs too numerous to list.

Thoughts on Berlin

Berlin is a particularly interesting, if not haunting city to visit, with its many contrasts: Old East Berlin, with some buildings unrepaired since WWII, New East Berlin, with its lavish, and expensive hotels, and apartments, and post WWII East Berlin with the old Soviet Style (stolid) buildings; West Berlin, with its restored buildings and architecture, memorial buildings like the Church of the Purple Glass (destroyed in WWII and left as a reminder of the costs of war), and the fun restaurants, and nightlife. Also, the outline of the Berlin Wall, and the memorial to those killed trying to flee to freedom outside the Richtstadt (Parliament Building).

I highly recommend a trip to Berlin to enjoy all the greatness and tragedy this century and its leaders has brought to the world.

Specifics:

The guides are organized as follows:

How to use this guide
Introduction to Historical and Geographical information
Geographical Regions
............Introduction Berlin
........................Map
........................History
........................At a Glance

........................Through the Year
............Berlin Area by Area, each including:
........................Introduction to street by street area
........................Detailed pictorials of area buildings
........................Architectural drawings, pictures, cut-aways of buildings
........................Specific stops, historical monuments, churches, buildings, etc.

Greater Berlin
............Pottsdam
............Three Guided Walks

Travelers Needs - includes full list with rankings and notes
............Hotels
............Restaurants
............Shops / Markets
............Entertainment
............Berlin for children

Survival Information
............Practical
........................Tourist info., Etiquete, Personal Security and Health
........................Currencies, Telephones, misc info.
............Getting to Berlin
........................Planes, trains and automobiles, signs
........................General map, sectional maps with index
............Getting to / around Berlin
........................Maps, tours, currency, etc.
............General Index
............Phrase Book

Discussion:

The book begins with Introducing Berlin, including a complete map, a review, the citys history, and Berlin thought the Year - including events, etc.

Areas with an At a glance overview, then has subsections of specific blocks, or forums, then specific locations, churches, historical monuments, bridges, galleries, etc.

Architectural reviews include various views, and cutaways; given greater understanding and better perspective. They are all attractive, if not works of art - honestly.

The travelers Info. offers good and valid info. on prices, currencies, customs, important words, etc. I used the reviews on hotels restaurants and nightclubs, etc. and found they were useful and accurate, and helpful with my touring and site decisions

The books are so well thought-out that it has multiple maps, with various lookup tables, and the books flaps are designed to be used as bookmarks for map pages.

Conclusion:

Each book in this series is a great help, and beautiful collectible resource. As the President, CEO of an International Meeting Planning Corporation we have many resources and techniques to learn about places we have meetings / groups at as well as the cities and sights. But, as a traveler, this book really is top notch and I would recommend it to anyone going on a personal trip, or wanting to learn about a city, or location. We have used some of these books to augment our research to investigate cities for our groups.