Wander around the hotel lobby where a glass floor reveals excavations of
the old medieval town; take a seat in an amphitheatre where animal
dissections once took place; let yourself be moved by the sounds of the
largest pipe organ, still used today to bring silent films to life; take
a break in one of the few well-preserved Baroque vaults housing coffins
fitted with windows; climb onto a bunker that contained anti-aircraft
guns during the Second World War and accept a Russian soldier's
invitation to admire it from within; take a dip in one of the most
beautiful bathing spots built during Europe's Art Nouveau movement;
enjoy a stroll under the Spree river; go see the very first computer
(designed by a Berliner) or the first synthesizer of East Germany; scale
the mountain of rubble where a Skiing World Cup race was held; station
yourself at the peak of the artificial hill where aviation pioneer Otto
Lilienthal made his first attempts at flight; and grab a bite on the
island in the Havel river where Werner von Braun launched his first
rocket. Absent from the usual "must-see" lists despite residing in the
heart of the bustling capital, fascinating historical treasures can be
found all over Berlin's city centre and its large surrounding
neighbourhoods. Take another look and discover the hidden gems eluding
those who think they know Berlin inside out.
