Our Weekend In Berlin

So our first 4-day weekend in Germany since we have been in our house.....and we decided to go to BERLIN!!!!

So we headed out early Friday morning towards Berlin. It was about a 5 hour drive to Berlin, from where we live, so when we got to Berlin we headed straight to the BERLIN ZOO! As most of you know.....I am kind of a zoo addict. LOL! The Berlin Zoo (or Zoologischer Garten Berlin) is the oldest & best known zoo in Germany. It is also the ninth oldest zoo in the WORLD! On top of that, the Berlin zoo has the greatest diversity of species in the WORLD!!

The zoo also has an aquarium on the grounds that you can go into as well. (For an extra fee) The landscaping of the zoo is one of the best I have ever seen at ANY zoo that I have been to and the animals look truly relaxed, happy and very well taken care of. HERE are the prices for the Aquarium.

You can check HERE for the zoos hours and HERE for their pricing. The zoo also has several feedings and shows that you can watch. The feeding and show times can be found HERE! Also if you just want to check out the zoo map, you can do so HERE.

After the zoo, we were wore out and ready to head to the hotel for the night. It was such a hot day! 99 degrees while we were at the zoo! YUCK! LOL! We reserved our room at the Holiday Inn in Mitte. It was just outside Berlin. Our room was really nice and for a GREAT price, especially considering the prices we saw when looking at the hotels in downtown Berlin! We paid about 70€ per night for us and the two kids. The ONLY drawback was that there was no air conditioning, and it was a HOT weekend! They did provide us with one stand fan to use though.

We drove to Berlin but once we got there and found (FREE) parking in front of our hotel, where there were VERY limited places, we decided to leave our car parked and just use the U-BAHN system instead (saving us 15€ per night for parking). The hotel was only about a 5 minute walk from the U-BAHN station and it was REALLY easy to use.

We headed out bright and early on Saturday morning because we scheduled a walking tour at 10:00 A.M. that started at Brandenburg Gate. We needed to buy our U-Bahn tickets and figure out how to use the subway before even heading to the Gate so we wanted to be sure to give ourselves enough time.

It was so easy and quick that we got there about 1 1/2 hours prior to our tour time so we explored the area a little and of course, checked out Brandenburg Gate (pictured above). Then we got ourselves a drink at the Starbucks located right where the tour started. We did our tour with Sandemanns tour guides and it was so amazing. We took their free tour and booked it online about a week prior. The tour was a walking tour that took about 3 hours. It was a great tour FULL of interesting information. The only thing that they ask is that you tip your guide with what you think he/she deserves. We tipped our guide 20€ because he was really awesome! If you would like to find out more about the tours that Sandemanns offers or to book the free tour for yourself, you can do so HERE!

The tour hit many influential places including Brandenburg Gate, Pariser Platz, Adlon Hotel (where Michael Jackson held his 3rd child over the railing outside his hotel room), Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (pictured above), Berlin Wall (pictured below), Checkpoint Charlie, Site of Hitler's Bunker & burned body and so much more.

After the tour we decided to check out a few spots that the tour touched on but we didn't feel we got to explore enough. So we stopped at a little Italian place and decided to get the buffet for lunch. The buffet was on sale for less than 10€ per adult! It was a pretty good meal. Then we headed down to check out Checkpoint Charlie (pictured below).

After Checkpoint Charlie, we headed down to part of the Berlin Wall (pictured below) that was still standing and the Topography of Terrors Museum. Unfortunately, I found out after we already left that there was a cool Checkpoint Charlie museum that we missed :( However, we loved seeing the wall and experiencing the history there and the Topography of Terrors Museum was free to get into and explore. You can get more info on the Topography of Terror museum HERE.

After another long, HOT day we decided to head back to the hotel and relax a little. Especially, since we knew we had another busy day planned for Sunday. Sunday morning we grabbed breakfast and headed to Potsdamer Platz. Potsdamer Platz is where Berlin's first traffic light was erected. We were headed to Legoland Discovery Center. We left early again to make sure we were there when they first opened but arrived too early so we headed to the Sony Centre (pictured below) which was HUGE and set up for the launch and Berlin's screening of the new Ice Age Movie! They were setting up the red carpet and everything.

We decided to grab some Starbucks and walk around and explore until Legoland opened. The Sony Centre is absolutely breath taking! Legoland Discovery Center opened at 10 A.M. and we were the second people in line. It was a lot of fun but smaller than I thought it would be. If you want to check out the list of rides and attractions in the building you can do so HERE.

When we bought our tickets for Legoland, we also purchased tickets to the AquaDom Sea Life. It was much cheaper to buy the joint attraction tickets then to buy them separately. They have other combination tickets  available as well with Madame Tussauds and with the Berlin Dungeon. We paid 26€ each for our combo tickets for the two attractions. If you are interested in the other combo tickets, you can check those out HERE.

So after Legoland, we jumped on the U-BAHN and headed to AquaDom Sea Life Berlin. Sea Life Berlin was an fun little aquarium to check out the different sea life species and after purchasing a new AMAZING coffee cup as my souvenir, we headed over to the hotel across the street which housed the AquaDom! The AquaDom is the largest, free standing cylindrical aquarium in the world! The best part though, you can ride an elevator through the center of it all the way to the top to observe the over 97 different species of fish swimming inside.

By the time we got done with the AquaDom, we were all pretty hungry.  Right outside the AquaDom is an AMAZING little Restaurant called Andy's Diner and Bar. It is seat yourself, so go in and have a seat inside or pick a table out front. The service was GREAT. Our waitress spoke great English and she was so friendly. The food portions were HUGE and the food was so good. The best part, the prices were reasonable. It cost us less than 50€ for all four of us to get meals and Mike and I both got an alcoholic beverage as well.

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel because we found an underground tour the night before that we wanted to take and it left at 3:00 P.M. We jumped onto the U-BAHN and headed back to the hotel. We got into the area in time to go pick up our tickets for the tour from the Berliner Unterwelten tour company. They do guided tours called Berlin from Below.

They offer 5 different tours to choose from and most of them leave at different times. We wanted to do Tour 1- Dark Worlds and that is what Mike thought that he bought tickets for. However, once I looked at the tickets (while he ran to get Anthony's passport because he accidentally told the lady Anthony was 6 instead of 7.......and kids HAVE to be 7 or older to go) I noticed that he had bought tickets for Tour M - Under the Berlin Wall.

We had about an hour before our tour started and nothing to do until then so we decided to grab a drink and let the kids get a dessert at the little Italian restaurant near the meet point of the tour. The restaurant was called Ristorante Bella Italia. It was a cute little restaurant. We sat outside and enjoyed the cool breeze. The kids each got an ice cream dessert. It was a nice little break before our 2-hour walking tour. At first we were iffy about this tour but it turned out to be a lot of fun and VERY interesting.

After the tour, we headed back to the hotel to enjoy some cool showers and grab some dinner. We ended up ordering room service for dinner since we were so wore out. We knew that we had to leave early in the morning for our trip home and so we relaxed and went to bed.

All in all, Berlin was a lot of fun! We know that there are many things that we didn't get to see but the things that we did see were so historical and amazing. We all loved our trip and hoping we get to go back there again and explore more.

While our trip wasn't over because we had a couple stops planned for our ride home, the Berlin portion was. Berlin was an exciting, educational, and beautiful trip.

Until next post.....Get out and explore the world we live in....

Pottenstein, Germany

So we headed to Pottenstein, Germany for our next adventure! We heard of something called Teufelshöhle......which translates to 'Devil's Cave'. With a name like that who wouldn't be interested? We were excited to find that Pottenstein had much more to offer!

When we arrived in Pottenstein we headed straight for the cave. It was a rainy day and pretty chilly but we were ready.  The first thing to be aware of when visiting the cave is that there are OVER 400 steps! So if you cannot navigate stairs this is not a trip for you! Also, strollers are NOT an option through the cave. There is photography allowed in the cave but ONLY withOUT flash.

When the cave was first discovered, hundreds of years ago, by the local residents, they named it "Teufelsloch" (Devil's Hole). However, when they explored more and found the vastness of the cave they changed the name to "Teufelshöhle". The cave is absolutely gorgeous! There are limestone formations that are over 300,000 years old that are quite amazing. The combinations of stalactites (limestone formations hanging from the ceiling) and stalagmites (limestone formations growing from the ground) are truly beautiful. Also inside they have a complete skeleton of a cave bear that is about 12 feet high and weighed around 900 lbs.

From April through October the cave is open everyday with the box office open from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. With tours starting about every 15 - 30 minutes. From November through March the cave is open every day, except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with the box office open from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. During this time tours begin at 11:00 A.M., 12:20 P.M., 1:40 P.M., and 3:00 P.M.

The tours are about 45 minutes long and the guide gives the tour in German but there is a recording that he plays after he speaks that is in English. The cost for the tour is 5,00€ per adult (16 yrs+), 3,00€ per child (4-15 yrs) and 13,50€ for a family ticket (parents and minimum 2 own children between 4-15 yrs). There are different rates for groups. There is also a special tour that you can take called the Devil's Cave Exclusive which runs about 100 minutes and is offered the last Friday of the month through the summer months. This tour cost 9,00€ for adults and 8,00€ for children.

There is a small cafe/restaurant at the entrance of the Cave and where the exit comes out. We had about 30 minutes to wait before our tour started so since it was so cold we got the kids some hot chocolate and the hubby got an iced coffee. It was a cute little cafe with indoor (limited)/ outdoor seating and the prices weren't terrible. They have little souvenir type things that you can purchase as well. There are also bathrooms here that you can use as well.

The amazing sights weren't over when the tour ended. As we walked out of the cave at the end of the tour, we were pleasantly surprised by the AMAZING sights and views that we got to experience on the walk back to the entrance along the trail.

After the Devil's Cave we headed to the Pottenstein Castle. The thing about this castle, it is still a home to the owners. So, they have a small part of the castle that you can go through but since it is still inhabited, you are unable to tour the entire castle. The part that you can tour is VERY small and honestly....had I known I would not have paid to see it.

There are quite a few stairs to walk up to the entrance and there are NO pictures allowed to be taken inside. Then there is a small part that you can see outside. However, the views are pretty amazing! It was 13,00€ for the family admission to the castle.

When we were planning our trip to Pottenstein, we had planned to go to Sommerrodelbahnen Pottenstein. However, since it was raining the rides weren't open and it wasn't ideal weather to be in the boats either :( So we decided to walk around downtown and check it out a little.

We were excited to find a medieval torture museum to explore. It was 4,00€ per person to check it out but it was really interesting! I enjoyed it.

The lady at the door was worried about us bringing in the children but they loved it too! There are pictures allowed in the museum. While we were walking through, we were literally the ONLY people in the building, which was really nice. It gave us the chance to explore and take our time.

After the torture museum, we walked around the town a little and checked out some stores (and a bakery)! It is a beautiful town and we can't wait to go back and check out the things that we missed! I would definitely suggest a trip to Pottenstein if you have the chance. It is only about 45 minutes away from Vilseck. So an easy day trip!

Tiergarten Nuernberg (Nuernberg Zoo)

Being in Vilseck, Germany and it only being a regular two day weekend, we needed something close by to explore that would only take a few hours or so. It was pretty rainy this day but we still had an amazing time in Nuernberg, Germany. We went to the Nuernberg Zoo.......Tiergarten Nuernberg.

Even with the rain, the zoo had plenty of tree coverage to keep us pretty dry and the animals were still out and playful. Tiergarten Nuernberg was first opened in May of 1912. The zoo was then closed for good in Februrary 1939 because Hitler took control of the property for part of his rally grounds.

The zoo reopened in a new location in May 1939. After the Second World War broke out, there was a lack of food and staff. The air raids wrecked almost every building and enclosure and many animals died.

From the end of the war until 1947, the zoo was protected by US troops and at the end of the 1950's reconstruction was completed. In the 1960's and 1970's they added a giraffe house, tropical center, AND a dolphinarium (this was my daughter's favorite part).

Tiergarten Nuernberg is open daily 8:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. with the last entry to the park being at 6:30 p.m. The animal houses are locked at 6:45 p.m. Entry fees to the tiergarten are as follows:

~Family Ticket (2 adults with own children) - 31,50 Euros
~Single Family Ticket (1 adult with own children) - 18,00 Euros
~Adult - 13,50 Euros
~Child (4-13 years old) - 6,50 Euros
~Students, retirees, disabled people, unemployed, with presentation of public transportation ticket (VGN or DB) for adults, evenings (from 5 p.m.) - 11,50 Euros
~With presentation of public transportation ticket (VGN  or DB) for children and kindergarten groups (4-13 years old), evenings (from 5 p.m.) - 4,80 Euros
~Groups (>15 people): Adults - 11,50 Euros Children (4-13) - 4,80 Euros

There are dolphin shows every day at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., & 3:30 p.m. at the dolphinlagoon.
Lion feeding is daily (except Mon. & Thurs.) at 4:00 p.m.
Seal feeding is daily in the Aquapark at 9:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.
Polar Bear feeding is daily in the Aquapark at 2:15 p.m.
Otter feeding is daily in the Aquapark at 2:45 p.m.
Penguin feeding is daily in the Aquapark at 3:15 p.m.

Dogs are NOT allowed at the zoo!

As many of you know, I am slightly obsessed with zoos and go to every one that I can! This one was pretty good. Kind of small but has quite the diverse population of animals and they seem to be well taken care of. All in all, another good trip, close to home and an easy day trip!

Thanks for reading and until next post......Get out and EXPLORE the world we live in!!!