Travel Agent - November 12, 2007 - (Page 24)

DESTINATIONS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 The area formerly known as East Berlin is full of galleries, cafés and shops German antiquities. The Pergamon, also on Museum Island, is home to the Pergamon Altar, the Market Gate of Miletus and the Ishtar Gate. We also stopped in the new Nolde Museum, which is set directly off the venerable Gendarmenmarkt square and is devoted to the German Impressionist artist Emil Nolde. The Nolde Museum shares a courtyard with Vau (www.vau-berlin.de), a Michelin-star restaurant serving dishes made with fresh, seasonal produce. Several of Berlin’s most dynamic art galleries are in what was East Berlin and is now defined by bricks embedded along a line where the wall dividing East and West Berlin once stood. This area sparkles with established and gentrified artist neighborhoods whose charming buildings have been refurbished and redesigned with newly landscaped cobblestone courtyards containing cafés, restaurants, shops and apartments. The flourishing Prenzlauer Berg in this area is also full of cafés, clubs and bars and is near a local “hippie” park. During our visit, it was filled with picnickers and musicians. Nearby, the Floh Markt (flea market) is a place to bargain-hunt for unusual items. The Berlin Welcome Card (www.berlin-welcomecard.de) entitles travelers to free admission at many Berlin museums along with unlimited use of public transportation over a two- or three-day period. To find out which opera and orchestra performances are taking place while your client will be in town, check out www.visitberlin.de. That site also lists festivals, concerts and venues for jazz, rock, Latin, reggae and pop music. The most famous of the city’s orchestras is the Berlin Philharmonic (www.berliner-philharmoniker.de), led by renowned conductor Sir Simon Rattle. Suggest to clients that their evening at the philharmonic include a pre-concert dinner at Restaurant Diekmann im Weinhaus Huth (www.j-diekmann.de) and a nightcap at a bar or café. They’re virtually guar24 | TravelAgent November 12, 2007 anteed an experience to add to their “memories of a lifetime” file. For a dramatically different experience, attend the cabaret-style revue Soap at the Chamäleon Music & Variety Theater (www.chamaeleon berlin.de), where a troupe of singers, dancers and acrobatic comedians perform in a hilarious production. Follow that with dinner at Schwarzenraben (www.schwarzenraben.de). Getting Around In Berlin, metered taxis are driven by usually friendly, English-speaking drivers. You can tour the city by Velotaxi, an updated version of the rickshaw; in this case, the operator pedals. We loved gliding through Berlin’s expansive parks (one-third of the city is parkland), through town squares and onward to historical sights. To reserve a Velotaxi for your client, contact Tessa Schulz at schulz@velotaxi.de. A boat ride on the Spree is another great way to see Berlin. You will pass several historical sights, as well as the 20 or more “beach pubs” with sand-covered grounds facing the river. There’s no swimming, but there are plenty of tables, chairs and chaise longues on the sand for guests to soak up the sun or the moonlight on the “beach.” (Gen Y clients, take note: Berlin is known as the European city that never sleeps; many bars, cafés and restaurants are open around the clock.) Private Guides Agents who wish to customize a tour of Berlin’s museums, galleries and artist studios should contact Miriam Bers (bers@goart-berlin.de, 011-493025-1670-7) at Go Art Berlin (www.goart-berlin.de); she provided a CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 PHOTO BY ARTHUR TERRY http://www.chamaeleonberlin.de http://www.chamaeleonberlin.de http://www.schwarzenraben.de http://www.berlin-welcomecard.de http://www.visitberlin.de http://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de http://www.goart-berlin.de http://www.j-diekmann.de

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Travel Agent - November 12, 2007 Online Now Contents From the Editor From the Publisher Contributors Europe: Berlin Has a Vibrant Arts Scene Central & South America: Iberostar Grand Amazon: Adventure, but with Upscale Cruise Comforts Culinary Tours in Argentina and Peru Belize Eco-Lodge Packages Pacific/Asia: Bali Awaits Discovery by U.S. Tourists Las Vegas: Three Days in Vegas for Baby Boomers Caribbean & Bahamas: CTO’s Chairman Sees Growth in the Market Dominica’s New Tourism Director Discusses Challenges and Opportunities for His Island St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Where Less is More St. Maarten as a Destination for Foodies Tours: Sunshine and Disney are Just Two of Florida’s Options Cruises: Theme Cruises Generate Demand and Revenue Oceania’s Sales and Fleet are Growing Cruise Deals Cover Story: The New Wave Supplier Profile: Viking River Cruises Launches Land-Only Tour Operation Air Lift: Sabre Takes UpSell to the Skies A Tough Season Ahead: Rising Rates and Demand Give Hotels Edge in Price Negotiating Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Caribbean Tourism Conference Cruise and Hotel News Trends In U.S. Travel to France Disneyland Upgrade Travel Week In the Spotlight Classified Marketplace Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - November 12, 2007

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