Tiergarten and Charlottenberg by Bike

Berlin has a mind-boggling array of architecture from every era. As we set out on a cloudless warm day on our bikes, we decided to track down a Mies Van der Rohe building on Potsdammer Strasse built in 1968, along the way to the Tiergarten. It houses the New National Gallery but upon our arrival we found it is currently closed for refurbishment. This wasn’t a disappointment because the exterior is stunning and it was worth the search just to see this cathedral of light. The structure is much like his other buildings comprised of a linear steel frame with floor to ceiling windows. but on a much larger scale. It sits perched atop a huge flat expanse of stone and behind, on a subterranean level (about a 10 metre drop with no guard rail!) we could see down into the formal walled sculpture garden. Just past the Van Der Rohe building is the design museum and concert hall.

Tiergarten is the most beautiful park. It is on 465 acres. Riding through here is perfect. It is immense. Seeing it all would take some considerable time. We enjoyed our time thoroughly here and after rode onto Charlottenberg for dinner and refreshing cocktails-a metropolitan and a sea breeze. On the way back to Schoeneberg the roads were closed and there were thousands of people milling about for a huge festival.