I never heard about Havel until some friends and me checked out the google earth for a trip at the weekend. We went there in the german winter, oh yes...in the winter. I loved this place because is a small city island with a lake (which was frozen at that time) and with lovely houses and an old mill. I have never been there in the summer but i can imagine how wonderful would be.
Rixdorf is definitely my favourite area of Berlin, because it is a historic village within in Berlin. At the moment it is under heavy construction, and I found this strange, nearly taken-down building sitting in the middle of the quaint neighbourhood.
This place is like being in the Canary Islands, where my hometown is. The wonderful botanical garden has around 22.000 different plant species. I can find here all the tropical species from the island where i grew up: birds of Paradise, palms or dragon trees.
The central ‘Mitte’ area of Berlin is packed tight with galleries and museums, which means you can cram a lot into a short amount of time, if that’s what you want.
The best of the lot is the Me Collectors Room, which shows off large chunks of the Thomas Olbricht collection alongside other contemporary private artworks. The permanent ‘Wunderkammer’ display offers over 200 pieces from the Renaissance and the Baroque periods, with a solid focus on the strange and macabre. There’s even a Mark Ryden original that fits in nicely.
ABC is Berlin´s Eggs Benedict Mecca. This laid-back, fun little shop will provide you with one of the city´s best Aussie brunches - provided you reserve or are willing to wait for some time. But the eggs, the coffee and the Bloody Mary really make it worth.