Berlin Travel Guide
3/28/2008 at 9:35 AM
Tags: Knut, Animals, Zoos, Germany Travel (all tags)
It won't take you long to think of a few celebrities who've had trouble dealing with fame. Apparently, the same problems can occur in the world of polar bears. And that's why the biggest tourist magnet ever at the Berlin Zoo, abandoned polar bear Knut, might be taken out of the limelight soon.
Turns out that Knut has gotten so addicted to the adoration of the public that he can't survive without it. For example, the zoo closed for a day recently due to bad weather, and he howled and screamed the hours away until his fans returned. If there are no people near him, Knut becomes distressed and angry.
Some of the staff at the Berlin Zoo are considering sending Knut to a smaller animal park where he gets less attention, but presumably the attention would follow him. Unless he gets smuggled anonymously. If you find a cute (but slightly psycho) polar bear in your backyard soon, let us know.
Related Stories:
· Polar Bear Knut Addicted to Fame [news.com.au]
· Polar Bear Travel: Knut The Movie [Jaunted]
[Photo: Sacred Destinations]
by amandak
3/04/2008 at 1:00 PM
Tags: Graffiti, Germany Travel, Street Art, Art (all tags)
When we watch old movies depicting New York City in the 70s, we admire a few things, including the imitation leather jackets everyone seemed to have, and the insane amount of graffiti all over everything. Now you can relive an even more intense graffiti culture, says the New York Times, in current day Berlin.
Apparently graffiti art is making a serious comeback in the German capital, with famous tags literally all over the place--in the nice neighborhoods, across sidewalks and up buildings. It's currently the most "bombed out" (read: graffitied) city in Europe.
Young local artists are redefining their own version of "Berliner Strassenkultur" and spraying the place up. Photographer Peter Sutherland says:
It's like everyone grabbed a can of paint at one point and just went for it.
And it's not all amateur hour either. You can spot tags by famous graffiti artists like Os Gemeos and Banksy if you know where to look. Can't get there soon? Here's a closer look:
Related Stories:
· One Wall Down, Thousands to Paint [NYT]
· St. Louis' Dinosaur Tags [Jaunted]
· Icelandic Graffiti [Jaunted]
[Photo: missis_jones]
by sedona
2/11/2008 at 8:50 AM
Tags: Celeb Travel, Penelope Cruz, Ben Kingsley, Film Festival Travel (all tags)
Penelope Cruz and Ben Kingsley create a new Hispano-British axis of power at the Berlin Film Festival. In their new movie "The Dying Animal," based on a Philip Roth novel, Kingsley's mania spins out of control when the professor becomes obsessed with a beautiful student (Cruz).
The Berlin Film Festival continues till next Sunday. Last year's Best Director prize film, "Beaufort," is one of the Best Foreign Film nominees for this year's Oscars; who knows what you'll find at the fest this year?
Related Stories:
· Penelope Cruz Likes the Soho House [HotelChatter]
· Woody Allen Changes His Travel Stripes [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: ICYDK]
by egw
1/03/2008 at 8:50 AM
Tags: Celeb Travel, TomKat, Tom Cruise, Suri Cruise, Knut (all tags)
Remember Knut, the adorable polar bear who captured our hearts as a cub and appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair with Leonardo DiCaprio before he got too big to be cute? Get ready for "Happy Knut", the movie! The creators of the live-action "Garfield" are pursuing the rights to Knut's story, with an eye towards having celebrity baby star Suri Cruise--spawn of TomKat--voice the cub Knut.
Suri has already visited Knut while Dad has been in Germany filming "Valkyrie," his WWII biopic about a Nazi renegade. Hey, we've seen "Happy Feet," and this sounds like a lot more fun (and adorable). If and when the film gets made, you can bet we'll have all the movie set travel details.
Related Stories:
· Suri Cruise: Face of an angel, voice of a polar bear?! [ParentDish]
· Knut's Knest Too Big For Two [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: babschi]
by egw
12/27/2007 at 3:30 PM
Tags: Airports, Architecture, Europe Travel, THF (all tags)
Berlin's Tempelhof International will close down in October 2008, ending its long and illustrious history in the city as a washed-up superstar. It'll spend its remaining days as a little-used airport for European budget airlines.
Tempelhof was, with the founding of Lufthansa at the airport, the world's first airline hub. It was also the first airport to have a subway station, connecting it to the city at large. After World War II, it was the launching point for the Berlin Airlift. And Western forces maintained a presence at Tempelhof throughout the Cold War.
Though Berlin-Tegel International siphoned away many of Tempelhof's passengers when it opened in the '70s, it too will close down by 2011 when Berlin Brandenburg becomes the city's giant--and only--airport.
Related Stories:
· Berlin's Tempelhof to Close Next Year [NYT]
· Airports coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: escpeapalumni]
by pbb
12/19/2007 at 9:15 AM
Tags: New Year's Eve, Germany Travel (all tags)
Berlin's got a great reputation as a party town--think Love Parade, for a start--and the New Year's Eve celebrations in Berlin are really something to experience. Silvester, the name used for NYE by many across Europe, is a huge event in Berlin in front of the Brandenburg Gate, which seperated East and West Germany before the Berlin Wall came down.
On December 31 this year organizers predict at least one million people will gather to ring in 2008; the strip leading to the gate will be filled with stages, screens, party tents and food and drink stands. At midnight a huge fireworks display should be the highlight of the night.
Get your spot near Brandenburg Gate early--the first performances begin at 6:30 pm, and squeezing in later amongst a million others might be tricky. Germans might be serious for most of the year, but they'll be partying hard come New Year's Eve.
Related Stories:
· Silvester in Berlin [Official Site]
· Travel Stories in Berlin [Jaunted]
· New Year's Eve coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Rene_Berlin]
by amandak
11/30/2007 at 9:15 AM
Tags: Celeb Travel, Germany Travel, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, TomKat (all tags)
Tom Cruise almost wasn't allowed to film his latest movie in Germany because of his Scientology ties. A scant four months later, they like him so much they gave him a media award for courage--or, as it's known, a Bambi Award.
Forget Oscar, Tony and Emmy, the Bambis definitely have the coolest statue around. Eva Longoria also got to take one home for the international success of "Desperate Housewives," and Sophia Loren was honored with a lifetime achievement award, but Cruise was the one who, according to Celebitchy, gave an acceptance speech of five minutes-plus on the importance of following your dreams. Uh, can you please take your miniature golden deer and go home? Also, Katie Holmes, please return Rihanna's hair on the way out.
Related Stories:
· Tom Has Courage [Faded Youth Blog]
· Tom Cruise Gives Rambling Speech [Celebitchy]
· TomKat's Long Berlin Film Kiss [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Faded Youth Blog]
by egw
11/01/2007 at 12:15 PM
Tags: Museums, Germany Travel, Art, Love (all tags)
Ever break up with the love of your life and wonder what to do with all his (or her) junk? Then the Museum of Broken Relationships is for you. The collection of trinkets imbued with romantic memories will help you get over your ex--or inspire you to contribute to the project which started as a small show in a shipping container in Zagreb.
Now open in Berlin, the traveling museum has expanded its holdings to include an ax (for smashing furniture, not exes), a vintage Vespa, an antique watch, a soccer club t-shirt and pink fuzzy handcuffs. The exhibit's directors have decided against showing photos of old flames in compromising poses, though such pictures have been offered. Says Zvonimir Dobrovic, one half of the (formerly intimate) curatorial team:
It's voyeuristic, but in a nice way. We have a window into the lives of others. It shows that in the end, people can laugh at their own misfortune.
For now, you can find the collection at the Kunsthaus Tacheles, a former department store-turned-art space downtown. The organizers hope to take it to Tokyo, New York and Sao Paulo to help other slighted lovers get on with their lives.
Related Stories:
· Museum of Broken Relationships [Official Site]
· Emo Gallerists Open Heart-Shaped Box [Radar]
· Berlin Exhibition Turns Heartbreak into Art [Reuters]
· Museums coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Spiegel]
by pbb
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