Parks, Gardens & The Zoo

The huge Botanischer Garten (Botanical Garden), Königin-Luise-Strasse 6-8 (tel. 030/83850100; www.bgbm.org/bgbm; S-Bahn: Botanischer Garten or Rathaus Steglitz), near the Dahlem Museums, has vast collections of European and exotic plants. The big palm house is one of the largest in the world. A large arboretum is here, as well as several special collections such as a garden for blind visitors and another with water plants. Admission is 5€ ($6.50) for adults, 2.50€ ($3.25) for children 6 to 14, and free for children under 6. The gardens are open daily April and August 9am to 8pm; May, June, and July 9am to 9pm; September 9am to 7pm; March and October 9am to 6pm; February 9am to 5pm; and November to January 9am to 4pm; the museum is open year-round daily from 10am to 6pm.

Tiergarten is the largest green space in central Berlin, covering 2.5 sq. km (just under 1 sq. mile), with more than 23km (14 miles) of meandering walkways. It was originally laid out as a private park for the electors of Prussia by a leading landscape architect of the day, Peter Josef Lenné. The park was devastated during World War II, and the trees that remained were chopped down for fuel, as Berliners shivered through the winter of 1945 and 1946. Beginning in 1955, trees were replanted, and walkways, canals, ponds, and flowerbeds were restored to their original patterns. The park is popular with joggers and (sometimes nude) sunbathers. Inside the park is the Berlin Zoo .

Among the park's monuments is the Siegessäule (Victory Column), a golden goddess of victory perched atop a soaring red-granite pedestal. The monument stands in the center of the wide boulevard (Strasse des 17 Juni) that neatly bisects the park. A 48m-high (157-ft.) observation platform can be reached by a climb up a 285-step spiral staircase (there's no elevator). It's open April to October Monday to Friday 9:30am to 6:30pm, Saturday and Sunday 9:30am to 7pm; November to March Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5:30pm. Admission is 2.20€ ($2.85) for adults and 1.50€ ($1.95) for students and children under 18. For information, call tel. 030/3912961.

Zoologischer Garten Berlin (Berlin Zoo-Aquarium), Hardenbergplatz 8 (tel. 030/254010; U-Bahn/S-Bahn: Zoologischer Garten), founded in 1844, is Germany's oldest zoo. It occupies almost the entire southwest corner of the Tiergarten. Until World War II, the zoo boasted thousands of animals -- many were familiar to Berliners by nickname. By the end of 1945, however, only 91 had survived. Today, more than 13,000 animals live here, many of them in large, open natural habitats. The most valuable residents are the giant pandas. The zoo also has Europe's most modern birdhouse, with more than 550 species.

The aquarium is as impressive as the adjacent zoo, with more than 9,000 species of fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and other creatures. Crocodiles, Komodo dragons, and tuataras inhabit the terrarium within. You can walk on a bridge over the reptile pit. There's also a large collection of snakes, lizards, and turtles. The glass-rooted "hippoquarium" is a new attraction.

Individual admission to either the zoo or aquarium is 7€ ($9.10) for adults, 5.80€ ($7.55) for seniors, 3.50€ ($4.55) for students, and free for children 15 and under. A combined ticket costs 12€ ($16) for adults, 9.90€ ($13) for seniors, 6€ ($7.80) for students, and free for children under 15. The zoo is open daily April to September 9am to 6:30pm, October 9am to 6pm, November to February 9am to 5pm, and March 9am to 5:30pm. The aquarium is open year-round daily 9am to 6pm.

AquaDom & Sea Life Berlin, Spandauer Strasse 3 (tel. 030/992-800; www.sealife.de; U-Bahn: Hackescher Markt), is hardly the greatest aquarium in Europe, but it has some unique features. The tanks begin on the River Spree and then flow into the Wannsee, a Berlin lake, before heading to the ocean. Thus, you go from fresh water to salt water. Along the way you meet some 4,000 marine creatures from the octopus to the hound shark, even sea horses. After a Sea Life visit, you can go to the AquaDom to view the largest free-standing aquarium in the world. In Berlin it's home to a vast collection of rainbow-hued tropical fish. At the end of your visit, you take a dramatic glass elevator through a silo-shaped "fish tank" to the exit. Admission is 14€ ($18), 11€ ($14) for children 3 to 14, and free for children under 3. It's open April to September daily 10am to 7pm; October to March daily 10am to 6pm.

Fun for Kids

Children love the Berlin Zoo-Aquarium . Its most famous residents, the giant pandas, are perennial favorites. The zoo also has playgrounds and a children's section, where the animals welcome a cuddle. Another place to take the kids is Grips-Theater, Altonaerstrasse 22 (tel. 030/39747477; U-Bahn: Hansaplatz), known for its bright, breezy productions. Children are sure to enjoy the music and dancing (if not the simple German-language dialogue). Tickets cost 6€ to 18€ ($7.80-$23). Call for current productions. Most performances begin at 7:30pm, although there are some matinees as well, depending on the production. The theater is closed from late June to mid-August.