Berlin has a lot to offer its little tourists and their parents. Here kids will have a wonderful opportunity to enjoy boundless games, sports and recreation facilities. Numerous museums will let them discover the world of art and history. Take this tour together with your little ones to dive into the miraculous atmosphere of childhood.
1) LOXX am ALEX Miniatur Welten
LOXX am ALEX Miniatur Welten or the Loxx Miniature World is the largest miniature railroad display in the world. It digitally recreates the city of Berlin with model trains moving through different recreated miniature landscapes.
The Loxx Miniature World is located on the upper floor of the Alexa Shopping Mall in Berlin. It covers an area of 3000 square meters. Miniature reproductions of different landscapes of the city of Berlin are displayed with the railway network of the S Bahn and miniature trains running on the tracks. Exhibits include regional trains, the high speed ICE trains, steam engines and cargo carriers. There is a miniature international airport where jets take off and land. The entire display is operated by 34 individual computers that run 400 miniature trains for a distance of 4 kilometers. The trains pass roads with miniature cars and citizens of Berlin going about their daily routine. The lights are turned off every 20 minutes to show visitors the working of the train network at night. Loxx Miniature World is a Berlin museum that attracts thousands of visitors of all ages annually. Rail enthusiasts and children are particularly intrigued by the working of this unique display.
Image Courtesy of LOXX am ALEX Miniatur Welten
2) AquaDom & Sea Life Center
Located in the Sea Life Center aquarium, that forms part of the Radisson Blu Hotel in Berlin, the Aquadom is the largest acrylic glass cylinder in the world. It has a built in glass elevator called the Glasernen Elevator that takes visitors on a journey through one million liters of sea water and different species of tropical fish.
The Aquadom has a height of 25 meters and a diameter of 11.5 meters. It was opened for public viewing in 2003. The glass elevator is a hollow part in the middle of the cylinder. The aquarium was designed and built by the International Concept Management Inc. The Aquadom cylinder was made by the American firm, Reynolds Polymer Technology. It has over 2600 fish of over 56 species. The fish are fed daily with 8 kilograms of fish food. The feeding and cleaning is performed by four full time divers.
The Aquadom and Sea Life Center is a recreation venue with a purpose. It not only gives hours of enjoyment to visitors but aims to spread awareness about the different endangered species of marine animals. There are visitor guides available that give visitors details of the many species of fish that swim within the acrylic dome.
Image Courtesy of Flickr and vxla
3) Madame Tussauds
A short walk from the Brandenburg Gate is Berlin’s museum of wax figures that has recently sparkled debate over the display of a rather controversial personality, Adolf Hitler. Among other notorious individuals presented here are German politicians of various periods, a bunch of US presidents, prominent German scientists such as Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud, and famous musicians—from Ludwig van Beethoven to Tokio Hotel. There are also tennis, football and boxing stars surrounded by interactive sports games, and a simulated TV studio "airing" a quiz show. ‘Behind the scenes’, visitors can learn the true story of Madame Tussaud, who modelled victims of the French Revolution. Waiting in the final room to be photographed are international celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Brad Pitt.
Operation Hours:
Daily 10 -19.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Times
4) CineStar Berlin - IMAX 3D
CineStar Berlin IMAX 3D im Sony Center—the largest movie theater in Berlin—is an ultimate viewing pleasure for cinema lovers. In addition to the latest state-of-the-art screening facilities the theater boasts a lavish refreshment stand. CineStar Berlin shows documentaries, new releases and special films for kids during daytime. For program hours, tickets and other information, check out their website.
Image Courtesy of Flickr and y entonces
5) Berliner Gruselkabinett
Berliner Gruselkabinett is a chamber of horrors in Berlin with just enough thrill to make anyone's hair stand on end. Housed in the former World War II bunker near Anhalter Bahnhof—horrid as it is, without any creep show—it is rather scary just to walk down its damp and dim tunnels. From time to time, the maze of tunnels resound the bloodchilling groans, which makes it definitely not a place for the faint-hearted. The first floor is given to the horrors of medieval medicine, compared to which the monsters and skeletons on the second floor look like a joke. In the basement there are exhibits recounting the bunker's fascinating history, allowing visitors a glimpse into the life of Berlin at the height of World War II, when the shelter served as accommodation to tens of thousands of war-weary civilians.
Operation Hours:
Mon 10-15; Tue, Thu, Sun 10-19; Fri 10-20; Sat 12-20.
Image Courtesy of Flickr and achim12001