Exploring Berlin with the kids

By Andreas Heimann May 4, 2010, 18:12 GMT

Berlin - Berlin generally isn't considered a prime location for a family holiday. But the German capital does offer more than its fair share of attractions to keep even the most demanding children occupied.

While the landmark Brandenburg Gate may not keep a child's undivided attention for long, the host of fantastically dressed street performers around the city's best known monument certainly do the trick.

A dancing bear, the symbol of Berlin, and a Charlie Chaplin type figure covered from head to toe in grey paint are among the favourites. Pony and trap rides are also available.

The nearby Reichstag may be as uninteresting for the average younger tourist as the Brandenburg Gate, but a short walk down the Unter den Linden offers respite in the form of Madame Tussauds.

Having enjoyed meeting and greeting the wax representations of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev, the next stop is a trip to Berlin's central Mitte district for a visit to the Museum fuer Naturkunde (Natural History Museum) on Invalidenstrasse.

The museum has a huge collection. There's the renowned mineral section, but visitors with kids might want to start their tour with a view of the 13-metre-high Brachiosaurus skeleton - the world's biggest - which is situated in the first hall.

Also of particular interest are the collection of deer, hippopotamus and reindeer.

Potsdamer Platz is home to the Legoland Discovery Centre, with its collection of miniature Lego buildings. Additionally, a 4D cinema, complete with effects for the senses, such as gusts of wind, shows Bob the Builder on the big screen.

The viewing ball at the top of the 203-metre-high Alexanderplatz can be reached in just 40 seconds by lift and offers panoramic views of the city's best known sights, including the nearby Rotes Rathaus city hall although the vista doesn't stretch all the way to the outskirts of town.

Unfortunately, eating in the tour's restaurant required a reservation or a lengthy waiting period.

If that's too long a wait, head to the Sealife Aquarium, which is situated between Alexanderplatz and Hackescher Markt, and has a wide collection of the sorts of fish to be found in the lakes and rivers around Berlin. One pool also contains sea anemones and starfish.

There's also the AquaDom, a 25-metre-high cylinder containing 1 million litres of water heated to a temperature of 27 degrees celsius. Visitors are transported through the AquaDom in a glass lift which offers a close-up look at over 1,500 of the world's tropical fish.