Berlin

Last week I visited the capitol of Germany: Berlin. A friend and I went for a few days since we had  Ferien (break from school). Despite the constant rain, cold and wind, it was a great trip! We were able to catch all of our trains! Once we arrived in Berlin, God provided the perfect transportation for us. We found a tour bus that cost 22 Euros per person for 2 days and we could hop on and off of it at any of the 20 different stops. So for two days we used this bus to tour Berlin. It saved us a lot of money! The places we wanted to see were spread out in West and East Berlin, and this bus was the perfect solution. We also enjoyed listening to the audio guided tour of the city.

Since 70% of Berlin was destroyed during the war, many of the buildings and neighborhoods we saw were newly constructed. We only saw a handful of old buildings that survived the war or have been reconstructed. Many parts of Berlin are still under construction and reconstruction.  I would not call Berlin a quaint or charming city; however, the older buildings and churches we did see were beautiful. Berlin also has many large shopping plazas. It is very much an international city...I even saw a KFC! We heard many people speaking English and we saw a film in English at the Sony Center.

My friend and I saw many of the foreign Embassies. The U.S Embassy has a Berlin Bear in the front that looks like the Statue of Liberty. Next to the U.S. Embassy is the Brandenburg Gate, which is one of the famous landmarks in Berlin. It is the only surviving gate of several entry gates built in 1791. It was damaged during the war but has been restored.  We also saw many pieces of the Berlin Wall throughout the city. Some pieces, such as those in the East Side Gallery, are professionally painted.

 

We visited the Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, the Berliner Dom, the French Dome, and Humboldt University. We saw the outside of the largest palace in Berlin, the Charlottenburg Palace, built in 1699. Despite the rain, we stopped to see the Victory Column (Siegessaule) which commemorates the Prussian victories in the 1860’s “unification wars”.

 

We also had the opportunity to go into the Reichstag, the building where the German Parliament meets. The outside structure survived the war, while the inside contains a newly constructed glass dome. Inside is a mirrored cone that helps light the Parliament chamber beneath. We were able walk around the glass cone while listening to an audio guide.  On a clear day, there is a great view of the city from the Reichstag. The entire experience was amazing! Our trip was lots of fun and I am glad that I was able to go with my friend! However, I do recommend visiting Berlin in the spring or summer. The weather isn’t very pleasant during the winter. Also, make sure you carry small change if you intend to use a public bathroom…they are not free.