Berlin - A Complete Package
Share
Berlin is an amazing place that simply must be visited. Since unification, it’s been busy transforming itself into a fantastic destination that has it all. I mean, there aren’t that many cities that can boast world wars, iron curtains, communism, capitalism, liberation, decadence, cakes and gourmet cuisine all in one package. Berlin has acknowledged it’s less than illustrious past under Hitler’s leadership and rather than sweep it all under the carpet there are plenty of locations around the city to be reminded of those days. But Berlin also has plenty of other history, the decadent burlesque era of the 20’s and 30’s, the Soviet occupation, the Wall, and of course the emergence of a new united City that is undergoing tremendous development and transformation. And whatever your choice of sights, the Tourist Board has enough comprehensive information available to satisfy even the most determined history buff. That said, of course, there’s nothing quite like just roaming around the different districts and seeing what you come across, and really, central Berlin is small enough to walk around if you are up for the exercise, but if not, the underground system is a delight to navigate. And of course, with true German efficiency, runs on time, all the time.
So what are the highlights? Right next door to The Adlon is the Brandenburg Gate, the historic symbol of Berlin, and next to that is the Reichstag, Germany’s parliament building and scene of that famous wartime picture of the victorious Soviet soldiers waving their flag on the roof. Today of course it’s all very different, rebuilt and remodelled by the British architect Sir Norman Foster it now has a very trendy restaurant at the very top with stunning views across the City.
Just a few metres away from here is the largest single memorial to the holocaust in the world. An astounding place, that absolutely has to be seen. Around this area are many relics of the old Nazi regime, there’s the Bunker where Hitler finally ended it all, now an apartment building car park, the Topography of Terror, an outdoor exhibition on the site of the basement ruins of what was the Gestapo headquarters (soon to be a major museum site) and a large section of the old Wall that certainly gives you a real feel for what it was like.
Right near here is also Checkpoint Charlie, the infamous border crossing point between Soviet controlled East and the American controlled part of West Germany. Actually there is an interesting museum here that chronicles the many ingenious devices East Germans used to attempt to get over into the West.
As you wander around, you’ll discover that actually you are crossing from east to west and visa versa as the wall (or should I say walls as really there were two with a sort of no mans land between them) weaved in a very non linear way, following the old borders of original Berlin hundreds of years before. The way of the wall is now clearly marked in the streets and is easily followed.
You’ll need at least three days to get the best of the city, but if you’ve got time left over, outside of the centre you can use the S bahn to easily get to Potsdam Palace, or Wannsee Lake in the Grunewald Forest the site of the infamous Wannsee Conference where the Nazis agreed the ‘Final Solution’. The villa where this grim meeting took place is exactly as it was then, and is now a museum.
Useful links
Germany Tourism website
Visit Berlin website
Average customer rating
awaiting 5 vote(s)...
Email
Add to your Pocket Guide
Why Register?
