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When we were children, we used to associate Berlin with its wall, a symbol of division between East and West ideologies, in the peak of the cold war. We heard the famous words which echoed around the world by the then US President J. F. Kennedy “Ich bin ein Berliner”. But none of us knew exactly what that meant as we were too young to understand. Unfortunately we never had the opportunity to visit the city when it was still divided. Since then times have changed.
I visited Berlin for the first time in 2005. Since then I had the opportunity to be there twice again, the last visit taking place between the 26th and 30th December 2007. The more I visit this city, the more I admire its beauty and splendor. Berlin is considered as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It also played an important role in the historic events that changed Europe in the last century.
Berlin is history and was a living symbol of suppression. When I
visited the city in 2005 I had the opportunity to view a memorial to those who lost their lives for trying to escape to the West. This memorial consisted of a number of wooden crosses with pictures of the deceased which occupied two vast areas at the corners opposite Checkpoint Charlie [U-bahn 6 Kochstrasse – Bus M29 Koschstrasse]. It was a touching experience. Unfortunately these crosses were removed and the areas cleared to give way to a construction project. Berlin wants to forget and to cancel the past.
Checkpoint Charlie itself has become a landmark for Berlin and is a place visited by many tourists. In the area you can still find the small sentry used by the Soldiers. One can also visit the Museum Checkpoint Charlie.
(http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/history/checkpoint-charlie.htm)
Today there are very few remnants of the wall, apart from the signs on the ground that indicate the line of division. The longest existing remains of the wall can be found about 300m to the left outside the Ostbahnhof which has been decorated by open air murals drawn by artists from around the world in what is known as the Eastside Gallery. Today these paintings are marred by graffiti and by thousands of signatures of visitors marking their presence there.
http://www.sharemytravel.wordpress.com/
I visited Berlin for the first time in 2005. Since then I had the opportunity to be there twice again, the last visit taking place between the 26th and 30th December 2007. The more I visit this city, the more I admire its beauty and splendor. Berlin is considered as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It also played an important role in the historic events that changed Europe in the last century.
Berlin is history and was a living symbol of suppression. When I
visited the city in 2005 I had the opportunity to view a memorial to those who lost their lives for trying to escape to the West. This memorial consisted of a number of wooden crosses with pictures of the deceased which occupied two vast areas at the corners opposite Checkpoint Charlie [U-bahn 6 Kochstrasse – Bus M29 Koschstrasse]. It was a touching experience. Unfortunately these crosses were removed and the areas cleared to give way to a construction project. Berlin wants to forget and to cancel the past.
Checkpoint Charlie itself has become a landmark for Berlin and is a place visited by many tourists. In the area you can still find the small sentry used by the Soldiers. One can also visit the Museum Checkpoint Charlie.
(http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/history/checkpoint-charlie.htm)
Today there are very few remnants of the wall, apart from the signs on the ground that indicate the line of division. The longest existing remains of the wall can be found about 300m to the left outside the Ostbahnhof which has been decorated by open air murals drawn by artists from around the world in what is known as the Eastside Gallery. Today these paintings are marred by graffiti and by thousands of signatures of visitors marking their presence there.
http://www.eastsidegallery.com/
http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/photographs/eastsidegallery.htm
Suggested walk from Brandenburg Tor to Alexanderplatz
In my opinion, the most beautiful part of Berlin lies to the East of the Brandenburg Tor [S-bahn 1, 2, 25 Unter den Linden – Bus TXL, 100, 147, 200, 248 Reichstag/Unter den Linden)] along Unter den Linden. As soon as one leaves the Brandenburg Gate to the left there is the new hotel Adlon, built in 1997, in the same location of the previous hotel with the same name. The Adlon was one of the most famous hotels in Europe between the two World Wars and hosted celebrities like Charles Chaplin and Marlene Dietrich.
Along Unter den Linden one can find various important historic buildings amongst them the City Opera House, the Comic Opera House and the Neue Wache (a memorial to the victims of war and tyranny which includes an enlarged sculpture of a mourning mother by Kathe Kollwitz).
Near the Neue Wache there is the Humbolt University opposite which there is the famous Bebel platz, the site for 1933 book burning organized by Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi minister for propaganda and public enlightenment. Right in the centre of the square one can have a look through a skylight into a small room with many empty bookshelves, symbolizing that dark event. In the same square one can find the only Catholic Cathedral in Berlin, dedicated to St Hedwig.
http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/photographs/eastsidegallery.htm
Suggested walk from Brandenburg Tor to Alexanderplatz
In my opinion, the most beautiful part of Berlin lies to the East of the Brandenburg Tor [S-bahn 1, 2, 25 Unter den Linden – Bus TXL, 100, 147, 200, 248 Reichstag/Unter den Linden)] along Unter den Linden. As soon as one leaves the Brandenburg Gate to the left there is the new hotel Adlon, built in 1997, in the same location of the previous hotel with the same name. The Adlon was one of the most famous hotels in Europe between the two World Wars and hosted celebrities like Charles Chaplin and Marlene Dietrich.Along Unter den Linden one can find various important historic buildings amongst them the City Opera House, the Comic Opera House and the Neue Wache (a memorial to the victims of war and tyranny which includes an enlarged sculpture of a mourning mother by Kathe Kollwitz).
Near the Neue Wache there is the Humbolt University opposite which there is the famous Bebel platz, the site for 1933 book burning organized by Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi minister for propaganda and public enlightenment. Right in the centre of the square one can have a look through a skylight into a small room with many empty bookshelves, symbolizing that dark event. In the same square one can find the only Catholic Cathedral in Berlin, dedicated to St Hedwig.
http://www.aviewoncities.com/berlin/bebelplatz.htm
Not far from Bebel Platz lies the Gendarmenmarkt [U-bahn 6 Franzosische Strasse] considered as Berlin’s most beautiful square, with two nearly identical Cathedrals on the opposite end, the French Cathedral and the German Cathedral, divided by the Konzerthause in the middle.
Not far from Bebel Platz lies the Gendarmenmarkt [U-bahn 6 Franzosische Strasse] considered as Berlin’s most beautiful square, with two nearly identical Cathedrals on the opposite end, the French Cathedral and the German Cathedral, divided by the Konzerthause in the middle.
http://www.aviewoncities.com/berlin/gendarmenmarkt.htm
Back to Unter den Linden one comes towards a bridge that
connects the Museumsinsel (Museums’ Island) [S-bahn 5, 7, 75, 9 Hackerscher Markt – Tram M1, 12 Am Kupfergraben] on the River Spree to the mainland. On this small island, along with the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) one finds a number of important museums, namely the Bode Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie, the Neues Museum, the Altes Museum and the Pergamon Museum.
Back to Unter den Linden one comes towards a bridge that
connects the Museumsinsel (Museums’ Island) [S-bahn 5, 7, 75, 9 Hackerscher Markt – Tram M1, 12 Am Kupfergraben] on the River Spree to the mainland. On this small island, along with the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) one finds a number of important museums, namely the Bode Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie, the Neues Museum, the Altes Museum and the Pergamon Museum.
http://www.aviewoncities.com/berlin/museumisland.htm
Walking straight on one reaches the famous Alexander Platz, the hub of Berlin’s transport system, named after Russian Emperor Alexander I who visited the city in 1805. This square was enlarged during the 1960’s as part of East Germany redevelopment project of the centre. This included the building of the TV Tower (Fernsehturm), the second longest tower in Europe. The tower offers you a beautiful view of the city. Th
ere is also the famous round the world clock.
Since re-unification the area has gradually changed with renovated buildings and new department stores opened. A little further away from the square lies the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall) building, the traditional seat of the city government. http://www.aviewoncities.com/berlin/alexanderplatz.htm
A place worth visiting is the Nikolaiviertel (Nikolai Quarter) [U-bahn 2 Klosterstrasse -Tram M4, M5, M6 Spandauer Strasse - Bus TXL, 100,148, 200 Spandauer Strasse]. This area lies on the island surrounding the reconstructed St Nikolai Church, the oldest parish in town and breathes the air of old-Berlin.
Walking straight on one reaches the famous Alexander Platz, the hub of Berlin’s transport system, named after Russian Emperor Alexander I who visited the city in 1805. This square was enlarged during the 1960’s as part of East Germany redevelopment project of the centre. This included the building of the TV Tower (Fernsehturm), the second longest tower in Europe. The tower offers you a beautiful view of the city. Th
ere is also the famous round the world clock.Since re-unification the area has gradually changed with renovated buildings and new department stores opened. A little further away from the square lies the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall) building, the traditional seat of the city government. http://www.aviewoncities.com/berlin/alexanderplatz.htm
A place worth visiting is the Nikolaiviertel (Nikolai Quarter) [U-bahn 2 Klosterstrasse -Tram M4, M5, M6 Spandauer Strasse - Bus TXL, 100,148, 200 Spandauer Strasse]. This area lies on the island surrounding the reconstructed St Nikolai Church, the oldest parish in town and breathes the air of old-Berlin.Suggested walk from Hauptbahnhof to Potzdamerplatz
Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof (the main train station) is the largest two-level railway station in Europe
. It was build at the location of the previous Lehrter Bahnhof and started its operations in May 2006. The Hauptbahnhof links western and eastern Europe by rail.You can easily walk along the Friedrich-List-Ufer in front of the train station towards W Brandt Strasse and take the Bismarck Allee to the left towards the Reichstag.
The Reichstag is the seat of the federal parliament of Germany, the Bundestag. It was built from 1884 to 1894 in the style of the Italian high renaissance. It served as seat of parliament in the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic. In 1933 a fire completely destroyed the plenary chamber. It was again heavily damaged during World War II and its reconstruction lasted until 1970. 
Since 1994 the edifice was rebuilt and renovated according to plans by architect Norman Foster. It reopened in 1999.The Reichstag has a special glass dome constructed to make maximum use of ecological resources. Infact the Parliament Hall is lighted by natural light reflected by mirrors attached to the Dome which adjust according to the sun’s elevation. The building also stores underground energy for cooling and heating. The building is open for visitors who can also walk up the Dome from where they can obtain a wonderful view of the city. http://www.aviewoncities.com/berlin/reichstag.htm
http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/reichstag/index.htm
Close to the Reichstag lies the Bundeskanzleramt, the German Chancellor’s Office, a new building opened in 2001. To the left of the Reichstag one can proceed to walk along the road that leads to Platz des 18 Marz which is dominated by the Brandenburg Tor.Continue on the side of the Brandenburg Tor down along Ebert Strasse and you immediately come across a wide area full of
concrete blocks of different sizes. This is the Holocaust Memorial, a monument consisting of 2,700 concrete slabs which was inaugurated in 2005 to honour the murdered Jews of Europe.Proceed along Ebert Strasse until you reach Potzdamer Platz. This was the biggest inner city construction site in Europe during the
nineties. About 4 billion euro had been spent to create the largest service centre in Germany. The main investors are DaimlerChrysler, Sony, A&T ABB, the Deutsche Bahn and the city stat Berlin. The shopping mall “Potsdamer Platz Arkaden” includes, besides the head quarters of Sony, restaurants, hotels, and cinema.
Potzdamer Platz used to be divided by the wall and here one can still see the markings of this sad historic event. A small remnant of the wall is also found on the pavement in the centre. The whole area of Potsdamer Platz used to be the part called no man’s land that divided the western and eastern parts of the city.
Other places of interest
On the other part of the city, there is the famous Kurfurstendamm, or Kudamm for short, the most popular boulevard in Berlin. [U-bahn 9,15 Kurfurstendamm – S-bahn 5,7, 75,9 Zoologischer Garten]. From Gedachtniskirche it stretches around 3.5km right out to Halensee, where the exclusive villa districts of West Berlin begin.
http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/cgi-bin/sehenswertes.pl?id=13394&sprache=english
In the lively upper part of Kudamm and its extension, Tauentzienstrasse, there are countless department stores, fashion chain stores and other stores. The lower part is quieter. In the centre of West Berlin where Kurdamm meets Tauentzienstrasse, lies the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtniskirche. This church was completely destroyed by bombs in 1943 but the tower remained a scantily supported fragment which became a monument to the war and a landmark of the western part of the city.
The Siegessaule (Victory Column) was designed in 1864 by JH Strack for the square facing the Reichstag. In 1873 it was completed with a golden figure of victory by F Drake. Its shaft is decorate with guilded cannon barrels captured in war. It was erected as a memorial to the Prussian victories over Denmark (1864), Austria(1866) and France (1870/71). Under Hitler’s rule it was removed in 1938/39 onto the roundabout of the Grosser Stern.
The Tiergarten is the largest park in Berlin, an outdoor oasis for Berliners which is transformed into a massive barbecue site every summer. In the Tiergarten park, in the former Congress Hall, the Hause der Kulturen der Welt (House of World Cultures) ( Bus 100) is a forum for dialogue between the multifarious cultures alive in the world today. The house offers a platform for theatre and dance, film, literature, conferences, exhibitions ad series of events.The Zoologischer Garten [S-bahn 5, 7, 75, 9 - U-bahn 2, 9 – Bus 100, 109, 110, 145, 149, 200, 204, 245, 249] is one of the largest zoological gardens in the world and among the most important sights in the city. It was open in 1844. Visitors may enter the zoo through the exotically-designed Elephant Gate beside the acquarium in Budapester Strasse, or through the Lion Gate on Hardenbergplatz, directly at Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten.
Schloss Charlottenburg [Sophie-Charlotte-Platz: U-bahn 2, Bus 309] is the largest and most beautiful palace in Berlin, a shining example of baroque architecture. It was built from 1695-99 as a summer residence for Sophie Charlotte, the consort of Elector Friedrich III. The palace park grounds feature a mausoleum, a belvedere and a pavilion.
Schlossstrasse is a fine boulevard lined with splendid 19th century villas and several important museums. The street leads westwards, and was designed as a view corridor to the palace.
Accommodation
I have stayed in 3 different hotels in Berlin which I fully recommend:
Hotel Crowne Plaza, Nuernbergerstrasse 65, 10787 Berlin, GermanyTel: +49 800 1815095
Hotel NH Berlin Mitte, Leipziger Strasse 106 - 111, 10117 BerlinTel: +49 30 203760
Hotel California, Kurfürstendamm 35, 10719 Berlin, GermanyTel: +49 30 88012-111
Entertainment
The Estrel Convention Centre, situated inside the Estrel Hotel offers great musical shows. We managed to watch a Musical Gala featuring highlights of famous Broadway musicals. The songs were mostly in English but every now and then, they sang in German. For further information please visit: http://www.estrel.com/rw_e11e/main.asp?WebID=estrel_e&PageID=4
To arrive at the Estrel Hotel and Convention Centre you have to take S-bahn 41 or 42 and stop at Sonnenallee. You can also take Bus no M41 and stop at Ziegrastrasse.
We used the S-bahn and stopped at Sonnenallee and had to walk to the left as we went out of the S-bahn station. Then we crossed a tunnel to the other side of the road from where after a little while we saw the hotel to our left. The road is a little dark. However the place was quite safe. It was a very enjoyable show.
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