This
post was a long time coming but I finally got down to blogging about it and
here it is!
In September, I spent 4 days in Berlin and it was wonderful. My sister and I mapped out places to visit, booked a hostel and a couple of days later, we (Mum, sister, s’ husband) boarded a bus from Copenhagen central station to Berlin. For the duration of our trip, we stayed at Acama Hostel in Kreuzberg, which was a short walk away from Möckernbrücke station. Since most of the places we were visiting were located in Mitte, it made commuting there easy.
In September, I spent 4 days in Berlin and it was wonderful. My sister and I mapped out places to visit, booked a hostel and a couple of days later, we (Mum, sister, s’ husband) boarded a bus from Copenhagen central station to Berlin. For the duration of our trip, we stayed at Acama Hostel in Kreuzberg, which was a short walk away from Möckernbrücke station. Since most of the places we were visiting were located in Mitte, it made commuting there easy.
Day 1
The Brandenburg Gate:
Is only surviving Berlin city gate and a potent symbol of the city. The gate
was designed in 1791 to resemble the Acropolis in Athens. The Brandenburg Gate
symbolizes reunification (after dividing East and West Berlin for decades).
Bebelplatz: Nazi Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels
made Bebelplatz infamous on May 1933, when he used the square across from
Humboldt University to burn 20k books by "immoral" authors of whom
the Nazis did not approve. This was however, just the start. The Bebelplatz was
later used to burn people. Look out for the underground monument! (Having
walked through the entire square, I still missed this)
Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears): It was a
former border crossing at Berlin Friedrichstraße station, where East Germans
said goodbye to visitors going back to West Germany. Here, you’ll see historical videos, testimonials, photographs, listening and exhibits of the Germans. Entry is free and I’d
recommend taking the free audio guide/tour of the museum.
The Reichstag (The Federal German Parliament Building): You have to register at the service centre or book a slot
in advance to enter the dome! You’ll also have to register and provide some
form of identification prior to visiting. We queued for a slot in the afternoon
and got an 8 pm slot the same evening. The dome has a 360-degree view of the
city and the night view was breathtaking.
Day 2
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp (By Insider Tour Berlin, 12 € if you’re under 26 and 15 € if you’re over): This was by far my favourite place to visit in Berlin, even though it was deeply upsetting to learn about and see firsthand, what the prisoners experienced during their time there. As a former history student, I could only imagine the horrors of what was the prisoner’s life but being there and seeing what it was, was a whole other experience. We met up with our guide (Pip) at Zoologischer Garten Train Station (you don’t have to pre-book) and travelled there. The tour of the concentration camp lasted 6 hours even though it felt short while we were there. It’s open all year round, and I definitely recommend giving this place a visit if you’re ever in Berlin.
Holocaust Memorial: Needs no
introduction. It is a memorial to the 6 million murdered Jewish victims of the
Holocaust. It’s definitely a must-see.
Day 3
The Berlin Wall Memorial:
Underground Tour M (Guided tour by Berliner
Unterwelten E.V): We
learnt about the escape stories of people who tunneled to freedom, the
outcomes, Stasi (German secret police), tunnels dug during the division of East
and West Berlin. The tour costs 11€
and lasts for about 2 hours. The stories were heartwarming and we had a lovely
guide which made it all the more fun, definitely recommend this one too.
Day 4
Topography of Terror: We spend most of our last day at
the topography of terror where we learnt about Berlin from 1933 – 1945, Hitler
and Germany as a whole. It was insightful, informative and a must visit. It’s Germany's main documentary centre about the crimes of the institutions of the Nazi
state - based upon the former Gestapo headquarters, documenting the actions of
the German propaganda machine and its crimes.
Checkpoint Charlie: The
most famous of the border crossings between East and West Berlin, while the
city was divided from 1945 to 1990. It lay on Friedrichstrasse on the border
between the Soviet and the American sector. It is today an iconic marker of
territorial boundary and political division. Until the fall of the Berlin Wall
on November 9, 1989, it signified the border between West and East, Capitalism
and Communism, freedom and confinement.
I had the best time in Berlin, it was everything i dreamed of and more. If you ever find yourself taking a trip there, plan your own itinerary, book your own tours, explore and travel everywhere. Berlin has given me plenty more reasons to visit Germany again and I can't wait for my next trip there!
I had the best time in Berlin, it was everything i dreamed of and more. If you ever find yourself taking a trip there, plan your own itinerary, book your own tours, explore and travel everywhere. Berlin has given me plenty more reasons to visit Germany again and I can't wait for my next trip there!
