Berlin - more than just a wall

  

Berlin, not only the capital city of Germany but a city steeped in history. Parts of which happened in my lifetime.

I was only 5 in November 1989 when the Berlin Wall was pulled down but I do hold vague memories of watching the TV and seeing people cheering and climbing over this huge wall. A 5 year old could not understand what those images meant but my 30 year old self was exciting to head to Berlin to brush up on my history and experience more of Germany.

I spent a wintry weekend in Munich last November so summer in Berlin was so appealing.

Trusty Air B n B was our go to choice for accommodation and we found a sweet looking ground floor apartment in Bergmannkiez for around £45 a night.

With a U Bahn station less than a 5 minutes walk away we felt pretty central to everything and would highly recommend Doerthe's apartment if you are looking for a place to stay in the city.

My yoga teacher Hannah recommended we book a free walking tour to get an introduction into the city and this was a great shout. Choosing to do this on our first day gave us a feel for the city and meant we could then re-visit any highlights for a closer look during the rest of our trip.  

Sandemans offer free tours and then give you the tourist the choice as to whether to tip your guide or not dependent on how much you enjoyed your experience. We ended up tipping 10 euros each to our Scottish guide - Georgia and it was worth every penny for her knowledge and insight into her home city.

Day One kicked off with the free tour starting at 2pm and covered the Brandenburg gate, the holocaust memorial, and a random car park where owners take their dogs to do their daily business. This may seem like an ordinary car park upon first inspection however its what lies underneath that holds more historical value. Underneath lies the bunker in which on April 30th 1945 Adolf Hitler took a cyanide tablet and a pistol to the head. Irony at its finest that this place is now used for dogs to urinate in.

Other tourist spots along the way included one of the last remaining sections of the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie, which for me was a little disappointing. Now it is simply a replica checkpoint with actors dressed in US military uniforms who charge tourists for a photo. 

However the great thing about the free walking tour was that Georgia helped us to understand what the original Checkpoint Charlie was like and how the area was used during the occupation of the Soviets.

Day two we headed to a grey and cloudy Alexanderplatz and took a trip to the TV tower which is 280m above the ground and offers up panoramic views of Berlin. The cloud cleared as we made the top and the sun came out to give crystal clear 360 degree views.

After lunch we walked down to the River Spree and to the DDR museum which came recommended in the Lonely Planet book. This touchy feely museum allows you to get up close and interact with many items and historical artifacts from the Cold War and for 7 euros this was a well worth trip.  Seeing the old fashions, toys and home interiors gave me a history lesson and a reality check all in one.

 

 

Beers on the River Spree before heading over to the East Side Gallery and probably the most photographed area of Berlin. This is the largest remaining section of the wall still standing and the walls are covered with expression of art in all forms. Loud and provocative to dark and disturbing. On a Friday night though this side of town has a great atmosphere with local buskers gathering crowds and beer drinkers swilling straight from the bottle. It felt like a great place to spend a summer evening.

Day three we decided to stretch our legs and take a walk through the Tiergarten and Englisher Garten which was peaceful and relaxing. We even stumbled upon a naked area of the park where locals were basking in all of their naked glory. 

A short walk from the Tiergarten is the Sony Centre in Potsdamer Platz. This complex of restaurants and cinemas was a welcome rest-bite and pit stop from a morning of walking and for Dave to have his second Curry Wurst of the trip. The ceiling in the Sony Centre is an attraction in its own right.

For dinner on day three we headed to Kreuzbeurg. Now the guide describes this neighbourhood as gritty and I would tend to agree. We were offered drugs 3 times no less than 2 minutes from stepping off the U Bahn. However we meandered through the streets looking for somewhere to people watch and drink a few glasses of wine. We eventually found a wine bar and bought a bottle of red for 7 Euros and sat outside on some old food crates and chatted rubbish to each other for several hours.

On our final day of our trip we were told we had to go to the Mauerpark flea-markets as Sundays in Berlin are apparently renowned for them. The sun was blistering and there were swarms of people exploring the stalls selling everything from textile crafts to old cameras and Lego figures. After seeing enough tat in the flea-markets we bought a couple of beers and followed the sounds of loud cheering only to come across the 'Bear Pit Karaoke'. Again another thing Sundays in Berlin are famous for.

This place was packed in a gladiator style arena and we found a spot ready to watch. The highlight had to be a long haired German guy rocking out 'air guitar' style to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody with air flicking and everything. So much fun.

 

It was soon time to catch the train back to the airport but not before heading to the highly recommended 'The Bird' restaurant about a ten minutes walk from the flea-markets/karaoke.

My boyfriend can testify to the fact that this place serves up some of the most incredible burgers and he was literally salivating as the plate was placed in front of him.

Burgers and a gin and tonic later we left Berlin with full stomachs and slight heatstroke but great memories from another awesome city break.

Thanks for reading.

I am off to China on Saturday so stay tuned for more travel related posts in the next few weeks.

Nic x