Impressions of Berlin (Germany)

Berlin is one of those cities that only gradually grew on me. I remember disliking most of it the first few times I visited. I thought it was too big, rather boring and there was way too much construction going on: Because the Berlin Wall had come down a few years before, they were building like crazy and there wasn't really much to see. Large construction sites and cranes would make it difficult to enjoy tourist attractions such as the Brandenburg Gate or shopping along Friedrichsstrasse. It was only in the last few years I began to truly appreciate what the city has to offer. It's still huge, there's still loads of construction going on, but many of the older buildings have been renovated with new ones popping up, giving the city an eclectic mix of modern and traditional architecture.

Brandenburger Tor.

Berlin is now pretty much the coolest place to be when it comes to Germany. While few would consider Germany (as a whole) to be a primary destination to visit in Europe, the nation's capital usually does top that list and you have streams of tourists going out of their way to stop by the city. It's the media and film capital of the country and is home of the Bread & Butter fashion event. It's also one of the few (if not only places) in the country where most people are capable of speaking English to foreigners and it's become a large melting pot of different cultures and nationalities.

Die Siegessäule.

Of course the one thing that makes Berlin special is it's history. Once divided by the Berlin Wall, it is now a unified city, with the nation celebrating 20 years of unification this November. I would definitely recommend anyone to take the time to visit some of the typical tourist attractions, such as Checkpoint Charlie or the remainder of the wall. And despite the large scale of the city, I would also suggest walking around instead of taking the subway, especially around Berlin Mitte, as you'll get a chance to check out some of the architecture. I tend to forget to take pictures when I'm in Germany, so some of the following photos were taken throughout the last three years...

Reichstag / German Parliament with it's glass dome and spiral interior.

White crosses along the Reichstagsufer commemorate those who were killed while trying to cross the wall to West Berlin.

The Holocaust Memorial consisting of 2711 concrete slabs arranged in a grid across sloping grounds.

High-rises around Potsdamer Platz.

The Spree river heading towards the Museumsufer.

Berliner Dom.

The bear is Berlin's official symbol. Here, an ssortment of 'Buddy Bär's, representing different countries around the world. This exhibit used to be near the Berliner Dom but has since been removed. Other bears can be found around the city.

Inside courtyard 1 of the Hackesche Höfe. This complex houses various restaurants, boutiques and art galleries.

Deutscher Dom am Gendarmenmarkt.

Checkpoint Charlie at the former border between the American and the Soviet sector. Many of the props have been recreated.

A remainder of the Berlin Wall, incl. an exhibit on its history.

A brass marker on a pavement indicating where the wall once stood.