Wonderful Berlin

Berlin – the capital of Germany - is looking back on a turbulent past 100 years. Two World Wars followed by dividing the city Berlin and the reunification in the early 90’s took their toll on the biggest German city.

10 years back when I visited the city, everything was under construction. Now, Berlin is an attractive, multicultural city, which is throwing up new architecture so fast, that there is a lot to discover.

    

The main sites of this 3 million inhabitants city can easily be covered while walking through Berlin, some of the most interesting history anyway can only be reached by foot. I was impressed by the newly arranged government area with the Federal Chancellery, Reichstag, German Bundestag and the nearby Brandenburger Gate.

   

The most famous attraction in Berlin is definitely the remains of the Wall, which came down in 1989. One of the latest opened attraction is the ‘memorial to the murdered jews of Europe’, with a touching information center about the Nazi’s policy and the development that led to the Holocaust.

    

   

I also covered Hitler’s bunker, Postdamer Square, Victory Column, Museum Island, SS Headquarter and much more.

    

   

The longest tourist queue was in front of Reichstag, to get up into the new glass cupola which provides a great Berlin panorama view. It was worthwile waiting 1.5 hours.

    

A visit to Berlin is only complete with a river cruise on the Spree.

   

Berlin was a great stop in a wonderful city. Where else can you find islamic gardens alongside holocaust memorials. And which other capital city has a gay mayor? I also met up with Sandra, a friend from Singapore who left Asia only one month before me.

   

It’s nice to be able to read all the signs again. It reminds me, that I am now very close to Switzerland, where my train journey will come to an end soon.