Berlin, Germany City Break

I previously posted some photos from Berlin and our annual Christmas Market trip. We were only in this vibrant city for a few days and most of our time was spent at the markets.  But you can't visit Berlin and not see some of the famous sites like Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall.  So, here are a few more photos of the city from our visit. 

Our first stop was the Brandenburg Gate.  The gate was built in the late 1700's as a symbol of peace.  Now 250 years later it is still an iconic symbol of peace in Europe. 

The Gate is located next to a public square called the Pariser Platz. The pedestrian area is also the location of the French Embassy.  We were visiting shortly after the tragic terrorists attacks in Paris and the outpouring of love and support was overwhelming.  Flowers and candles all lined up outside with personal notes. 

We also spent some time at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.  This is a 4 acre site covered with 2,711 concrete slabs.  The 7 ft x 3 ft slabs are arranged in rows and are of varying heights.  It's a beautiful and very somber place.  Walking among the slabs certainly makes you think.  It feels like a stark cemetery full of these massive coffins some rising high overhead. I could have lingered here for hours. 

Berlin is also home to the Trabi Museum.  We didn't make to the museum this time, but we did spot many of the distinct little cars throughout the city and you can even take a Trabi-Safari.  This "people's car" was produced in East Germany for thirty years and has become a cultural symbol of the Eastern Bloc and communism. 

Obviously, you can't talk about Berlin without mentioning the Berlin Wall.  Pieces of the wall are seen throughout the city.  The silly buskers in horrible costumes charging tourists to take photos with flags and military hats are a little off-putting.  But the history of the wall is incredible.  It's hard to believe that this city was divided in two for almost 30 years.  In some places you can see parts of the wall as it was in the late 80's.  In other places, it's a line along the ground that denotes where it once stood. 

Checkpoint Charlie was also high on the list of things we had to see during our too-short visit to Berlin.  This is the most famous of several former crossing points between East and West Berlin.  It's also famous for the Berlin Crisis of 1961 where US tanks faced off against Soviet tanks on either side of the Wall for a brief period.  Again you have to deal with the silly buskers dressed as US soldiers taking money for photos.  They were breaking for lunch when we were there. 

You also can't talk about a trip to anywhere in Germany without mentioning the food and beer.  We spent a lot of our time in pursuit of both, but I was too busy enjoying the time with great friends to take any food photos.  Maybe next time.

Berlin is one of those places that needs another visit, if not several more visits.  Until next time... Prost!

How should we spend our time on our next visit to Berlin?

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