The first obvious difference from the countries we’ve come from is that Germany has great roads. What a welcome relief to be driving on a smooth surface! We put the campervan through her paces and zoomed up the Autobahn past Dresden to Berlin.
I have spent a couple of days in Berlin before, but like Prague it is one of the few cities that Mr Love has not visited in Europe. It’s quite nice having one up on someone so well-travelled.
Berlin is the biggest we’ve attempted to drive into on the trip so far, and although it’s not difficult, it does take a bit of concentration driving a 7.45 metre van through crowded and strange streets. We made our way through the urban sprawl of Germany’s largest city to the only centrally located campsite we could find, located only 4 kilometres from Alexanderplatz.
We arrived late afternoon to be greeted by a very officious camp attendant who couldn’t find my name on the list of bookings, but assured me he would have a place for us. Unlike most campgrounds we weren’t allowed to make our own way to our designated site, but had to follow our host who proceeded to direct Andrew into the parking space. It was hilarious. Andrew wasn’t following his instructions precisely so was shouted at. “Straight! Straight! Straight! I don’t even speak English and I know vhat Straight means. Vhat is wrong with him?”. Andrew wasn’t amused, I was in fits of giggles. Eventually the dumb Kiwi got the van into the exact position required and order was restored. It was the only site we’d been to where the power box was unlocked by the host and once our power cord was plugged in, locked again. This proved a problem when the power kept tripping out and we couldn’t flick the fuse ourselves, instead having to go and find the camp commander for assistance. However, we couldn’t fault the location, the service was efficient and the facilities were clean, so we were happy campers.
That evening we went for a long walk through the colourful, predominantly Turkish neighbourhood, and up the hill in Volkspark Humboldthain to the Humboldthain Flak Tower, with great views across the city. This massive high-rise bunker was used as an air defence post during WWII and now, as part of the park, it serves as a recreational facility. Lots of people were sitting around enjoying the warm summer evening.
The next morning we biked into the city, stopping on the way to walk through the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse. This street was where the famous photos were taken of people dangling from windows as they dropped into sheets held by firefighters on the West side, desperate to escape from East to West after the wall was erected overnight in 1961. The open-air memorial stretches 1.4 kilometres along the former border strip, with pictures and information, both audio and written, on pillars along the way. There is also a memorial to the people who were shot or died on the Berlin Wall. Although some parts of the original wall remain a lot of it has gone and is instead represented by symbolic rust-coloured iron rods. It’s very well done and we visited different parts of the memorial over the weekend, trying to get our heads around how it was for a city to be physically and ideologically divided for so many years.
We spent our first day exploring on foot. Walking through Hackescher Market to Alexanderplatz and past the 368-metre tall Fernsehturm, a television tower constructed between 1965 and 1969 by the East German government. I’d been up this before and Andrew wasn’t fussed on the queues, so we admired it from the ground. It was a very useful navigation tool throughout our stay. From Alexanderplatz we wandered down to the Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom), not before being approached by a group of women trying to get me to sign a petition for the deaf. I said I wouldn’t sign anything I didn’t know about and then saw they were asking for pledges too. Suspicious I said no, only to see Police signs warning tourists to avoid these tricksters, as they pickpocket you while you’re signing the petition.
Like many buildings in Berlin the Cathedral was severely damaged in World War II and its restoration was only finished in 1993. It’s wonderful that these buildings have been restored, keeping the character of the old city and ensuring history lives on. After visiting the Cathedral, we walked around Museum Island. This UNESCO World Heritage site is made up of five world-renowned museums and for history and culture lovers means days, even weeks, of entertainment. We didn’t visit any on this occasion, I had previously and Mr Love only has a certain tolerance for museums so I must pick and choose for him carefully, and I had two instore for later in the day that I didn’t want him to miss.
We wandered down towards the Brandenburg Gate, stopping for a photo with one of the many colourful Berlin Bears scattered around the city, and then to ogle the classic beauties on display at the Mercedes-Benz Gallery, before stumbling upon the Forum Willy Brandt Berlin where an exhibition about Willy Brandt and the political developments in 20th century Europe was on display. Mr Love was only too happy to go into this “museum” to find out more about the life of this influential German leader. That’s three museums already if you count the Wall Memorial, and I haven’t even taken him to the ones I want to show him.
We finally made it to the Brandenburg Gate, crowded with tourists happily taking selfies. The Brandenburg Gate is an iconic landmark in Berlin. Since 1791 this imposing gate has witnessed some of the world’s most historic moments: The Nazis marching through the gate en masse to celebrate Hitler seizing power; images of a divided Germany with the wall running right behind it and the area around the gate being patrolled by armed guards; Reagan’s famous speech demanding “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” It was from here where images of the people of Berlin celebrating the fall of the wall were beamed around the globe. It’s still used as place for protests and for gatherings to show solidarity and support for causes, along with being the place Berliners come together to see in the New Year.
After asking a fellow tourist to take a picture of us in front of the gate we went through its arches and walked the short distance to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Often called the Holocaust Memorial this tribute to the nearly six million murdered Jews was opened in 2005, not without controversy. Love it or hate it, this large outdoor memorial, made up of 2,711 grey concrete slabs covering 4.7 acres, makes a powerful statement. The concrete slabs start off small and as the narrow paths draw you in, the taller the slabs become. Soon they tower above you and you can no longer see where it starts and finishes. Deep inside the maze the grey slabs cast an unusual light, muted and strangely unsettling.
Underneath the memorial is the information centre where names of over 3 million murdered Jews line the walls along with biographies, letters, and glimpses into the individuals that made up the masses who had their lives brutally cut short.
From here we wandered towards our next “museum”, the Topography of Terror. On the way, we past the place where Hitler’s bunker was during the war and where he spent his final days before ending it all on July 30, 1945.
The Topography of Terror is an outdoor museum, set against an 80-metre long section of the Berlin Wall still in its original state, and tells of Berlin’s tumultuous time during the 20th Century. The display takes you through the events that led to the Nazis gaining power in Germany and the years under their rule, the Holocaust, and the era of Berlin Wall. It’s well put together, easy to follow, without too much reading, which is often difficult when there are crowds of people. Berlin’s is a compelling story and you need to understand it to truly appreciate this city.
Our next stop was Checkpoint Charlie. This was the most famous crossing point from East to West Berlin and being in the American sector it came to symbolise the Cold War. The original barrier arm, checkpoint booth, sandbags and flag all remain – now in the middle of a busy street. It’s one of the more popular, and gimmicky, tourist destinations in Berlin with people flocking to get their photo taken with the “American soldiers” who stand there smiling all day.
It had been a big day and we were exhausted. We’d covered a lot of ground and taken a lot in. It was time to head back to our bikes. And by my count we had visited a total of 5 museums, not bad Mr Love!
The next day we biked everywhere. First it was back into the city centre, down the Unter den Linden, through the Brandenburg Gate to our first stop, the Reichstag. This must be one of the more imposing parliament buildings we’ve seen. Built in 1894 it was badly burned in 1933 and was then left unused after WWII, and finally after restoration became home to the reunited German Parliament in 1999. Next to it is the sleekly modern German Chancellery which houses the government.
From here we biked along the Spree River to Charlottenburg Palace. Set in parklike surrounds, this elegant and serene royal residence is far removed from modern, bustling Berlin. We were taken back to a time of opulence and grandeur, long before the turmoil of recent history. Charlottenburg is the largest palace in Berlin and was named after Sophie Charlotte, the first Queen consort in Prussia. She was very artistic and musical and loved the tranquillity of this summer residence, so when she died at the tender age of 36 they named the palace and surrounding area after her. The Palace, like most buildings in Berlin, was severely damaged in WWII and has been restored. I love visiting palaces, what girl doesn’t. And although this one was lovely, the grounds were somewhat overgrown and untidy, and parts fenced off and boarded up. It wasn’t nearly as magnificent as others we’d visited.
On the way back towards the city we stopped at the Victory Column. Rising high above the Tiergarten from the middle of a roundabout this 67-metre-high symbol of Prussian victory is topped with the gilded statue of the goddess of victory. To go to the top only costs 4 euros and provides a stunning view across the Tiergarten and through to the city centre. It was a beautiful late summer day and the city was glistening in the sunshine.
Our bike tour continued through the Tiergarten, a 520-acre green oasis in the centre of Berlin, to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. Situated in what was West Berlin this church was almost destroyed in a British bombing raid, but instead of being restored or knocked down, it has been left as a reminder of the horrors of war – the jagged turret a gaping wound.
All day we’d been carrying stale bread with us waiting to find some birds to feed. There are not many birds in Berlin, well not where we were. Back to the Tiergarten intent on finding some kind of birdlife we eventually found some ducks. Everyone must do the same as these ducks had a very nonchalant attitude to our enthusiastic offerings.
To finish the day, we decided to bike along some of the route of the Berlin Wall and wind our way back to the campsite. Marking the Wall’s route through the city centre is a double row of cobblestones that weaves across streets and along pavements, sporadically interrupted by copper plates with the inscription “Berliner Mauer 1961 – 1989″. It’s a way of keeping the memory alive, ensuring the wall that divided a city, separated families and friends, and perpetuated hate and division, is not forgotten by future generations.
Our Berlin adventure had come to an end. It was time to leave this wonderfully colourful and bustling city, whose story opened our eyes and truly touched us. It’ll be the last big city we visit for a while as we’re off into regional Germany, first to visit my cousin and her family in the small city of Gottingen, and then to my Aunty and Uncle in Wahlrod, a small village in the west of the country. After that we’ll be making our way up the Rhine and into Switzerland.
Well done Louise – I for one are enjoying your missives. I thought AKL would have recognized most of Berlin as he is so old he probably helped the allies liberate it in 1945!! bb