Berlin

 

There is no comparing the feel of Berlin. Very different from Prague but still with a bitter taste of the old days as it has been only a little over 20 years since the wall fell (anniversary coming up on Nov. 9^th!). But also very hip and up and coming. We had a great time! The first day we did all the historical sights and then the next day some of the more artsy places. All in all a great trip with some great travel mates I was very pleased with how everything turned out!

 

 

Brandenberg Gate

 

Reichstag

Memorial to the Politicians who Opposed Hitler

Each slate has the politician's name, his party affiliation, and the date and place of his death (most were concentration camps). These were Hitler's early victims

Memorial to the Jews of Europe

As you walk toward the cement blocks the ground gets lower and the blocks get higher until eventually they tower above you. Very cool comissioned and done by an American Jewish artist.

Topography of Terror: Where the Third Reich and SS office once stood, now rubble.

 

(Note: Hitler/Himmler's bunkers are under some random parking lot in Berlin, the government decided to give them no recognition or markers to deter any neo-Nazis from creating shrines, etc.)

Checkpoint Charlie: where one was checked to go from East to West Berlin at the time of the wall.

It just so happened that it was a holiday celebrating Germany's Reunification while we were in Berlin, yay festival!!

Communist Era Art

East Side Gallery, the largest section of the wall still intact (it took us about 15 min to walk along the whole thing) each piece with comissioned artwork, so cool!!

at the Hamburger Bahnof--Berlin's Modern Art Museum

And of course we couldn't forget to have curry-wurst!! Traditional German meal of bratwurst mixed with ketchup and curry! (We paired it with Sangria for the full effect...)