Two further trips of note this year. The first was to Berlin in September and the second to Bordeaux and the wine regions in October.
Review of the Year Part 3
Tag: Reichstag
Things to do in Berlin
Berlin is a fascinating city to visit and is an ideal location for a weekend or short break. There is something here for everyone here; history a plenty, great museums of all kinds, some fine shopping and an excellent bar and restaurant scene.
Reichstag
Since unification the Reichstag is the seat of the German parliament. The glass dome gives superb views of the city but must be pre-booked as it is very popular. You can do this here
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate with its sculpture of the winged goddess of victory atop is a potent symbol of the city. In the Cold War it represented the division of the city but now serves as a symbol for German unification. Get there early to avoid the crowds.
Holocaust Memorial
The memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe opened in 2005. It was designed by Peter Eisenman and consists of 2711 concrete columns called stelae arranged over an area about the size of a football field. The ground underfoot rises and falls as you walk between the columns and their close proximity to each other give a sense of discomfort and disorientation. There is an information centre is located underneath the monument and should not be missed. An audio guide is available for a small charge (3 euros). It is a very moving experience indeed as you discover something about families involved in the holocaust. The Room of Names gives the name and a short biography of all those Jews that were murdered or missing. It would take nearly seven years to hear them all.
Potsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz was destroyed by the building of the Berlin Wall in the 1960s. Since the wall came down it was been reborn and is a busy and thriving area. Home to the Sony Centre, shops and restaurants, cafés and bars it is now hard to image that it was once a place of division and separation. Panels from the wall can be seen outside the S-bahn station where there is a short but informative display
Hitler’s Bunker
You could walk past and not be any the wiser as all that remains today is a car park and an information display that shows the layout of the bunker complex. It also details how the bunker was collapsed and filled in following the end of the war.
Checkpoint Charlie
During the Cold War this was the main crossing for foreigners to pass into East Berlin. In October 1961 it was the site of a standoff between American and Russian tanks which made the world hold its breath for 16 hours. Today it’s a tourist trap where you can pay 3 euros to have your photograph taken with a fake border guard. Nevertheless it is worth a visit to help understand just how divided this city was.
Gendarmenmarkt
Just a short walk fro Checkpoint Charlie but a different world away. A square with two cathedrals, the German and French, and the Berlin concert hall. Its grand,imposing and a most beautiful square. The area around the square is full of bars and restaurants so is an ideal spot to stop for a refreshing break from all the sightseeing.
East Side Gallery
A preserved section of the Berlin Wall that is now home to over 100 murals is a must see on any visit to Berlin. You may not like all the art but you can’t fail to be touched by some of the messages of hope and reconciliation. Get there early to avoid the crowds. I have a more detailed post about it here
Friedrichshain
Home to the East Side Gallery, Friedrichshain is a neighbourhood well worth spending some time in. A former working class area which has evolved since the fall of the wall to become an area full of restaurants, bars and clubs with an artsy side. The area around Boxhagener Platz is particularly vibrant and the square itself is a welcome area of green space. North of the square is Karl Marx Allee. A jewel in the crown of East Berlin when it was constructed in the late 1950s. This incredibly wide boulevard is flanked by apartment blocks and was the scene of military parades. Today it is an opportunity to wonder at some of the functional architecture of the eastern block.
DDR Museum
Almost opposite the Berliner Dom just before you cross onto museum island this small museum explains, by means of a large number of interactive displays, what life was like in the former East Germany. I found the experience to be very good but it was very busy and I would suggest getting here early.
Gedenkstätte Berliner Maur
The Berlin Wall memorial is includes a fully preserved section of the Berlin Wall where you can see the border wall on the western side (nearest in photo) and the inner wall on the eastern side. Between then was the death strip, complete with floodlights and watchtowers. There is an information centre which shows an excellent film in English every hour on the half hour. The nearby documentation centre includes a tower which gives you a view over the area.
There is so much to see and do in Berlin that we couldn’t possibly do it all in just two and a half days. We didn’t have time visit any of the world renown museums on museum island for example. Not to worry though, Berlin is a city that is well worth a revisit in the near future.
Reichstag Building Berlin
The Reichstag building in central Berlin has had quite a history. First opened in 1894, it was significantly damaged by fire in 1933. As a result of further damage during World War 2 it fell into disuse, although there was a partial restoration in the 1960s. The Berlin Wall, built in 1961, ran very close to the Reichstag which was on the western side of the wall. Following the fall of the wall in 1989 the building was refurbished and set to be the home of the German parliament following unification. The towers and facade are all that is left of the original building. In 1995 it was even wrapped in fabric for two weeks to make it an art installation.
Part of the refurbishment saw the building of the glass dome, designed by British architect Norman Foster. Made from glass and steel it affords a superb 360 degree view of the city. It is a stunning contrast to the formal architecture of rest of the building. The parliamentary debating chamber is located directly below the dome.
There is a mirrored funnel in the centre which directs light into the chamber. It looks very futuristic! There is even a moveable screen to prevent glare.
Two spiral walkways enable you to get to the top of the dome and back down again without having to retrace your steps while giving excellent views of the city.
Visits to the dome are free of charge but must be pre-booked. I booked two weeks in advance and was only able to get a slot for our last day in the city. If you have limited time available I would suggest booking as far ahead as you possibly can. Bookings must be made through the Bundestag website. At this point you must list all the people that will accompany you on your visit and give their full names and dates of birth. You will receive a confirmation of your visit by email and you must print off the accompanying letter and take it with you for your visit along with proof of identification for each visitor.
Brandenburger Tor is the closest S-Bahn station and from here it is a short five minute walk. You are asked to arrive 15 minutes before your allocated time in order to complete security checks. There did not appear to be any toilets/restrooms and refreshments are only available from a small stall in the dome itself however this was closed at the time of our visit as we had an early morning visit. There is a rooftop restaurant to the east of the dome which is open from 9am until 4.30pm.
Free audioguides are available in a variety of languages and these provide a short commentary about the Reichstag and views that you can see. I would also recommend picking up a free ‘Outlooks’ guide which has two panoramic photographs of the view from the dome which identify and give a short explanation about some of the buildings that you can see.
It is well worth pre-booking this visit, I cannot recommend it enough. A must on any list of things to do in Berlin