Next stop on our trip was to the German capital; Berlin. Sandwiched between beautiful Prague and the apparently wild Amsterdam on our trip‘s itinerary, I didn’t have high hopes, for this city to astound me. Despite my ignorant assumption, Berlin proceeded to blow my proverbial socks off and skyrocketed to become one of the trips real highlights.

Berlin, the site for some of modern histories most important and defining moments (World War II, Berlin Wall, Cold War), proved not only to be a fascinating history lesson, but in recent decades has undergone a phoenix like resurrection to become Europe’s top boom city. Often called the London (or New York) of the 21st Century, Berlin is a dazzling ultra modern metropolis, built on a strong historical and cultural foundation and proved to be an intriguing place to spend a few days.

At the conclusion to the second world war, Berlin was reduced to little less than a pile of smouldering ashes, meaning that modern Berlin is the product of only the last 60 years of re-construction. This is a little surprising when walking down many of the older districts of town, where the museums, clock towers and libraries have been lovingly restored to original blueprints, using original materials. In other districts of town, the modern re-birth is very apparent as Germany proudly displays some of fanciest examples of modern architecture. This exciting mix of old and new extends to cities entertainment and activity options, visitors can investigate the cities fascinating back story or get knee deep in it’s exciting night life.

Our first night in town involved our entire tour group flooding a local pub, for a great meal, followed by many a German beer being knocked back. While it was a challenge to drag ourselves out of bed again the next morning, it was well worth the effort as our first activity was an interesting historical tour through the streets of Berlin. On this tour we where walked to many of the sites made famous by the rise and fall of the Nazi party and the rise and fall of the Berlin wall. This detailed history lesson of wartime Germany, gave great insight into what made the divided post-war Germany of the cold war and how that has in-turn made Germany the country it is today. Some highlights of this tour included seeing the square where Hitler staged the book burnings (now ironically the site of a giant book market) and the SS headquarters which are left in ruin, with a winding path through the rubble guiding you past a series of informational walls explaining how the Nazi party tried to brainwash the masses. One other major highlight was seeing the Holocaust memorial, a massive piece of street art covering a whole city block. The memorial is a maze of grey obelisks that from the outside resembles perhaps a mass grave site, when you venture into the middle, it’s easy to become lost in shadows of these intimidating constructs. Very thought provoking.

The Holocaust memorial from the outside:

Inside the Holocaust memorial:

A view down a very modern district of Berlin:

You would not think this building was constructed in the last 50 years:

A big night out:

Alyce at the Berlin Wall:

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