A Day in Berlin

Just before I came home to South Africa, I spent a day in Berlin with my new friends I had made while teaching in Poland. It's a two hour drive from Szczecin (Polish city that lies on the border of Poland and Germany) to Berlin.

The Trabant car was very popular during communism
and can be found all over the city.

Berlin was way bigger than I expected but I was shocked at how much I enjoyed spending time in the city. It has an interesting atmosphere; very touristy in the centre but very cool and only a little hipster :)

I enjoyed taking photos of the city

Because I was only there for the day, my super cool friend, Amanda, played tour guide and took me around the major attractions of the city.

We rented bicycles (the city is too big to walk to all these places) and weaved our way through traffic and people. I was convinced I was going to crash. I haven't ridden a bike since I was a kid and now I had to dodge killing old grannies trying to waddle on the side walk? No one was hurt except maybe my pride; the saying "it's like riding a bicycle; you never forget" is utter bull crap.






Berlin is the capital of Germany and it's largest city. After WWII, the city was completely divided into 4 zones. West was occupied by America, The UK and France, while the East was controlled by the Soviet Union. A wall was put up overnight that separated the sides. In 1989, the wall was brought down but pieces were preserved in pockets all over the city.

"Madness" found on the Berlin Wall

Checkpoint Charlie was really interesting in my opinion. It was one of the crossing points between East and West Berlin. It's found in the American sector and is now a symbol of the Cold War. In 1961, there was a real cowboy-like stand off (only with tanks instead of pistols) on opposite sides of the barrier. It ended peacefully though.

Me sitting on a piece of the Wall.

Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate but now holds more of a symbolic attraction to the city. It has been the site of many historical events throughout history. I thought it quite amazing that it survived two world wars.

I'm such a tourist

Within the city is the Holocaust Memorial that was designed to commemorate the murder of the Jews at the hand of the Nazis. I found the monument quite cold. Previously experiencing Auschwitz, I thought it was quite unsatisfactory. It's only a short distance from the ruins of where Hitler's bunker is buried.

A quiet Saturday morning

I wish I could have spent more time in the city but I'm glad I was able to visit before I left. Berlin is full of interesting places and one can do so much without getting bored. It's history is astounding; granted most of it is concentrated on WWII but I enjoyed it none the less. Ich liebe Berlin! :)

Berlin Hearts You!