Back in Berlin! This is where I started my last European adventure back in December 2006. It was a crazy few days in the city – marked by one HUGE New Years Eve party in the Tiergarten and kids throwing fireworks around the streets. I knew back then that Berlin had much more to offer and was keen to get back and explore.

My hostel was on the north of the city, in a district called Prenzlauer Berg. The streets were lined with cafes, bars and cool little restaurants.

My first morning I headed down to the Brandenburg Gate for the free walking tour that starts there. Having done the tours in plenty of cities I know that they are a great way to get oriented and learn some interesting random facts. My guide was Stephanie from New Zealand and I ended up learning a lot about the city.

A few random facts about Berlin for those interested:

The statue above Brandenburg Gate was originally the goddess of peace – bringing peace to the city. Napoleon conquered the city and stole the statue, with the Germans stealing it back at a later date changing the wreath to a cross and renaming it Victoria and the square below was renamed Parisian Square. Victory over Paris. The statue now holds a staff and is looking slightly to the left – directly at the French Embassy. German humour at its best.

There is a huge building nearby. Built by the Nazis it was the largest office building in the world until the Pentagon was built. Originally it was for the Nazi Luftwaffe (secret airforce). Apparently the Americans couldn’t quite nail this one with their artillery and when the Soviets moved into Berlin it became the ‘Ministry of Ministries’. Now days it is used as the Taxation Office. As our tour guide eloquently put it – “Still striking fear in the hearts of the German people”.

There was lots more on the tour: the Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, Bebelplatz where 20,000 original manuscripts outlawed by the Nazis were burnt, war memorials and Museum Island.

The weekend I was in Berlin was coincidentally German Unity day – the 20th anniversary of the reunification of East and West Germany. This means that yet again the Tiergarten was full of stalls and there was a stage erected behind the Brandenburg Gate. Seems every time I come to this city there is a stage there. It was impossible to find a program of events and bands playing for the festivities, so I didn’t bother going back in the evenings to watch.

I did a lot of walking while I was in Berlin. I knew it was a huge city where all the ‘cool’ areas are spread out and hidden away in various parts of the town. I tried my best to find some of these hidden gems, but most of the time my wanderings left me fruitless. I spent most of the time walking down shopping streets where most of the stores were closed because of the weekend, or walking thru residential areas with concrete apartment buildings and small grass parks. I soon realised that if you really want to enjoy everything Berlin has to offer, you need to talk to some locals.

I was tipped off about the large flea market nearby on Sunday and went over to have a look. It was a huge park full of a huge assortment of wares. There was a huge section of second hand goods, almost like a giant garage sale, and then a whole bunch of local artwork, photographers, crafts and food stalls with something for everyone. I loved poking thru the old odds and ends as well as the photography for sale. I walked past a huge outdoor auditorium that was starting to fill when I arrived. I was told if I had stuck around they have “Bear Pit Karaoke” there – where anyone can sing karaoke in front of a huge audience. If you ever wanted to know what it is like to sing in front of a huge crowd this is where you can find out.

Further down the road is the Berlin War Memorial. They have recreated a section of the wall exactly how it was so you get a real feeling for the size and impact it had. There are lots of stories from the immediate area, a museum and viewing platform across the road and a park. Definitely worth a look.

Another famous sight in Berlin is the “East Side Gallery”. It is a section of the East German side of the wall that became a giant mural in 1990 when artists from all over the world came to paint on it. Back when the wall was up, the Western side of the wall was covered in graffiti, but the East was bare (because you would have been shot). The gallery is said to be the largest outdoor gallery in the world. There are some pretty famous ones, like the Trubaunt crashing thru the wall (because in the early days of the wall people would actually crash into it to get to he other side). Unfortunately, many of the murals have graffiti on them and many have been restored or repainted various times.

Living in Berlin is another Strike alumni, Joe, and so the morning that I left I met up with him over some coffee. He showed be a cool street full of cafes and told me about the cool bars and clubs he had either been too, or heard stories about.

So that was Berlin. Everyone raves about it, but it wasn’t until the end of my stay that I began to realise why. I really wanted (and had planned) to stay a bit longer.

This post is tagged Berlin, Germany