Troy had business in Berlin (for you business types in-the-know, it was the SAP Sapphire Conference), so I decided to tag along and pay my first visit to Deutschland. We caught an Easy Jet flight out of Brussels International (which was a coup as the discount air carriers typically fly out of regional airports), and an hour later set down in Germany. We took the train from Schönefeld, through the former East Berlin to our hotel located on the banks of the Spree, in Tiergarten.
Converted factories along the Spree River, in Tiergarten
I must confess that Berlin had not made my "Cities To Visit While Living in Europe List". However, now I am glad that the opportunity presented itself. To say that Berlin is unique is something of an understatement. It is complex, sprawling, contradictory, and full of history, for better or for worse. There are so many things we could say about our trip, but the one theme we seem to come back to is that of contradiction and surprise.
We were surprised to learn that the central district of Mitte, located in former East Berlin, is one of the prettiest parts of the city and and is easier to get around than the former West Berlin. Following WWII and the four-part division of Berlin, many of the city's remaining historic buildings ended up in East Berlin. They say poverty can be preservation's best friend because, while there is no money to restore a building, neither is there money to tear it down. Same goes for the street-level tram lines, deemed old fashioned in the West and thus torn out, but left in the eastern quarters of the city.
The Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral)
Hackescher Markt - Vibrant area in Mitte
The Hauptbahnhof train station and the massive urban design project at Potzdamer Platz were sites to behold. When Troy visited Berlin in 1997, this area was a sea of dirt, tower cranes, and construction sites. Today, it is a whole new urban district, with sleek skyscrapers, restaurants, museums, theaters, and even Europe's fastest elevator (we rode it, and only the presence of a stern elevator attendant prevented me from jumping to test out the hang time).
Potzdamer Platz - Interior courtyard at the Sony Center
Potzdamer Platz - View of "green roofs" and building complex
We toured Checkpoint Charlie, and it was a surreal experience. A simple line of cobbles marks the Berlin Wall's former path, and there is an interpretive exhibit outdoors on the former site that goes through the site's development from WWII up to the current day. There are spooky large-scale Stasi (the DDR spy agency) photographs looking West, and a sober monument to the people who died trying to escape from East Berlin. And yet, on the actual site of Checkpoint Charlie, underneath a recreated "You are leaving the American Sector" sign, there is a souvenir stand and guys dressed up as Soviet and American Soldiers for photo ops. Capitalism reigns. Oh the irony.
Checkpoint Charlie
Checkpoint Charlie - Looking towards East Berlin
One night we ate dinner in a biergarten on the grounds of the Berlin Zoo, near to the eponymous Zoo Station, where I had wiener schnitzel while Troy downed a giant beer. Another day I tried the Berlin-original döner kebap, though I did not brave a taste of currywurst. I visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site Museumsinsel, saw the bust of Nefertiti, went to the top of the Fernsehturm TV tower, and even sat in a vintage Trabby at the very interesting DDR Museum.
Fernsehturm TV Tower
Despite all this, perhaps the most memorable, quintessentially-Berlin experience for us was going to the Kunsthaus Tacheles. The building used to be a department store (though you would NEVER be able to tell now) as it is dark, crumbling, and absolutely covered in graffiti, inside and out. It has been continuously occupied and protected, as it were, by squatters, and is now home to artist spaces, a theater co-op, and a couple of funky bars. The vibe is decidedly edgy, the neighborhood is super vibrant, and we saw all sorts of people: artists, men in suits, people pushing strollers, pub-crawl tourists, punks, and everybody in between. As Troy's boss pointed out, the Kunsthaus is a really "freaky" place. We loved it.
Kunsthaus Tacheles
Kunsthaus - Interior!
Kunsthaus
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