Blogs from Berlin, Germany, Europe - page 173

I’m backlogging some of my previous travels in Europe from when I was in high school and college. They won’t contain much information as it was a while ago, but I would be more than happy to share my experiences with anyone who has a question. Berlin is an enormous and efficient city. Absolutely beautiful old architecture, great museums, and an amazing 20th century history. While it is a long walk, walking from the east side and ending in the west side really draws out the contrast between the two parts of the city. The night life is amazing as is the food to be found with street vendors (sausages galore!). I also had the chance to visit Munich while in Germany. It is a much smaller city, easier to walk around in, has a fantastic ... read more

In the summer of 2003 I spent 2 weeks doing voluntary work at Sachsenhausen concentration camp. I had been struggling to decide what to do that summer, but I knew I wanted to do something different, and something positive. When I saw this chance to volunteer at a former concentration camp, it felt like the best idea so far. And so at the end of July I got a cheap Ryanair flight over to Berlin and spent the night there in the excellent Circus hostel. I went out for some cheap food and got an early night ready for my big adventure starting the next day. The following morning I got up early, found an S-Bahn station and headed northwards, for Oranienburg. This is a small town just above Berlin. It is nice enough, with some ... read more

Touring German cities is often problematic - it's unfair to focus on a city's complicity with horrific crimes from a half century before, or its being the centerpiece of the Cold War, but in the case of Berlin, the past oozes to the surface whether you like it or not. There's the playground built above Hitler's bunker to dissuade Neo-Nazis from making it in a shrine. The border of the Wall unexpectedly appears underfoot, even when you're not looking for Checkpoint Charlie. The Brandenburg Gate looks like a Hollywood backdrop with the bustling traffic swirling around the wide strasses. The TV tower that the Russians built looms over the city and bullet holes still dot the dilapidated buildings on the eastern side. All this while the hundreds of cranes slowly sanitize the past. There are more ... read more

The Berlin Wall was pretty crazy. Only there for a day though. All I thought about was nazis for some reason. Loads of punks in the city.... read more

Geo: 52.5235, 13.4115... read more