Ich Bin Berliner For A Few Days!


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February 22nd 2015
Published: February 22nd 2015
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Berlin is a place I have always wanted to go because of its fascinating history...so this February I decided that I would drag my boyfriend to the heart of Germany to see it for myself! Luckily, I found a deal on a hotel that looked right up my street called Eurostar's. I went on Last-minute.com two weeks before we were jet setting off (Yes....I am a very last minute person) and found a deal for £301 for four nights. I know that this may seem quite expensive to some people, but you could not have wanted more out of this hotel, so in my opinion it was well worth the money! I wanted a hotel that was slap bang in the middle of Berlin so that we weren't too far from any of the sights, but I also wanted a hotel that I could chill out with a glass of wine in... and take a little swim in the pool. I didn't want to worry about making the bed in the morning, or cleaning the dishes before bed time! I wanted it all done for me so that I would have five days of exploring mixed with relaxing. When I say I wanted a hotel slap bang in the middle of Berlin....this hotel was literally in the centre of Berlin, in a place called Friedrichstrabe. All the main sites were within a walk from our hotel, which saved money on buses and cabs. It was great! Museum Island was just around the corner from us, the Television Tower was only a short walk away and of course the beautiful Brandenburg Gate was only 20 minutes down the road! The only down side of the hotel was that they did not seem to have that much information on what to do in Berlin. I did google it before I went, but I thought when we would go out there, there would be far more things recommended to do!

Although it was a city rich with history, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with the lack of historical activities and tours. Of course the city is full of site seeing buses... but I didn't feel that any of those buses took you to the sites that tourists really want to see. For example, I really wanted to see where Hitler's bunker was, but none of the site seeing buses took us there...it was only when my boyfriend and I decided to go on a stroll that we stumbled upon the car park of some flats that had a small plaque saying this was where Hitler's bunker was. Of course I understand that Germany are not going to be bragging about their gruesome past... but really that's what a lot of people want to see when they go out there. The only thing that I saw that looked relatively interesting in terms of tours, was an English Walking tour...set up by a group of English men that would take you to the most fundamental parts of central Berlin. However, I was a bit put off by the fact that the walking tour was 4 hours, so I did not go on it. I would also add, that prior to visiting Berlin, I saw that Museum Island was a place recommended to go by so many people. So when we arrived, my boyfriend and I went to a Tourist Information desk (which are planted all around the city) to buy a Museum Pass for 24 Euros. The Museums on this Island focused on Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece...which to me are fascinating... but when I'm in Berlin, I want to learn about Berlin.

There are a number of places I would recommend to go however. But just three points before I elaborate on this. Firstly, if you are travelling to Berlin in Winter/Spring time, I must warn you that a lot of things close early...so be prepared to get up very early. Secondly, just a useful tip, because I was really shocked when I went out there....maybe because of my British ways... you do have to pay for the toilets in a lot of the cafes and places around the city. I went into Dunkin Donuts and thought they were winding me up when they asked me for money so I laughed it off.... only to be followed out and asked to pay. (Awkward) So I would have liked to have been told about that prior to going to Berlin. And finally... I am a true Brit and need a cup of tea every night! But trying to find milk in any shop is nearly impossible. Corner shops, big stores...anywhere I could I would look for milk but did not come across it until I found a Lindt Chocolate Shop. So I took some sachets! Just a warning for any tea lovers! Anyway...on to the most important subject...what to do! The most mind blowing site that I visited out there was a Concentration Camp that was hidden away in a small town just outside of Berlin. It was in a place called Orienburg which was a beautiful suburban town. Prior to my visit, I had no idea that there were any Concentration Camps in Berlin. I just assumed Poland and Belgium occupied most of them. I had never heard anything about this Concentration Camp and it was only when I was reading about that English Walking Tour that It was mentioned. I then researched it myself and thought I had to go! Now I have been to Auschwitz so had an idea of what to expect, but for some reason I found this Concentration Camp so much more hard hitting! It was camp mainly dedicated to Political opponents, but was also a place where 'Doctor Death' carried out some of his experiments. The silence surrounding the camp is so intense...not a bird could be heard, or a plan flying over. It was just something! I initially thought I would be in there for about an hour, but it ended up taking up nearly a whole day. You can get an audio guide to take around with you for 3 Euro and it tells you everything. It was honestly an experience I will never forget, but I do think it is a place that people should visit to acknowledge the lives of the people you suffered there.

On a happier note I would also recommend going to the Television Tower for a drink. This Tower was built on the East side of Berlin and offers a great view of Berlin right at the top with a reasonable priced drink. Of course for History geeks like myself the Berlin Wall is a must see! But again... I thought that you would see just an ongoing wall with bits of storys being told...however the Wall in broken up all over the city and you will want to see it at different points because they are all so different. So what I would recommend is getting the Purple Bus Tour owned by Berlin Sightseeing Company and getting off at the different points of the Wall. This includes Check Point Charlie which is obviously a must see. Another great place to go to was the DDR Museum located near the Television Tower. It was 6 euros to get into and was not included in the Museum Pass price. For me as a History and Politics Graduate, this Museum was particularly interesting as it offered a different take on the Cold War to what I had always learnt about in school. It highlighted the good aspects of living in East Berlin, whereas for the majority of my history classes on the Cold War in school had focused on how bad life was for people in East Berlin. I would defiantly recommend going there. The final two places I would recommend seeing are The Brandenburg Gate and the government building - The Reichstag. The Brandenburg Gate is a beautifully constructed architecture in the centre of Berlin is free of charge. For me, night time complimented it far more than day time, as it just looked so beautiful with the moon behind it and numerous lights lighting it up! The Reichstag is also a superb piece of architecture, which sees a modern style mixed with an old style. It is where the government today functions and it is interesting to see. I would recommend booking it before you go to Berlin because they don't accept walk ups. It is free to book and you can get an audio guide when there, however you cannot get into the chamber itself. It does get booked up quickly, so I would recommend booking in well in advance.

Altogether though, I have to say it was a great city and I would definitely say it is a place everyone must see visit before they die!

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