Free walking tour

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Geo: 52.5235, 13.4115

The first thing on the agenda was breakfast of course. Then we caught a train to see the large remaining part of the Berlin Wall, known as the East Side Gallery. We walked along it to the other end. The artwork had really changed since last time I saw the wall a few years ago. The artwork had been cover in lots of graffiti. At the other end of the gallery we caught another train and got off near the Checkpoint Charlie museum. Outside the museum is a tourist trap. They have set up a checkpoint and it is guarded by two American soldiers. If you pay them you can have your photo taken with them and for even more euro's they will stamp your passport- what a rip off!

This was the first time I visited this museum. Have previously been told by a few people that it is not worth the price. Now I can agree with them. Way too expensive. There was too much information to read. Across the road we walked through the Topography of Terror. It is an open air museum showing photos and information of events during the Nazi regime.

We then walked to Pariser Platz for a 1pm free walking tour of the city. The guide was really informative and took us to many places that we had already been in the last 24 hours. But this was okay because he told us stories and gave us more information.

The walking tour finished at the cathedral, although the walking tour is free, the guides do accept tips. I tipped the guy €5. The walked last about 3 hours. We then walked some more around Berlin. Once the sun had set, we went back to Gendarmenmarkt, to take heaps of photos of this pretty square. On the way back to the hostel we stopped so I could have a bratwurst. For some strange reason, I was desperate to each one- even though I'm pretty fussy with meat. Jess being a vegetarian just drank some water. It was a good bratwurst and I no longer craved one. We sat near the Neptune fountain, enjoying the evening breeze and took photos of the TV Tower and Town Hall. Many locals and tourists spent the evenings hanging about the squares eating ice-cream and socialising. I had another great day. I loved being a tourist today and am looking forward to the next month in the European sun....

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Photos

01 East Side Gallery
Some of the art work along the wall.

02 East Side Gallery
Some of the art work along the wall.

03 East Side Gallery
Some of the art work along the wall.

04 East Side Gallery
Some of the art work along the wall.

05 East Side Gallery
The start/end of the East Side Gallery.

06 Checkpoint
The 'soldiers' you can pose with if you give them money.

07 Little car
This little car was in the Checkpoint Charlie museum.

08 Me
Me and my local red beer.

09 Topography of Terror
The open air museum is built alongside a remaining section of the wall.

10 Book burning
Photo of the book burning that took place in Bebelplatz.

11 Me and a bear
Me with one of the many painted bears around the city.

12 Walking through
The memorial to the killed European Jews.

13 Nazi building
The Ministry of Finance building, communist style.

14 Nazi building
The Ministry of Finance building, communist style.

15 Reminder
These bricks symbolise where the wall once stood.

16 Reminder
A sign dating the presence of the wall.

17 Bebelplatz
This is where the book burning happened.

18 Memorial
The statue in the memorial to the victims of camps and wars.

19 Statue
I was sitting on the steps of the Egyptian museum and looking at the cathedral.

20 Museum
The back of the museum along the river.

21 Museum
The back of the museum along the river.