Berlin

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9 June 2009

We have used the Lonely Planet Guide as our main source of information for this trip and it came up trumps to ensure that we saw as much as possible during our day in Berlin.

We bought a transport day ticket (at 6.80 each it was great value considering the amount we used it) at the local underground station and then took a tube and overground train to Bahnhoff Zoo where we caught double decker bus 100 which took us through the main park, Tiergaten, past the Reichstag and Brandenburger Tor and then along the main street of the city, Unter den Linden, to Alexander Platz, the main commercial centre of East Berlin when the city was divided. A lot cheaper than the tourist bus and we got all the information we needed from a leaflet we picked up at the bus information centre at Bahnhoff.

The day ticket came in useful again to visit the East Side Gallery, the 1.3k longest stretch of the wall remaining which is covered in graffiti art. Then to Checkpoint Charlie and the adjacent museum.

In the afternoon we followed the 8k Lonely Planet walking tour which again takes in all the major sights. During the walk we stopped off at the moving Holocaust Memorial, went up the amazing glass dome of the Reichstag designed by Norman Foster and took in a 20 minute evening prayer service at the Dom.

We eventually finished walking at about 7.00 where we conveniently found a square with plenty of restaurants for an excellent meal. The weather had been dull and cool all day with occasional rain showers, but while we were eating the skies cleared and we took the bus back to the Reichstag Dome to watch the sun setting and the city lights coming on.

On the walk back to the tube we passed under the floodlit Brandenburger Tor. The ride home was not without incident as part of the line was closed for maintenance but fortunately a very helpful local explained that we had to complete the journey by bus.
We eventually staggered back to the van at 11.00 after a fourteen and a half hour exhausting but exhilarating day.

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