a mixed feeling

The next stop on our adventure was Berlin. I was really eager to visit this city after what I had heard about it. The history and politics nerd in me was crazy excited to absorb it all. After leaving and thinking about it I can honestly say that the city has a mixed vibe. On the one side it has an artsy, vintage vibe that is very likeable. We had tons of fun scrounging through stores for hidden treasures. On the other side it is somewhat depressing. The immense amount of history and the impact that it had on the city continues to live in the grey buildings and the vast amount of museums and memorials. It is safe to say that a few tears were had at the Jewish Memorial Museum. With all this said Berlin was the most unique city we visited. Its obvious diversity and overwhelming past make it a must see!

Brandenburger Gate

Dom

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Checkpoint Charlie

We visited the Brandenburger Gate which was left in a desolate no-man's-land when the Wall was built. Since the Wall's dismantling it has become the scene of the city's Unification Day and New Years Eve parties. The gate also faces one of Europe's most famous historic squares, Pariser Platz.

Just around the corner is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe that had a significant impact on all of us. It is a 19,000 square meter site covered with 2,711 concrete slabs arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field. It's intent is to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere, and the whole sculpture aims to represent an ordered system that has lost touch with human reason. I think that this potentially had the greatest initial impact on me over the course of our trip. 

We also ventured to Checkpoint Charlie, the name given by the western Allies to the best-known Berlin Wall crossing point between the East and West during the Cold War. It represented - for some east Germans - a gateway to freedom. 

Part of the Berlin Wall

Remaining section of the Wall

I think my favourite part of Berlin was getting to see the East Side Gallery. It is 1.3km section of the Wall near the centre of Berlin. Approximately 106 paintings by artists from all over the world covered this memorial for freedom and make made it the largest open air gallery in the world. I loved seeing the different interpretation of freedom and the feelings after the taking down of the wall. Plus the paintings itself are outstanding. 

Berlin was the perfect way to start out time in Germany. It satisfied all of our historical, amazing beer, and interesting nature notions about the country. But then it was off to Munich, a totally different side of Germany. xo