Berlin Travel Guide: City of History,art and shopping

Get a cuppa because it’s going to be a long one. I am back from Berlin with a lot of knowledge and a love for Germany. I can’t put into words how much of an eye-opening trip I have had, we went to Berlin to visit all of the history places from World War 2 and the Cold War, I had prior knowledge of these events after studying them back in school, but I really learnt a lot more this trip and realised the importance of Berlin in the war. From the Berlin Wall to the Reichstag they each are important places from 1930’s to 1980’s. I could probably write a whole post on everything I have learnt this trip, but I don’t want to bore you all with facts and figures as you’re here for a light hearted read.
-History-

We visited the Potsdam Platz where there were some remains of the Berlin Wall, it was really interesting seeing the remain of this wall which stood around Berlin for so many years. We moved onto Check-Point Charlie which was the entry gates into Soviet zone of Eastern Berlin, it was really interesting to see this because it has remained the same for so many years and has modern buildings on a lined street with bars, restaurants and souvenir shops, Berlin are still showing their history but are keeping the city modern.

On the Sunday we visited the memorial of the murdered Jews from the Holocaust, this was an overwhelming experience as it really put into perspective the extent of the Holocaust and was interesting to learn more about the events from the underground museum, filled with stories about the victims and survivors. It’s a must-see museum when visiting Berlin. Now you couldn’t visit Berlin and not go and see two of its famous landmarks: The Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate. Both situated on the same road they both are iconic in the history of the city. The Brandenburg gate was built in the 10^th century and it was built on the site of a former city gate that mark the start of the road from Berlin to the town of Brandenburg an der Havel, sat behind it is a long avenue that leads to the Western part of the city centre, the street is filled with cafes, shops and hotels. We walked along the avenue to the Reichstag, it is the German parliament building which was effected by a fire in 1933 which led to it being disused after sustaining additional damage from allied bombings during world war two, we didn’t have time to go inside the building but it was great to spend some time outside on the grass area taking in the view as well as enjoying the weather. It remained warm throughout the entirety of our trip which made it great site seeing weather, we were out all-day walking around the city making sure we visited all the must-see sites.

 - Art -

Russian president Breschnew kissing brother Erich Honecker, the chief of former eastern German DDR. Below the image the statement “God help me to survive this mortal love”.

Another must see place in Berlin is the East Side Gallery, located along the river it is an open-air gallery, it consists of a series of murals painted directly onto the Berlin Wall. It is located on Muehlenstrasse which is a thirty-minute walk from Alexander Platz. The wall features 101 murals and were created by 118 artists from 21 countries, it was a really cool experience to see all the art, it reminded me of Venice Beach in Los Angeles because of all the colourful graffiti lining the wall, I would definitely recommend you visiting it if you’re in Berlin not just for the great Instagram opportunity but to see a piece of history. The most famous painting on the wall reflects Berlin’s history and the Cold War, it is of the Russian president Breschnew kissing brother Erich Honecker, the chief of former eastern German DDR. Below the image the statement “God help me to survive this mortal love”.

-Shopping-

On the Saturday morning we headed straight to the main shopping district in Berlin Kurfüstendamm which is one of the most famous avenues in Berlin. It is a long boulevard which can be considered to be like the Champs-Elysées, is is lined with shops, houses, hotels and restaurants. It features many designers’ shops including Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermès. We strolled down the street browsing into all the boutiques, I went into Louis Vuitton to purchase the Berlin travel Guide, another one to add to my collection to remember my trip to the city.  From here we visited the Mall of Berlin, it is one of the largest centres in the city featuring a selection of shops, boutiques and restaurants. It is located off Potsdam Platz and is the perfect place to shop in the city.

Thank you for reading about my trip to Berlin, I would recommend visiting this beautiful city of history, art and shopping. It truly has something for everyone.