First Stop.

Home to over 3.5 million people, Berlin was the first stop on my study on the road journey. Berlin is the capital of Germany as well as the largest city. With Berlin’s unique past, there were definitely a lot of sights to see. I traveled to Berlin with a group of 20+ students who are also studying abroad at WHU.​​

​​Thursday 1/26/17

I began my journey to Berlin on Thursday by taking a train from Vallendar to Cologne and an airplane from Cologne to Berlin. Once we arrived that evening, most of us were tired from traveling and decided to have a relaxed night. We stayed in the Circus Hostel close to Museum Island. I was very shocked when we arrived to the hostel because I was not expecting a nice hostel for so cheap.​​

Friday 1/27/17

On Friday, we took a 6 hour walking tour of Berlin with a guide. Yes, a 6 hour walking tour in winter. (Let’s just say my legs were very sore and my hands were frozen.) The tour was a very informative tour. The tour began by walking to the New Jewish Synagogue. The original Synagogue was nearly demolished during WWII. As a result, the New Synagogue stands as a memorial, museum, and a place for worship for the Jewish community. In Berlin, there are several paths that lead from the street to inside the “block.” Our guide told us that in the past, most people would not want to live in this region due to lack of sun. Most of the time, the poorest people would live there. Today, on the other hand, it is a very nice and secluded place to live. Away from the noises from the busy streets, the people living here have a quite community along with some local shops in the ground levels. After walking around the residential area, we made our way overlooking Museum Island. Museum Island is situated on an island in the heart of Berlin that contains 5 museums (hints the name). A short distance later, we came upon the Reichstag Building. The Reichstag Building was formerly used as the parliament building but since the reign of the Nazi party, the building

was dedicated to the German people and is no longer in use for government. Like most places in Berlin, the Reichstag Building was severally damaged during WWII. Close by, the Soviet War Memorial stood. The purpose of this memorial was to commemorate the Soviet soldiers who fell during the war. As part of the agreement for the Soviet Union to move out of Germany, Germany agreed to maintain and repair the memorials and must ask permission to do any changes to it. After looking at the Soviet War Memorial, we walked to the Brandenburg Gate. The Brandenburg Gate is one of the best-known landmarks in Germany and was formerly the site of the city gate. I was very excited to see this landmark because every time I think of Berlin, I think of the Brandenburg Gate. After the Brandenburg Gate, we were able to see the site in which Hitler was hiding in his last days. Today, the site is a parking lot where Hitler’s secret bunker stood. We then made our way to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. This unique memorial was designed for people to walk through and come out with their own thinking of what the Holocaust meant to them. Walking through the memorial was something I have never experienced before. It was like walking in an ocean but you were stuck on the ground while the memorial was taller than you. After visiting the memorial, we made our way to a section of the Berlin Wall. After WWII, Germany, along with Berlin, was separated into 4 different sectors (French, British, American, and Soviet). West Germany consisted of control from France, Britain, and the USA. East Germany was controlled by the Soviet Union, today Russia. The Berlin Wall was a barrier that divided Berlin in half (East & West) during 1961 to 1989. The wall completely surrounded West Berlin because Berlin was located in East Germany. East Germany was communist during the Cold War and wanted to make sure that no one in East Berlin could cross over to West Berlin (capitalist) to escape communism. The wall stood for 28 years. It is crazy to think that the wall did not come down until November 1989. If my parents grew up in Berlin, they would have experienced being cut off from the rest of Germany and their family, which is a weird feeling. After seeing a part of the wall, we were also able to see Checkpoint Charlie. Although the original Checkpoint Charlie was removed and placed in a museum, there was a recreation of what it would have looked like during the Cold War. Checkpoint Charlie was a crossing through the Berlin Wall on the western side. One of our last stops included the Gendarmenmarkt. The Gendarmenmarkt is a square in Berlin that holds a concert hall (Konzerthaus), the German Church, and French Church. Finally, we ended the tour at the Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom), which is located on Museum Island. The Berliner Dom is a beautiful church. After 6 hours of walking, I was ready to call it a night!

Saturday 1/28/17

On Saturday, our group split into smaller groups because we all wanted to see different things. I ended up going to the Charlottenburg Palace, Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, German Victory Column, and the Topography of Terror Museum. The Charlottenburg Palace is the largest palace in Berlin and was built in the 1700s. Home to the royal family, Sophie Charlotte, the first queen of Prussia, lived in the palace. Once again, like most of Berlin, the Palace was severely damaged during WWII, thus several restorations were completed to create what it would have looked like in the 1700s. We then were headed to the Berlin Victory Column when we came upon the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. The ruins of the church stand to remind people of WWII. Today, the new church is built by the side of the ruins. Next, we went to the Berlin Victory Column. The Berlin Victory Column is a monument that stands for the Prussian victory in the Danish-Prussian War in the mid 1800s. The column was relocated by the Nazis from the old location (by the Reichstag Building) to the present-day location in the middle of the park. If you look closely from the top of the column down the road, you can see the Brandenburg Gate. We were lucky to get to the column because shortly after we entered, the ticket booth closed. It was very cool seeing Berlin that high off the ground during the sunset. Finally, we went to the Topography of Terror Museum. This museum is a reminder of the Holocaust and takes people through the years through reading. It was also the former site of the headquarters for the Nazi regime.

Sunday 1/29/17

On my last day of sightseeing, we split into small groups once again. This time we decided to rent a bike for the day since it was a little warmer and we were planning on going a far distance. Taking a bike through Berlin was a unique and fun experience. I really enjoyed riding a bike in the city and I am looking forward to renting a bike in other cities throughout Europe. We started our day off by going to a German flea market. The market was a cool experience because we were able to see what people in Belin buy and sell and how they react. After going to the flea market, we rode our bikes to the East Side Gallery. The East Side Gallery is an international memorial for freedom and it is a section of the Berlin Wall still standing. What makes this part of the wall so unique is the art all over the wall. Finally, we rode our bikes to the Jewish Museum. The Jewish Museum is oddly shaped and takes people through the history of the Jewish religion all the way to present day. After we got back to the hostel, it was time to celebrate one of our friend’s 21st birthday! It was very fun to be able to spend the night in Berlin for our friend’s birthday.

Monday 1/30/17

5 days, 4 nights, 2 flights, 1 birthday, and multiple train rides later, our group was ready to be in the comfort of our apartments after an exhausting trip from all the sightseeing. After a long journey, it was time to make our way back to Vallendar. Once I arrived back in my apartment, it was such a great feeling to be home… but not for long! I’m off on my next journey on Friday 2/3/17.

See you soon, but not too soon

-E