Leaving Prague behind us, Katy, Betty and I continued driving northwest towards Berlin. On arrival, the letter ‘X’ would be 50% complete!
The route to Berlin
The journey up was relatively uneventful and, before long, we were navigating our way into the city centre. Adopting a similar strategy to the one used in Budapest, we opted to park as centrally as possible before setting off on a walking tour around the city. With only six hours to spare, there was a lot to squeeze in. I’ve summarised our main stops below:
The plan of action!
Gendarmenmarkt
First up was Gendarmenmarkt Square. Dating back to 1688, the square houses some seriously impressive buildings. These include the Konzerthaus, the French and German Churches and a statue of Friedrich Schiller. Despite many of the buildings being severely damaged or destroyed in WWII, they have all now been fully restored. It’s fair to say Gendarmenmarkt’s reputation as one of the most beautiful squares in Europe is certainly well deserved – the architecture is stunning!
The Konzerthaus
The French Catherdral
The German Catherdral
Checkpoint Charlie
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
After Checkpoint Charlie, we walked for another 20 minutes before arriving at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Opened in 2005, the memorial is a place of contemplation, remembrance and warning. It covers a huge site. Containing 2711 concrete slabs of varying heights, it is a very immersive experience. We wandered through the rows and rows of concrete slabs contemplating the enormous scale of the atrocities. It was like no other memorial I’ve ever visited.
The Brandenburg Gate
500 meters from the Holocaust Memorial stands the Brandenburg Gate. Built on the orders of Frederick William II, this 18th-century monument is one of Germany’s best-known landmarks. The structure has often been the site of major historical events and, as a result, is extremely popular with visitors. That said, If you’re lucky enough to visit at an obscure time, you might have this impressive place all to yourself for a few seconds…
The Brandenberg Gate
The Reichstag Building
Our final stop was the Reichstag. This incredible structure opened in 1894 but was destroyed by the Reichstag Fire in 1933. Falling into disuse until German reunification, it wasn’t until 1999, when all of the repair work had been completed, that the Bundestag officially convened here for the first time.
The Reichstag Building
With five major historical landmarks under the belt and our energy levels waning, it was time to head back to the van. We’d had an incredible day in Berlin but felt that we had only scratched the surface. This capital, like many of the others, definitely requires a long weekend to pack everything in.
On departure, we grabbed a spot of dinner and bid farewell, vowing to return in the future. Our next major stop would be Vienna…