Germany City Tour #1 - Berlin

 Wednesday 11^th October

It doesn’t matter what time you travel, you will luxuriate when you have time and feel tiredness when you’re travelling. Flight time for me was 18:15, train to Manchester at 2:30pm which meant I had the morning to pack, tidy and take Missy the cat to her holiday home. Packing was never going to be easy – ten days in autumn when the forecast looked set to change from unseasonably warm to potential freezing temperatures. Layers, layers, layers. I’m not one to start packing two weeks in advance, so having the morning to work out what to take seemed very civilised.

I had looked at paying for the airport lounge but decided it wasn’t worth £32. Surely, I wouldn’t spend £30 on dinner at the airport? Well, you can guess how much dinner cost me. And I could have had unlimited wine! Note to self; if you’re planning on a proper meal at the airport, just go for the airport lounge.

The Ryanair flight ran to time and was uneventful (I think they have removed padding from their seats to lighten their aircraft). Passport control remains a miserable reminder of how a minority of the UK has decided to make everyone’s lives more difficult. German efficiency didn’t seem all that impressive either when, after 30 minutes in passport control, it was still showing another 30 minutes before our bags would arrive. In the even it didn’t take quite this long, and I could finally escape the airport and meet Mia the other side of customs.

I’d downloaded an app to buy Berlin transport tickets and managed to get mine fairly quickly. It took Mia almost the entire trip to pay for hers – Apple Pay trumped PayPal on this occasion! I don’t think we took the quickest or easiest route to our hotel. It was late and I was completely disorientated, thinking the airport was to the west of Berlin rather than the South East. We eventually made it to what would be our local U-Bahn station, Osloerstraße, and to the Big Mama Hotel. Our room was nice enough – we had to share a bed but we had separate duvets which is much better for friends!

 

Thursday 12^th October

As it had been such a late night, we decided not to set an alarm for our first day. We woke after 9am, got down for breakfast just in time. We’d decided to buy the Berlin Welcome Card which gave us 72 hours of travel along with some discounts but didn’t realise that we needed to print it out. No problem, our hotel happily obliged by printing out what we needed. Armed with transport and a plan, we were out in Berlin at 11am.

The plan was to start at Checkpoint Charlie, and make our way to the Topography of Terror, then up to Potsdamer Platz. I have a huge admiration for how Berlin is so honest and open about its history. By Checkpoint Charlie there was an open air exhibition about the Berlin Wall. The precision of noting how people broke through, and using that information to improve the security of the wall was chilling – when walls are so often spoken of to keep people out, we often forget that they also keep people in.

The sobering thoughts were inescapable at the Topography of Terror. Living in an age – and with a government – of populism, of demonising minorities, of claiming that others are an “elite” made some of the content hard to digest. The Topography of Terror makes it clear how Hitler and the Nazis carried the people with them, how they sold the idea of a superior Aryan race. The reconciliation at the end of the exhibition talked of how you could not prosecute everyone who supported the Nazis as you would be prosecuting almost an entire population. Instead, Germany’s honesty and learning from the mistakes is the way they reconcile with the horrors that occurred at their elected government’s hands.

For some reason, teaching on the World Wars is something that was lacking from my school education. The Topography of Terror showed how brutal the Nazi invasion was, and how far reaching the empire did grow. The indiscriminate attacks on Polish people, forced from their homes to make room for the “superior” German race hit hard in the wake of the impending Israeli invasion into Gaza. A reminder that we need to be reminded to “Never Forget”.

Fresh air and a break were needed in order to process what we had seen. We headed to Potsdamer Platz and found ourselves ascending up the speedy elevator of Panoramapunkt. It’s always useful to get a viewpoint of a city to help with your bearings. I was particularly intrigued that there was a building that looked like a palace visible from the top, but that it didn’t appear on the guide we had been given (more on that to come!) There was a café at the top where we stopped for coffee and wine, cherry and apple cake.

Physically and mentally refreshed, we walked around the corner to the German Spy Museum. A highly interactive museum, it took us through the history of spying, techniques and equipment against the backdrop of the European wars and the consequential Cold War. Along the way were many individual stories of spies, how they came to espionage and how in various cases they were caught, turned to become double agents, or sometimes not discovered or revealed until after their death.

We had a go at morse code, debugging, lie detecting, disguise and dodging laser beams (I’m still annoyed that I failed in my Mission Impossible twice!). We spent nearly four hours there and it was great to learn in a more light-hearted way after the darker aspect of the morning.

It was dark when we emerged so we headed briefly back to Potsdamer Platz to see the Festival of Lights. We always seem to luck out on booking holidays when there are events happening, without planning to see them. The Festival of Lights sees Berlin’s landmarks lit up by various artists along with light installations in public areas. We didn’t hang around too long as it was after 8pm and we hadn’t properly eaten, so I consulted TripAdvisor for a good option nearby. We ended up with a very delicious platter in Das Rotes Kamel, a Lebanese restaurant near the Holocaust Memorial. After dinner we walked past the memorial and towards the Brandenburg Gate. The Festival of Lights had finished for the evening, which at least meant we could see the Brandenburg Gate in its ‘normal’ lighting before heading back to the hotel.

 

Friday 13^th October

There had been much banging of doors from fellow residents of the Big Mama Hotel all night so neither of us slept well, but we had set an alarm as we had a theatre date tonight and wanted to get out, sightsee, and get back to change for the evening. The plan was to start at Alexanderplatz and make our way west to Museum Island, taking in all the sights on the way. We snapped photos of the Fernsehenturm, the Rotes Rathaus, the fountain of Neptune and Marienkirche. We decided to take a look inside St Mary’s Church, very gothic with lots of skulls. I somewhat regretted opting for boots as the sound of my heels clipped on the floor in the silence!

From church to cathedral – it was easy to find the Berliner Dom as it dominated the skyline. The eastern flank along the river Spree was draped in scaffolding, but the front was very photogenic, as was the Lustgarten in front of it and the Altes Museum to its left. We were largely led by our pockets, deciding not to pay to look inside, but I was increasingly intrigued by the building on the other side of the road, to the right of the cathedral. This was the building I could see from Panoramapunkt that wasn’t in the guidebook!

It turns out this is the Berlin Palace, home to the Humboldt Forum. The history of this site and building is quite remarkable. The site was home to a Royal Palace as early as the 15^th Century, with various castles built and extended. It continued to be used as a seat of government when the monarchy was abolished in 1918 but was severely damaged in World War 2. As it lay in East Berlin, the East German authorities took the decision to destroy the palace and build a new Palace of the Republic in 1973.

This was a very modern building that was a cultural and social space, as well as housing the East German parliament. Following reunification and after many years of debate the People’s Palace was demolished (it was claimed for healthy and safety reasons due to a large quantity of asbestos being used in its construction) and a new Stadtschloß built. Designed by Italian Franco Stella and reopened in 2020, it partially echoes the baroque styling of the original palace, complete with dome, while also providing modern exhibition spaces under the name of the Humboldt Forum.

We visited the exhibitions on the story of the site in the context of Berlin and Germany’s history, and the Sculpture Hall which houses rescued pieces from the original palace. We then took a walk into the cellar where you can see the remainder of the original walls and layout from the palace. From the basement to the roof; we purchased a ticket to the rooftop terrace, knowing there was a café / restaurant there too. “You want to go up there now?” said the friendly ticket seller. We didn’t realise until we got to the roof how much the weather had turned! Ah well, coffee / tea and cake time (afternoon cake became a theme!).

It brightened up when we did go out onto the terrace, and it was good to see the beautiful dome close up. It also gave a better view of the dome of the cathedral and a view down to Lustgarten. When Mia and I are sightseeing, we always try to have a loose plan which allows for random occurrences, and I’m pretty sure we would never have planned to visit this building on paper. The Humboldt Forum certainly seems to be a controversial building for Berliners and architects alike, but I was really impressed with it and really enjoyed my visit.

We continued west off Museum Island, perusing various grand buildings including the State Opera House, the Humboldt University and Saint Hedwig’s Cathedral. We were trying to find the Gendarmenmarkt and, when we found it, we found a building site! We walked round the back, trying and failing to find a way into the French Cathedral, around the Konzerthaus, to the German Cathedral. “Can we go into the church?”. “No, you’re 80 years too late!” The German Cathedral is now a museum about German government which was probably pushing our interest in German political history a bit far!

We returned to the hotel for a rest and to change for our evening. We headed to a slightly touristy steakhouse on the river which was perfectly fine, even choosing one of the cheapest things on the menu! Next, showtime!

Mia had flagged the Friedrichstadt Palast theatre on TripAdvisor, and when I visited the website, I saw they had a new show on. Curated by Jean-Paul Gaultier, Falling In Love looked like a visual spectacular. It was literally just about to open – the premiere was on the 11^th. On a whim just days before we had departed England, we bought mid-price tickets, at the front of the high circle. We bought drinks to take in with us but were annoyingly told we couldn’t take them in with us. A very obliging bartender agreed to look after our drinks for the interval (which at least meant we swerved the interval queue!).

Friedrichstadt Palast is a beautiful, modern and HUGE theatre. The seating is very open and we had a terrific view. We were particularly amazed by how deep the stage was and just how much set there seemed to be! There was a vague story to hang the spectacle on; ‘Me’ is a deaf man (performed by a deaf dancer / actor) who is trying to find himself in the Diamond City where everyone is split into Blue, Red or Green. ‘Me’ meets ‘You’ the female character who has escaped the need to conform to one of the three tribes. They fall in love, there is a battle for Blue, Red and Green to capture ‘Me’, eventually they realise life is more wonderful if we all blend together. Very sweet, a little earnest, but nothing that’s going to make you think too deeply.

It was sung and spoken in a mix of English and German and seemed relatively easy to follow if you only spoke one of the languages (it did say it was accessible to non-German speakers). Some of the acts felt a bit shoe-horned into the story, and it had an element of “variety performance” at times. The Sanddorn Balance sequence – where a feather and 13 branches are perfectly balanced onto just one, final branch – left the whole audience holding their breath in case we created a breeze. This sort of fitted the story as ‘Me’ had held and lost the feather, and it clearly symbolised the fine balance of our personalities. The stage was transformed into a swimming pool for one section – again I could rationalise this as the Blue, Red and Green merged into inflatable costumes of Yellow, Magenta and Cyan. However, the troupe of gymnasts and trampolinists, while entertaining (and drawing the biggest cheer of the night), I am still scratching my head to work out!

The performances were superb throughout, and the huge company of dancers put on a great show. I especially loved the classic can-can style line – something I have seen on screen so many times, but never really seen live. It truly is one of the most classic and effective choreographic styles. Obviously, being curated by Gaultier, the costumes were always going to be incredible. There were some glorious nods to Gaultier’s work, from the sailor, to the chaps and dozens of conical bras. Sometimes you have to approach things in the right way – we knew this was going to be a largely shallow spectacle of a show, and very much enjoyed every second of it.

It was only just gone 10pm so it was time for a drink. In the middle of a very busy Berlin on a Friday night, this looked a little tricky. We were going to grab one in a nearby Irish bar but it was packed out. I had a quick Google for “Berlin hidden bars” and came up with a gem that was just a few minutes walk away. The article said:

“Classy and upscale, Bar Tausend is situated in the heart of the city, near the bustling Friedrichstrasse, but it’s very easy to miss. Tucked below railway tracks and behind an imposing steel door, taking the time to search for this place is well worth it. They serve classic cocktails with elevated style. There is also a cantina that specialises in German-Asian fusion cuisine by personnel from the acclaimed restaurant, Dae Mon. The interior is upscale with industrial décor and sleek art deco finishes. Bar Tausend also hosts live music and DJ sets on weekends. It provides a practically unparalleled level of nightlife sophistication, and guests only get in if they are able to look the part.”

We found the imposing steel door, but I felt a bit odd thinking about knocking. There was a girl outside on her phone. I reckoned she would be going back in, so we waited for her to finish her conversation, and sidled up when the door opened. We were lightly questioned. “Do you know this is Bar Tausend?”. “Yes, I’ve heard of it,” I replied as confidently as I could. The door man – not a big burly sort, but a middle aged, well dressed gentleman – eyed us up, decided we were suitably attired, and allowed us in. We were informed that there were no photos allowed and no phone reception.

We found a secret bar! I don’t think I’ve ever been in a secret bar before! We perched at the bar, ordered cocktails and took in our surroundings. Dark, slightly industrial but not in the cliched way that seems so fashionable at the moment, this was a classy spot. There was a DJ playing but the volume was just at the right level that we could chat. I’m always in awe at mixologists and happily watched the staff keeping up with the orders. I ordered a second cocktail which was stronger than the first! We had a fantastic time feeling like uber cool Berliners and left with an alcoholic buzz in our heads and a spring in our step.

Saturday 14^th October

Our final day in Berlin was sort of a ‘mopping up’ day. First up was the DDR Museum. I came here on my previous visit to Berlin and remember finding it absolutely fascinating. It shows what life was like for the citizens of East Germany post WW2. It’s actually strange how you can just start to feel how it wasn’t such a bad life. Everyone had a job and a purpose, food, housing, a sense of community, even holidays were often state subsidised. This contrasts with the exhibits showing how tightly controlled this was and just what freedoms were lacking for the East Germans. The government propaganda that was needed to persuade their people that this was all in their best interests was huge. The privileges – often Western perks of capitalism - afforded to the leaders showed the disparity of the lifestyles. I would consider myself a socialist, but I wouldn’t want to live like this and I can see why it failed in this case.

It was sunny but cooler and windier today. We walked from the DDR Museum along the banks of the Spree towards the Reichstag, stopping off for our afternoon cake (cheesecake and raspberry tart) on the way, this time accompanied by chai and mimosa. We viewed the Reichstag from outside, got berated for crossing a single lane, quiet road on a red pedestrian light, then continued south for daytime views of the Brandenburg Gate and Holocaust Memorial. It was a bit weird to see the disrespect of people running between the stelae and even standing on them. It’s also a strangely oppressive feeling when you are in the centre of the monument.

One place I really wanted to see was the East Side Gallery. 1.3km of the wall, one of the longest sections still in situ which was turned into an art gallery in 1990. It’s a bit difficult to view properly in some ways because they are large works of art and you are quite close to them (with crowds of tourists and other pedestrians passing!) We took a few photos - I had to get one of the image from Pink Floyd’s The Wall! I was intrigued that the paintings were all dated 1990 / 2009, and it was interesting to read that the entire wall had to be restored to prevent it from collapsing. This meant that all the artwork had to be repainted. A few of the sections are blank, representing the artists who either chose not to or couldn’t replicate their work.

It was getting dark and starting to rain so we found a Mexican restaurant in the area for dinner. Nothing special, but it meant we could avoid the city centre for a little longer. Fully refreshed we returned to the centre to fully take in the Festival of Lights. It was a Saturday night and it seemed as though all of Berlin had turned out and brought the family! We started at the Fernsehenturm which had spectacular images projected on its stem. One piece I particularly liked had people squeezed into the narrow stem, trying to make their way towards an opening where a display of flowers was collated.

I had a map of the light shows on my phone but it was difficult to follow. I wanted to find the Nikolaikirche, a double spired church which we had somehow missed on our sightseeing so far. My map reading went a little askew and we got a little lost. After a brief stop to use a hotel loo, we recalibrated and finally found Nikolaikirchplatz. I think the streets would have been pretty enough, but the lights added even more to the atmosphere. It was a bit of a shame we had missed it during the day as the shops looked so quaint. In the falling temperatures it felt rather Christmassy!

Emerging onto the Marx Engel Forum, Mia saw smoke and lights in the distance so we headed towards it. It felt like heading towards a Glastonbury stage, not knowing what to expect! This was a very cool immersive light show accompanied by ambient music. The smoke made the light feeling like tunnels and waves moving towards you all the time. I really loved it, but I felt like I was constantly waiting for a beat to drop!

It was fun to revisit the places we had seen in the day time, all dressed up in their finery. The Berliner Dom seemed to have a number of rather kitsch patterns displayed on it. I was also becoming increasing impressed with my iPhone camera (a significant upgrade from my 7 year old SE!) We heard and saw a big crowd outside the Altes Museum so wandered over to see what was happening. There was clearly an acoustic gig happening. We snuck alongside the fountain but were promptly ushered back (it was a really big crowd but I still haven’t managed to Google who it might have been!).

Our final stop was back to the Brandenburg Gate for the third time! This seemed to be a much shorter “show” in all, and I would definitely say that the I found the other displays much more entertaining. Or maybe there’s a limit to how much you can watch pictures and videos made of light projected onto buildings.

We would have gone for another drink but the centre of Berlin on any Saturday night would have been difficult. This was almost impossible. We considered stopping somewhere less central, but we were also aware that we needed to be up at a decent time to pack and be ready for our train to Munich tomorrow.