Since the fall of its notorious wall, Berlin’s unification has seen it go from strength to strength. No wonder the city feels like it hasn’t stopped partying since the 1990s. There is so much to celebrate here. Fueled by the robust economy, a thriving tech scene, and straight-up German bonhomie, when you step into Berlin you’ll soon be caught up in its spirit.
For all this gusto, Berlin hasn’t forgotten its troubled past. A visit to Berlin is to bear witness to history. After falling into decline during the Weimar Republic, taking a battering during WWII, and getting cleaved in two during the Cold War, Berlin is arguably the city that bore the brunt of the 20th century. The bullet holes and original graffiti on the preserved parts of the Berlin Wall will stop you in your tracks. Checkpoint Charlie, on the boundary of the former American sector, is an absolute must. It’s astounding to recall the tensions that played out on the same spot just half a century ago. Inside the reconstructed Reichstag building, every attempt has been made to preserve the parliament’s beleaguered history. The buildings' glass dome addition feels less like a triumphal crown and more like a freshly-healed battle scar.
At night Berlin further enshrines its past. Monuments like the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column glow under floodlights. Wandering the city on a summer’s evening makes for spectacular viewing. Despite everything, Berlin has retained its neoclassical architecture. Developed by the Prussian King, Frederik William IV, Berlin’s 19th-century architecture speaks to the ideals of his reign; balance, reason, and order. The result is a spacious city with mid-rise buildings spread over wide, straight boulevards. This gives Berlin a breezy, laid-back ambiance.
Days in Berlin are easily spent wandering from a cafe to one of the cultural treasure houses on Museum Island, or to rococo the Charlottenburg Palace. For all its size and grandeur, Berlin never feels like its in a rush.
An international city that can offer something to everyone, Berlin is an unmissable stop on your German journey.
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