Berlin
I’m such a fan of Berlin. It just has a really great vibe.
Matt, Wes I and took a free walking tour on our first day. I did the same tour in 2006 and found it pretty funny this time around because the route and script haven’t changed at all. Even still, it was a great way to reacquaint myself with the many interesting sites and landmarks in the central ‘Mitte’ district.
Two of the most obvious spots are the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gates) and the Reichstag (the German parliament building).
I stayed in the Charlottenburg district in 2006 so I’d already seen quite a few places in the former West Berlin. Kurfürstendamm, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the Berlin Zoo and the Tiergarten being highlights. So for the next few days I spent some time exploring the eastern districts.
There are no shortage of things to see in and around Friedrichshain. There was a cool theme bar dedicated to The Big Lebowski where I came very close to ordering a White Russian. I also really liked the Oberbaumbrücke which is an old red brick bridge that crosses the Spree. It’s down the far eastern end of the East Side Gallery so you can’t miss it.
In terms of nightlife, I managed to see a couple of bands. The first was a young and local punk whose name escapes me. The second was a solid performance by London’s Supergrass. Both shows were plenty of fun but nothing to rave about.
One thing that I did enjoy was a ‘free’ (tips based) tour of some of the alternative sites in Berlin. I was a little hesitant at first because I thought looking at graffiti and visiting squats with a group would be kind of pathetic. Looking back I am glad I did it. I learnt a lot and took notice of many things that I wouldn’t have otherwise seen. To save you those feelings of guilt, maybe just check out the photos.
