Berlin, Germany - May 19
Once an infamous border city between the former East and West Germanys, Berlin today is one of Europe's most cosmopolitan and forward-thinking cultural capitals. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, a sweeping architectural and cultural transformation took hold. This is most powerfully symbolized in the Reichstag, Germany's Parliament Building. Its glass cupola symbolizes a new era of transparency and openness.
Monuments of wartime are everywhere here, from remnants of the Wall to Checkpoint Charlie. Pre-war treasures include the baroque Charlottenburg Palace and the 13th-century St. Nicholas Church.
Monuments of wartime are everywhere here, from remnants of the Wall to Checkpoint Charlie. Pre-war treasures include the baroque Charlottenburg Palace and the 13th-century St. Nicholas Church.
Straddling the Spree River, with grand theaters and more than 170 museums-many of them on Museum Island-- Berlin today is a major cultural center.
The haunting Holocaust Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is a somber reminder that history should not be repeated. There are 2,711 conctete blocks of various size in the outside courtyard and an information center/display underground.
Berlin is a huge city that can not be seen in a day. With a four hour, long but comfortable, train ride to get there, we were glad to see the highlights-- the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag Bldg, the Memorial, the churches.
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