Berlins Best Attractions

Take the time to read what I have to say about Berlins best attractions. I hope it helps you plan your European vacation.

Three years ago I made my first trip to Berlin and it blew me away!! I'm a history buff so Berlin seemed to be the perfect choice. It was like stepping back in time. There was so much to see that it reminded me a little bit of London. Don't get me wrong, Berlin is a very youthful and vibrant city. There is construction everywhere and parts of the city are very modern. It really has two sides to it, the old and the new.

I'd like to give you a little bit of Berlins best information about the old part first. If you're interested in World War II there are dozens of potential attractions. Much of Berlin's war history,especially Nazi history, was destroyed and it takes someone who knows the city to show you where certain things were located. The only Nazi era building still standing is the old Luftwaffe headquarters. Today it serves as the finance ministry. Just down the road are the ruins of the SS headquarters which has been left as a pile of rubble.. Beside the ruins is an outdoor memorial known as the "Topography of Terror" which gives you a detailed account of the atrocities committed by the SS.

Near the Brandenburg gait you'll find the Holocaust memorial which was just opened a few years ago. It has been very controversial but it is extremely powerful. Adjacent to the memorial is a small parking lot next to some appartments which use to be the entrance to Hitler's bunker. It's unmarked but there has been some talk recently of identifying the location. You can find it on my Berlin Walk (Berlin walking tour map).

The is a must see because of it's simplicity. It is right across the street from the square where the Berlin book burnings took place. In this area you can still see buildings that where scarred by the war. Many of them have never been repaired and the damage is extensive. A trip to the old Jewish quarter is also worth you're while and you'll see that even today heavily armed German police protect the synagogue from neo-nazis. National war memorial is a must see because of it's simplicity. It is right across the street from the square where the Berlin book burnings took place. In this area you can still see buildings that where scarred by the war. Many of them have never been repaired and the damage is extensive. A trip to the old Jewish quarter is also worth you're while and you'll see that even today heavily armed German police protect the synagogue from neo-nazis.

The Reichstag (German Parliament Building) is a good place to see the blending of the old and the new. The building was extensively damaged during WWII and was left to fall apart during most of the Cold War. Today it is again the home of the German government and it's new transparent dome is supposed to be symbolic of the openess in the new Germany. The Berlin wall use to make it's way past the Reichstag and in front of the Brandenburg gate, dividing the East from the West.

To really understand what the wall was all about you need to make a stop at Checkpoint Charlie, which was a crossing point between the two Berlins. Here you'll find one of Berlins best museums,the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, which shows you how people tried to escape communist rule. Across the street is a memorial to those who died in the attempt to cross the wall. Wherever the wall once stood they have placed bricks in the road to show you where it was.

The east side of Berlin will give you a good idea of what life was like under the Communists. Karl Marx strasse is a wide road which was used by the government to hold military parades. Most of the streets in the east are much wider for this purpose. Karl Marx strasse brings you to the Alexanderplatz , where the communists built a large radio tower to try and intimidate those living in the West.

The heart of the old Berlin use to be the Potsdamer Platz .Today it is enjoying a rebirth and is quickly becoming the heart of the city again. It has Berlins best shopping and modern office buildings with different archtectural styles. Make sure you make a visit.

Most of Berlins best attractions are within walking distance but berlin is a vast city that covers alot of territory and you may have to use public transportation to get from place to place.

Stay tuned for more of Berlins best!!

Checkpoint Charlie Museum German War Memorial Potsdamer Platz Alexanderplatz

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