Travel to Berlin

Prior to moving to Okinawa I was fortunate to live in West Berlin for 18 months. I occasionally ventured into the east but spent a majority of my time in the west which offered everything I wanted. West Berlin was very similar to Hong Kong in the sense that they were both isolated islands. Both cities offer something for everyone. In only minutes you can travel from the densely congested downtown areas to peaceful retreats. More than forty percent of West Berlin was wooded or water.

Berlin today is one of the most exciting and beautiful cities in the world. It has both cultural splendor and artistic creativity as well as offering a great night life. The pulse of the city can be measured on the Kurfurstendamm (Ku'damm) which is a grand boulevard flanked by ritzy shops, sidewalk cafes, movie theaters, exclusive hotels, and hot night clubs. There's something for everyone. At one end of the Ku'damm you'll find the bombed out Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church which was badly damaged during bombing in 1943. The church was left in it's current state as a reminder of wartime damage. The bombed out church flanked by an odd shaped new chapel lies across the plaza from the ultra-modern Europa Center. The area is a hub of activity for everyone from dancing and singing Harry Krishna's to punkers and anti-war protesters. There's always something to just sit back and watch and of course take pictures with amusement. The top of the Europa Center warrants two visits (day & night) to shoot spectacular views of the city. The cage-like enclosure that is meant to prevent jumpers keeps you back from the edge which hinders some picture taking. My technique (try at your own risk) was to climb up the bars high enough to get a clear view over the edge. Be prepared to shoot with one hand and hold on with the other! I have a couple of great night shots of the city lights using this method.

The wall that once devided the city is almost completely gone. I arrived in Berlin just after the wall 'came down' so I had the opportunity to chip some of my own souvenirs and shoot some pictures. There are a few remnants including the East Side Gallery located across from the East Berlin rail station. This section of wall is covered with a number of very colorful paintings. Another section is across the river from the Reichstag. It's covered with black & white murals depicting suffering in the east. If you shoot from the right angle you'll have an interesting contrast between the wall and the huge Toyota dealership now located just behind it. The only other signs of the wall are the vast strips of vacant land that was once the no-mans land between the east and west.

Many of the historic landmarks of Berlin are concentrated around Potsdammer Platz and the Brandenburg Gate. The largest of which is the Reichstag. This immense building which was the house of the German parliament before the war (and will again be) is a sight to be seen. As you approach you'll see the thousands upon thousands of pot marks in the granite from bullets during the final hours of WWII. The Reichstag was the last stand for the German Army. Unbeknownst to them, Hitler had already committed suicide a few hours earlier in his bunker just five hundred meters away. The Russian Army lost 2000 men taking this one building having to fight room by room to the end. Today you'll find the large grassy fields around the Reichstag filled with picnickers and people playing soccer. Just outside the left entrance to the building a number of plaques remembering the people that died trying to flee East Berlin during the Cold War by swimming across the River Spree.

Just a hundred meters away, the historic Brandenburg Gate which is modeled after the Propylaea, the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens. The gate is topped with the Quadriga, a horse drawn chariot which was once spirited away by Napoleon. During the Cold War the gate was isolated between the East and West portions of the wall. The only available views for almost 30 years were over the wall from observation platforms. Now you can walk through the gate yourself and see that which was denied to almost everyone for decades. The Quadriga was damaged by jubilant revelers who climbed on it during the celebration of the fall of the wall. It was repaired just in time for the 200th anniversary of the gate. As they say timing is everything... I was fortunate to be there for the 200th anniversary celebration. I have some spectacular slides of the gate illuminated by flood lights and fireworks in the sky [Note: the fireworks were a hell of a lot better than the pitiful display we saw on 1 July during Americafest]. Day and night, the Brandenburg Gate has lots of potential for shooting pictures. The area is always teaming with people including numerous Turkish vendors selling numerous items from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

To the west of the Brandenburg Gate lies the Soviet War Memorial. This structure which is flanked by two WWII era Soviet tanks was build with marble from Hitler's destroyed headquarters, the Reichs Chancellery. Oddly enough, this monument was in the western part of Berlin. Venturing to the east of the Brandenburg Gate down Unter den Linden, once the main east-west axis of Imperial Berlin, will lead you to the center of East Berlin which has numerous sites to see and photograph. They include the historic Pergamon museum, the Berliner Dom (cathedral), television tower, Alexander Platz, city hall, and the narrow streets of Nikolaiviertel. Spending a day wandering around this area will yield a large number of fabulous slides. A short drive away is the one of Berlin's most celebrated land marks. Checkpoint Charlie was the Allied checkpoint for crossing into East Berlin. It is the site of the historic photos of American and Eastern Block tanks facing off during the dark days of the Cold War. Now all that remains is a sign commemorating it's existence. Much of the area will become a modern shopping center and hotel complex. Near by you'll find the Checkpoint Charlie museum which contains the history of the wall as well as photos of and contraptions used for escapes from East Berlin to the West. There's also films documenting the seventy five people who were murdered by the East German border guards while trying to escape.

Outside the city center there are several must see sights. A visit to Schloss Charlottenburg is highly recommended. This palace was originally build as a country house for the future Queen Sophie Charlotte in 1695. Schloss Charlottenburg is a stark contrast to it's surrounding modern city. The palace and it's accompanying spacious grounds are wonderful to wander through and photograph. There are also a couple of museums for those of you who enjoy that sort of thing. To the right of the Palace is the Samovar restaurant which serves outstanding Russian food. It is worth a visit in the evening... plan on being there for a while as service can be slow but the food and beer (Czech Budvar) are worth the wait.