Berlin, Germany

It took a lot to get me out of Copenhagen (starting to feel like my time here is running out!), but last weekend I flew to Berlin with Berry, one of my closest friends from high school.

Because my program offers two weeks off for travel, until Berlin, I hadn't done any weekend visits.  While we packed a lot into the two days we were there and hit many of the sites that we had wanted to visit, we left feeling like we needed more time.  We loved what we saw of Berlin, but didn’t feel like we had a clear sense and understanding of the city. 

We stayed with a family friend of Berry’s in an apartment in East Berlin. The friend, now in his sixties, moved to West Berlin from the US in the 1970's, and shared with us what life was like in Berlin during Soviet control.    

Our visit focused on Berlin’s many historical sites—the Topography of Terror museum (about Nazi Germany), the Memorial to Murdered Jews, the DDR museum (about life in East Berlin under Soviet control), and the Berlin Wall.  We also got a taste for German cuisine (which for a vegetarian really just means potatoes), made an attempt to keep up with the city’s wild nightlife, and stumbled upon Berlin’s many murals and art displays.  On Sunday, we found a hip flea market called Mauerpark, where we discovered cool finds, street food, and live music. 

{memorial to murdered jews in europe}

{berlin wall}

Overall, a wonderful weekend! The trip will be my last outside of Copenhagen, until I return to the US. I am excited to spend the next few weekends checking off all those items still on my Copenhagen bucket list. 

“Berlin is more a part of the world than a city”

-Jean Paul, Writer, 1800