European Vacation: Berlin

Remember back in the day when someone would return from vacation and you'd have to sit in a darkened room watching a slideshow of the endless fascinating pictures they took to document their trip?

Well grab some popcorn and dim the lights, because my slideshow is about to start. Lucky for you, you can scroll through them at your own pace, and you don't have to ooh and ahh and feign interest in them. Ha!

The first stop on our trip was Berlin. It is a city rich with history, and we made the most of our two days there.

We landed early in the morning, showered quickly at the hotel, and hit the ground running... well, more like strolling after a sleepless overnight flight.

Monument to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Designed by U.S. architect Peter Eisenman, the 2,711 unmarked gray, stone slabs are each unique in shape and size.

Brandenburg Gate...

Walking down Unter den Linden.

Humboldt University

Neue Kirche

Kathe Kollwitz sculpture Mother with her Dead Son, a WWII war memorial

Berliner Dom

Berliner Dom

The Berliner Dom, Berlin's protestant catheral is located on Museum Island. We visited the Pergamon Museum there which houses original-sized, reconstructed monumental buildings such as the Pergamon Altar and the Market Gate of Miletus, all consisting of parts transported from Turkey.

The Pergamon also houses an Islamic Art exhibit. Below is the Aleppo Room, the reception room of a prosperous Syrian broker. He commissioned the painted wall panels in the beginning of the 17th century.

On Day 2, we visited the Berlin Wall memorial.

Marker showing where original wall stood.

Pictures of those who lost their lives on the wall.

Touring the wall memorial is very emotional.

The Chapel of Reconciliation on the grounds of the Berlin Wall memorial. The chapel stands were the Reconciliation Church once stood. When the wall was erected, the church was situated in the death strip and was inaccessible. The church was blown up in 1985 by the East Germans. After reunification, the chapel was constructed.

View of the wall's fortification area

Back at the Brandenburg Gate...

Heading to the other side of the Brandenburg Gate

Soviet War Memorial in the Tiergarten

Victory Column

Bellevue Palace

German Resistance Memorial Center, at the historic site of the attempted coup of July 20, 1944 

"Here Died For Germany" ("Hier Starben Für Deutschland"), and then it lists the names of the executed men. These men and hundreds more were executed for the attempt to kill Hitler.

Checkpoint Charlie

The Topography of Terror is an indoor/outdoor museum on the site of the fomer SS building. It chronicles the rise of the Nazi regime and the atrocities it committed.

Topography of Terror Museum

In the evening, we toured the Reichstag building...

Reichstag

The large glass dome at the very top of the Reichstag has a 360-degree view of the surrounding Berlin cityscape.

Okay... I know that was pretty long, but there was a lot to see and do in Berlin. And, believe me, I edited the pictures a lot :) The rest of our trip was slower paced, and I've got some beautiful pictures to show you of the architecture and scenery in Germany and France.

Have you been to Berlin, or would you like to visit? I would definitely recommend, especially if you're interested in history. Oh, and if you like sausage. They had some amazing curry wurst there :)

Have a great day!