Walking tour of Berlin’s main sights

Monday

Today was yet another beautiful day where the temperature reached around 27 degrees C again. For my next adventure, I had pre-booked one of the many walking tour options online that was cheap at around £14 per person for a three-hour tour of all Berlin’s main sites. It did include a refreshment break of about 25 minutes during the three hours, which was certainly welcomed in the heat! I had to travel by train and meet at a redemption point by the train station. The tour guide, James, was a great guy and extremely knowledgeable on the local area and its vast history. It was also good that there was only a small group of us, five, to be precise. The extensive tour of Berlin included:

Berlin Cathedral – Also known as the Evangelical Supreme Parish and Collegiate church. This beautiful church has the most amazing architecture with its green domes, and inside is the tomb of king Frederick III. We didn’t go inside, but it apparently costs around ten euros if you do want to go in and take a look.

Neue Wache – This is a listed building in the historic centre of Berlin that was originally built as a guardhouse for the Prussian Royal Palace. But, after WWI, it was badly damaged and so was eventually restored and became the central memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany for the victims of war and dictatorship. Inside the building is a very moving sculpture of a grieving mother and her dead son. The sculpture is placed directly underneath the building’s oculus, which gives it an authentic appearance, and represents the profound grief caused by conflict and dictatorship.

Babelplatz – This is a public square in the central Mitte district of Berlin. The square was renamed after August Bebel, a founder of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in the 19^th century after WWI.

Gendarmenmarkt – This is the site of the German cathedral, French cathedral and Concert Hall.

Check Point Charlie – This was named by western allies due to its position as the third checkpoint on route to the city. It subsequently became one of the most famous border crossings between the East and West of Berlin during the Cold War.

Berlin Wall – This is probably one of Berlin’s most famous landmarks, but the remains of the wall were not as memorable as I had imagined. It is still a poignant reminder, however, of how the citizens of Berlin were prevented, literally overnight, from moving between the west and the east of the city. There is also a double block pave line with commemorative plaques that runs along the road to mark the former path of the Berlin Wall.

Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin – This building is the Sate Parliament Building of Berlin.

Platz des Volksaufstandes von 1953 – This memorial park is located in the heart of Berlin and dedicated to the significant events that occurred in East Germany in June 1953. It is a place of reflection and a strong reminder of the struggles people faced for freedom and democracy. The concrete blocks vary in size and get taller as you walk through the maze-like interior. There have been many comments on how the memorial was done and how it could have been done differently, but I think that sometimes less is more and more colour in the park may have created a distraction from its real purpose.

Hitler’s Bunker – The Fuhrerbunker was an air raid shelter located near the Reich Chancellery in Berlin, and the corpses of Hitler and Eva Braun were burned here. The bunker no longer exists and has been filled with concrete. It is now a parking lot.

Bradenburg Gate – Another of Berlin’s famous landmarks is this 26-meter-high neoclassical monument. It was inspired by the Acropolis in Athens and features a chariot with a goddess of victory on the top. The monument was designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans and was completed in 1791. It was a potent symbol of division between East and West Berlin during the Cold War.

Raum der Stille – In the northern gatehouse of the Brandenburg Gate is the Raum de Stille that is a room anyone can use regardless of their origin, colour, or religion. It allows for silence, peace, and mediation in the midst of a busy city.

Hotel Adlon – This impressive hotel in the government district and directly opposite the Brandenburg Gate is a five-star luxury hotel. The hotel most notably became famous in 2002 when Michael Jackson stayed there and dangled his baby over the balcony off his bedroom.

This was where my tour ended, so after one or two group photos, we parted company and went our separate ways. I decided to continue walking and managed to see another couple of landmarks on my own:

Soviet War Memorial (Tiergarten) – This impressive memorial lies in a prominent position in a large public park on the west side of the city centre and is one of many war memorials in Berlin. It was erected by the Soviet Union to commemorate the soldiers of the Soviet Armed Forces who died in the battle of Berlin in 1945.

Victory Column Berlin - At the top of this 61m-high tower sits a bronze sculpture of the winged Victoria that stands proudly in the centre of Berlin’s Tiergarten district. It is one of Berlin’s most famous landmarks. The sculpture represents the victory of Prussia in the German Danish war in 1864, the German war in 1866, and the Franco-Prussian war in 1870/71.

After a busy day of taking in the sights, I decided to continue walking back from the Victory Column by the park area, which is a pretty route and gives a large expanse of green space to an otherwise busy city. It was quite a walk back, as I had, of course, taken the train into the main part of the city to start with – my feet were certainly starting to suffer a bit in the heat and from all the walking. I noticed that the Hop on Hop off buses run around this area, so it is obviously part of the bus route. I didn’t use the buses at all while I was in Berlin, but they are a great way of getting around the city, particularly if you don’t want to walk or have any mobility issues. You can also combine the bus ticket with a river boat cruise. Basic 48-hour tickets on the bus are about 50 euros per person and family tickets run at around 123 euros. You can just do 24-hour passes or upgrade to a 72-hour pass, but you get more value for money the more days you do.

After a much-needed rest, I freshened up and spent the evening winding down at another lovely local restaurant: The Elephant in Schoneberg. I decided to try the beef goulash with potato dumplings and red cabbage, which was a great choice and looked to be a popular dish. The schnitzel also seemed to be very popular. So, if you find yourself in this area, give it a try!