Berlin

We just got back from Berlin. It was a lot of fun and I was really impressed with the city. So diverse and interesting, with stunning architecture from the "old" and the "new." I have learnt so much about Berlin and Germany’s fascinating (and traumatic) history, which played a major role in shaping European and world affairs. We visited many of Berlin’s main tourist attractions, but the ones that impressed me most were:

• The Wall Museum – Which documented the development of the divided city (East and West Berlin), including the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall. This was really interesting!

• Checkpoint Charlie – The main gateway between East and West Berlin. It was here that US and Soviet tanks faced off in October 1961, pushing the world to the brink of WWIII.

• The Holocaust Memorial – A memorial to the Jewish victims of the Nazi-planned genocide of WWII. There are 2,711 concrete slabs of varying heights to remember the Jews that were murdered. It looks like a giant cemetery. We also visited the Information Centre which was extremely interesting, as it documented this gruesome period in history. They showed graphic photos and a timeline of Jewish persecution during the Third Reich, and also documented the fate of individuals and entire families. It was an extremely disturbing but a very humbling experience.

• Furnsehturm – A 368m TV Tower (Berlin’s highest landmark) that has a viewing platform at 203m, which offers fantastic views of the city. It was amazing to see Berlin’s stunning architecture, from its grand palaces and elaborate estates, to the vast differences between East Berlin (mainly represented by countless concrete simple buildings that all looked the same) and West Berlin (represented with a variety of structures, consistent with a democratic society). Since WWII which obliterated so much of the city, and following reunification after the removal of the Berlin Wall, architects took to large parts of the city and constructed modern impressive structures and buildings, which are a stark contrast to the old architecture.

• The Berlin Zoo and Aquarium – With over 14,000 animals, it has the largest number of species in any zoo in the world. We saw everything from A to Z, from Antelopes to Zebras. The highlights were Knut the Polar Bear, King Pengins, lions, tigers, jaguar, leopards, zebras, panda, and black bears.

Photos from Berlin