Once we had committed to coming to Germany it seemed silly to leave without spending some time in Berlin.  We were worried about it being big and expensive but it seemed silly not to see one of Europe’s great cities.

Luckily we were able to get a good deal on a hotel and, thanks to an influx of immigrants, Berlin actually has a ton of super cheap, delicious ethnic food.

Berlin is a city where it is easy to get sightseeing guilt.  There is so much to see you would have to spend months there to fit it all in.  We certainly didn’t make it to all of the ‘must-see’ attractions but here are the highlights of what we did see.

Experiencing Ancient Architecture at the Pergamon Museum

The Pergamon Museum is one of the coolest museums I have ever been to (and that’s saying a lot considering the number of museums we’ve visited just on this trip.) This museum contains spectacular architectural creations from the ancient world.

But instead of displaying a piece of stonework in a glass case or some tile fragments hung on a wall they have actually rebuilt whole edifices inside the museum building.

The Ishtar Gate was the first piece we encountered upon entering.  Originally located in ancient Babylon, the gate was completely destroyed with only small tile pieces left for archaeologists to collect.  But collect them they did and eventually they were able to recreate the stunning walkway and main gate.

I also loved the Roman market gate that was pieced together directly behind the Ishtar Gate.  Architecture is meant to be experienced as a part of the physical environment.  It was so much more impactful to get to see these and other works in something close to their original form.

Learning About the Berlin Wall and its Legacy

Throughout this trip Dan and I have frequently been faced with our lack of knowledge of world history beyond World War II.  I knew very little about the Cold War period but our time in Berlin was a crash-course lesson in a city that epitomized the division between East and West.

On our last day in the city I spent the morning taking photographs at the East Side Gallery.  This is a portion of the Berlin Wall that was left up for artists to decorate.  The murals and graffiti covering the wall are very diverse.

Some are joyful and celebratory.  Others are poignant reminders about the difficult period when Berlin was a divided city.  Others comment on current political and social issues.

The wall represents a very difficult time in the city’s history but I appreciate that not all of it was destroyed.  The gallery creates a way for the city to memorialize its history and also contemplate its lessons.

After walking the East Side Gallery I headed across town to the Berlin Wall Memorial.  Driving by, the Memorial might easily be mistaken for a city park.  It is several blocks long and mostly consists of grassy open space.

Within each space there are displays containing photographs, sound clips and relics telling the story of the Berlin Wall from its first construction to its ultimate destruction.  As you walk along you realize that the reason this open space exists is that you’re standing in the gap between the two parts of the wall.

There used to be houses coming up all the way to the street but they were destroyed once officials realized that people could jump out of windows to escape over the wall.  You can still see the foundations of some of the homes that have been incorporated into the memorial.

Walking along and reading the stories of those who risked their lives to escape East Berlin was quite moving.  Getting to see these memorials in person definitely brought Berlin’s difficult history to life in a way that no classroom lecture could have.

Our few days in Berlin were pretty packed and we didn’t get a lot of time to slow down and experience life in the city.  I’m sure there are many cool neighborhoods to explore and cafes to pass an afternoon in.  Part of the trick to traveling for this long is finding the right balance between seeing and just being and we didn’t quite hit that in Berlin.  However, we learned a lot and I’m glad we got a chance to get a quick taste of the city.