On my second full day in the city I went on the Free Berlin Walking tour, more focused on the city itself and its tourist spots and less so on its Nazi history. We visited many more squares, libraries, churches, and some of Berlin's most touristy spots. Some interesting facts that I still remember from the tours:

1. Because Hitler was a lover of art, at the beginning of WWII, he ordered many statues and relics to be taken down and hidden, so as not to be destroyed. After the war and many of the destroyed buildings having been restored, the statues were returned to their places. So oftentimes, while the building looks clean and new, the statues look dirty, but that's because they're the originals.

2. Prior to WWII, the Nazi party burned 20,000 books from the Berlin Library and Humboldt University in Bebelplatz that they believed didn't align with Nazi principles. Today, there is a memorial in Bebelplatz with a glass tile in the floor showing a room full of empty bookcases, with enough space to hold the 20,000 books that were burned. Near it, there is a plaque with a quote by Heinrich Heine that translates into: "That was only a prelude; where they burn books, they will in the end also burn people." The terrifying part is that this quote is from 1821.

3. Checkpoint Charlie was created for tourists. While there did exist a checkpoint Charlie after the war, when the Iron Curtain went up, it was placed elsewhere. The soldiers on location are also not American, but actors who are happy to take photos with tourists. There were other checkpoints as well, named after the aviation terms: Checkpoint Alpha, Checkpoint Bravo, and Checkpoint Charlie. Checkpoint Charlie became famous after someone from West Berlin was denied entrance to East Berlin for an opera show he'd purchased tickets for. As he had some connections, a disagreement ensued, bringing military tanks from the US and the Soviets to a standstill at Checkpoint Charlie. Neither side fired, but stared down each other for 16 hours with the Soviets backing away slowly after they had come to an agreement.

4. Berlin's TV Tower (Fernsehturm Berlin), near Alexanderplatz, was built in the late 1960s by the Soviets. It was meant to be a symbol of communist power and to showcase the Soviets' technological prowess. However, when the afternoon sunlight hits the stainless steel dome at the top of the tower, we can see a clear cross pattern across it. Numerous engineers at the time tried different shades of colors in order to change the reflection image, to no avail, with the Soviets finally claiming that they had actually intended for it to do that. It is affectionally called by the locals as the "Pope's Revenge".

5. Rausch Chocolaterie is one of the most famous chocolate shops in Berlin. It houses numerous chocolate sculptures and some of the most delicious chocolate in the city. And it's surprisingly affordable!

My second day was far slower. I mostly just walked around the city after the tour and visited the Topography of Terror, which stands next to a section of the wall that's still standing.

Iron Curtain remains by Topography of Terror

The following day there was a bit more walking, starting farther away from the main tourist spots. I took the subway out to Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church to start the day. This church was bombed during WWII and was never rebuilt, so that its roof is still caved in. It's a bit of a strange contrast considering it stands next to fast food restaurants and a street full of shops.

After the church I walked through Tiergarten, a park similar to Central Park in NYC, but far less crowded. It was incredibly peaceful walking through it.

After making my way through the park, I reached Victory Column. Because I just hadn't had enough with the walking through the park and climbing the Berliner Dom 2 days before, I decided to climb the Victory Column. It wasn't too bad and the view was amazing.

Another really cool thing about the Victory Column is that it has a little museum on the first floor. It housed numerous replicas of landmarks across various cities, as well as paintings and statues. The replicas though, I thought were the most beautiful.

After the Victory Column, I walked back towards the Brandenburg Gate. I passed by the Soviet War memorial and the Sinti and Roma Memorial again. Like I had previously mentioned, there are various memorials throughout the city, large and small. One of my favorites was the Sinti and Roma memorial. It was peaceful while still telling a story. There is classical music playing in the background 24/7. At the center of the fountain is a stone with a flower laid on top. Every night, the stone turns over, sending the flower into the water so that a new day can begin and a new flower can take its place.

Again, another day of lots of walking. I was glad to have 2 slower days though, as the following 2 days would be taken up by all-day tours. So, more to come on those!

Visiting Berlin, Germany: Part 2

Natalia Persegani

Visiting Berlin, Germany: Part 2

Visiting Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp in Berlin, Germany: Part 3

Visiting Berlin, Germany: Part 1

Natalia Persegani