Date Travelled: 15-17 November 2004
Berlin has emerged from the divided communities of the Cold War to become one of Europe's hottest cities. Berlin sits at the crossroads of Europe, dividing the west with the former Soviet block countries.
The best way into town from the airport is the "AirportExpress" train service direct to the centre in 30mins (tickets €6). I stayed at the Agon am Alexanderplatz, which is 5 minutes walk from the station.
Whilst you're in the city, I recommend buying a 24hour U-bahn ticket (€5), which gives you unlimited travel on Berlin's extensive underground metro system.
My first port of call was the U-bahn station Koch Strasse, which is home to the most famous borders between East and West Berlin: Checkpoint Charlie.
Checkpoint Charlie, from the American Sector.
Historians will marvel at the nostalgia and tradegy surrounding the former border, with the shops offering a genuine piece of the former wall, along with Soviet propaganda, and the change to get your passport stamped with authentic border crossing visas!
The next stop is Berlin's biggest church, the Berliner Dom. (entrance €3)
Berliner Dom.
This beautiful cathedral dominates East Berlin, with its grand Dome rivaling St. Pauls in London for its acoustics.
Taking a walk from Berliner Dom along the mile long, leafy Unter Den Linden, you pass small coffee shops, and plenty of souvenir stalls, until you get to Berlin's number 1 attraction: The Brandenburg Gate.
The Brandenburg Gate.
The symbol of Berlin's division and later reunification, the Brandenburg Gate is now gladly traffic free, to preserve its massive significance to this city.
After spending a good hour taking in the Brandenburg gate, cross over to former West Berlin, where the first building you will see to the right is Germany's renovated parliament building: the Reichstag.
The Reichstag.
The queues for the glass viewing platform at the top can be long, but well worth it, for its excellent views. You will notice as you queue, the inscription "dem deutschen volke" on the top of the building, which means "To the German People".
For another blast of Cold War nostalgia, head back onto the U-bahn to Warschaur Strasse, where you will find the East Side Gallery, which is the only surviving 1/2 mile portion of the Berlin Wall.
The East Side Gallery.
Some of the artwork you will see on this wall, will not only leave you feeling sorry for the millions divided by the wall, but amazed at the beauty that has emerged from the gastly concrete.
If you love your meat, you'll love Berlin. Near the hotel, there is an excellent steak house, which offers the biggest rack of ribs I've ever seen, along with a large jug of German beer, for a bargain price of €7. Fantastic!
Before you get back on the train to the airport, take a look at Berlin's biggest building, the Fernsehtrum, the former Soviet TV tower.
Berlin Fernsehtrum.
This tower now serves as an excellent viewing platform, and a revolving gourmet restaurant.
If you're looking for a mix of east meets west, why not try Berlin?
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