Ahhhh, fresh, flavorful beer. It’s one of the few finer things in life that’s regrettably lacking in Italy. In search of quality beer we went to one of the greatest beer producing countries in the world, Germany, and spent a weekend in Berlin. Between pints we found time to enjoy the city’s beautiful sites and fascinating history. Berlin is one of the most unique cities in Europe because of all the years it spent divided between East and West. Today West Berlin is full of big buildings and modern construction projects, like the Sony Center, which is a futuristic mall/movie theater/museum/apartment complex. East Berlin is where all the more historic sites and buildings are located, and all of them seem to have a story behind them.

Around Berlin there are subtle reminders of World War II and communist rule. In West Berlin the remains of a church that was bombed have been left standing as a memorial. In the heart of the city the former site of the Berlin wall is now marked by stone slabs paved into the ground.

You can see all the major landmarks in East Berlin on foot in one day. A great way to start is with a trip up to the glass dome on top of the Reichstag building, which was added as part of the building’s reconstruction. The building was severely damaged in 1933 when Hitler set fire to it and blamed the communist party in a scheme for a Nazi government takeover. From the dome there are 360 degree views of the entire city and surroundings. Nearby, the famous Brandenburg Gate, topped by a proud statue of a galloping horse drawn chariot, marks the beginning of Unter den Linden Street, the main road that traverses the historic city center. The street is lined with large marble buildings housing such establishments as the State Opera and a University. Just off Unter den Linden Street is Gendarmenmarkt Square with the beautiful Deutscher Dom (German Cathedral) and Französischer Dom (French Cathedral). It’s said to be one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. The way these elegant marble structures accented by columns and statues rise up from an expansive stone paved plaza certainly gives merit to the claim. Further on, the former site of Checkpoint Charlie now houses an outdoor display with two city blocks worth of billboards that chronicle the split and eventual unification of Berlin. Back on Unter den Linden Street is the Berliner Dom, the largest cathedral in Berlin, built by the last German Emperor, Wilhem II, between 1895 and 1904. Behind the cathedral is Museum Island, so named for the narrow strip of land where two rivers meet which houses several important museums.

Of course, all this walking can be a bit tiring. A great way to end the day is to stop at one of the restaurants or cafes that line the rivers and order a beer. We especially enjoyed a brewery with plenty of outdoor seating near the statue of Saint George along the Spree River. And, no trip to Berlin is complete without a visit to Tiergarten, the giant, forested park home to running paths and biergartens where you can lounge away all night on the wooden picnic tables sampling the delicious draughts and cheap pretzels.

To see more of our pictures from Berlin, click here.

Last Modified : July 19th, 2007
Filed under : Trips
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