Barca and Beyond 2016
Travel Highlights, Part 1: Berlin, Germany
 |
| BE WARNED: Ryanair blows, but it's cheap and worth it in the end |
Ahh the second post of the blog, just as overdue as the
first one (I know I know, my bad). Now that I’m finally settled back in Barcelona for the rest of the
semester, I have the chance to sit down and recap all the trips from the past
month or so. The constant traveling was amazing, but I’m just as excited to
relax and reflect on it.
In an effort to keep things more concise (relatively) than
the opening post, I’ll give a rundown of highlights from my trips outside of
Catalan, the first stop being Berlin. While I came there mostly to check out
the Berlin Wall, see some of the museums and visit a beer garden or two, the
trip ultimately exceeded my expectations, as there was so much more to do than
I initially anticipated.
Side Note: Itineraries
are essential
Going into this semester, I had completely underestimated
the process of planning out a perfectly executed trip. Scouting out the best
places to visit, paying for the cheapest flight possible, and picking out the
right hostel that’s not too expensive but not too shady can be a difficult
process. Doing it incorrectly will significantly diminish the quality of your
trip. Never assume everything will fall into place without a plan, especially
in countries that don’t speak your language/want to capitalize on unassuming
tourists.
But anyways…
Berlin, Germany
Ack ya! Being half-German, visiting Deutschland at least
once during the semester was as much as a requirement as it was a preference. That being said, I would recommend not going during the unforgiving month of February, especially
early February, and even more-so if
you’re an idiot from Wisconsin that didn’t think he would need to pack anything
more than a light jacket for the entire semester. Just hypothetically speaking
here…
City Design: Widespread
Streets/Infrastructure
 |
| The polar opposite of Barcelona |
·
Going from one developed city to another, the
wasn’t an overwhelming amount of culture shock, but one aspect I couldn’t help
but point out was the difference in layout between Berlin and Barcelona. With
the destruction of WWII requiring Berlin to essentially hit the reset button in
the mid to late 1940s, all of the buildings have a newer feel/are widely spaced
out. Maybe one building every 50 or 100 yards or so in many parts of the city.
In Barcelona? You’ll find 15-20 buildings in the same allotted space. Consequently,
it’s pretty hard to get stuck in pedestrian traffic over there, which is good
for us fast-walking Americans.
Great hostels for low
costs
Singer 109. Look it up if you’re ever in the area.
Shockingly cheap, and surprisingly comfortable/accommodating. Also had a great bar, a pool table, and organized bar crawls at night.
Fernsehturm Observation
Tower
 |
| Stationed right in the middle of a popular shopping plaza, it's impossible to miss |
Built over the course of four years in the 60s, the tower is
the highest point in Germany and the second highest in the EU, standing at over
1,200 feet. Needless to say, it’s got views for days from each angle of the
city. They also have a fancy bar/restaurant just above the observation area if
eating overpriced steak 1,000 feet in the sky is a hobby of yours
 |
| How kind of them to put a bar up here? |
 | ||||
| Probably the best view of the semester
Museum Island
On the second day, we bought tickets for access to 5
different museums, all located in the central part of the city. The two most
memorable ones were the Bode Museum, which featured sculptures from the Middle
Ages and early Renaissance, and the Neues Museum, which had artifacts from the
Egyptian dynasties as well as the Stone Age. While I didn’t visit Berlin for
these types of museums, seeing the wide variety was a pleasant surprise to say
they least.
 
Checkpoint Charlie
A symbolic crossing point during the Cold War years, Checkpoint Charlie was became the single accessible crossing zone for the allied forces and foreigners. In the early stages of the Wall’s construction, the checkpoint was the sight of multiple famous escapes by East Germany citizens, as well as a famous military standoff in 1961. Inactive since 1990 with the official reunification of Germany, the checkpoint is now one of the top tourist attractions in the city.
Topography of Terror
Previously the location of the SS and Gestapo Nazi
Headquarters during the years of their regime, the site has since been turned
into a memorial museum for the Holocaust. The museum showcases a wide variety
of different exhibits focusing on key moments leading up to the regime, the
downfall and punishment of notorious Nazi soldiers, detailed accounts of
concentration camps and the struggles of the imprisoned. While many of the
exhibits are emotional/difficult to take in, I definitely recommend any visitor of the
city to take the time to go through it, as it marks one of the most significant eras of the 20th century.
The Beer Garden
While I don’t recall the name of the exact place, we decided
to visit a beer garden to lift our spirits up after the Topography of Terror
put us in a solemn mood. By the end of the two-hour sit down, we had gone
through 5 different types of lagers and ales of a quality only rivaled by Milwaukee.
I also tried their famous Schnitzel, which as expected, went perfectly with the
drinks.
The Wall
Last but most certainly not least is the Berlin Wall. After
reading about the teardown of the wall in history classes, I didn’t expect more
than a mile worth of it to still be up on display, but the
border-turned-monument has been incredibly well-kept. Another thing I didn’t
account for before visiting was the graffiti art that encompassed the entirety of
the wall. The wide variety of themes from different decades is on display.
Since the east side of the wall was prohibited from painting during the Cold
War years, you’ll see a lot of diversity and references to different struggles through the years.
And that just about sums it up for Berlin! Be sure to check out my Facebook album for more pictures that didn't make the blog, and thanks for
reading! Tune back in later this week for highlights of my trip to Mallorca.
|
