A Weekend in Berlin: Day 2
- Marissa Weiss
- Nov 14, 2021
- 5 min read
Our morning began a little late. Salzburg doesn't have many breakfast spots - aside from a Starbucks and the typical bakeries - so while traveling I make a point of getting breakfast. Father Carpenter resides in a quaint little courtyard among the hustle and bustle of the city center. The small restaurant seems to be a local favorite, reservations are recommended but we just showed up and got on the list for an hour wait. To burn time we explored the shops nearby to which my friend commented that the atmosphere and architecture reminded her of Soho.
The weather was low 50's (Fahrenheit) and the sky threatened us with rain so we did get a bit cold waiting outside, but the wait was worth it. Food in Europe is altogether cleaner, and healthier than back in the States. I got a hot chai latte with oat milk and an eggs benedict - braised pulled pork with chipotle, poached eggs, roasted pineapple, hollandaise, apple, and coriander salsa on a thick slice of Albatross Sourdough. A bit different but EASILY the best eggs benedict that I've ever had. Also, pro tip coriander is also referred to as cilantro - just like with languages, not everything is referred to as the same thing everywhere you go.
After devouring our food and contemplating a second course despite being full we took off. We began our tour of Berlin at the Museum Island where the rain came pouring down. Museum Island is a collection of museums that inhabit the northern part of Spree island. As a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, the five major museums were built during the 19th century by order of the Prussian Kings. The most well-known The Pergamon Museum contains reconstructed historically significant buildings such as the Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate of Babylon. The island has been under renovation since 1999, and supposedly the Pergamon is currently closed for construction.
We continued our walk further south to Check Point Charlie. Berlin is extremely rich in history. Personally, I found my knowledge of the Cold War and the Berlin Wall severely lacking. Check Point Charlie is one of the Berlin Wall checkpoints that is still standing today. A little history lesson. During the Cold War, Germany was cut in half by the Iron Curtain thus creating West and East Germany. East Germany was under the control of the USSR and West Germany was split between the USA, UK, and France. Berlin was split into West and East Berlin. To restrict emigration, the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 by the German Democratic Republic to cut off West Berlin from East Berlin and East Germany. It was an ideologically and physically concrete barrier that was constantly growing in intensity. With the USSR's communist republic influence, East Berliners sought to escape over the wall to the US territory for asylum - sadly this resulted in a long list of casualties. Checkpoints were established by the US to monitor and maintain imports into West Berlin in reaction to the Berlin Blockade. In 1989 the Fall of the Wall ensued and Germany was reunified.
Just a short walk for Check Point Charlie is the Topography of Terror. A museum located at the former headquarters of the Secret State Police, the SS, and the Reich Security Main Office that covers the history and terror of the Third Reich. With physical mini models of the vast network of offices, detailed in-depth descriptions of the destruction and deceit of the SS, and disturbing photographs the museum draws in millions of people every year. It's easily one of the most popular museums in Berlin and definitely worth your time. Admission is free so there is no reason to skip. Outside of the main building sits a portion of the Berlin Wall and on the side of East Berlin resides the excavated remains of the Secret State Police and SS headquarters. They have an outdoor gallery set up down at the former ground level of the building.
After a break walk through the newest city center - Potsdamer Platz - we came upon the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Designed by architect Peter Eisenman and engineer Buro Happold the 19,000 square meter site is covered with 2,711 concrete slabs of varying height arranged in a grid pattern. Construction began in early 2003 and finished at the end of 2004. The memorial was inaugurated 60 years after the end of World War II. Eisenman designed the walkable memorial to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere that represents an orderly system that loses touch with human reason, but the installation leaves plenty of room for individual interpretation. Underneath the memorial - through an entrance on the eastern edge - is the Place of Information where a timeline of the final solution as well as four rooms - Room of Families, Room of Names, The Dimension Room, and the Hall of the Places. It's a quiet, surreal energy that this memorial conveys. While the grid pattern ensures that the visitor will never truly get lost, the slope of the ground and the height of the columns gives a truly immersive experience.
Just one block away I found the Brandenburg Gate. Once a symbol of division the gate now stands for peace and unity. The 18th-century neoclassical monument was built by order of the Prussian king Frederick William IIPariser Platz - the location of the gate - was filled with tourists and locals alike. In fact, a wedding was celebrated in the streets. With live music, they danced in their fancy attire while onlookers cheered and occasionally joined in. It's contagious energy to see so much joy radiated in a place of such historical significance.
Another block North I came upon the Reichstag building which houses the German Parliament. Opened in 1894 and set on fire in 1933 the building went through decades of disuse and lackluster attempts at restoration until the German reunification in 1990 when it underwent a full renovation that was completed in 1999. Today the building is recognizable for its glass dome that gives a 360-degree view of the surrounding Berlin cityscape. From inside the dome, visitors can see right into the main hall of the parliament. The dome is open to visitors with prior registration in addition to a rooftop restaurant - Käfer Dachgarten-Restaurant
To finish the evening I decided to indulge in yet another local favorite - Currywurst. Bandy's Currywurst located across the Spree from the Berliner Dom was the prime location.
With a Berliner Bio-Currywurst mit Pommes for 5,90 €, I settled on a slightly damp bench and ate watching the sunset over Museum Island. It's an interesting combo that'd I'd probably never gravitate towards but at this moment it was delicious and filling, but not too filling to grab a scoop of ice cream from the cafe next door - Bandy Brooks. A simple scoop of mango in a cone may not have been the best idea on a chilly night in October and it may have made me miss Italian gelato but it just felt right.
I had intended to sneak a peek at Berlin's famous nightlife through a pub crawl, but my aching feet drew me to sleep.
Step Count: 15,754 steps
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