"Ich bin ein Berliner."(Berlin, Germany)

By Caitlin

After spending time in quaint southern Germany, Berlin almost feels like a different country; in a similarly exhilarating and overwhelming way that NYC feels like both the most American of cities and unlike anywhere else in the US. Berlin has an avant-garde, modern vibe that is underpinned by the immensity of being the central point of both WWII history and The Cold War. There is no shortage of things to explore in Berlin. 

A bike tour on our first day helped us get a good feel for what we wanted to go back and visit. Seeing the rest of Berlin wouldn't be possible without the massive public transit system consisting of S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trains, trams and buses. It's probably the most complicated I've ever seen, but it runs smoothly, on time and is relatively cheaply. Figuring out how to get from one point to the next is a quintessential Berlin activity in and of itself.  

Despite battling summer colds, we packed a ton in. Here are my top three experiences of Berlin:

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Biking in front of Brandenburg Gate

The Reichstag

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

1. The Pergamon museum: 

If you are into archaeology or antiquities (I am), then this museum is a gold mine. Even if you are not, I would venture it's hard not to be into antiquities when in this museum containing some of the biggest archaeological finds ever transported and reconstructed within a museum. The Ishtar Gates and processional way from 6th century BC Babylon are breathtaking with its sheer size and beautiful blue and yellow tiles. From ancient Greece, the Pergamon Altar from 160 BC is rebuilt to show its elaborate reliefs and mosaics. We were fortunate enough to get into this museum a few weeks before it closes for 5 years(!) for renovations.  One thing that makes Berlin's museums so fantastic is that all the major ones include an audio guide with the ticket price. Helpful since my German is limited to "Guten morgen!" and "Danke!"

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2. The Prenzlauer Berg flea market: 

One of the reasons we chose to stay in a non-tourist neighborhood was its proximity to the biggest/best flea market in the city held every Sunday.
Do you need antique furniture, cheap sunglasses, or a mini-mixer to deejay from your i-phone? You can get it here. Or maybe like us you just want some good people watching, window shopping and a paleta (popsicle). Done. 

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3. East Germany Segway tour: 

Full disclosure: I chickened out on riding the Segway.  I was sick and had images of sneezing my way into oncoming traffic. Jed thoroughly enjoyed the Segway tour as did I from the comfort of a bicycle. This was our second guided tour in Berlin and a worthwhile splurge. It was focused on important, but less hyped memorials and events, particularly relating to Berlin's Jewish community. 

The one that resonated the most for me was a sandstone monument commemorating the Women's Rosenstrasse Protest, one of the only examples of civil disobedience to be successful against the Nazis. Jewish men married to Germans were among the last in Berlin to be rounded up by Nazis and this finally occurred in February 1943. When these men were still being held in Berlin, before being removed to death camps, their wives staged a week-long demonstration that eventually resulted in the release of the 1,700 Jewish men. 

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There was so much we wanted to do and didn't get to hampered by limited time and a doozy of a cold.  Hopefully when we return we'll be able to get to the famous Deustches History Museum and a Berlin club or two (as long as we're not too old).