Bus2alps is back and keeping you updated on our Northern Loop fall break, we’re off to Deutschland! On the second leg of our journey, we arrived Sunday afternoon in Berlin.
We explored the capital of Germany with a walking tour. There is an incredible amount of history there and traipsing around the city made everything from our history books come to life.
Starting off at one of Berlin’s main entrances, we met at the Brandenburg Gate, continued to the Jewish Memorial and learned about its controversial design. Actually named the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the stands directly next to the governmental district toward the city center. And while the memorial may be more relevant near a concentration camp approximately 45 minutes outside of the city, the designer argued that the central location forced people to stumble upon and recognize the memorial and therefore, remember the Holocaust.
We also ran into the remaining parts of the Berlin Wall separating the East and West sides (more of a political separation than a geographical one). Chipped away by visitors and adorned with murals at the East Side Gallery, the wall stands as a reminder of the segregation of Germans.
One side of the wall even has photos of existing walls in the world that continue to separate people by nationality, religion, political affiliation or otherwise. Two of such walls are located in America.
Berlin is a modern city and afforded us time to explore its all too recent historical events, as well as its hip modern subculture.
Now, we board the bus for the next stop on our trip, The Netherlands! Amsterdam awaits us in all of its glory.
