Berlin – A Mix of Old and New

“This is indeed the capital!”

That was my first impression the moment I saw Berlin. I can’t help but compare it to Bonn, the old German capital, where I have been staying for almost 3 months now. Berlin, being a very busy city, is the center of politics, culture, media, science and economy. It has modern buildings, museums which stands right next to each other, shopping centers and restaurants.

Since I was only staying for three days to attend a workshop, I saw to it that I got a glimpse of the historical and famed landmarks around the city. Right after every session, my Taiwanese colleague and I would call a taxi and with our limited Deutsch words asked to be brought to the interesting tourist spots.

Gendarmenmarkt is known as one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. It was created on the 17^th century as a market place. It is now a quiet place surrounded by three landmark buildings, the Französischer Dom (French Cathedral), Deutscher Dom (German Cathedral) and the Konzerthaus. In the center of the square is a statue of Friedrich Schiller, a famous German poet.

German Cathedral in Gendarmenmarkt

Konzerthaus

The French Cathedral behind me with the statue of Friedrich Schiller

Charlottenburg Palace is the largest existing palace in Berlin and now functions as a museum. It stands in a sprawling land complete with park and garden which is used mainly for recreation. Inside the palace used to be what was described as "the eighth wonder of the world" — the Bernsteinzimmer, a room with its walls surfaced in decorative amber.

Unfortunately, as our sightseeing time was outside the office hours, we were not able to visit the museum.

Charlottenburg Palace

The Bradenburg Gate is an iconic landmark of Berlin and Germany which has been a witness and played different political roles in German history. Located atop the Bradenburg gate is the Quadriga of Victory . The quadriga was looted by Napoleon of France in 1806 and was only returned to Berlin in 1814.

East side of Bradenburg Gate

The Gate with the Quadriga of Victory on top.
Victory used to carry an olive wreath but was subsequently replaced by an Iron Cross.
The cross was once removed by the Communist government of East Germany but was restored back after the German reunification in 1990.

The magnificent and historical Bradenburg Gate

Of course, a visit to Berlin is not complete without having a glimpse of the Berlin Wall. Though I never had the time to see the actual remaining stretch of the wall, I was able to stumble upon this block while shopping for souvenirs near the gate.

Once was part of The Wall