Constructed in Baroque and Rococo styles, the 17th century Charlottenburg Palace was originally built by Sophie Charlotte, wife of Friedrich III, who became King of Prussia in 1701. The royal residence was badly damaged by bombing during WW2, but has since been restored and is a major tourist attraction in Berlin.
The Berlin Wall Memorial, on Bernauer Strasse in the center of Berlin, allows visitors to see a preserved portion of the wall, as well as a portion of the no-man’s land, where soldiers patrolled around the clock to ensure that East Berliners did not escape to the West. The park features interactive towers with videos … Read more
Twenty five years ago, on the evening of 9 November 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. Berlin had been on my travel wish list for a long time. With the 25th anniversary of the fall of the wall looming, I decided to put it off no longer. The city did not immediately impress me. The apartment … Read more
Known as “The Kiss” or “Brother Kiss,” this famous painting on the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall depicts East German President Erich Honnecker welcoming Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev with a kiss during the 30th anniversary of the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR), which was East Germany at the time. It was customary for Socialist … Read more
On the last day of my week in Berlin, I had the great good luck to ride in the oldest taxi in Berlin, a 1968 Peugeot. It was slightly cramped, but in excellent condition, including the original leather seats.
