No matter when or where you are in Berlin, you will always find history staring you in the face. Between 1961 and 1990, Checkpoint Charlie was the only Friedrichstrasse border crossing point between East and West Berlin. It represented a symbol of both freedom and separation for the many East Germans trying to escape from the Soviet Communist regime. This site was also the locale for a tense two-day standoff between Russian and American tanks during the Cold War in 1961. Today, there are no gates, barriers nor barbed wire; there is a replica checkpoint booth, complete with sand bags, the famous, huge sign on the old Western side that reads, "You are leaving the American Sector", and two large photographs of an American and a Russian soldier to mark the former U.S. army checkpoint. Checkpoint Charlie is one of the city's most popular attractions. The neighborhood is filled with tourists and scattered with souvenir stands selling reproduction Soviet army hats and military items and all sorts of gewgaws from the wall era. You can even get your passport stamped for 2 euros or have your photo taken with Berliners dressed in Russian or American uniforms for 1 euro. There is an open-air exhibition which provides an insightful background on the Wall and its impact. Opposite the guardhouse, estalished in 1962, is Mauermuseum ("Haus am Checkpoint Charlie" Museum) which is an exhibition on the history of the Berlin Wall and the incredible stories of successful and failed attempts to flee East Berlin.
Going north on Friedrichstrasse is another popular shopping area for luxury, elegance and a wide variety of goods and souvenirs. You will find high end designer stores and boutiques like Gucci, Max Mara, and Louis Vuitton, restaurants and hotels along Friedrichstrasse. Galeries Lafayette brings a frisson of French elegance to the city. Friedrichstrasse links the glory days of the Roaring Twenties with modern architecture. You can still see some of the landmark cabaret venues such as Friedrichstadtpalast where Marlene Dietrich made her revue stage debut and showgirls were wowing the audiences since the 1920's. Friedrichstadtpalast is still Europe's largest revue theater and Friedrichstrasse with its new buildings. smart offices and coffee shops, brings a flavor of New York to the heart of Berlin.
Going southwest and the opposite direction from Checkpoint Charlie, you will approach an area where Berliners don't like to be reminded of its dark past when ruled by Hitler and ravaged by war. During the Third Reich, Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse was the most frightening address in Berlin. In 1934, three of the most terrifying Nazi political departments had their headquarters in a block between Stresemann-, Wilhelm-, Anhalter-, and Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse now renamed Niederkirchner Strasse. The buildings that weren't bombed in World War II were demolished after the war where Reinhard Heydrich and the Third Reich's security service (SD); head of the Gestapo, Heinrich Muller; and Schutzstaffel (SS) with Heinrich Himmler in command; made decisions about the Germanization of the occupied territories were made and plans on the genocide of European Jews. The only building that remains is the Rich air Minstry on the corner of Leipziger Strasse and Wilhelmstrass which now houses the German Finance Ministry.
The Topography of Terror is an open-air exhibition documenting and chronicling the Nazi crimes and memorials commemorating victims of the Holocaust. The site is the crumbled remains of the Gestapo headquarters where the Nazi regime planned and executed atrocities including the deportation and murder of millions of Jews, gypsies, Jehovah's Witnesses, homesecuals, political prisoners, and people of disabilities. With information boards, the outdoor walkable timeline traces everything from Adolf Hitler's jublilant rise to power on January 30, 1933, showing the jubilant crods and parades on Wilhelmstrasse to harrowing stories of torture and imprisonment in the house prison. The exhibit is very interesting and informative and worth the time spent. It is the only real exhibit that details Berlin's darkest history and remember the atrocities of the time. A preserved section of the Berlin Wall runs along the grounds at Niederkirchner Strasse. A new building also is currently being constructed adjacent to the exhibit that will eventually bring the exhibit indoor.
The Trabant (Trabi) was the classic GDR car with a Duroplast body and smoky two-cylinder engine. East Berliners had to wait as much as 18 years for one of these slow, unreliable boneshakers! As a fun alternative to see Berlin, try Trabi Safaris to go behind the wheel of a Trabi. Simply book a tour through Trabi Safaris, pick up a Trabi, and step on the gas as a radio guide talks you through the sights through East Berlin.The West Berlin neighborhood of Kreuzberg has long been a nexus for Berlin's socially alternative population. The coexistence of a variety of cultures is this quarter's distinguishing characteristic. In a divided Berlin, Kreuzberg is the city's most densely populated district. This vibrant neighborhood draws artists, young alternatives and to a less degree, tourists to the electric nightlife, bohemian cafes, and shabby-chic boutiques. There are plenty of transport options, lovely tree-lined streets, and walks or laze opportunities along the canal with a plethora of restaurants from around the world. Mehringdamm is the main drag of Kreuzberg. Walk it to hear the sizzle of sausages and falafel and Asian spices curl around the nostrils. You also find Turkish supermarkets, gay bars, and hip cafes full of people from all walks of life. Schwules Museum, the only gay museum in the world, is also located on Mehringdamm.
The Jewish Museum in a zinc-clad building on Lindenstrasse in Berlin is a fascinating addition to Europe's museum landscape. A vibrant repository of German Jewish history and culture, the center serves as a forum of reserach, discussion, and new ideas. Step inside for an emotional trip through the past and present of Jewish Germany; from the chilling zigzagging tunnels of the Axis of Holocaust spotlighting individuals to the permanent exhibition celebrating German-Jewish life from the Middle Ages to the present. The museum is suitable for all, young and old, Germans and foreigners, Jews and gentiles. The museum is closed on the holy holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
If you have a day to spend, go west of Berlin to the summer palace of Schloss Charlottenburg. King Friedrich I of Prussia gave this abode to his sweetheart, Sophie Charlotte, as a token of his affection in 1699. This summer palace is the jewel in Berlin's Hohenzollern crown and a feast of Italian baroque. The yellow facade is partly modeled on Versailles and adorned with Attica-style sculptures. The state apartments are overwhelming decked out in gold, damask, and prized porcelain. Roam the sculpture gardens on the banks of the Spree and head for Museum Berggruen's Picasso art collection.
A note about the food of Berlin: Traditional Berlin cuisine tends to be rustic and hearty with Berlin meatballs and currywurst which is sausage with a curry sauce. Eisbein (knuckle of pork) and Berliner Weisse (specialty beer) are also Berlin specialities. The choices for eating out in Berlin for a quick snack to a gourmet meal are endlessly varied.
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