Scubophilus Thistler

Our second visit to Germany made it the most visited country throughout the year, besides the UK and Italy. We were pleased to be back though, as Dusseldorf and Cologne only provided a tiny insight to the Germany’s deep history and culture. Our first stop this time was Berlin. Everyone knows some of the city’s history, but being there reinforced just how much the events of last century have defined the city. It seemed even more relevant since some are as recent as in my lifetime.

We had two full days in Berlin, and we realised soon after arrival that we’d only get a small glimpse of the city in that time. For the three nights we stayed in a 900 bed hostel, plenty of room for annoying school groups. It was handy to one of Berlin’s S-bahn (metro) stations though, which we used exclusively to get around. We choose to take a free walking tour with New Europe, the same company that we’d been with in Paris and Edinburgh. Over the three hours or so we covered most of the main sights, including the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Hitler’s Bunker, Holocaust Memorial and Checkpoint Charlie. The Anthropology-grad guide offered an insight into the history and events that we wouldn’t have gotten doing the tour by ourselves.

Later in the day we walked along the longest stretch of Berlin Wall still in existence (the East-side Gallery), with just over 1km worth. While much of the original graffiti was covered in more recent tags, it was still really interesting to see it. In the evening we enjoyed a pub crawl with a few Australian roommates, and got to see a bit of Berlin’s world renowned nightlife.

The following day we took a train out to the Sacheenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial. It was a model camp for others in the region, and much of it remains intact today. Some parts were deeply chilling, like the pathology lab, with it’s operating tables and a distinct hospital smell still lingering, and the ovens of the crematorium. The camp really gave a insight into the terrible acts that took place there, which is really important for society to remember. After a pretty heavy day emotionally it was good to relax in the hostel in the evening. Before heading to the impressive Hauptbahnhof (central station) for a train to Dresden, we climbed the spiral path inside the Reichstag for great panoramic views of Berlin.

Dresden was almost completely flattened by Allied bombing in the war, but unlike Rotterdam, much of the city was rebuilt as it had originally stood - using the original materials where possible. This resulted in plenty of impressive architecture for us to see, which we took in with an American Architecture-major that we shared a room with at the hostel. Many impressive sights to be seen, in particular Zwinger Palace.

We were planning on going to the Old Masters Picture Gallery in the Palace, which houses classics such as the Sistine Madonna, but it was sadly closed that day. That afternoon we ventured out to see the Moritzberg Castle, a hunting lodge of Saxons of the past. Inside, the walls were covered in trophies - including the worlds largest antlers. Quite eery being amongst it all. After some great weather and enjoyable times in Germany, it was time to head off this morning and we caught a train to Prague, in the Czech Republic. First impressions are busy streets packed with locals and tourists alike enjoying the wonderfully preserved medieval city.