To sample German culture, we visit Berlin. Our hotel is ideally located near Hauptbahnhof station, offering trains, metro transit and an ultra-modern shopping mall.
A Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus introduces this sprawling city. Seated on the top deck, headsets tell us the nearby senate building stood abandoned during the Nazi and communist eras. Revamped to honour German reunification, the neo-classic Reichstag now sports a glass dome. Visitors can view democracy in action below, as well as enjoy panoramas of Germany’s dynamic capital.
Landmarks often glorify Berlin’s past. Amid Teagarden Park, Victory Column commemorates Prussia’s proud 1860s victories. Hopping off, we view Charlottenburg, the baroque palace Frederick I built for Queen Charlotte in 1699. His equestrian statue aptly stands outside, for Frederick entered only by her invitation.
The interior reveals Charlotte’s intellect and love of the arts. Her music chamber displays a harpsichord, which she expertly played. Wall portraits portray Leibnitz, a preeminent philosopher friend and composer Corelli, who dedicated concertos to her. Curiously, none represent her eldest brother, who became England’s King George I. Her ornate second-storey ballroom often hosted philosophical gatherings, which inspired the creation of the Prussian Academy of Sciences.
Images of Charlotte’s martially attired husband, son and grandson decorate upper chambers. Pictured playing his flute, grandson Frederick the Great was a gifted musician composing many sonatas and four symphonies. He also promoted German culture. Portraits of his friend Humbolt and other scientists adorn his study. Another room’s cabinets display his porcelain treasures. After strolling through palace gardens ends, we reboard the bus.
Many Berlin sites evoke hope. Built in the 1890s, Kaiser Wilhelm Church is a memorial to peace. Inside this bombed WWII ruin, mosaics depict its joyful beginning, Wilhelm’s royal wedding. A plaque acclaims its principled minister, whom the Nazis imprisoned and executed.
Seated beside the World Fountain in an adjacent plaza, we study surreal statues of women basking around its pool and bronze mechano man riding a turtle. A nearby busker does handstands on and somersaults off his skateboards.
Walking onward, we investigate historic DaKeWe department store. Several floors display fashionable items; the top two offer gourmet pleasures. Savouring apple strudel and strawberry torte at a table next to a huge window, we view modern central Berlin.
Reboarding the bus, we pass West Berlin’s zoo, old city hall and arrays of new architecture. Bear sculptures, Berlin’s heraldic beasts, sometimes appear at entrances. Noting pink and blue pipes providing city drainage, we learn the word Berlin means swamp. Graffitied messages of love, harmony and peace now cover remnants of the famous wall that divided West and East Berlin from 1961 to 1989. Checkpoint Charlie also remains as a postwar prop for photo takers.
Hopping off again, we visit the spectacular Brandenburg Gate. Replacing earlier customs guardhouses, this iconic arch was commissioned to reflect peace. Nearby memorials recall the Nazi regime’s intolerance and grieve the handicapped, gay, gypsy and Jewish victims. The Holocaust Memorial’s 2,711 stark concrete slabs cover almost five acres. Dining at a riverside beer garden, we chat about Germany’s rueful history and success since reunification.
On our last day, we stroll along the River Spree to Museum Island where Berlin Cathedral rises above five neo-classic museums. Four display art treasures of the ancient world. The fifth, the German National Gallery, delights us with romantic period art: Wagnerian knights, damsels and dragons. One room contains busts of well-known Germans, including Schinkel, architect of these extraordinary museums.
A train returns us to our Viking hotel. Picking up deli sandwiches and pastries at a station shop, we head for our room to picnic and pack for our Elbe River cruise.
See www.vikingcruises.com for more.
