Dream trips History that comes with extra edge
From the Berlin Wall to Titanic Belfast, immerse yourself in relics that bring the recent past to vivid new life BLOC BOOKING: THE BERLIN WALL
The Berlin Wall has now been down for longer than it was up. But its zigzag outline is still visible, like a faint scar across the city, and a walk along it is the best way to discover Germany’s dynamic capital.
WHY IT’S SPECIAL
The Berlin Wall was a ring of concrete around West Berlin, about 100 miles long – actually two parallel walls, with a “death strip” between them. Most of it has been dismantled but the route is clearly marked, and following it provides a fascinating cross-section of the city. You can cycle all the way along this “wall route” (or Mauerweg), but the most popular part for walkers is the inner-city section, between the underground stations at Bernauer Strasse and Schlesisches Tor. You’ll see many of Berlin’s major sights, but it’s the little oddities that make this route so memorable, not just the monuments and museums. Like the wall, the Mauerweg bisects the city, revealing a side of Berlin the coach parties never see.
YOU’LL NEVER FORGET… Before the Cold War, the Adlon (kempinski.com) was Berlin’s grandest grand hotel. It survived the Battle of Berlin, but was subsequently demolished by the Communists. However since the Wall came down it’s been rebuilt. It boasts the best address in Berlin, opposite the Brandenburg Gate.
INSIDER TIP
Before the Second World War, Potsdamer Platz was Berlin’s Piccadilly Circus. During the Cold War it was marooned in no-man’s land. Redesigned by starchitects like Renzo Piano, now it’s a place where Berliners go to party once more. There are loads of bars and cinemas, and a brilliant Film Museum (deutsche-kinemathek.de).
HOW TO DO IT
The central section of the Mauerweg is only about 10-miles long, but there’s so much to see en route that you should allow two full days to walk along it. On day one head north from the Brandenburg Gate, past the Reichstag to the Hamburger Bahnhof (smb.museum), originally a railway station, now a gallery of modern art. Walk through the Invalid en fried h of, Berlin’ s spookiest cemetery, then head east to Bernauerstrasse and the extraordinary Berlin Wall Memorial & Museum (berliner-mauergedenkstaette.de). On day two head south from the Brandenburg Gate, past Peter Eisenman’s haunting memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and on through Potsdamer Platz. Don’t linger long at Checkpoint Charlie – it’s become a tourist trap – but head east through the backstreets, and finish up at the East Side Gallery.