Itinerary followed during this Interrail throughout Germany, Denmark and Switzerland

Cologne - Koblenz - Copenhagen - Helsingor - Hillerod - Roskilde - Berlin - Potsdam - Rhine cruise - Freiburg - Strasbourg - Black Forest - Rhine Waterfalls - Schaffhausen - Stein am Rhein - Konstanz - Zurich - Basel - Interlaken - Luzern - Zermatt - Brig - Bern - Geneva - Heidelberg - Munich - Dachau - Fussen - Nuremberg - Rothenburg (ODT) - Wurzburg - Jungfrau and Lauterbrunnen - Brienz - Geneva

This city disturbs to the visitors. It spreads over a huge area. The tourist doesn't remain indifferent: either you don't like or you find it exciting. I include myself in the second group. I have to recognize that the city is ugly, chaotically built and places are too far one from each other. But on the other hand there are infinite options to choose among and things to see. It is a city very different to the rest, I couldn't explain why exactly. The contemporary history is reflected in every corner of this compelling city.

We could start in the 16th century, a key period for the Germany history, as the Protestantism spread through Central Europe. In my opinion one should travel to Germany, Denmark or Switzerland for example, knowing a little about the Protestant Reform, as we are going to find its consequences everywhere along the trip. If you would like to read about it, enter the Zurich page, where we have resumed this important event. In the 17th century Germany was divided into tow blocks set at odds, because of political and religion concerns. This situation, similar in other countries, leaded Europe to a big war called the 30 Years War (1618-1648), that was ended with the Westphalia treaty. Germany was completely disintegrated in tiny states governed by the so called princes. The war destruction caused an economical crisis. Frederic William (1640-1688) transformed the situation and managed to establish a modern state. His successor Frederic I (1688-1713) was crowned as Prussian king in 1701. Berlin starts to stand out when Frederic I designs Berlin as his residence and capital of Prussia . Frederic II of Prussia (1740-1786) continued the territorial and political evolution, although Germany never existed as a unique state. Frederic II built many monuments across the city, such as the Brandenburg gate. The city peak started with the annexing of numerous villages of the surroundings.
The Napoleon invasion would sink the Prussian Empire at the beginning of the 19th century. Berlin became the most important intellectual and political nucleus of the German patriotism. This catastrophe would be the starting point for the recovery of Prussia. The national awareness raised from the Napoleon invasion and it would grow even more with the French troops defeat in Russia.
After the Napoleon withdrawal a disputes period came: after never-ending argues between princes and unionists, in 1862 Bismarck was appointed as the Prime Minister of Prussia. He would get the Prussian hegemony in Germany by expelling the Austrians. This way, the king of Prussia William I was proclaimed as German emperor in 1871 and Berlin became the capital of his empire. From 1871 to 1918, through the governments of Bismarck (until 1890) and William II (from 1888), Germany turned into one of the first world powers. This period is known as the II Reich.
After I World War (1914-1918) Germany is defeated by France and United Kingdom . The period known as the Weimar Republic starts (1919-1933). The Versailles treaty (1919) that ended the war involved a severe block for Germany . This didn't avoid that during the 20´s the city reached a maximum splendour, always in the vanguard of artists, intellectuals and culture. The block culminated in a deep crisis, especially in 1929, with 6 millions unemployed. The soldiers and the right parties made of the Versailles treaty the symbol of German humiliation and the basis for the nationalist propaganda. This was the adequate situation so that Hitler, a nationalist, anticommunist, racist and anticapitalist, ascended to the power after the Reichstag fire, that he took as an excuse to attack to the communists. The repression was brutal: intellectual and opponents detentions, book firings, synagogues arsons, deportation and assassinates of Berlin Jewish, etc. The period known as the III Reich had begun (1933-1945). Basically it was a dictatorship that facilitated the rearming and the construction of enormous works (highways, fortresses, etc.). The politics towards other countries was very aggressive, so aggressive that the invasion of Poland in 1939 started the II World War.
Berlin was the scenery of the last combats between German and soviet armies. The Germans tried to break the 500.000 soldiers siege of the soviets, but they failed. When Hitler assumed his defeat, he committed suicide in his bunker on 30th April 1945.
After II World War Berlin came into ruins. In the conference of Potsdam (1945) the city was divided into four sectors: the Russian (the oriental part, that approximately constituted the half of the city), the American, French and English. This would lead to the division of the two germanies. West Germany, called Federal Republic of Germany had Bonn as capital from 1949. The East Germany, called Democratic Republic of Germany, maintained Berlin as capital. In 1948 the soviets cut the access routes to West Berlin for a year. During this time the allies started an spectacular aerial supply of West Berlin. In 1952 the Russians interrupted the telephonic links between East and West Berlin.

A big dissatisfaction spread through East Germany due to the communist regime, that made the soviet troops take part to restore the calm in 1953. Thousands of east Germans escaped to West and the Russians erected the famous and sad wall to cut this flow. It was 1961 and Berlin became the centre of the Cold War. The Berlin wall fell finally on 9th November 1989 . Berlin was selected as the capital of the reunified Germany in 1991. Basically the union of the two germanies was an annexing, because the western way of life would invade the east very soon: cars, industries, commercial centres, banks, etc.

A great controversial arose in 1999, when Berlin turned into the administrative capital of Germany instead of Bonn . Some opine that this fact moved away Germany from the West Europe and was a reminder of the III Reich and the Nazi dictatorship. Others think that Berlin represents the centralism and it is an authentic capital, much better than the provincial Bonn.
Although they have worked hard, it is still visible the difference between the two parts of the city. The East still conserves diverse monuments and the typical communist buildings. The reunification allowed us to visit the cultural past of Berlin , because the historical centre (the district of Mitte) is located in the East part.
Another singularity is the fact that many administrations had to be located in places of sinister memory. You can find everywhere in the city monuments and expositions about the nazi savagery that will allow you to know much more about the brutalities committed in the past.

We start from the Mitte district, which possesses most of the monuments from the East part. We made our way to the Brandenburg gate , built in the 18th century based on the model of some buildings from the Athenas Acropolis called Propileos. It is possibly the most known image of Berlin. In 1806 Napoleon took away the quadriga to Paris, but it was returned in 1814. The qadriga has suffered from important damage in 1945 and in 1989, with the Berlin Wall fall. At the western part the wall was situated and there is a red line to remember where the wall was, and not only here but in the entire city.

From the gate we can walk towards Alexanderplatz (East) or the Tiergarten and the Reichstag (West).
If we decide to go to east we will travel along the "Under the Lime Trees" avenue . This curious name comes from the lime trees planted in the 17tn century to embellish this walk that had then many palaces and luxurious shops. This walk became the favourite for citizens. This avenue is a succession of historical buildings and monuments: embassies, palaces, national library, old library, state opera, Humboldt university, German museum of history, monument in memory of fascism victims, or the Saint Eduvigis cathedral, in a roman style, inspired in the Roman Pantheon. It is the bishop catholic see in Berlin.

When we cross the bridge we find ourselves in an island situated between two rivers, known as the islands of museums. The first thing that reclaims the attention is the cathedral , a protestant church from the 15th century that worth a visit.
You can also look at the Republic palace that you will easily recognize because of their copper-coloured windows. I was the former East German parliament.

Now you can continue in three different directions. On your left, the visit to the museums island. Straight we would follow towards and on your right we would enter the oldest Berlin .

The old Berlin was devastated during the war and restored stone by stone. It seems a little unreal because you find a charming village inside a big city. There are no cars and nothing modern reminding where we are, only beautiful houses and little restaurants.

In he middle it rises the high TV tower. It has 369 m. high and it was inaugurated in 1969. It is worth going up to contemplate the city from a café on the top. This is a spinning café, that completes a round each hour. You can distinguish from "Under the Limes Trees" until the Reichstag. In the square you will also appreciate a nice church (Saint Mary) and a weird red city hall from the end of the 19th century. There are some other monuments in front of the city hall.

As the Tiergarten is concerned, it is an immense park. From the Brandenburg gate you see a very long never-ending avenue called 17th June, where you can visit the monument to the Russian soldier fallen in II World War . There are shown two tanks that first entered the city in 1945.

Far away, in the middle of the avenue, there it is the Victory column . This 67 m. high column is from 1869. It is a reminding of the victories of Prussia over France and Austria in 1864 and 1871. It is possible to reach the top. The column is the centre of the district, the point where the five great avenues of the Tiergarten join. They explained us that at night this is not much recommendable to visit. The Love Parade caravan moves along this avenue.

They will address you to the flat roof, where you will get nice views and you can walk into the original glass cupola. Inside there is also an interesting exposition that explains the history of the parliament.

Another district you shouldn't miss can be described as the commercial centre of the city, called the Zoo by the citizens. Here one finds the well-known Europa Centre and the confluence of bus, train, metro (U-Bahn) and urban train (S-Bahn) stations.
The Europe Centre is the symbol of the Berlin capitalism, full of shops, cinemas, restaurants and discos. It has a water clock that will recall your attention.

The avenues are crowded in this zone, such as the Ku´damm, that keeps numerous luxurious shops and street vendors. At night there is a lively atmosphere.

The commemorative church of William I (creator of German Empire) is surprising. Almost devastated during the bombings in 1943, it still conserves the tower and some parts. There is a marked contrast between this church and the new church, two towers symbolising a call for the end of war. The old church keeps an interesting visit to check the bombings damages through many photos.

Another indispensable zone is the Postdamerplatz and around. This sector can be seen from many points through the city, as there are many modern skyscrapers belonging to important commercial brands, full of offices, commerce and shops. The district was inaugurated in 1998, so it is really new. The architect in charge is the same that directed the construction of the Pompidou centre in Paris.

We were walking here at dusk, enjoying the atmosphere. We saw an incredible pictures exposition (the world famous "the Earth from the Sky", that I highly recommend to visit if you have the opportunity to. We ended having dinner near the Sony Centre. It is a surprising square situated among skyscrapers and covered with a strange roof. The square is full of crowded terraces. Near the square we found a huge cinema and the biggest Imax in Germany.

As in this part of the city, you see many cranes everywhere. Although it is surprising, imagine what aspect the city should have had when they were trying to equilibrate the oriental and occidental Berlin after the wall break in order to receive all the institutions coming from Bonn.
We also went to the castle of Charlottenburg . It was the summer residence of Prussian kings in the 17th century, that was enlarged during the 18th century. We appeared in front of a long building, with a 500 m. long facade, but no so beautiful. We walked through the royal chambers, although the visit was guided and only in German (I don't speak German).

It was nice despite the language. In my opinion it is a sin to travel on holidays and to renounce to see something because there is a little obstacle. Even walking through the palace without understanding anything is worthwhile. Anyway I was carrying some information about the castle. In addition there are expositions in both wings of the castle. Don't miss the Frederic II rooms, in the superior floor. Behind the castle there is a French garden with a mausoleum (where William I rests) and pretty views.

Near the castle we went to the Egyptian museum . It is a small museum that is quickly visited. Apart from mummies, sarcophagus and objects of any condition they keep one of the most famous Egyptian work of art, the Nefertiti´s bust. It is preserved in an unbelievable state after 34 centuries. You will be surprised by the delicate features and her beauty. The Americans took it as a trophy in 1945, but they put it back in 1956. The museum deserves a stop only to admire the bust.

The museums offer is overwhelming. You can find any subject for any preference. There are several arts galleries with the best painters of history, although we didn't have time to taste. We neither entered others that seemed interesting for us, like the ethnographic museum, the erotic museum (the largest of this field world-wide).
In the Museums Island we regretted to miss the Pergamonmuseum. It keeps one of the most important collections of antiquities. Its star is the gigantic Pergamon altar, dedicated to Zeus and built between 180 and 160 B.C. The frieze is considered as one of the culminating Hellenic works of art. The museum also keeps the museum of the Middle East, which includes marvellous objects from Asyria, Mesopotamia and Babylon.
Another very interesting museum is the German History museum, in the "Under the Lime Trees" avenue. It is exciting to discover all the German history condensed in a building. It is a Baroque building from Frederic II of Prussia époque. Afterwards the Prussian army used it as arsenal. From 1871 it was the arms museum until Hitler decided to convert it into a war propaganda centre. All the collections disappeared during war and the soviets made several changes.
We were impacted by the Wall museum , that keeps many documents, films, and pictures originally disposed. They describe in detail all the original and dramatic attempts to cross the Wall, the underlying stories, many with success, but many others not...light without motor planes, globes, poles, canoes, sewers, they are only some examples.

The Government sold the Wall to companies and auctions, especially the pieces with graffitis. Erected in 1961, the Wall crossed Berlin along 161 km.
It was really a double wall. The middle ground between walls was "nobody land", guarded by vigilance towers, barbed wires and guards that didn't hesitate to shoot against anybody trying to cross the Wall illegally (near 75 people were shot down). Fewer pieces still stand in their original places and they re difficult to find. Instead of them you can observe one piece inside the Europe Centre. If you want to know where the Wall was situated you only have to go to the Brandenburg gate and very close in the Occidental side the Wall went parallel to the gate.

Near the museum we went to the place where the Checkpoint Charlie was situated, an allied control spot that is another symbol of the Cold War. It is a typical place for spy's novels and films, after the Wall break it was pulled down.

Berlin is a cultural city with capital letters. Because during the Cold War Berlin has always represented an ideological showcase for both powers, many subventions were assigned to show the incredible cultural splendour: you find opera, classic music, museums, festivals, theatre, cinema and dance everywhere. By walking through the streets it is very probable that you see any kind of art expression. In our case there was a nice exposition for peace, formed by many bears representing to each country around the world. The city has a great cultural and artistic activity and dynamism.

When we talk about culture we can't forget an important movement inside Berlin , the "alternative scenery", that comes from nonconformist people that don't like the German capitalism and the European culture: ecologists, left wings, punkies, hippies, skinheads and other minorities. They have their districts and their preferred gathering locals. You will run into any of these groups in the street. An example is the hostel where we stayed: the Odysee Globetrotter hostel, that had a nice hippie air.
There are many places to have a drink or dance, although the authentic locals are difficult to find if you don't know the city someone who knows it. The west pubs are very similar to other cities world-wide. It´s in the East where you can be surprised by a wide variety of offers, more original and that keeps always moving on. The locals include alternative bars, techno discos, or even abandoned buildings occupied by artists. We were saddened because we didn't know this important aspect of Belin, but our ignorance about the city or the absence of a guide citizen, together with the tiredness at the end of the day made it impossible. If I come back again here this is one of the things I won't miss.

In this page we have to mention the most famous festival in Berlin : the Love Parade, the most important techno festival around the world, that is held on the second weekend in July. The main course is the float parade on Saturday afternoon and evening. A human tide formed by a million people invades the avenues of the Tiergarten. It is a complete rave-up. However the last years have been problems and argues among the sponsors and the event haven't been held from 2004.

If you don't want to spend a long time on lunching they are very useful the local fast-foods: sausages and chips mainly, very quick, very cheap. You can also make use of fast food such as pizza and kebabs. In Berlin they are very frequented at lunchtime because they don't make a break when working. This kind of locals are found across the whole Germany . We like to have lunch quickly and cheap, and afterwards we have a stronger dinner to recover energy for next day and taste the country specialities. The German food is very acceptable, although not spectacular. Of course that it is indispensable to taste all the sorts of sausages available through the country.
The city is very vast and I would suggest the subway or the urban train to move across. They are simple and fast. There are also buses and trams (trams only in the Eastern Berlin ) but we didn't use them.
I estimate a stay of 4 days for Berlin (with the excursion to Potsdam included) minimum. I would even recommend 5-6 days to avoid missing some interesting things. We would have liked to see Dresden , at the South, but it was far away from our route. Dresden is called the " Florence of the Elbe " or the " Northern Athens ".