Germany, Berlin – The first feeling you might get is that Berlin is a cold and austere city. It’s German, after all. But among the concrete and cold steel, it may surprise you with many things to see.
This inspired a friend of mine to form a “Bachelorette Party Squad” before her wedding, so we went to venture in the German capital.
Although bombed and destroyed during World War II, it was rebuilt partly according to historical data, and partly to Soviet ideals. The Berlin Wall (painted on the West side) divided the West and East Berlin until 1989, when it was finally demolished by Germans on both sides willing to reunify the city and the country. The wall was seen as a symbol of oppression and separation of families for almost 30 years.
Nowadays, many parts of the wall are still in place. Some are covered in modern murals in various themes representing Soviet characters, caricatures, Jewish symbols and many others that form the largest open-air art gallery.
The Western (left) and Eastern (right) side of the wall.
The Brandenburg Gate managed to survive the war bombings and is still a beautiful 18th century monument that hosts many cultural events. It is situated in the iconic Parizer Platz, where you can admire a beautiful mix of modern and 18th century buildings.
From there we took two horse-drawn carriages to take a picturesque tour of the surroundings, and the coachman was kind enough to get us a small champagne after learning we are a bachelorette party.
During the tour, we enjoyed some amazing historic buildings in the city, which really made it look a lot less austere.
If you love history and art, the Museum Island has some amazing museums for you to visit. My favorite was the Pergamonmuseum which hosts the Pergamon altar and a reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate of Babylon. It is indeed an impressive view, as it is rebuilt at a 1:1 scale. The museum itself holds many pieces of ancient European and oriental art like jewels, carpets or entire themed rooms.
How to weave a Persian rug and a Kilim:
The Altesmuseum and Neuesmuseum are other great attractions for the ancient artefacts passionate.
Allow yourself at least two days to visit the whole Museum Island if you love spending time in museums and want to enjoy everything. They offer a combined ticket at a very fair price, so take this into account.
Of course, our trip wasn’t only about the city’s history and culture, as we went to have some fun. A local friend guided us through the club area as we had our classical shots, dancing and partying bachelorette style. We even found a bachelor’s party from our country and the bride and groom-to-be exchanged tokens. He got my friend’s pink crown and she got his fancy glasses.
Ready to party!
Germans know how to eat and drink, so we easily found some great bars and pubs with tasty food on our way. The hostel was nice and cheap, which made it a very affordable city break. Berlin is great for everyone, modern or history nostalgic, so make sure you include it in your bucket list.