Day 1 – The Journey and First Impressions
We travelled by train from Hengelo to Berlin. The journey went smoothly, and after arriving we took the bus to our hotel to drop off our bags.
After that, we went for a short walk to explore the city a bit. We walked past the Fernsehturm Berlin, which you can see from almost everywhere in the city. We also passed the impressive Berliner Dom. It already looked beautiful from the outside, so we knew we wanted to go inside later.
While walking around, we noticed how many interesting buildings we saw along the way. The architecture in Berlin is very diverse. There are older, detailed and impressive buildings, but also more modern and sometimes grey constructions. That mix makes the city interesting to walk through.
Day 2 – Famous Landmarks
On the second day, we visited many well-known sights. We started at the Holocaust-Mahnmal. The monument with all the concrete blocks made an impression on us. When you stand at the edge, you can still look over the blocks. But once you walk in between them, you notice that the ground slowly slopes downward.
This makes you feel like you are getting lower and lower, and at some point you are only about half as tall as the blocks around you. It creates a strange and slightly overwhelming feeling. It is definitely a special place to walk through.
After that, we went to the Brandenburger Tor. It is something you really have to see when you visit Berlin. We also saw the Reichstag from the outside.
Later that day, we visited the Mall of Berlin. It was very large and nicely designed. There were many different shops, so there was something for everyone. It was a nice change after visiting so many historical places.
Day 3 – The Cathedral and the Wall
On the third day, we visited the Berliner Dom from the inside. This was definitely the highlight of our trip. The church was beautiful on the inside, with lots of details and high ceilings. After that, we went up into the dome. It was quite a climb, but once we reached the top, we had an amazing view over the city. It was absolutely worth it.
After that, we went to the Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer. It was special to see the location of the Berlin Wall in real life. At the same time, we felt that there was not that much to actually see. It is mainly the history behind it that makes it important.
We also visited Checkpoint Charlie and the Mauermuseum. There were some interesting and impressive objects in the museum, but most of it consisted of a lot of text. We expected to see more objects connected to the stories, so in the end it was a bit disappointing for us.
In the evening, we went for another walk through the city. It was nice to see everything lit up and to end the day in a relaxed way.
Day 4 – Back Home
On the last day, we packed our bags after breakfast. Because public transport was on strike, we took a taxi to the station. From there, we travelled back to Hengelo by train.
Overall, it was a nice and interesting trip. The Berliner Dom was definitely the highlight for us. The mix of impressive buildings, history, and modern places makes Berlin a city with plenty to see.