Berlin - Overview

I found Berlin insight and knowledgeable. After studying WW2 like most people it was always one of my favourite to study as I found it fascinating so being able to visit all the locations and learn more about the war was very interesting for me. Berlin as a city I think is still recovering from the effects for the war but some of the buildings are fantastic and the people were very pleasant. Here style was very similar to that seen in the UK – which wasn’t surprising as out of the world German and English people are the most similar. I would defiantly go back again – except when it was a bit warmer J

Day 6 - Berlin - Flea Market

For the last day in Berlin it was quiet laxed. We started the beginning of the day walking to a nearby flea market – which was absolutely huge and packed. It was very similar to most foreign markets you find abroad.

It had everything from food such as pancakes, handmade jewellery, home wear, cameras amongst other stuff including junk. It was a good market just very similar to ones I had seen before.

After due to it being so cold we headed to a nearby German cafe for some tea and hot chocolate to warm up before heading back to near the hotel for dinner and boarding the bus and the flight home.

Day 5 - Berlin - Tachelles and Motto

Quiet a lax day today of more tourism and trend spotting. To start the day with a bit of fun history we went over to Tachelles – OH MY GOD!!! What a place, it seems a little bit random situated in a nice area with bars and restaurant and then you could see a huge what seemed like a derelict building which looked quite old and rusted but also a beautiful building.

Huge gates opened in and you walked inside surrounded by wall to wall of graffiti and you felt like you had just walked into an episode of scrapheap challenge. People had made something of the metal, the courtyard was filled with metal, graffiti - music also filled the air. It was so impressive and incredible how people can make things out of nothing.

Situated within the courtyard were also little shops which were made of an iron crate – which we went in and were surprisingly warm and nice while escaping from the cold air outside.


From there, there was a door leading us from the courtyard to the house next to it. Inside it featured wall to wall of graffiti surrounding it all, posters stuck on the wall, smoke, broken glass – creating a




morbid atmosphere and a place people in Trainspotter would go but at the same time was very insightful. Featured within the house there were some strange yet unique people situated in little shops selling art, handcrafts, clothing, and jewellery amongst other stuff. It was a very enjoyable place and impressive.

From there we made our way over to Motto a shop with a huge arrangement of magazines and zines. It was quite an overwhelming shop with the varied about of choice and the layout was quiet difficult to ascertain but at the same time the range of choice was incredible.

Day 4 - Berlin - East Side Gallery

From history to a more modern take on history the ‘East Side Gallery’. Even all the areas surrounding the Berlin wall featured fantastic graffiti and visions on the walls. But the ‘East Side Gallery’ being



a 1300km long Berlin wall of graffiti was not vandalising graffiti we know but actually gorgeous paintings of people’s ideas, dreams and general imagination. You also crossed the border between east and West Berlin – it was here that or 1Euro you could get a stamp in your passport – And of course being a tourist I very much did.

Day 4 - Berlin - Bauhaus Museum

From there is history again with the Bauhaus museum. Everyone has heard a lot about the Bauhaus in DVC but many do not know what it actually was. The museum was in quiet a scheduled area and its architecture; design and structure really stood out and made it unique next to the river.

Inside was very simplistic with not much to read and more to see. There was works of art from children and students – some of which were incredible and way before their time. Surrounding many of the images and areas featured surrounding quotes, describing elements of what we were seeing summed up in a quote. It was a lot lighter hearted then the typography of terror – it had light and colours within the exhibition so added a bit of colour and happiness back in our minds.

Day 4 - Berlin - Typography of Terror

In the morning we had more culture from the typography of terrors museum showing and explain the torture the Jews went through with the SS and SA.

It was very heart retching and made me very angry. The bleak architecture of a grey box structure with not must lighting only natural light did not help the atmosphere and mood. The wall to wall images and text was so insightful but difficult as it was quiet overwhelming. But extremely understandable.

The horrible images like those seen in the boy in the striped pyjamas and schindlers list was one that you could relate to as you had seen them before.

The other area of the museum alliterated Jews who had live through the war and the concentration camp – with short statements of there experience – what it was like, what happened while they were there. It was a part that pulled the heart strings.

Day 3 - Berlin - Premium

Premium however was very different and reminded me of the clothes show.

It was a lot smaller then Bread and Butter – there was no music so all you could hear were people talking

and when you walking round everything was styled in the same way the brands were just cornered off by boards breaking them up. It was very white and bland – I suppose the only positive thing with that is that you could see the clothes for what they were instead of being consumed to the look of the room.

That night – We went out with the teachers to the ‘ballroom’. Here we had dinner and ballroom danced the night away with the tutors, good food and a great night.