Berlin is one of my favourite cities. The capital of Germany is a once-divided city with an interesting history. On August 13, 1961, the Berlin Wall went up quickly surrounding what would be called West Berlin. Instantly Berlin was divided, and only those in the west were free. The wall was taken down on November 9, 1989, and the East and West unified in 1990. Today Berlin is one city.
Modern and historical monuments, ancient history museums, graffiti, government buildings, and more are amongst the sites to visit in Berlin. We had a three day Berlin City Pass, and it saved us lots of money as it got us into just about everywhere we wanted to visit.
→ Check pricing and features of the Berlin Pass
Table of contents
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall cut a line through the city center separating the citizens of East Germany, from the freedom of the West. A piece of the Berlin Wall remains, protected as a memorial and stark reminder.
The first time I visited, in 1978, the wall was still up. We had a city guide who had been visiting a friend on August 13, 1961. The wall separated her from her family. She was free; her family was not. She was only a little girl, and at that time she hadn’t seen her family for 17 years. In her honour, our girls stood at the end of the remaining piece of the Berlin Wall, one girl on each side. If my girls had been standing in the same spots on August 13, 1961, they would have been separated for nearly 30 years, one being free, the other in the former Soviet-run East Germany.
Berlin Museums
Our three-day Berlin city pass included entry to several top Berlin museums. Our two favourites are the Neues Museum (the Egyptian Museum) and the Pergamon Museum (home to three massive and important examples of ancient architecture – the Hellenistic Pergamon Altar, The Babylonian Gate of Ishtar, and the Roman Market Gate of Miletus).
The Neues Museum is also home to one of my favourite pieces of Egyptian Art, the bust of Nefertiti. It is housed in its own room, guarded well, with no photos allowed. The Neues Museum opened in 2009.
Berlin Boat Tour
One of my favourite ways to see is a city is from the water. I was thrilled that our Berlin Pass included a one-hour scenic Berlin River Cruise.
Graffiti or Street Art
Now that the Berlin wall is down, it seems that every available wall in the city is covered in graffiti. The Berliners have brought it to an art form. I am not sure if it can be called street art, but my understanding is that it is legal.
More Sites to See in Berlin
We also visited the Berlin Zoo.
Get a Berlin Sightseeing Pass
- The Berlin Pass was a great choice for us.
- The pass is available for either 2 or 3 days. We opted for the three day pass.
- One day usage of the Berlin Hop on Hop off Bus is included on the Berlin Pass, so plan ahead to visit the sites that match the bus stop on the same day.
- The pass also includes free entrance to over 30 museums including Pergamon Museum, the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, and Neues Museum.
- Also included on the pass is a Berlin River Cruise that we thoroughly enjoyed.
- For the more sporty, there are a bicycle or walking tour options.
- The pass also includes entry to SEA LIFE, the Berlin Dungeon, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, and Madame Tussauds.
→ Get your Berlin Sightseeing Pass
More on Berlin
- Wondering where to stay in Berlin? Booking.com has the answer and the best available rates.
→ Check pricing and availability of accommodations in Berlin
- If you want more on details Berlin, we use the Lonely Planet Berlin Travel Guide.
All photos on this page © Rhonda Albom 2012. All Rights Reserved.
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Sarah
April 9, 2014 at 9:41 amIt’s kind of scary thinking about how Melissa and I would’ve been standing in different countries not too long ago in that first photo.
Conny
April 4, 2014 at 1:05 pmMy parents were actually living in Germany when the wall came down! I have a small piece of it as a souvenier. I was in Germany that Christmas and we went across the border in the “East” … and it was almost like time had stood still. I still think of that time period in black-and-white because it was so bleak over there.
lynneinpborough
April 3, 2014 at 8:59 pmI remember when it came down, never been. Those graffiti walls could be in a number of cities but somehow fitting to be there. Thanks for the reminder of how life has been and now is in other places of the world.
Carrie-Anne Foster (thatdizzychick)
April 3, 2014 at 6:37 pmGreat photos. I especially love the one with your two girls on each side of the line. Crazy how things used to be.
Carrie~Anne at That Dizzy Chick
Ann
April 3, 2014 at 8:52 amI was there last month and going back next month. We didn’t go to the wall monument this time, but to the outdoor wall museum where there’s a replica of what the inner walls looked like (The actual wall and the no-man’s zone.) It’s chilling that people would do this to other people. I became obsessed after our walking tour and bought a book about it. It’s all so unbelievable.
Aditi
April 3, 2014 at 8:13 amGreat B! Would love to visit Berlin someday!
Deborah Dera
April 3, 2014 at 8:00 amSuch an important piece of history. Thanks for the reminder.
A to Z: writingforpeanuts.com and deborahdera.com
Susan Gourley
April 3, 2014 at 7:56 amI wish I had seen it. I remember its end vividly.
Cathy Olliffe-Webster
April 3, 2014 at 7:42 amThe photo of the two girls (yours?) is very profound. It was such a part of the culture for so long – in a terrible way – that it’s almost hard to imagine life without it. So glad a part of it remains, for history’s sake. And lucky you, seeing amazing places in the world like it.
posh
April 3, 2014 at 7:14 amIf that wall could speak…..
Chrys Fey
April 3, 2014 at 6:58 amThe Berlin Wall is a great choice for “B”! I would love to see it for myself one day. 🙂
T. A. Miles
April 3, 2014 at 6:27 amWonderful images. So much history to be seen and shared the world over.
Jen
April 3, 2014 at 5:53 amIt’s amazing how much sadness is contained in the history of Berlin; definitely a surreal experience the first time I visited. I love the amount of street art, though, and the amazingly decorated pieces of the wall on display.
Stefani
April 3, 2014 at 5:38 amI am surprised to see how thin the wall actually was. I never knew that.
S. Katherine Anthony
April 3, 2014 at 5:03 amWow, it really hit me reading the picture with your girls standing on either side. What a fascinating city, maybe someday I’ll go with the hubby. Great pictures as usual 🙂
Eli
April 3, 2014 at 3:52 amOh yes, Berlin is a very fascinating city – with east and west, new and old… Really loved it every time we have visited:-) And what a great moment when that wall came down! Awesome. Enjoy traveling around with you- great pictures and interesting to read – I will come back for more:-)
Stacy Uncorked
April 3, 2014 at 2:03 amI’d love to visit there someday! Love all the shots! 🙂
Tarkabarka
April 3, 2014 at 1:38 amI was three when the wall came down, so I don’t remember any of that part of history, but my family has a lot of stories pre- and post-wall…
LuAnn Braley
April 2, 2014 at 11:50 pmI’ve never been to Berlin. I remember watching news reports of the Wall being torn down. The closest I came to Berlin (other than airports) has been Switzerland, where my mother was born.
Shere
April 2, 2014 at 11:14 pmBerlin is one of my favorites cities in Germany. I’ve been there a couple of times and every time you can discover something new. Something not everyone knows is that the West part of the country (the “rich” one) has the so called solidarity tax (deducted from your salary) that is aimed for the East (the “poor” people).
Merlinda (@pixiedusk)
April 2, 2014 at 10:54 pmLove the graffiti! Nice trip!
Vicki @ Knocked Up & Abroad
April 2, 2014 at 10:43 pmWould love to visit it one day. What a great historic marker.
Julie
April 2, 2014 at 8:58 pmI also remember the day the wall came down. A very historical place for many different reasons.
Hilary
April 2, 2014 at 8:55 pmHi Rhonda .. I’ve never been to Berlin, but would hope to see the monument sometime .. I was in Prague and Brno in the 1970s and experienced East Europeans at work there and in London …
Have you seen the film Goodbye Lenin! … it’s a good tragi-comedy … https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodbye_Lenin Our film society highly recommended ..
Cheers Hilary
Corinne
April 2, 2014 at 7:55 pmRhonda, My entire family loves Berlin as well. Sobering thought, separated by inches…Great B!
KC
April 2, 2014 at 4:41 pmI was only six when the wall came down but I kind of vaguely remember hearing about it. It didn’t mean anything to me at the time but now I can see how important it was.
Tina
April 2, 2014 at 4:36 pmHey how nice is that, you reminded me of my Berlin times!!
Tina from The Sunny Side of Life
Christy@SweetandSavoring
April 2, 2014 at 4:18 pmI love this! Berlin was certainly one of my favorite cities when I visited way back in 2005- and it’s where I fell in love with graffiti and street art! The wall especially really gave me a sense of history- it’s such a unique aspect to the city that’s incomparable to anywhere else.
L.G. Keltner
April 2, 2014 at 11:24 amI got to see a small piece of the wall on display once. These pictures are great, and I’m so glad you shared them with us. I was young when the Berlin wall came down. I remember it happening, but I was too little to understand the significance of it at that time.
Chris
April 2, 2014 at 10:58 amFantastic pictures! Berlin is on my ‘Bucket list’, the wall coming down was one of the first historical events I saw in real-time. Such a tragedy that so many families were torn apart for so long.
I just went back and read your post about the Aqueduct. Didn’t realize you’re so far ahead of us here in the USA! Can’t wait to see more pictures and read all about your world travels 🙂
Tamason
April 2, 2014 at 10:23 amWe have literally just come back from Berlin. It was strange to think that I could simply walk around unconscious of whether I was in the east or the west but years ago this would have been impossible. The way that they divided the city seemed so strange and places unfathomable. When the GDR put the wall up I can’t understand why they would not extend it to there own war memorial just metres down the road!
I loved looking at how they have added artwork to the wall that remains today – making it part of their culture – but in a different way (old meets new). It was a great city to walk around, potentially one of the best city breaks in Europe that we have done.
Robyn Engel
April 2, 2014 at 9:41 amThat picture’s very powerful, a historic shot. Interesting that their graffiti is accepted as art. It does look much more respectable than graffiti in the states.
Be well, Rhonda.
xoRobyn
Comedy Plus
April 2, 2014 at 9:03 amHubby was in Germany during the Vietnam war. He saw the wall. I’ve never been to Europe. I want to see America first. That’s what’s on my bucket list.
Have a fabulous A to Z Challenge. You’re off to a great start. 🙂
Alex J. Cavanaugh
April 2, 2014 at 8:51 amI remember when the wall came down. That was a very big deal!