Bordering the Berlin Wall, Kreuzberg borough was home to students, artists, leftist radicals and a large Turkish population throughout the 1960s-1080s. When the wall fell, the area became, once again, the center of Berlin. Though Kruezberg is still an eclectic area, rising rents are making it increasingly difficult for alternative businesses and artists to survive in the area. Kreuzberg is home ... Read Full Article
Berlin’s Schoenberg District and Kulturforum Berlin
As I was searching for a place to stay for a week in Berlin , I was drawn to Schoenberg (in former West Berlin, near Charlottenberg) because of its central location (near Potsdamer Platz) and the choice of excellent hotels in the area. As I researched the area, I discovered how unique and colorful Schoenberg’s history and present culture are. We stayed in the Hotel City B and were very ... Read Full Article
Foodie Break: Street Food in Berlin
When I’m out and about in a different country, I make it a point to eat lots of street food. This is one of the best ways to put my finger on the foodie pulse of a city, to begin to discover the building blocks of a country’s culinary culture. Berlin is home to some of the best and least expensive street food in all of Europe. A truly international city, hungry sightseers like me are never at a ... Read Full Article
Fabulous Flohmarkts (flea markets) in Berlin
Few things are more exciting than digging for treasures from times gone by at European flea markets. From mid-century vases to old photo albums, antique pill boxes to vintage sunglasses, you never know what you might find. Each treasure holds a story, so as I inspect each artifact, I imagine who has owned it and where it might have come from. It’s as though I’m holding a bit of someone else’s ... Read Full Article
Contemporary Art in Berlin at the Hamburger Banhof
As a contemporary art affectionado, the Hamburger Banhof was a must see for me in Berlin. The building itself and the museum’s vast collection far exceeded my expectations. The current manifestation of Berlin’s "Museum für Gegenwart" (Museum for Contemporary Art) opened in the former Hamburger train station on November 2, 1996.The building was constructed in the mid-19th century and reconstructed ... Read Full Article
Bernaeur Strasse and the Berlin Wall Memorial
I was 10 and living in suburban America when the Berlin wall fell. I remember learning about it in school and not quite understanding what it was all about. The Wall made another brief appearance during an undergraduate European history course (I understood it better that time around) and I began to appreciate the symbolism of this massive barrier. However, until I stood at the foot of one of the ... Read Full Article
An Afternoon around Berlin’s Alexanderplatz
After strolling along the Spree River, standing in awe at the base of the Berliner Dom (Berlin’s celebrated cathedral) and bargaining for a large fur hat (a throwback from communist East Germany) from a local street vendor, I found myself in need of a good lunchtime wurst (sausage). My friend suggested we wander over to the nearby Alexanderplatz, a large public square and transport hub in the ... Read Full Article
Berlin-Brandenburg’s Explosive Past
On December 15, 2008, several bombs were discovered hidden in a Parisian luxury department store. At this moment, it looks as though an Afghani extremist group placed them there. Fortunately, the bombs were found before they could do any damage. Other parts of Europe have problems with bombs too, but they often have nothing to do with terrorists, at least not in the ordinary sense of the word. The ... Read Full Article
Postcards from Berlin
We were in Berlin last week, and luckily, we were there for the "night lights". During this week, Berlin's most famous monuments are flooded with colorful lights at night. This city is a mix of modern and old, east and west. It is one of the fastest growing cities in Europe and its vitality is evident in its modern architecture. The Brandenburg Gate is the symbol of Berlin The ... Read Full Article