My family and I just got back from a week in Berlin, Germany. We stayed at the Abba Hotel on Lietzenburger Street, which was only a 2-minute stroll from the shopping mecca that is Berlin’s famed Kurfurstendamm.
Some Words About Berlin
One week is not nearly long enough to see everything that Berlin has to offer visitors.
There are plenty of interesting landmarks, museums, parks, shopping centers, picturesque streets, restaurants, and cafes to explore. Every major city in the world has its fair share of shopping centers and stores, but Berlin appears to have more of them than any other city.
Shopping malls in Berlin range from the upscale KaDeWe and Galeria Kaufhof to the budget-friendly C&A.
In Berlin, you can get anything you need. For shoppers, it’s a veritable banquet.
The journey to Berlin was much more than that. It was a trip for the whole family.
You’re well aware of the state of modern adolescents. They have no time for their parents because they are always distracted by their friends, TV, computers, and social networking sites like Facebook. Bonding might occur naturally while trip with them.
While on the road, children have little choice but to interact with their parents.
Although we did join a few guided excursions, we spent most of our time exploring the city independently. Getting around Berlin and making use of the city’s bus and subway systems is a breeze.
Highlights in Berlin
There are many the highlights in Berlin, and here are a few of them:
- The Pergamon museum, which is spectacular. You can see there a life size temple, monumental buildings, such as the Pergamon Altar and the Market Gate of Miletus, all consisting of parts transported from Turkey.
- The Neue and Altes museums.
- Fragments of the Berlin wall that separated the western and the eastern parts of the city.
- Brandenburg Gate.
- Checkpoint Charlie.
- The television tower.
- Alexander platz and Potsdam Squares, and many other places.
From the Brandenburg Gate, one of the streets I recommend is Unter den linden. It’s a large and spacious street lined on both sides by equally stunning structures.
The United Buddy Bears display can be found on Ku’damm (Kurfurstendamm) Street.
There are roughly 140 2-meter-tall Buddy bear statues on display, with each bear standing in for one of the 193 member states of the United Nations. Every Buddy Bear represents a different country, and each one was created by a different artist.
The United Buddy Bears are on a worldwide tour to spread their message of world peace and unity.
Berlin is a great vacation destination for a number of reasons, including the attractions available, the city’s Cosmopolitan vibe, the punctuality of its buses and trains, the diversity of its cultural offerings, and the low cost of lodging.
I have some weather-related commentary. Even though it was August, there were a few wet mornings. On one occasion, when we stepped off the bus at Alexander Platz, we were pelted with hail. The temperature reached around 30 degrees Celsius on other days.
It was refreshing to get some distance. Sometimes, you just need a break.
Do you long for a vacation but find that you simply can’t take one right now? Imagine yourself on a relaxing vacation. It’s like going on vacation, except you don’t need anyone’s permission to do it.
