N 10 : the visit of the Bunker Since the days of the Berlin Blockade in 1948-49, the Berlin Senate makes provisions for emergencies and threats during the Cold War. We made a guided tour of an original nuclear bomb shelter under Kudamm Karree. Built in the 1970s on behalf of the German government, the shelter is still active today and could provide almost 3,600 people with food, air and water in the event of a nuclear disaster.
N 9 :The german resistance memorial center «The German Resistance Memorial Center at the Bendlerblock building complex commemorates German resistance against National Socialism. The centre of the memorial is an honourary court-yard where resistance fighters were executed on 20 July 1944. On the second floor of the centre, an exhibition provides information about the German resistance during the war.» The guid wasn't very energic, she spoke English very well but she had a monotone voice. However, the subject was interesting. «One of the central figure of the German military resistance movement within the Werhrmacht is the colonel Graf von Stauffenberg. He was one of the leading members of failed 20th july plot of 1944 to assassinate Hitler and remove the Nazi party from power. He was shot the next day for his involvement in this attempt, known as operation Valkyrie.»
N 8 : Alexanderplatz Alexanderplatz is a square named to honour Alexander 1st, tsar of Russia, on his visit to Berlin in 1805. In the 2nd half of the 19th century, many planings were constructed like the S-Bahn, the Berlin's surface rail network in 1882 and the underground railway from 1913. We liked this place, we've visited shops and ate to Burger King, it was really cool. We've also found the TV tower very impressive, the Berlin's highest construction with 365 meters. This tower is topped by a globe with a rotating viewing platform.
N 7 : the Bundestag The German Bundestag is elected by the German people and is the forum where differing opinions about the policies the country should be pursuing are formulated and discussed. The most important tasks performed by the Bundestag are the legislative process and the parliamentary scrutiny of the government. The Members of the German Bundestag also decide on the federal budget and deployments of the Bundeswehr (Federal Armed Forces) outside Germany. Another important function performed by the Bundestag is the election of the German Federal Chancellor. We found the visit of the Bundestag very interesting, the guide explained us very clearly the functions, role and history about it. During our visit, the dome was closed but we're gone on the roof terrace.
N 6 : Museum Island Museum Island is an extraordinary complex, including five renowned museums. Since 1999, the museum complex in the city center of Berlin has been the only architectural and cultural ensemble that is considered part of UNESCO world heritage. We only had time to visit the New Museum where are gathered Egyptian, Prehistory and Early History museums. The showpiece of the New Museum is the bust of Nefertiti.
N 5 : the Currywurst Currywurst is the typical german fast food dish. Composed of a generous fried pork sausage (wurst) with fries, curry and ketchup. There were currywurst stands everywhere in the city, The currywurst is an icon of German popular culture.
N 4 : The Jewish Museum The Jewish Museum is quite possibly one of the most exciting examples of contemporary architecture in Berlin. Opened the 9 september 2001, the form and style of the museum reflect a complex concept consisting of ciphers, codes and philosophical themes. Our guide, who spoke french, captivated us during all the visit. After the visit, we had the impression to know almost everything about the jewish history, culture and religion.
N 3 : Story of Berlin The story of Berlin is the interactive museum of the capital. Spread over 6000 square meters, this museum relate 800 years of Berlin in history. We've really appreciated this museum, we were totally free, there were lots of things we could touch. Some pieces were very original and artistic.
N 2 : The «DDR Museum» The DDR Museum showed us the life in GDR. But it isn't a simple museum, it is very interactive and fun, you have to see, to touch,to feel everything. It s not just about reading and looking; many of the exhibits require to open doors, pull out drawers, press buttons and pull levers in order to access information, pictures, films and objects. In this museum we really made a journey in the Germany s Socialist past.
N 1 : The cycling tour The cycling tour in Berlin was great. We rode 12 kilometers along the Berlin Wall. Our guid called Ikke, was nice and funny. His parents ran away from east to west Germany when he was eight and he grew up in FRG. Obviously he knew his subject perfectly and always had anecdotes to share with us.