Berlin

I had a week off from school, so I hopped on a cheap flight to Berlin to do some exploring.
The city is impressive with its recent history (World War II, Nazi Party headquarters, East/West division, etc) and culture (architecture, museums, cafes, blending of East and West).

Since I went solo, there are a number of Berlin selfies...

Brandenburg Gate: An old city gate built in 1791 that later became a symbol of unity between East and West Germany, even though it was not a part of the construction of the Berlin Wall.

Berlin Cathedral:

East Side Gallery: This longest section of the Berlin wall that is still standing. Germany turned it into an outdoor art exhibit /memorial with 105 paintings from international artists.

Reichstag Building: the home of the German Parliament.  The courtyards around the building are often a place of demonstrations and where many large demonstrations took place that led to the falling of the Berlin Wall.

Outside the Reichstag building is a memorial for the politicians who stood up against the Nazi Party

Checkpoint Charlie: the most famous checkpoint to pass from East to West when the Berlin Wall still existed. 

At the Berlin Technical Museum

The Z1, the FIRST computer (well, actually it is a remake of the first computer as the original was destroyed in WWII).

Charlottenburg Palace

Below are sites from the Pergamon Museum

Market Gate of Miletus

The Pergamon Altar

The Ishtar Gate

The DZ Bank building was designed by Frank Gehry and sits next to the Brandenburg Gate. The outside is very unassuming, but the inside is impressive.

                                     

One site that was emotionally and visually impressive was that of the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe. I did not take any pictures, but if anyone plans to visit Berlin, the memorial and museum are a must (not recommended for children under 14).