BERLIN-SEPTEMBER, 2012

This was my first trip to Berlin. I was there for one week, and I was blessed with good weather the entire time I was there. The picture above is of the Brandenberg Gate which was previously between East and West Berlin during the time the Berlin Wall was erected, preventing those living in East Berlin from traveling to West Berlin [and freedom.] I stayed in an area that was formerly in East Berlin. Although East Berlin was not as modern as West Berlin when the Berlin Wall separated the two portions of the city, East Berlin is now the area of most of the development, and the area where new boutique hotels and restaurants are being built.

This is the Reichstag building, which is the government building where the "Congress" in Germany meets. There is a new dome which has been built that can be seen at the center top of the building. Tours go through the old entrance to the building, then you climb the inside of the dome for a magnificent view of Berlin.

This is the dome on top of the Reichstag building. You walk up the slopping ramps inside to the top to the dome, then down ramps to this area where you begin. The view was terrific.

This is the inside of the dome. The mirrors in the center deflect the entering sunlight downward into the meeting chamber. You can see the ramps leading up to the top of the dome.

This view from the dome is of the Tiergarten Park, which is like the "Central Park" of Berlin.

I took the train [S-bahn] to Potsdam which is about a 40 minute ride from central Berlin to see the Sans Souci Park which is a large park with former palaces of the ruling German royalty. The picture above is the Sans Souci Palace with tiered vineyards leading to a large fountain. It was very beautiful. I spent an entire day at the park, then returned several days later for an additional one half day to view all of the sights in the park.

This was an oriental building in the park which the royalty used for parties. The columns and statues were gold leafed.

This is the Neues Palace in the park. It was the largest residence for the royalty. Parts of it were under renovation when I visited.

This is another view of the Neues Palace.

This is another palace called the Orangerie. It reminded me a lot of Hearst Castle.

This is another view of the Orangerie.

I stayed at a boutique hotel which catered to the fashion, art and music crowd [I fit right in.] Strangely the shower was in the living area of the room, not the bathroom. No problem for me, as I was alone, but it could be uncomfortable if you were there with someone who required privacy while showering.

This is the entrance to my hotel. You would never guess that there was a nice hotel on the other side of the doorway.

During the time the communists controlled East Berlin they built this large radio tower at Alexanderplatz, to show the west that they were always looking over them, and were watching them. Today there is an observation deck and restaurant at the top. Alexanderplatz is now a central shopping area with a large luxury department store, and restaurants in the area.

This is the Berlin Cathedral. It is located on "Museum Island" which is an island surrounded on both sides by the Spree River. In addition to the Cathedral, there are several major museums on the island.

This is another view of the Berlin Cathedral, with the Radio Tower in the background.

This picture shows Museum Island where the island splits the river Spree. On the weekend there were numerous street fairs in the area of Museum Island.

This is another museum on Museum Island.

This is Checkpoint Charlie where the crossing between East and West Berlin was located when the Berlin Wall was in place. This picture is looking west toward the checkpoint in West Berlin. Looking west you see a picture of an American soldier. On the other side, looking east from West Berlin towards East Berlin is a picture of a Russian soldier.

This is the last remaining standing portion of the original Berlin Wall. It stands as a memorial and museum to those who lost their lives attempting to escape from East Berlin to freedom in West Berlin. The original course of the wall is memorialized by bricks placed in the ground following the course of the wall when it was still in place.

This is a picture of the Charlottenberg Palace, another palace used by German [Hapsburg] royalty. It is located in West Berlin, along the banks of the Spree River. The surrounding grounds are now a public park.

A view of the other side of the Charlottenberg Palace, with the landscaped park grounds.

On my last day in Berlin I took a cruise on a tour boat on the large lake in Wannsee, which is located between Berlin and Potsdam. It is a beautiful area, with lots of islands in the lake, with the shoreline filled with large beautiful homes. There is a large sandy beach which is packed during warm weather with Berliners looking for a tan.

Another view of the lake from the boat dock.

This is another view of the lake, islands and homes seen from the cruise boat. It was a wonderful way to end my visit to the beautiful city of Berlin.