Noah Robinson, Copy Editor

After nineteen hours of cramped flights, chair-kicking kids, claustrophobic middle seats and basically no sleep, I’ve finally done it. I’ve landed in Berlin, Germany. I stretch my crooked back, grab my single gray backpack (filled with everything I need for my week long excursion) and waddle off my final plane with the rest of the weary eyed passengers. It’s 8 a.m. I’m tired, but there’s a fire in me ready to adventure.

Berlin, the capital of Germany, is a city ripe for exploration. With over 170 museums and a major monument on every third block, Berlin is a rhythmic clash of new and old. Reunified as recently as 1990, it is a city that has been scarred, shaped and bonded by many other cultures, as well as its own dark past. This is what intrigued me about Berlin (that and a shining recommendation from a good friend of mine), leading me to spend my spring break in the lovely city.

Sadly, I did not get to explore much on my first day in Berlin (dang professors making assignments due during spring break), but I was able to settle into my airbnb near the city center. I was, however, able to get my first taste of the local dishes with the oh so delicious dönner kebab, a Turkish street food served on what seems like every corner. When I tell you how good these things are, fill them up with good sauce and fresh veggies and your first will be divine.

Alexanderplatz in the city center, the heart of the city, is the home to street performers. Trolleys and pedestrians dance through the plaza as the World Clock ticks gently and the Fountain of Friendship trickles quietly with the tempo of the crowds. The plaza connects to the nearby Museum Island, which holds seven of the city’s most notable museums (each of which you could easily lose your whole afternoon to if you’re not careful) as well as the most mesmerizing Berlin Cathedral. 

A bit south, in the district of Kreuzburg, you can find the sobering Jewish History Museum Berlin. The museum is extensive and free, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget the “Holocaust Tower” or “Fallen Leaves” exhibits. Nearby you can find Checkpoint Charlie, a famous crossing point of the still partially intact Berlin Wall that you may touch and even purchase pieces of.

A long journey through the Brandenburg Gate to the east will have you pass the beautiful and serene Großer Tiergarten, a massive public park, and the towering Victory Column. At the end of the journey (with a turn onto Otto-Suhr-Allee) you’ll find yourself at Schloss Charlottenburg, a small palace with a garden that just begs you to be rested in with a good book.

Berlin is a city teeming with places just waiting to be discovered (more than you could discover in a lifetime). It’s a city of movement, culture and technology with a storied history. I will always hold my time there close to my heart and wholeheartedly recommend the same wild leaps to adventure to any who will listen.

Categories: Life