Day 2 saw a much prompter start because we’d booked tickets
to see Berlin from above. There are lots of ways to do this including the Reichstag Tour, the Berliner Dom tour and even a hot air balloon (click here for what I thought). But this time
we chose the famous Berlin TV-tower (fernsehturm), an alien spike that dominates the skyline
with a viewing platform some 200 metres high. I’m glad we booked tickets online
with VIP queue jumping tickets as the queues at the venue were mad!
Fernsehturm
It takes just 2 mins to cover the 200 metre climb in a
space-age lift. The views from the platform were astounding, although
thoroughly dependent on the weather. We could see for miles, roof gardens,
apartments, road networks, the river, and the S-bahn looking like a train-set
below us. The only slight frustration with this experience was the info panels
ran in the opposite direction to the viewing route meaning I only discovered
the significance of ‘that odd looking building’ after I’d viewed it.
3/5 quite pricey for what it was, and significantly dated,
but amazing views.
(the viewing platform is in the centre of the grey blob)
(Alexanderplatz from above)
Stasi Museum
We continued our DDR-Berlin day by visiting the Stasi
museum. It’s a long way east but worth the visit. After yesterday’s experiences
I had high expectations for another of Berlin’s museums which were perhaps misplaced.
The Stasi Museum is set in the old offices of the Stasi –
stepping over the threshold the weight of historical resonance falls firmly the
on the shoulders. That said most of the exhibits are traditional ‘stuff in
cases’ or rooms laid out as they would have been used during the Stasi regime.
One part of the museum focussed on prisoners of the regime and put you in a
seat opposite the ‘prisoner’ depicted by a biography panel. There were subtle
layers of undertone here, of interrogator and interrogated, created through
something so simple as two chairs and a bit of cardboard.
3/5 Hard going if you don’t like reading, but some
fascinating objects.
(Meet the prisoners)
East Side Gallery
After the Stasi museum we proceeded to the East Side Gallery.
This artistic monument fascinates me; it started life as original protest art
whilst the wall was in use, then official artists were brought in to represent
constituent voices, when most of the wall was demolished. Today it’s a tourist
trap where people take photos of themselves and occasionally tag a wall. It’s a
piece of history and yet it’s also a place to voice complaint on current
affairs – the veiled role of exhibition curation as political response is so
much more evident here. The walls address themes from state sovereignty, war
and peace, to sexuality, national culture and freedom in a way that is perhaps
more democratic than an official museum or speech? This famous painting of Brezhnev
and Honecker has been significantly tagged since I was last here, in part in
reaction to the current homophobic crisis in Russia. It’s interesting that this
particular tag and many others have not been removed by state authorities.
(East Side Gallery)
We progressed quickly from the East Side Gallery to
Starbucks via Checkpoint Charlie. We decided against the extortionate passport
stamping ruse, get all 6 for just 5€. Er, no ta! And caught sunset at the
Brandenburg Gate. Then I spent an extortionate amount on a handbag made from old
lorries and seatbelts.
Weinerei Forum
Finally we ended up at the Weinerei Forum, one of the
destinations recommended by Luke. We were not disappointed, we found warmth,
cheap home-made food, free wifi, plentiful affordable wine, and surprisingly
the good Lord who was hanging up on the wall, overseeing every glass. On
Fridays the Forum offer wine tasting for just 2€, fill your glass with whatever
you fancy! It was just what we needed after a long day!
(Weinerei Wine)
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