Post by chrish on Apr 17, 2009 13:57:57 GMT
Next step from Dresden was an overnight stay in Berlin to visit a friend.
Like Dresden I hadn't been there for a long time. The one noticable things is that most of the cranes that dominated the skyline in 1997 have now largely disappeared. It's still a bit of a mess around Alexanderplatz area but there's a definate improvement around the Mitte area of the city. The major benefit of Berlin is that although there's still not really a centre, there are vibrant smaller centres in most districts such as Freidrichshain and Kreuzberg. It's well worth a visit and its a complete joy to travel in with a car! Wide boulevards and plenty of cheap street parking. 1 euro for an hour to park near the Reichstag. Cheaper than Asda Car Park in Newton Abbot, unless you know my mum's trick of putting a 2 pence piece in the slot.
First up is the old STASI (Ministerium fuer Staatssicherheit) Headquarters in Lichtenberg. Most of the original office complex is now owned by Deutsche Bahn. This building is now a museum. 4 euros to get in, 1 extra Euro buys you a permit to take pictures.
Listening devices fitted to Trabants and Watburgs to help unwitting informers to record any disident jibba jabba.
Erich Mielke's desk. Herr Mielke was the head of the Stasi from 1957 to 1989. He headed a network of 85,000 full-time domestic spies and 170,000 'voluntary' informers. He was also a avid fan of Dynamo Berlin and his influence helped them to win many titles.
Karl Marz Allee. Kino International (International Cinema)
Enjoying a nice coffee on the Karl Marx Allee. The famous old Cafe Moskau across the street and the Fernsehturm in the background.
Kreuzberg. the famous old Bezirke of West Berlin which was a magnet to young West Germans becuase Kreuzberg was classified as a occupied territory and as such if you lived there you didn't have to do Military Service.
The famous Oberbaumbruecke. This links the districts of Kreuzberg and Freiderichshain.
Looking back across the river from Freiderichshain to Kreuzberg from the top of my friends office!
Warschauerstrasse station, Freiderichshain and the two towers of the Frankfurter Gate which signal the start of the 2km long DDR showpiece communist boulevard of the Karl Marx Allee.
The view across Freiderichshain across to the distant souless blocks of Lichtenberg
The Karl Marz Allee. 89 metres wide and 2km long. All with 8 story buildings in the famous wedding cake style!
The Strausbergerplatz
The famous TV Tower (The Fernsheturm). Now with a Fitness First at the bottom.
The Holocaust memorial
The Reichstag
The Soviet War Memorial
A Soviet T-34
The Brandenburg Gate. In 1996 I drove a transit van through the arches. Now you can't.
Trabant for hire!
Like Dresden I hadn't been there for a long time. The one noticable things is that most of the cranes that dominated the skyline in 1997 have now largely disappeared. It's still a bit of a mess around Alexanderplatz area but there's a definate improvement around the Mitte area of the city. The major benefit of Berlin is that although there's still not really a centre, there are vibrant smaller centres in most districts such as Freidrichshain and Kreuzberg. It's well worth a visit and its a complete joy to travel in with a car! Wide boulevards and plenty of cheap street parking. 1 euro for an hour to park near the Reichstag. Cheaper than Asda Car Park in Newton Abbot, unless you know my mum's trick of putting a 2 pence piece in the slot.
First up is the old STASI (Ministerium fuer Staatssicherheit) Headquarters in Lichtenberg. Most of the original office complex is now owned by Deutsche Bahn. This building is now a museum. 4 euros to get in, 1 extra Euro buys you a permit to take pictures.
Listening devices fitted to Trabants and Watburgs to help unwitting informers to record any disident jibba jabba.
Erich Mielke's desk. Herr Mielke was the head of the Stasi from 1957 to 1989. He headed a network of 85,000 full-time domestic spies and 170,000 'voluntary' informers. He was also a avid fan of Dynamo Berlin and his influence helped them to win many titles.
Karl Marz Allee. Kino International (International Cinema)
Enjoying a nice coffee on the Karl Marx Allee. The famous old Cafe Moskau across the street and the Fernsehturm in the background.
Kreuzberg. the famous old Bezirke of West Berlin which was a magnet to young West Germans becuase Kreuzberg was classified as a occupied territory and as such if you lived there you didn't have to do Military Service.
The famous Oberbaumbruecke. This links the districts of Kreuzberg and Freiderichshain.
Looking back across the river from Freiderichshain to Kreuzberg from the top of my friends office!
Warschauerstrasse station, Freiderichshain and the two towers of the Frankfurter Gate which signal the start of the 2km long DDR showpiece communist boulevard of the Karl Marx Allee.
The view across Freiderichshain across to the distant souless blocks of Lichtenberg
The Karl Marz Allee. 89 metres wide and 2km long. All with 8 story buildings in the famous wedding cake style!
The Strausbergerplatz
The famous TV Tower (The Fernsheturm). Now with a Fitness First at the bottom.
The Holocaust memorial
The Reichstag
The Soviet War Memorial
A Soviet T-34
The Brandenburg Gate. In 1996 I drove a transit van through the arches. Now you can't.
Trabant for hire!
