Hallo Berlin

Brussels?

Hamburg?

Berlin.

My travel mate Angela and I bid each other goodbye and while she jumped onto the Thalys train to Paris, I was left in the middle of Amsterdam Centraal Station, undecided where to go next. The entire morning, I was choosing between Brussels and Hamburg and after a long time of staring at the electronic board, I decided to go to Berlin.

Day 16

I figured that if I couldn’t get a hostel from Berlin, I could take a night train from there. But I did find a place to stay in Berlin—the most expensive one I’ve stayed (41€ - discounted price). It’s usually more expensive when you’re a walk-in than when you book online.

Berlin Hauptbahnhof

I arrived in Berlin 17:20. The first thing I did was to look for a hostel. I found Meininger hotel just across the train station. After sending emails and researching a bit about Berlin, I found myself wandering in the cold and raining streets of Berlin. Strolling around under an umbrella in a gloomy Berlin afternoon… it was exactly the kind of weather that I liked.

Just a few minutes away from Hauptbahnhof, I stumbled upon the Reichstag, Germany’s parliament building. With an umbrella in one hand, I took a photo of this historical building. Berlin is a modern city but I found a lot of placards, providing information (including historical information) about the buildings, plazas and parks. Since it’s written in several languages, it helps tourists like me to appreciate Berlin.

The Reichstag

I continued walking and about a block away, I found the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate). It stands west of the cobbled Pariser Platz. Symbolizing the division of Berlin, Brandenburger Tor is one of Berlin’s famous attractions. Back when the Berlin wall was still standing behind it, it was one of the 18 gates that were a portal to East Berlin. Today, the reconstructed Brandenburger Tor is the only gate that remains.

The famous Brandenburger Tor

In front of the Brandenburg Gate is a small plaza called Platz des 18 März. March 18 marks the date of the revolution in 1848 and East Germany’s first free parliamentary elections in 1990. The Platz used to be called Platz vor dem Brandenburger Tor (Place in front of the Brandenburg Gate) until in 2000 when it was officially named Platz des 18 März.

Traversing the streets of Berlin

When night fell, I was a bit reluctant to leave the hostel. It was drizzling and it was coooold. But I knew I would be having a train-ful day on the morrow, so I was quite determined to see more of Berlin. Luckily, I made friends with one of my roommates at the hostel and we went somewhere in Friedrichstraße where I had a Berlin Pilsner.

Day 16 was the start of my 2-week train adventure. I had no itinerary and I was open to taking loooong train rides for the rest of my trip. I couldn’t have made a better decision than starting my spontaneous travel in Berlin.

Until then, Guchte Nacht!