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get
away
I
f
there were two things that de-
fined our four-day exploration of
Germany’s capital, they were bears
and beers. Both were to be seen all
around the city; with the former in
colourful and funky emblems of
modern Berlin’s artistic tempera-
ment and the latter, a liquid heritage of
a people who have a sensitive touch for
remembering the past without wallowing
in its darkness.
Berlin is a city that will surprise many
who associate it solely with its difficult
history, as this is a place where wide
Germany’scapitalmaycarrya turbulent history, yetmodernBerlin isalivewithvibrancy
andculture, offeringanunexpectedlydelightful destination for those lookingtocombine
aviewof thepastwitha tasteof thepresent.
SarahRees
reportsbackona recent tripto
one of Germany’smost exciting cities.
Berlin: Not Looking Back
Inside the glass dome on the Reichstag Building
streets bristle with activity and the old
is supported and enhanced by the new.
Funky new buildings sprout beside the
classic grandeur of the past and the city
beats with a pulse of a contemporary
society looking upwards and outwards to
inspire the world, shaking off the shackles
of what came before.
Historical Heartland
That isn’t to say the past is not very present
as you stroll the pavements, with careful
memorials and insightful monuments
ensuring the Berlin Wall – so fresh a
memory in the history of the city – and all
it stood for, is remembered. Lines on the
floor still remind you of theWall’s path and
its consequential brutal isolation of East
Berlin, while sections of the Wall remain
standing in parts of the city; monuments
to a reality that seems unreal in these days
of free movement and open experience.
But you can have a go at stepping back
to those times: there is no better place to
gain an insight into life in the socialist East
Berlin than at the award-winning DDR
Museum. While the queue took us up the
street and tested our patience, the wait