If I am completely honest, Berlin has never fascinated me all that much. Yes, I know my WWI/II history buffs are screaming at me – but it is the simple truth. The anticipation up to the trip there didn’t help much either – as the city break was meant to be a surprise Birthday present for my Ex. As luck would have it, we broke up months before the trip and I was left with 2 round trip tickets and a paid-in-full hotel.
Well Hell if I was going to waste that ticket! I made the trip solo and was left with lots of reflective time in the process.
West Berlin, while pretty, is fairly standard. Now East Berlin – that is something to observe, take in and explore. Whether you took a piece of the wall at that infamous moment in time in 1989 or are new to the city, the East Berlin that was once known for its stark depressive state, is a booming metropolis of history and progress.
East Side Gallery
Holocaust Memorial — controversial, but effective. Why the different heights and spaces? To get lost among the stone that represents the millions suffered under Nazi rule. Take a walk through the interactive memorial and understand history.
Vive ut Vivas 
Glad you made it to this part of the world…while not “exciting”, leaves one with a lifetime of deep reflection, and perhaps, direction.