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Berlin (with pics and video)

Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 11:05 pm
by Edgar
Previously, what comes to my mind when I think of Berlin is a torn down post-war country ruined by dictators. But when I actually got there, the entire city took me by surprise. It is not what I think it is, most ruins are gone and part of history, where as the rest which can be salvaged have been rebuilt to look like what it was back then, just newer.

After the end of the 2nd world war, Berlin is pretty much friends to other countries around the world. You can see monuments being erected as a gift from other countries for Berlin, amazing gift such as the Hiroshima Bridge, a pedestrian bridge on the Landwehr Canal.

There are a lot of newly constructed buildings too, most significant is the Sony Centre in Potsdamer Platz, consists of a collection of green buildings similar to the CCT project in Adelaide. The roads are wide there too, similar to Adelaide, and the people are among the nicest people in Europe.

After learning much about the local history and its past it is an amazing feeling being in the city yourself, you can almost relate it to what you have learnt or might have heard about during the WWII and the Cold War.

Berlin is one the top of my list of the must visit countries in Europe.

More photos here -

http://www.edgarchieng.com/gallery/plac ... index.html


Video - Click to go to youtube view in HD



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Old communist traffic light system

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East Berlin apartment, still a very poor sight, and in the poor side of town.

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Sony Centre

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The Holocaust Memorial

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The Brandenburg Gate

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Hotel Adlon, famous for when the late Michael Jackson hang his child from the balcony of the third floor room.

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More Sony Centre photo, it looks very similar to what we have here

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One of the few places where the Berlin Wall is still standing

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Corner of the wall

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The building where the attempted murder of Hitler was staged

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This is the spot where the guys who attempted Hitler assassination were shot dead on the same day

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The remains of the church hit during the war

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Every trees and lamp posts are labelled with numbers, so they can keep track on their numbers.

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The old wall that cuts through city street

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Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the largest train terminal in Europe.


Enjoy.

Re: Berlin (with pics and video)

Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 2:57 am
by yousername
Beautiful shots... I really gotta get up there sometime.

Re: Berlin (with pics and video)

Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 4:52 pm
by Hooligan
Edgar, did you do the free city tour by any chance? I did it when i was there in March. I found it to be fantastic.

Re: Berlin (with pics and video)

Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 7:57 pm
by Prince George
Did you visit the Reichstag or Potsdamer Platz?

EDIT: silly me, you were at the Sony Centre, so of course you were at Potsdamer - got more pics from around there?

Re: Berlin (with pics and video)

Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 8:27 pm
by Edgar
yousername wrote:Beautiful shots... I really gotta get up there sometime.
got a gift for you mate.... from Austria

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Re: Berlin (with pics and video)

Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 8:29 pm
by Edgar
Hooligan wrote:Edgar, did you do the free city tour by any chance? I did it when i was there in March. I found it to be fantastic.
We took the City Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off bus, we didn't know there was a free city tour. Was it on foot or by bus? But we were lucky our tour guide on the bus spoke really good English and he told us a lot of information others don't.

Re: Berlin (with pics and video)

Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 8:38 pm
by Edgar
Prince George wrote:Did you visit the Reichstag or Potsdamer Platz?

EDIT: silly me, you were at the Sony Centre, so of course you were at Potsdamer - got more pics from around there?
Photo of the Parliament house in Reichstag

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There isn't much in Potsdamer Platz except for a few new buildings, but what I found most interesting is learning about its history and actually physically be in the location itself.

Re: Berlin (with pics and video)

Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 8:52 pm
by Hooligan
Edgar wrote:
Hooligan wrote:Edgar, did you do the free city tour by any chance? I did it when i was there in March. I found it to be fantastic.
We took the City Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off bus, we didn't know there was a free city tour. Was it on foot or by bus? But we were lucky our tour guide on the bus spoke really good English and he told us a lot of information others don't.
It was on foot with an English speaking guide (they also have spanish speaking guides) We were lucky we had a great day for it (23 degrees) it took up the day really.

Here's the website for their tours.
http://www.newberlintours.com/nbt/

Re: Berlin (with pics and video)

Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 8:55 pm
by iTouch
what an amazing country

Re: Berlin (with pics and video)

Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 9:26 pm
by Edgar
i wanted to visit the concentration camp but it was too far away.

Re: Berlin (with pics and video)

Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 4:53 am
by yousername
Edgar wrote:got a gift for you mate.... from Austria
:D I really gotta get one of those t-shirts for when I go back to Oz.