#2 - Berlin, Tag 2

March 24, 2025 - Berlin

We had a spectacular(ly full) day! We walked almost 12 miles, and at no point did any of the kids complain or lose their enthusiasm! (Okay, there were a few "Are we there yet?"s, but no actual whining.)

After breakfast at a local bakery, we walked down the Ku'damm to the Gedächtniskirche and to the KaDeWe. Since normal people can't really afford to shop there, some of us spent our money at the much more affordable Haribo store across the street. 

From there, we took the subway to the Potsdamer Platz and walked to Checkpoint Charlie and visited Asisi's Panorama of Divided Berlin. We had lunch at the Mall of Berlin and afterwards toured Bernauer Straße with its Berlin Wall memorials. 

But we were far from being done, as many tired feet can attest to. We also visited Hackesche Höfe, Alexanderplatz (including going up the tallest structure in Berlin, the "Alex"), the Berliner Dom, the Museumsinsel, and Bebelplatz. 

If you think that's a lot in one day, you're absolutely right. Let's hear what our first two student bloggers thought about today:

Anish writes:

Without a doubt the best part of the day was the Berlin Wall. After lunch, we walked over to Checkpoint Charlie (or what’s left of it), an old crossing point between East and West, and went inside a Panorama Art Exhibit about life next to and behind the Berlin Wall. The mosaic of photos and stories was fascinating, and I know it made an impression on all of us. Then we walked over to a remaining section of the Berlin Wall. The scale of the thing doesn’t really come across on camera: The wall itself isn’t particularly large, but the sheer width of the many defenses before the actual wall, or the “death strip”, is something to stun you. It’s a wonder anybody got across at all. There are many monuments to the people who died trying to cross dotted around the memorial, a reminder that freedom isn’t always guaranteed.

 Photo: Anish

Lee writes:

The most riveting part of my day surely has to be the architecture located at the Alexanderplatz. The Fernsehturm, St Marienkirche, and the Rotes Rathaus with the fountain in the middle. Walking up to all of the churches in Berlin was truly breathtaking as the sun perfectly brought out the gold accents. The Fernsehturm was also incredibly impressive due to its great size but also its reflective elements, including the sun to create a luxurious shine. The Rotes Rathaus was especially stunning with the vacant lot in front of it, allowing it to dominate one’s entire view. Lastly the fountain was incredibly beautiful in the presence of the sunset. While the Alexanderplatz was impressive, it was also just down the street from the History Museum and Berliner Dom, but that is a tale for another day. Auf Wiedersehen und bis später!

Photos: Lee

Tomorrow, we will tour the Olympiastadion and visit the East Side Gallery. Stay tuned for updates! (By the way, kudos to the kids who patiently let me take hundreds of pictures without [openly] complaining about it. You'll see a few below, but I will share all of them with everyone eventually.)

For more photos, click here.