Friday November 6, 2009
November 9 is the day Berlin waiting has been waiting for all year long: It marks the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, which came down on November 9, 1989.
Berlin celebrates the anniversary of this significant day in German history with a gigantic Festival of Freedom; besides hundreds of thousand spectators, the German capital welcomes many international heads of states and governments such as Nicolas Sarkozy, Dmitry Medwedew, Gordon Brown, Hillary Clinton, as well as Angela Merkel and Berlin's Mayor Klaus Wowereit.
The center piece of the Festival of Freedom is a giant domino chain, which follows the route of the former wall through Berlin.
The 1000 domino pieces were created by Berlin students, and just like the real Berlin Wall, they are going to fall. With the last domino, a spectacular firework display will light up the night sky over the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of a unified Germany.
Program of the Festival of Freedom
- 7:00 p.m. Concert of the Berlin state's orchestra under the conducter Daniel Barenboim (music from Wagner, Schoenberg, Beethoven, and Goldmann
- 7:30 p.m. International politicians and former GDR civil right activists walk through the Brandenburg Gate and give speeches
- between 7:45 - 8:30 p.m.
- The first domino will fall
- Performance of Jon Bon Jovi at the Brandenburg Gate
- Interview with Michael Gorbatschow and Hans Dietrich Genscher (former German Foreign Minister)
- 8:30 p.m. The last domino will fall, kicking off a spectacular firework display over the Brandenburg Gate
Where: Brandenburg Gate
When: November 9, 2009
Getting There: Metro Stop „Unter den Linden" (S1, S2) , or Bus #100
Cost: Free
Thursday November 5, 2009
Right in time for the festivities of the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, this Berlin symbol got a well-deserved face-lift: The East Side Gallery, one of the most prominent and longest sections of the Berlin Wall still standing.
After the wall fell in 1989, hundreds of artists from all over the world came to Berlin to transform the grim and gray wall into a piece of art: They covered the east side of the former border, which had been untouchable up to then, with more than 100 colorful murals and paintings, transforming it into the largest open-air gallery in the world.
But the last 20 years took their toll on the colorful attraction: Big sections of the wall have been damaged by erosion, graffiti, and trophy hunters, who chip off little pieces to bring home as a souvenir. In the last months, many of the original artists returned to Berlin to restore their murals, and now the East Side Gallery is finally ready for the Fall of the Wall celebrations, which kick off this weekend in Berlin.
Berlin Travel Tips
(all photos by Manuela Guddait)
Thursday November 5, 2009
Every week, I will be posting budget travel tips for your Germany vacation in my blog, so you can find out how to make your Dollar go further - without taking the fun out of your travels.
This week is all about taking the bus to get around in Germany; buses are cheap, comfortable, environmentally friendly and a good option besides train travel or driving in Germany.
I recommend the German bus company Berlin Linien Bus; it has a very extensive network with 350 destinations all over Germany and Europe and offers great deals for city hoppers.
Right now, the company offers a Super Promo Fare for all bus trips to and from Berlin: Tickets are between 9 Euros (e.g. one way Berlin - Hamburg, Berlin Dresden) and 33 Euros (Berlin - Munich, Berlin - Frankfurt). Fares to other European cities start at 22 Euros (Berlin - Prague, Berlin - Copenhagen).
Check out the Berlin Linien Website for more deals and to book online.
Transportation in Germany
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Check out Last Week's Budget Travel Tip
Wednesday November 4, 2009
Heidelberg, located in the southwest of Germany, is one of the country's most picturesque travel destinations; it is one of the few German cities that wasn't destroyed in World War II, so plenty of old world charm fills the narrow cobble stone streets of Heidelberg's Old Town.
Heidelberg is mostly famous for its castle, but don't leave the city without seeing these interesting attractions and landmarks.
One of the most unique sights Heidelberg has to offer, is its historic student prison. The cells are decorated with original paintings, drawings, and poems from students, who did time here for minor transgressions like dueling, excessive drinking, and disobeying authorities.
Heidelberg Travel Tips
(Photo: GNTB/Andrew Collin)
