At the beginning of September 2025, Susan and I had the opportunity for a first-time visit to Berlin. I’ve been to Germany several times before, so there was none of the hesitation that some Jews have about going to the birthplace of the Holocaust. It was Susan’s first trip there, and she felt differently.

Before the journey, my thoughts were focused on how to get the most out of the time we were there, without overdoing it. Looking back, I think we did pretty well.

After the world’s worst passport control experience – 90 minutes to complete it! – we dumped our luggage at the hotel, and headed out.

Day 1

First off, we did a wee scout around the Brandenburg Gate. Then, to get it over and done with, we visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, what is colloquially called the Holocaust Memorial. The upper part is an array of 2,711 blocks (one for each page in the Talmud) in a grid formation. Each block is unique in size. The arrangement encourages you to walk through. It’s unsettling. There are no hints as to what you are supposed to think, so everyone has their own experience to relay.

There’s an excellent information center underneath the stones. It does a magnificent job of describing the horrors in a steady, neutral language, but makes it personal and shocking by telling the stories of several families from throughout Europe and how the Holocaust tore through their world.

There’s one thread that runs through all the WW2 stuff in Berlin and it started here: the Germans are not hiding their dark past. It’s there, bare and exposed for all to see. No excuses. No equivocation.

After that, we felt pretty drained. A light supper and early to bed.

Day 2

The next day started with a veritable highlight: a multi-hour bike tour of Berlin. This gave us a quick introduction to some of the key sites: Rotes Rathaus, St. Mary’s Church, Humboldt University, Cathedral of St. Hedwig, Unter den Linden, the book-burning memorial at Bebelplatz, Altes Museum, the French Embassy, the Reichstag, the TV tower, and the Fuhrerbunker. Whew! I’m sure I missed stuff.

In the afternoon we visited some of the museums on Museum Island. (A theme that runs through German name places is that they are straightforward.) If you like ancient history, you will have a great time here. The bust of Nefertiti – in the New Museum – is a must. Go see it. You will not be disappointed. To add some detail to the bit about German naming protocols, the New Museum is beside the Old Museum. Ahem.

In the evening, we went to an icebar to enjoy – I’m sure that’s what the blurb said – a few shots consumed at sub zero temperatures drinking out of glasses made of ice. Cool!

Day 3

This time we started the day with a multi-hour walking tour of Berlin. We covered some of the same sites as the bike tour, inevitably, but there was also time spent at new locations such as Checkpoint Charlie with more emphasis on the Cold War.

After a short break, we went off to Kurfürstendamm to do some browsing and shopping. Sold as Oxford Street done right, or the German version of the Champs-Élysées, this was underwhelming compared to my expectations. We did spend a long time there, mostly browsing. There’s plenty fine shopping and prices to match, but it’s not quite the top site it’s made out to be.

After our efforts so far, we were tired enough to be happy to head for the hotel and a few drinks in the bar before bed.

Interlude – Ampelmann

The following image is one of the historical curiosities of Berlin. How did the city end up with different types of ‘little green men’ on their traffic lights. Check out the story here.

Day 4

By now, we were slowing down. The day’s main activity was a lengthy stop at the Topography of Terror Museum, This soberly tells about the SS and police in the Third Reich and the crimes they committed across Europe. It starts with showing how the Nazis took power and then describes what these evil institutions did with the power they had seized.

In addition to this, there was an external exhibition about Berlin from 1933-1945.

To repeat what I said upstream: the Germans are not hiding their dark past.

We finished our footslogging with a visit to the Berlin TV tower, riding up the lift to the viewing gallery on what we were told is Europe’s highest building. The view is superb.

Time to head back to the hotel bar…

Day 5

Before our flight home, we were able to squeeze in a visit to the Jewish Museum. It was an interesting experience to see how somebody – or a group of somebodies – is trying to explain to non-Jews what Judaism means, what being Jewish means. There’s a lot of stuff here that isn’t what I would put in a Jewish museum, but that just goes to show how little I know, because the material does work. It tells a story, or rather several stories. The views of German Jews and the Jews who went to Berlin after the fall of the USSR I found particularly poignant. I was impressed by the museum, but I’m curious as to who the intentional audience is. There seemed to be a few youth (school?) groups doing the rounds of Berlin and there were a couple in this museum. Do they need to go to a museum in Berlin to find out about Jews? I’m not criticizing; I’m curious.

Back Home

I’m ready to go back tomorrow. The place oozes history, the architecture is stunning, and the public transport is first class. It’s also a good city to walk (or ride) about and you can easily get your daily 10,000 steps in. Highly recommended.