Berlin

Wow, Berlin is truly an amazing city. I wasn’t sure what it would be like, but honestly thought it would just be a big industrial city. In reality it is a very unique place and I really enjoyed our visit there. It has such a unique history and it’s really interesting to see how they have developed. I found it very touching how they have made monuments to the past and embraced their ‘duty’ to remember. By preserving pieces of their history and sharing it with the world, they are ensuring that it never happens again. I personally feel that every person that goes to this city should go on a city tour to learn about this interesting place and how far it has come. But, it is also a very progressive city. They have beautiful and large museums that you could spend days in and never get through, beautiful parks, and many places to eat and shop.
I really can’t put into words just how unique Berlin is and the feelings I got when in certain locations. We also had a tour of Sachsenhausen, the former concentration camp. I really think that visiting a former concentration camp is something that everyone who travels to this area needs to do. You can read about them, watch documentaries, etc., but nothing compares to actually being there. Though it was a beautiful and sunny day, you can truly feel the sadness and darkness of this place. Our guide was very good at explaining what took place in the different areas, and told us stories of the people who lived there and how some of them came back for the big reunion only a month before. It is very difficult to express how I felt when I was there; this place of such a horrific past, of devastation and hopeless days. And to see it now, only a shell of what it once was. It’s a place you only need to see once, but will never forget.