Berlin Photo Diary - Kreuzberg, the Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial, Spreepark Abandoned Amusement Park & Mauerpark Flea Market

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you may have seen that I recently went to Berlin for a long weekend. It's a city that I've wanted to explore for a long time and it didn't disappoint.

Berlin is smaller than London, but it feels huge when you're walking around it, so it was an impossible task to try and cram everything that I wanted to see in just three days. You could spend three weeks there and still not see everything! I'd recommend coming up with an itinerary which is what myself and a small group of friends did as there were a couple of 'we must definitely see this' places on our list.

We stayed in Mitte which is the most central borough of Berlin, and from there, you can easily get to everywhere else so it's an ideal base. Mitte itself is a little boring; an amazing place to go shopping as it has a whole host of designer and highstreet shops, but that's mostly it and many of the brands are the same as you'd find over here. It's very similar to Alexanderplatz, so if you fancy a shopping splurge, those two are the best places to head for.

The transport system in Berlin is much better than what I've ever experienced in London; there were no cancellations or delays and all of the buses, tubes, and trains run very regularly, even late at night and on Sundays (that's German efficiency for you!). We each purchased a Berlin Welcome Card which gave us unlimited travel across all zones including to and from the airport, plus a decent discount at all of the major tourist attractions. I definitely recommend picking one of these up! 

Photos above: Walking around Kreuzberg

Kreuzberg

Our first point of call was Kreuzberg - an internationally loved alternative borough with streets splattered with graffiti, posters for punk shows and left-wing/anarchistic political slogans. It has a very relaxed vibe and is a great place to meet up with friends and just chill for a lazy afternoon/evening. There are some fantastic restaurants and cocktail bars (most of which seemed very reasonably priced, happy hour cocktails were often 3 euros for example), as well as lots of alternative and independent shops selling everything you can imagine; handcrafted art prints and crafts, vegan and ethinic food, natural handmade beauty products, political books, fanzines, vinyl records - the list goes on!

If you're not into alternative stuff, you may be looking at the above and thinking that it looks like a terrible run-down part of town, but don't let the graffiti put you off. I felt very safe walking around and there were plenty of other tourists like us, simply having a stroll and gawking at everything. There's a lof of talk at the moment of the gentrification of Kreuzberg which is one of the reasons that I wanted to visit it now, because I'd hate for it to turn into another boring place with a McDonalds on every street corner. It has a wonderful unique charm to it which I hope will be here to stay for many years and decades to come.

Photos above: Inside Core Tex Records, Kreuzberg

My favourite place in Kreuzberg was the infamous Core Tex Records - an independent record shop which is home to all things punk, metal and hardcore. It has an extensive punk CD collection and is stacked to the roof with t-shirts and hoodies, plus it even has its own branded beer in a fridge by the door. I'm gutted that Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes played here a few days later!

Photos above: Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall, images from Topography of Terror and Checkpoint Charlie museums.

Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall

I've always wanted to see what's left of the Berlin Wall and there's an interesting East Side Gallery around it which acts as an international memorial for freedom. Opposite one of the main parts of the Wall, is the Topography of Terror museum which educates the public and schools on Nazism, how it rose and how it eventually crumbled. The museum is a must for anyone interested in WW2 history and the entrance was free. 

Further up from the Wall, you come across the infamous Checkpoint Charlie where you can see the original crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Across the road, there's the Checkpoint Charlie Museum which has a mix of history artifacts, detailed escape stories from those who attempted to cross the Wall, and there are many contemporary works of art commenting on politics and reflecting upon freedom. There's also a room dedicated to North Korea, which highlights the atrocities of the regime over there with some poignant and depressing illustrations.

Photos above: Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum - the Concentration Camp, Watchtowers, Execution Trenches, Cremation Ovens, Memorials.

Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum

Early on the Saturday morning, we caught the train to Sachsenhausen which was about an hour and a half away from Mitte (Sachsenhausen is further out in Zone C so make sure to purchase the Berlin Welcome Card 'ABC' if you want to visit here or you'll have to purchase a separate train ticket). Here we visited the grounds and remnants of the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp where an estimated 30,000 people were killed at the hands of the Nazis, and a staggering 200,000 people passed through its gates during the time it was open (1936-1945). It's not as well known as Auschwitz, but it was regarded as the camp that set the 'standard' for the others to follow which is as chilling as it sounds. It was home to mainly political prisoners and many were subjected to horrific medical experiments.

From the outside, Sachsenhausen didn't look very big, but once you've walked through the gate (complete with the depressingly famous 'Arbeit Macht Frei' - "Work Sets You Free" slogan set within the iron bars), the sheer size of the camp was something that I was not quite prepared for. It almost takes your breath away seeing the bleak vastness of it all and imagining how many barracks there must have been when it was in operation. Eerie doesn't even come close to describing it.

There's a large museum here detailing what happened over the years it was active, and you can visit the remnants of the Execution trenches, Cremation ovens, bathrooms and the Morgue area. We spent a few hours walking around everything - bizarrely, it took some time to let it all sink in and to realise that this concentration camp was just one of many. Sobering stuff to think about.

Photos above: Spreepark - abandoned amusement park in Planterwald

Spreepark - the Abandoned Amusement Park!

After Sachsenhausen, we needed a little cheering up, so it was time to visit Spreepark. If you follow any 'Abandoned Places' type of blogs, you'll already be familiar with it I'm sure. Spreepark was first opened in 1969 and was extended in 1991 after the reunification of East and West Germany. However, the park wasn't a big success later on, and the company that owned it went bankrupt in 2001, leaving it to fall into disrepair. Over a decade of abandonment has caused Spreepark to become something of a tourist destination for those who want to see something off the beaten track. I first heard about it a few years ago on a travel blog and I have wanted to visit it ever since.

Located in the north of Plantwald in the Treptow-Kopenick district of Berlin, it was a quick tube ride from Mitte, and then a further 15-20 minute walk up along the Spree River. It's set right in the middle of Spreepark (hence the name) and is surrounded by a newly constructed high fence as the City of Berlin purchased the park last year so security has been tightened up. In the past, you could purchase tickets for guided tours, but this option sadly no longer exists.

Getting Into Spreepark & Security Info for 2015
There are huge signs all around the park saying that entry is forbidden and that the park is guarded with dogs. So technically speaking, by 'visiting' Spreepark, you are illegally breaking and entering into a strictly no-entry area.  However, it's something of an unwritten rule that as long as you are not German and you're carrying some form of photo ID on you, it's OK. If security catch you, they'll just take down your details and you won't be prosecuted or fined. I've read varying accounts of this, so do your own research if you're concerned as this information is subject to change - don't just take my word for it!

We had a look around the perimeter first and noticed that most of the entry points that people had dug out under the fence had recently been slabbed up by thick concrete blocks. However, there was ONE single point where we were able to get under (facing the riverbank side), and it was a quick decision to do it as there were a couple of joggers passing by. Once in, we were able to walk around for about half an hour and take some photos. The main goal was to get a selfie with the Cat Rollercoaster, and everything else was deemed a bonus. Walking around the park was so much fun; we felt like naughty little kids and it was really cool just getting to see all of these beat up, garish looking rides from another era.

On our way to get a closer look at the Ferris Wheel and the fallen T-Rex, we got busted by security who did have dogs (although one was like a small white terrier, so not particularly scary!). One woman took our photo IDs and led us to the front of the park where she proceeded to take down our details and asked us some brief questions about what we were doing in the park (the simple answer 'to take photos' seemed to suffice in this instance). It was all relatively friendly and she said there would have only been a problem with the Police if we were German or didn't have ID on us. After that, she told us to not enter the park again and led us out of the front gate so at least we didn't have to scramble over the fence on the way out!

Photos above: Flohmarkt am Mauerpark

Mauerpark Flea Market

A lot of independent shops are closed in Germany on Sunday (although plenty of highstreet and bigger named brands are still open until about 4pm), so it's something of a tradition to visit a flea market instead. The Flohmarkt (flea market) at Mauerpark is one of the most famous in all of Europe, so we got up bright and early to beat the crowds. 

The flea market was packed full of stalls after stalls selling virtually everything you can imagine. There were vintage clothes galore, second-hand CDs and vinyls, antiques, relics from the old East Germany, WW2 memorabilia, furniture and teaware, plenty of food stalls and lots of independent artists selling art, sculptures, prints and photographs. I've never visited anywhere quite like it and we spent a good 2-3 hours there just browsing. I purchased some lithographs, art prints and a vintage dress, whilst all the while cursing myself for only flying with hand luggage! If I lived in Berlin, I would probably be able to kit out my entire house in second-hand kitsch from this Flohmarkt. If you're in Berlin on a Sunday and love a good rummage, this is an absolute must to visit. 

Photos above - Fooooood! Sausage stand at Mauerpark, Pizzeria in Kreuzberg, Dean & David in Mitte, Currywurst, Amorino Flower Ice Cream in Mitte.

Food. All The Food!

In Berlin, you will find a place to eat to suit everyone's tastes. My recommendations are to try the traditional Currywurst (of which I ate many) - which is the popular German fast food snack consisting of a sliced Bratwurst covered in a ketchup-curry sauce with curry powder and served either alone or with a crusty roll (brotchen) or chips (pommes frites). Currywurst stands are EVERYWHERE and each one tastes different. My favourite was from an organic food stand in Mitte. In addition to Currywurst, you will find stands around the city serving just sausages of a wide variety which are eaten like hot dogs.

There are lots of amazing Italian restaurants serving up handmade pizzas. Check out the pizzeria next to Core Tex Records in Kreuzberg - delicious and super cheap! For something healthier, check out Dean & David in Mitte which had excellent salads and lots of vegetarian and vegan dishes. There were quite a few outlets that specialised in selling just falafels and vegan food, especially in the Kreuzberg area.

Lastly, I have to highly recommend one of the 'flower' ice creams from Amorino in Mitte. You choose what flavours of gelato you would like from about 15 flavours, and then they shape it into a flower for you.  Doesn't get prettier than that!

Have you been to Berlin?

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