5 things I took away from traveling to Berlin

Of the many cities I’ve visited, Berlin was definitely the most surprising. Before I went to Berlin my impressions were mostly drawn from World War II and Cold War novels and movies: I expected to see either the grand hauteur of a city that was to be the showpiece of a thousand year reign, or the grim gritty atmosphere of a city occupied and partitioned, with signs of outposts and curfews. Berlin in 2014 had vestiges of this past, but I also found a thriving metropolis with a lot of energy, vivacity and a fresh, modern and edgy take on life. Here’s 5 impressions I took away from traveling in Berlin, and I hope you experience some of these as well when you visit the city.

#1 — Berlin embraces its complicated history

Take one of the many walking tours of Berlin and you’ll eventually make your way toward a rather unremarkable parking lot: the site of Hitler’s former bunker . A small placard off to one side provides the only clue to the historical significance of what lies beneath. The atmosphere feels meticulously calculated to be completely unremarkable — and your walking tour guide confirms the feeling: “Berliners don’t often visit here— there is definitely a sense of not wanting to memorialize the place in any way”, he drones, and then as a segue immediately suggests that you get something to drink to combat the rather humid spring day.

Berlin combines a frank acknowledgement of its 20th century past with a steely determination to look to the future — in Bebelplatz a metal plate in…