Cities – The Real Berlin 2 of 2 – BBC Travel Documentary, recorded 26.09.2010 In Berlin the past is always present, and the present is on the fast-track to the future. The German capital is a confident, sassy and irreverent city that buzzes with giddying energy and a zest for experimentation. Over the past decade, it’s become a pillar of the fashion, art, design and music worlds, not just keeping up with but setting new trends. The bustling city of Berlin is always on the go A global influx of creative people has turned the city into a cauldron of cool that’s often compared to New York in the 80s. What draws them is Berlin’s legendary climate of tolerance, openness and experimentation infused with an edgy undercurrent that gives this ‘eternally unfinished’ city its street cred. But the times are a-changing, ever so slowly. As foreign investors snap up cheap real estate, the city’s famously low rents are evaporating, open lots are sprouting high-rise offices and ‘loft-living’ is becoming the new buzzword. Formerly gritty areas – that until recently made headlines for their high crime rates and low educational levels – are now firmly in the grip of gentrification. Changing circumstances Still, Berlin remains undeniably addictive. Like some hyperactive child, this dynamic capital hates standing still. Having adapted to changing circumstances so many times, it has made a virtue of reinventing itself. Berlin staged a revolution, was ruled by fascists, bombed to bits, ripped in …
Preview of Ducktales’s blog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here: www.travelpod.com This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator. Entry from: Berlin, Germany Entry Title: “City of modern history” Entry: “Berlin has so much history, and most of it with a sad background. Our first stop was the Bradenburg Gate. It was finished in 1791 and was a city gate. Later it was used as one of the border crossings between the east and west. Interestingly the statue on top was stolen by Napoleon and eventually returned. It also use to face east, but was turned after the wall was torn down. We then continued on to the Reichstag, a building made famous by Hitler. The line was pretty long to go inside and walk in the “new” glass dome so we passed. The park in front had fences and cables all set up and we believe the day before they had celebrations for 20yrs since the wall had come down. Nearby is the holocaust memorial. There’s 2711 stelae (differently shaped concrete columns) one for each page of the Talmud. The slopping grounds and unevenness is apparently to represent an uneasy, confusing atmosphere, and a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason. We continued on and found parts of the original wall, no longer actually in their original spot. Berlin is currently undergoing a project that a cobblestone strip is being put in where the wall stood. A bit more walking and we made it to the museum of terrors. Warning you …
Cities – The Real Berlin 1 of 2 – BBC Travel Documentary, recorded 26.09.2010 In Berlin the past is always present, and the present is on the fast-track to the future. The German capital is a confident, sassy and irreverent city that buzzes with giddying energy and a zest for experimentation. Over the past decade, it’s become a pillar of the fashion, art, design and music worlds, not just keeping up with but setting new trends. The bustling city of Berlin is always on the go A global influx of creative people has turned the city into a cauldron of cool that’s often compared to New York in the 80s. What draws them is Berlin’s legendary climate of tolerance, openness and experimentation infused with an edgy undercurrent that gives this ‘eternally unfinished’ city its street cred. But the times are a-changing, ever so slowly. As foreign investors snap up cheap real estate, the city’s famously low rents are evaporating, open lots are sprouting high-rise offices and ‘loft-living’ is becoming the new buzzword. Formerly gritty areas – that until recently made headlines for their high crime rates and low educational levels – are now firmly in the grip of gentrification. Changing circumstances Still, Berlin remains undeniably addictive. Like some hyperactive child, this dynamic capital hates standing still. Having adapted to changing circumstances so many times, it has made a virtue of reinventing itself. Berlin staged a revolution, was ruled by fascists, bombed to bits, ripped in …