One of the main reasons we decided on Berlin was the presence of the internationally famous Christmas markets. Every year, somewhere in between October and December, different areas of the city pop-up with Christmas markets. These markets sell handicrafts, food, drinks, play holiday music, and promote a festive atmosphere. In choosing Berlin, we were choosing one of the places that would still have many Christmas markets open after Christmas, and therefore during our time there.
We landed in Berlin at 9am, after a long flight from New York City. Our original plan was to check in to our hotel early, get a few hours of sleep, and then head out to the city for exploring. Unfortunately, when we arrived at our hotel, we were told that this would simply not be an option. The rooms wouldn’t be ready until the afternoon. So we left our luggage at the front desk, and despite not having slept in two days, we went out. It took us nearly no time to find the first market. The smell of pine trees, citrus and nutmeg from mulled wine, roasting bratwurst, and beer filled the air to make the most unique blend of scent. I loved it. We went to two Christmas markets on our first afternoon. We sampled as much of the local fare as possible. We checked out the handicrafts, watched people sing and dance, and even had a warm drink or two by the ice skating rink. I think the best moment of that afternoon was an ice skater leaving the
It had many of the same things as the previous day’s with the exception of proper sit down restaurants, live music, and more of everything. There were more options for crafts. There were more options for beer, more for wine, more for food. We again walked up and down the alleyways sampling whatever struck us as interesting. We had bratwurst, pretzels, baked and seasoned cheese balls, and even a turkey sandwich made from a slot roasted 25lb turkey on a spit.
After getting our fill, we went back to the hotel and decided to relax for an hour or two before gearing up to go out for New Year’s Eve. We decided that since we were well rested, in a new city, and within walking distance, we would join the expected 1,000,000+ people for the New Year celebration at the Brandenburg Gate. There would be food, live music, drinks, and...a million people....But we went for it. We got dressed and ready and walked ourselves all the way there.
When we got there, the crowd was intense. Hoards of people crowding and pushing their way through security checkpoints made me feel claustrophobic, but we made it through and to the party area. We arrived at about 8:00pm and found a spot right in the middle. At that time, it wasn’t too crowded. You could even turn around if you wanted to. We decided on the middle because the back was kind of far from the music, and the front was a little too densely populated. We picked a spot near the vendors we needed, and near some bathrooms. The concert viewing area was about 50 feet wide, by a mile long. Food and drink vendors were set up along the sides and screens and speakers were setup throughout the area so people could enjoy the party. The show featured a wide variety of artists, from German hip-hop (that’s fun) to 80s classics, to pop and rock cover bands. It was really interesting. At around 10, the full prediction of 1,000,000+ people seemed to come to fruition. It got packed. At one point, I took a photo above my head of the crowd in front of us, and behind us and looked at it in amazement at the sheer number of bodies that fit into that space. It was remarkable.Also, this may be an over-generalization, but any time Shannon and I would go to a party, concert, or event in the states, about 80% of the people would be dancing, yelling, and swaying to the music. In South America, that went up to 100% of the people. If you weren’t doing salsa steps, spinning your dance partner, or wiggling your hips, you were weird. During this party and concert, the most in tense crowd favorites might have provoked 5% of the people to gently sway to the beat as if moved by a strong breeze. A very select few danced (less than 1%) The majority of the people stared forward and smiled if they liked it, and frowned if they didn’t. It was a really funny thing to see and a bit of a cultural difference from what we were used to. But again, I don’t mean to generalize, I am only commenting on what I saw, and what the screen showed of the usually rowdy front row patrons of the concert section. It was a subdued party to be sure.
The strangest moment of the night came when a guy came out to sing Frank Sinatra’s New York New York. One would think you need to make a decision on the song. You either sing the lyrics, or you adjust them to the city you are in. This guy did both. In one verse, he sang New York, in the next line he would sing Berlin, Berlin. It was hard to keep track of and it was an executive decision that confused the crowd more than hyped them up.
As midnight approached, the headliners showed up and played Cotton-Eye-Joe and Rhythm is a Dancer. It would take me less than a minute to look up who the artists were who played those songs, but needless to say, it isn’t necessary. However, it is interesting that these weren’t covers, they were the real deal. Who would have thought those two groups were available for concerts in 2018!?
As the clock struck midnight and we were serenaded by Cotton-Eye-Joe, we watched a beautiful fireworks display light up the German sky. We shared the moment with our 1,000,000 newest, albeit subdued friends and went for the exits. We began our hour long hike back to the hotel and when we left the park, we were greeted by a scene from a movie. Glass bottles were being thrown. Fires lined the sidewalks. Fireworks were being thrown into the sky and into crowds of people. One landed a mere six feet away from Shannon and I. It was intense. Smoke from fireworks filled the air and the sound of crashing bottles echoed from the building walls. People were selling pretzels, sausage, and champagne on the street, and seemingly everyone in the street was up to mischief. I don’t want to misrepresent the event, we didn’t see any violence or ill will towards anyone. It was more of a celebratory spirit and some dangerously poor decisions being made regarding fireworks. Nothing too crazy, just a little hectic for our taste.
When we got back to the hotel, we sent our Happy New Year texts to our friends and family (although we were a few hours ahead of them on that) and went to bed, exhausted again. It was definitely a unique experience for us, and one we haven’t often found ourselves in, and probably won’t again for a while. To have been at a historically significant landmark, watching live music, and “partying” while in Berlin was surreal. It’s something I won’t forget.
The remaining time we spent in Berlin was focused on relaxing, reading, checking out some of their malls for Shannon to shop, and some cool historical sites; which we visited all on the same day. We woke up early and picked up some coffee to go on our way out the hotel door. We walked about 35 minutes from our hotel to the famous 'Checkpoint Charlie' section of what was once the Berlin wall. There were some walls built around to show some of the historical significance of the area and we ready a bit about it. For here. But in short, it was a demarcation zone for the Berlin Wall, separating communist East Germany from the democratic West Germany. It was the only gateway that East Germany allowed diplomats or military personnel to cross. It was also the site of one of the most dramatic and tense Cold War showdowns between Soviet and US tanks facing off, and at one point was used as the primary location for prisoner swaps. It was an area of high tension, high surveillance, and an important historical landmark site. Now it is largely a tourist spot to visit, get information, and stand on the ground where history once took place.those who aren't familiar, they can read more about it
When we were done, we walked another few blocks to see the Topography of Terror museum. The name conjures up a horrific experience, we enjoyed the history it had to offer and the historical significance as well; and it was appropriately named. The Topography of Terror museum is the former location of the Nazi SS headquarters. What once stood there has now been reconstructed as a museum to the history of the Nazi party, the Holocaust, and Germany during pre, during, and post WWII Germany. The museum was fascinating and included a lot of truly horrific detail. The museum curators did a great job of representing the time period with honesty, reflection, and unfiltered access. The museum was packed, but not a word was uttered as we went through the exhibits. It was incredibly powerful, sad, and moving.
After that, we went back to the hotel. Our last bit of time was spent exploring more of the city, going out for meals, wandering through an area of town called museum island, checking out various coffee shops, and relaxing. We had a truly wonderful time in Berlin and enjoyed all of the sites, the festivities, and culinary offerings we found. We are glad to have spent the beginning of our 2018 in Berlin and will remember our visit fondly.
