Du Bist So Wunderbar
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There are many ways to see the Berlin sights: being short of time I picked a non-conventional way, a guided boat tour. This is the view from the top desk of a double-decker boat that sails in circles around the city. One circle equals one trip and it takes two and a half hours to complete.
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The boat is equipped with loudspeakers that transmit pre-recorded information about the places of interest the boat passes by. The recording is played in German, but there is an option to rent a wireless radio receiver with headphones and listen to the tour in ten other languages including Russian. I opted for English and regretted making that choice.
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You can hop on, hop off the boat at a number of stations located across the city - one is near Reichstag, another one is by the O2 Arena / Berlin Wall, but most people stay on board for the entire tour, and so did I.
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The boat passes under a great number of bridges. Most bridges are so low you can touch the bridge while seated, and you may get seriously injured if you don't sit down. To make sure all the passengers are aware of the upcoming bridge, the captain makes a signal that sounds like a doorbell.
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It was scorching hot: +32C with no clouds or promise of rain. I did not wear a hat and got sunburned. I also wished that I brought some water - the onboard restaurant charged €3 per glass.
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Proof that boating has become an increasingly popular pastime in the German capital.
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One thing that I did not know about Berlin is that it is on a unique mission to be a green, sustainable city by constructing ecological buildings and installing photovoltaic or solar thermal elements on existing rooftops to collect alternative energy and minimize CO2 emissions.
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For a close-up of this bridge, see picture #6.
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This is Europe's largest station that was opened in 2006 after 10 years of construction. The 321-meter-long and 27-meter-high glass hall for the East-West lines crossing Berlin intersects the 180-meter-long and 40-meter-wide train station concourse and the North-South tracks below it. 1100 trains per day stop along 14 platforms on two levels.
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Seeing a lot of construction sites all over Berlin I could not help but wonder what was being built. It appeared that a number of new city areas were created within the last decade, and these newly constructed districts were in need of new infrastructure. I also was happy to find out that one of Berlin's construction policies is aimed at removing barriers for people with disabilities and families with small children. Seeing how the same policies are being implemented in Russia makes me very sad.
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This is the side of the Federal Chancellery building (Bundeskanzleramt) facing the river Spree. It is home of the offices of Germany's chancellor and state ministers, the cabinet room, a conference room, and a press center.
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This is a mural painted by the internationally-known urban artist Victor Ash in cooperation with the biggest German labor union. It represents a political symbol for statutory minimum wages.
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I was fortunate to have a peek at the Museum Island, and made a mental note of coming back here on my next visit.
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The Fernsehturm (Berlin TV tower) is 365m tall and is the tallest building in Berlin. According to an urban legend Walter Ulbricht (Leader of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany) insisted on this particular height so that every child would be able to remember it, just like the number of days in a year. The tower's summit is actually a bit taller - 368m. Erected between 1965-1969 it was meant to be the tallest tower in Europe second only to Moscow's Ostankino TV tower. It remains the only city TV tower in Europe.
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Meet the Humboldt Box, or Cube. The Cube is a temporary building, "it will be dismantled with the completion of the Humboldt Forum (Stadtschloss Berlin) after a predicted lifetime or eight years".
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Water locks just like this one regulate the water level and help avoid unforeseen flooding (Berlin has not seen a single flood for the past century).
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The Berlin Wall memorial is best seen by the O2 Arena (also known as the East Side Gallery).
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Oberbaumbrücke (The Oberbaum Bridge) is the most beautiful double-decker Berlin bridge.
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And this is the captain.
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I took the last three pictures after getting off the boat and walking towards the Nürnberger Straße.
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This building of the Embassy of Mexico in Berlin was designed by architect Francisco Serrano in collaboration with Teodoro González de León.
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PS. If you'd like more information on Berlin city sights, check out berlin.de or visitberlin.de. If you're planning a trip, do consider purchasing a Berlin Welcome Card to enhance your experience.
And if you do not speak a word of German, it is never too late to get started. Trust me, you will love Duolingo: the desktop version is available on the go and you can strengthen your skills using an iPhone, iPad or Android. Free of charge. Try it : )