Early morning
I kept being drawn back to the Brandenburg Gate. One of Berlin’s icons, my feet found their way there several times when my brain hadn’t quite mastered the city map.
Early afternoon
I wasn’t alone. Hundreds thronged the Pariser Platz, selfie sticks were brandished, group shots smiled for.
Early evening
I liked to imagine the history the Brandenburg Gate had seen, from the original gate that was erected as part of the city walls in the 1730s, to the imposing gate that opened in 1791. The Gate witnessed the battles of the two World Wars that led to its position alone between the two sides of the Berlin Wall, and the two sides of Germany. Finally, with reunification, Brandenburg Gate lost its isolation and became a symbol of Berlin.
Evening at the Gate
The Gate is close to several other sights you won’t want to miss in Berlin – the Reichstag and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Leading to it on one side is the massive expanse of the boulevard Unter der Linden, while to the west the Tiergarten spreads leafy and green. Whether it’s a five minute photo stop or somewhere to watch the world pass by, I’m sure you too will find yourself here more than once on a visit to Berlin.
Stunning, huh?!
Where have your feet led you when you haven’t been paying attention?!
