Visit to Berlin 21st- 24th May 2009
32 Pupils from years 7- 10 spent an enjoyable 4 days in Berlin. We travelled from Bristol airport on the Easy Jet fight to Berlin’s Schönfeld airport and stayed in the 4* Holiday Inn Hotel in Berlin West.
On Friday we spent the day in central Berlin visiting the main landmarks including the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie and Potsdamer Platz. We visited one of the remaining sections of the Berlin Wall and pupils climbed to the top of a tower to look over the wall at ‘No Mans Land’.
Later in the afternoon we went on the ‘Hi Flyer’. The “Welt-Balloon” is one of the biggest helium balloons in the world. It has become a trademark of the capital - Berliners as well as tourists have grown very fond of it. In a gondola you silently ascend above the roofs of the city. At an altitude of 150 meters it feels like levitation, and yet the balloon is restrained by a cable attached to the ground. The 360° view is absolutely unique! Right in the center of Berlin the giant balloon rises above Checkpoint Charlie, the Axel-Springer-Building, Sony Center, the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate, thus offering a perfect outlook on historic Berlin.
Friday evening we caught the U-Bahn (underground) to Spandau where we spent a fun evening ‘cosmic Bowling’.
On Saturday we visited Sachsenhausen concentration Camp which was a Nazi concentration camp used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third Reich in May 1945. Pupils were very interested and moved by what they saw and read in the museum.
Later on in the day we went to the Story of Berlin Museum. The Story of Berlin is more than just an exhibition - it is an exciting journey through 800 years of Berlin history. Instead of the mere display of dates and facts about historical personalities, the priority is given to the Berliners and their lifestyle at a certain time in history. The interactive exhibition enabled us to experience the development of the city from its beginnings to today in 23 theme rooms, equipped with up to date animation technology and walk through sets. Part of our visit to the exhibition included a guided tour through an original nuclear shelter underneath the Ku´damm-Karree shopping centre.
Following an afternoon of shopping on the famous Kurfurstendamm Straße which is Berlin’s most popular shopping street and promenade, we had a great meal at the Hard Rock Café before catching the U-Bahn back to the hotel.
After a leisurely breakfast on Sunday we made great use of the the U-Bahn system to spend some time re-visiting some of the famous landmarks and do some last minute shopping. Many pupils posed to have portraits or caricatures drawn on Kurfurstendamm Straße, and we enjoyed watching the street artists perform at the Brandenburg Gate.
The weekend was very busy but also very enjoyable!! We had a guide with us who was fantastic!! This is the first visit we have made to Berlin but it was a huge success and pupils are desperate to return.