Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour of Berlin

 

Gary & Louise with Elder and Sister Christensen.  We went 

on a bus tour of Berlin.  It is a good way to see things either from

the bus or to get off and walk around an area and then get on

the next bus.  This is the Victory Column (Siegessaule).  

It is a National Monument commissioned by the Prussian King William 1

and was constructed between 1864 and 1873.  The column has a bronze statue 

of Victoria on top.  She is the goddess of victory.  We climbed the 285

steps to the top for a stunning panorama view of Tiergarten Park and Berlin.

The statue has Victoria holding a laurel wreath aloft in her right hand and a 

field sign with the Iron Cross in her left hand.  An eagle is sitting on her helmet.  

The column is 67 meters high. 

The site sustained damage during the war.  On the side of the

Victory Column are murals.  In this picture, you can see

where a man's head was shot off as well as multiple bullet holes.

This is an aerial view.

This is the view from the top toward the Brandenburger Gate.

This is the most famous landmark of Berlin and a German national symbol.

This is Checkpoint Charlie.  It got it's name from the third letter in 

the NATO phonetic alphabet.  It was the third Allied checkpoint.  

Weeks after the Wall was built, US and Soviet tanks faced off here in 

one of the most tense moments of the Cold War.  Checkpoint Charlie was 

the principal gateway for foreigners and diplomats between the two

Berlins from 1961 to 1990.

Gendarmenmarkt - a beautiful historic square.

This square was first built in 1688.  

Friedrichstrasse -we think this is a hotel.

This is a remnant of the Berlin Wall that was left as a reminder 

of the division.  It is so high.

Gary and I with the Christensen's.

The wall had rebar spaced throughout.  

Gary and Louise by the wall.

Gary and Louise standing in front of the guard tower.  The guard 

tower is in the middle of the "no man's land" where people would have to run 

as they tried to escape the East into the West.  These fortifications

were massive and affected both the people in the East and West sides of Berlin.

Louise

Most of the buildings have been rebuilt since the war.

Berlin was mostly rubble by the end of the war.

Sister Christensen and Louise on the bus.  

This is the Brandenburger Gate

Since 1990, it has symbolized the unification of Germany and Europe.  

In 1987, US President Ronald Reagan stood in front of the gate and uttered

the famous words, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall".  

This is a huge memorial dedicated to the murdered

Jews of Europe.  It is a quiet and meditative place to think

about the genocide that took place.

We saw this couple in the crowd.  They are from 

Bali Indonesia and we approached them because

they were wearing traditional Balinese clothing.

Gary speaks fluent Indonesian and it was fun for

them and fun for us to speak for a few minutes.  

The building in the background is the US Embassy.

We call this the "Dome" Building.  (Reichstag)  Visitors can take 

a tour through the building and into the dome.  We didn't

have time but it looked cool.  

We found lunch at a Five Guys and if was so delicious!

Fun Fun Fun

This Cathedral was one of the few that had 

remaining walls that were not all bombed.  

It is amazing.  

It is the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.  

A Mural in the Church.

Gary shaking hands with a larger than life statue.  

Our all day bus tour ended near the Tiergarten Church/Stake Center.  

This is the building we will attend church.

It was an amazing day.  We love Berlin!