From Warnemünde to Berlin

On June 28, our cruise ship arrived in Warnemünde, Germany. We wouldn’t be staying near the port for long, though. We boarded a train and headed to Berlin for the day.

Berlin is a long way from the coast for a single-day excursion, but it was an opportunity we didn’t want to pass up. Once we arrived, we spent the day moving through the city and seeing places that had previously existed mostly in history books and photographs.

One of those places was Checkpoint Charlie, the best-known crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Today it sits in the middle of a busy city, surrounded by visitors, shops, and traffic, but the familiar checkpoint sign and guard booth still make the history feel close.

The Brandenburg Gate was another stop I had been looking forward to seeing. Completed in 1791, it has stood through some of the most important chapters in Germany’s history. During the Cold War, the gate sat just behind the Berlin Wall and became a symbol of the city’s division. After the wall fell in 1989, it took on a new meaning as a symbol of German reunification. Standing in front of it, surrounded by visitors on a bright Saturday, it was striking to think about everything that had happened on that ground.

Nearby, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe offered a very different atmosphere. Its field of concrete slabs is simple at first glance, but walking alongside it is a quiet and sobering experience. The contrast between the memorial and the modern city surrounding it stayed with me.

Berlin is too large and layered to take in during one short visit. Our day gave us only a glimpse, but it was filled with places that carry an enormous amount of history. By the end of the afternoon, it was time to board the train back to Warnemünde and return to the ship.

Here is the full gallery from Warnemünde and Berlin: