June 10, 2025 - Berlin Trip - Day 7

Our final full day in Berlin began with a search for a strap to secure my big rolling suitcase (which is wearing out around the zipper); it took quite a few minutes even for Christine and Richard to think of the correct German word describing such a strap in order to ask where we might find one. With our 4th store inquiry, we finally found one!

With that problem solved, we decided to use our wonderful 56 Euro (per month) unlimited DB transit pass to take a final recap tour around the Mitte (central) city section (via Bus100).  

Victory Column

We passed by the Tiergarten with its Victory Column. Designed by Heinrich Strack after 1864 to commemorate the Prussian victory in the Second Schleswig War.  By the time it was inaugurated on 2 September 1873, Prussia had also defeated Austria and its German allies in the Austro-Prussian War and France in the Franco-Prussian War, giving the statue a new purpose.

In this same area, we passed Bellevue Palace, also located in Berlin's Tiergarten district. It has been the official residence of the president of Germany since 1994. The schloss is situated on the banks of the Spree river.

On the right is Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Germany's national center for the presentation and discussion of international contemporary arts, with a special focus on non-European cultures and societies. It presents art exhibitions, theater and dance performances, concerts, author readings, films and academic conferences on Visual Art and culture.

Around noon, we disembarked in the old city’s center, Potsdamer Platz, to check out a few more Wall remnants and old Berlin photos.

Next we headed to the Center Potsdamer Platz, formerly known as the Sony Center, with its spectacular roof construction. The striking building is considered to be the most important Berlin construction project by architect Helmut Jahn. The center, which strictly speaking is not a single building but a complex of eight buildings, is one of Berlin's landmarks and sights. Offices, apartments, restaurants and cultural facilities such as a cinema and a museum are located on a total of almost six hectares.

We enjoyed watching the beautiful fountains and the kids playing in them.

In the same area is the world’s first Legoland Discovery Center.

After admiring the large lego structures, Chris and I headed back to the large food fair inside the "Sony" center while Richard and Christine left to do some errands.  Chris and I enjoyed some Nepalese specialties for lunch. 

As we had earlier departed from our guides to venture forth solo, our challenge after lunch was to see how well we had learned "our how to get around Berlin” lessons, and had to decide whether to find our way “home” using either the DB zug, S- or U- bahns. Luckily we found our way back to the hotel and spent the afternoon packing for our early morning departure.

Our final night extravaganza in Berlin with the Herrmanns was to include dinner, a show and a return visit to the Reichstag building. 

We head to the theater area and had a wonderful dinner at the nearby Jamie Oliver Kitchen. Jamie Oliver is English celebrity chef, restaurateur and cookbook author. Oliver is the second-best-selling British author, behind J. K. Rowling, and the best-selling British non-fiction author since records began. 

Before our arrival in Berlin, Richard had asked us if we would like to go to a concert while we were visiting.  Chris did a little research and found "Falling in Love", a new song and dance cabaret spectacular.  Not sure this is exactly what Richard had in mind, but he good-naturedly obtained tickets to the almost sold out production held in the nicely refurbished (East German) Friedrichstadt Palast Berlin. One review call it a wonderful combination of Las Vegas, Radio City Rockettes, and Cirque de Soleil - all in 1920’s Berlin style. And that it was!   A new experience for Richard.  

After the show, we returned to the Reichstag building to see the first night of a new lighting display designed to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's iconic "Wrapped Reichstag" honoring the reunification of Germany and Berlin. The original wrapping required 100,000 square meters of silvery fabric and 15.6 kilometers of blue rope and a work force of 90 professional climbers and 120 installation workers. The original art installation drew five million visitors over two weeks in June 1995. 

Original "Wrapped Reichstag"

For this new show, instead of physically wrapping the building, a video mapping of the original artwork was projected onto the west facade of the Reichstag.

Re-creation with lights

So that's a "wrap" of our Berlin trip.  It was a wonderful week thanks to Richard and Christine. Their careful planning, incredible knowledge of Berlin and their vivid memories made the trip very special and much more meaningful!  We can't thank them enough!