Berlin visit

[steved110]

I'm visiting Berlin for a long weekend just before Christmas, and was hoping for some tips of things to shoot, that sort of thing. my rough guide to Berlin has just arrived, so i'll be doing plenty of research before going, but would appreciate some tips. I'm probably going to just take my 17-40 and the external flash.

any advice appreciated!

[dicky109]

I was in Berlin for one day shortly after reunification and right before the Reichstag moved back there from Bonn. It was an amazing city of contrasts, as the buildings in the East still had bullet holes from WWII, and anything that had been built was of an extremely drab nature, while the West was modern. I'm sure that in the ensuing years, there's been a construction boom and those bullet holes and ugly buildings are gone.

Typical tourist spots, that we hit were of course, Brandenburg Gate and the restored Reichstag Building. Beautifully done and from the roof you can see all over. Check out Checkpoint Charlie, where the Soviet & US tanks faced off during the Cold War and the Cold War museum (if its still there). Incredible full size cars ( I believe a VW Beetle) on display there with cut-outs, showing how people folded up like pretzels were smuggled out of the east. I believe all of the wall was already gone, although it was marked in the street where you could stand with one foot on the western side and the other on the eastern side, where it had been.

I'm sure many of our international members have a lot more and better advice. If you're looking for more, try www.photozone.de (http://www.photozone.de), which is an English language site originating in Germany.

Enjoy,