Happy Steps travel blog

European cities top world’s best places to live

We all agree that there’s no place like home, it’s where our heart is, and everytime we go somewhere, there’s always that longing to be home. Even travel bugs and those who are passionate about travel tend to appreciate more the little things about their hometown or neighborhood after coming from a trip someplace.

But what if you are given the option to move to another place or to relocate? Let’s say you visited an Arlington Property Management firm and given some various residential properties to decide upon, which place would you prefer to start over and settle with your family? If you have the whole world to choose from, which country or city would you move to? Continue reading… »

Cheap flights to the UK, Germany and France via KLM Philippines

Dubbed as their “Hot fares for the rainy season,” KLM Philippines is currently offering some tempting flight deals from the Philippines and Guam to the UK, Germany and France in Europe as long as you book your flights during weekdays (Mondays to Thursdays) and travel period should be until September 30 only. The promo air fares already include taxes, surcharges and booking fee. Continue reading… »

Wordless Wednesday: Berlin street scenes

Continued from Berlin day tour: Checkpoint Charlie

Mouse-over the photos to read the captions. Okay, so it’s not really that “wordless” after all.

To view more Wordless Wednesday entries, click here.

Continue reading… »

Berlin day tour: Checkpoint Charlie

Continued from Berlin day tour: Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag

It was already evening in Berlin, nevertheless we decided to visit Checkpoint Charlie as part of our Berlin day tour itinerary. There were no spectacular views to behold, no imposing buildings or delicately carved monuments, instead we saw a simple guard house with sandbag barrier in the middle of the road and large back-to-back photos of two soldiers (American and Russian).

The visitors and tourists who know the background behind Checkpoint Charlie consider it as one of Berlin’s significant and historical attractions. During the Cold War, it was a crossing point in the Berlin Wall separating East Germany and West Germany. The name of the checkpoint came from the letter C in the NATO phonetic alphabet as designation for Allied checkpoints. For instance, other Allied checkpoints were Checkpoint Alpha at Helmstedt and Checkpoint Bravo at Dreilinden in Berlin.
Continue reading… »

Berlin day tour: Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag

Continued from Berlin day tour: Cathedral of St. Hedwig, Humboldt University, Bebelplatz and nearby landmarks

From Bebelplatz, we walked on along the Unter den Linden Avenue and onwards to the historic and monumental Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) in Berlin. The sun’s rays behind the massive columns gave the structure an interesting appeal.

The Brandenburg Gate up ahead.

Being a former city gate and presently a historical icon of Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate ends the Unter den Linden Avenue.

The gate used to be a passageway for the royalties in the center, while ordinary citizens used to enter via the two outermost accesses. The gate’s design is inspired from the Greek’s Propylaea, the Acropolis gateway. Adorning the top of the gate is the quadriga or four-horse chariot with the Roman goddess of victory, Victoria, at the forefront.
Continue reading… »

Berlin day tour: Bebelplatz, Cathedral of St. Hedwig, Humboldt University and other landmarks

Continued from Berlin day tour: Zeughaus (Old Arsenal), Neue Wache (New Guard House) and Staatsoper (Berlin Opera House)

One of the historical public squares in Berlin is Bebelplatz along the Unter den Linden Avenue. It is bounded by the Cathedral of St. Hedwig (Sankt-Hedwigs-Kathedrale), the Staatsoper (Berlin Opera House) and part of Humboldt University. The square was formerly known as Opernplatz and was the site of the book burning rites by the Nazi youth groups in 1933 where about thousands of books by prominent German authors were set to fire.

A metal plaque with inscriptions to commemorate the infamous 1933 book burning ceremony at the center of the square.

One of the major landmarks in Bebelplatz is the St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Berlin. Its beautiful large dome and front columns makes it an imposing structure in the square. The left side of the building was undergoing renovation during our visit.

St. Hedwig’s Cathedral façade

Around Bebelplatz are the buildings of Humboldt University, with the Law Faculty building located on the square and the main building across Unter den Linden. It is the oldest university in Berlin and was home to notable alumni, professors and lecturers such as Albert Einstein, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Heinrich Heine, Max Planck and many others.

Humboldt University main building as seen from Bebelplatz facing towards Unter den Linden

Near Bebelplatz is an equestrian statue of Frederick the Great (Frederick II of Prussia) along the Unter den Linden Avenue.

The statue of Frederick the Great with the Humboldt University building in the background.

Bebelplatz was also the site of the 2006 United Buddy Bears exhibition in Berlin where more than a hundred bear sculptures were displayed around the square.

Photo credits for the United Buddy Bears exhibition: Wikipedia

Next stop: Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag

Berlin day tour: Zeughaus (Old Arsenal), Neue Wache (New Guard House) and Staatsoper (Berlin Opera House)

Continued from Berlin day tour: Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral)

Left side view of the Zeughaus

The Zeughaus (Old Arsenal) is just across the Lustgarten and can be reached after crossing the Schlossbrücke (palace bridge) over the River Spree. Originally built as an artillery arsenal, it now houses the Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum). The open-air art market where we stopped by previously was actually beside the Zeughaus building.

Right next to the Zeughaus is the Neue Wache (New Guard House) built in the early 18th century as the Royal Palace Guard House.

Neue Wache facade

It was then redesigned in 1931 as the “Memorial to those who fell in the World War” but sadly was destroyed during the bombings of World War II. Repair of the building followed in 1960 and it was reopened as a “Memorial to the Victims of Fascism and Militarism”. Nine years later, to commemorate the German Democratic Republic’s 20th anniversary, a glass prism with eternal flame was installed in its central part along with the enshrinement of the remains of a soldier and a concentration camp victim.

In 1993, significant changes in the building’s interior were again done and it was renamed as the “Central Memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Victims of War and Tyranny”. Instead of the previous memorial objects installed in the center, a heartrending sculpture of a woman grieving over her dead son was in place. The sculpture was done by Harald Haacke as a larger production of the original work “Mother with her Dead Son” by Käthe Kollwitz.

Neue Wache interior

Sculpture of “Mother with her Dead Son”, the central object inside the Neue Wache

Here’s part of the memorial’s text in English:

The Neue Wache is the place where we commemorate the victims of war and tyranny.

We honor the memory of the peoples who suffered through war. We remember their citizens who were persecuted and who lost their lives. We remember those killed in action in the World Wars. We remember the innocent who lost their lives as a result of war in their homeland, in captivity and through expulsion.

We remember the millions of Jews who were murdered. We remember the Sinti and Roma who were murdered. We remember all those who were killed because of their origin, homosexuality, sickness or infirmity. We remember all who were murdered whose right to life was denied.

We remember the people who had to die because of their religious or political convictions. We remember all those who were victims of tyranny and met their death, though innocent.

We remember the women and men who sacrificed their lives in resistance to despotic rule. We honour all who preferred to die rather than act against their conscience.

We honour the memory of the women and men who were persecuted and murdered because they resisted totalitarian dictatorship after 1945.

The Zeughaus entrance was already closed to visitors when we arrived, so we just viewed its interior through the steel rails. With only the sculpture at the center of a large room, a light coming in from a circular skylight above, the area devoid of any decors, one is led to focus and reflect on the tragic sufferings of the innocent during the war and the dictatorship period.

Across the street, in front of the Zeughaus, is the Staatsoper (Berlin State Opera), one of the noteworthy landmarks along the Unter den Linden Avenue.

Staatsoper facade

Next stop: Cathedral of St. Hedwig, Humboldt University, Bebelplatz and other landmarks

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Berlin day tour: Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral)

Continued from Berlin day tour: Lustgarten (Pleasure Garden)

An imposing landmark at the Museumsinsel (Museum Island) in Berlin is the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) located to the northeast of the Lustgarten (Pleasure Garden). The Dom was built in the late 18th to early 19th century, and as an Evangelical Church, its design is deemed by some to be the Protestant equivalent of the St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

The massive columns lined up along the cathedral’s front hallway.

The facade of the Berliner Dom as seen from the Lustgarten.

A closer look at the front of the Dom. Sitting on the front steps were some boy scouts tired from a day’s tour.

One can’t help but gaze at the building’s artistic design and inspect the intricate details of the doors, ceilings, statues, the column capitals, and other wall décor and mouldings.

Berliner Dom opening hours:

9:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Mondays through Saturdays)
12:00 NN – 8:00 PM (Sundays and Holidays)

From October 1st through March 31st, closing at 7 pm

Note that visits are not allowed during church services or events. Cathedral tours are also offered for tourists.

Next stop: Neue Wache (New Guard House) war memorial and other buildings at the Bebelplatz

Berlin day tour: Lustgarten (Pleasure Garden)

Continued from Berlin day tour: Museumsinsel (Museum Island)

The Museumsinsel (Museum Island) in Berlin is not all about museums actually. Visitors will be greeted by two famous landmarks, the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) and the Lustgarten (Pleasure Park), before they can reach the Altes Museum (Old Museum).

The Lustgarten as seen from the Berliner Dom entrance.

The Lustgarten is a notable spot in Berlin’s history and went through interesting developments. Originally a kitchen garden to the palace, it was then developed into a landscaped garden with fountains. During the time of King Friedrich Wilhelm I, it was converted into a parade ground. Aside from being a public park, the Lustgarten was also used for public rallies and political demonstrations. For instance, Hitler used to hold mass rallies in this site.

This is the fountain at the center of Lustgarten where an equestrian statue of Friedrich Wilhelm III used to be.

Today, the Lustgarten is a simple park with a fountain at the center where visitors and tourists going to and from the museums rest for awhile. It is also a good place to get great views of the facades of the Altes Museum and the Berliner Dom.

Tourists at the Lustgarten with the façade of the Berliner Dom in the background

Next stop: Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral)

Tourist map of Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin

For those who will be touring Museumsinsel (Museum Island) in Berlin, here are some informative parts of its map posted on a large guide board at the side of the Altes Museum. There are five museums in the Museumsinsel complex as shown in the map, with their corresponding numbers and an arrow guide for tourists to follow when visiting the museums.

(1) Altes Museum (Old Museum)

Antikensammlung/Agyptisches Museum
Collection of Classical Antiquities/Egyptian Museum

(2) Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery)
Malerei und Skulptur des 19.Jahrhunderts
19th Century Painting and Sculpture

(3) Neues Museum (New Museum), Re-Opening 2009

Agyptisches Museum/ Museum fur Vor- und Fruhgeschichte
Egyptian Museum/Museum for Pre- and Early History

(4) Pergamon Museum
Antikensammlung/Vorderasiatisches Museum / Museum fur Islamische Kunst
Collection of Classical Antiquities/Museum of the Ancient Near East/Museum of Islamic Art

(5) Bode Museum formerly Kaiser Friedrich Museum

Skulpturensammlung/Museum fur Byzantinische Kunst/Werke de Gemaldegalerie/Munzkabinett
Sculpture Collection/Museum of Byzantine Art/Works from the Gemaldegalerie/Numismatic Collection

The Neues Museum (3) building is grayed out in the map since it is still undergoing restoration. Click on the thumbnail image below for a larger version of the whole map.

More information about the Museum Island posted at the guide board:

Masterplan Museumsinsel Berlin

Bordered by the River Spree and the Kupfergraben, Berlin’s Museumsinsel is an incomparable ensemble that has developed from the unique history of Germany’s cultural and museum heritage. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. Along with Berlin’s other major museums – located in the Kulturforuj, Dahlem, Charlottenburg and Köpenick – Museumsinsel demonstrates how significant the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (National Museums in Berlin) are as a universal museum dedicated to human culture from its very beginnings to the present day. The Master Plan for restoring Museumsinsel is already bearing fruit: the Alte Nationalgalerie reopened in all its magnificence in December 2001. The Bode-Museum was opened in October 2006; the Neues Museum is due to open its doors again in 2009. Then the restoration of the Pergamonmuseum and the Altes Museum will go ahead.

Berlin day tour: Museumsinsel (Museum Island)

Continued from Berlin day tour: Alexanderplatz and nearby points of interest

The Altes Museum (Old Museum)

The Museumsinsel (Museum Island) in Berlin is a group of notable museums – Altes Museum (Old Museum), Neues Museum (New Museum) which will be re-opening in 2009, Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), Pergamon Museum and the Bode Museum formerly known as the Kaiser Friedrich Museum – situated in the Spreeinsel (Spree Island) in the Berlin-Mitte district. This tourist destination is easily accessible by subway via the Alexanderplatz station and is just within walking distance along the Unter Den Linden Avenue when you’re coming from the Marienkirche.

A closer look at the façade of the Altes Museum

The Museum Island complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999 and some of the buildings are currently undergoing renovation thus we were not able to tour the whole of it.

The façade of the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) amidst ongoing restoration of the complex.

For museum lovers or those who are fond of learning more about art, culture and history, the Museum Island is a must-visit. The museum buildings are just within walking distance from each other and it’s best to allot at least a day in visiting all of them since going through museums usually takes time.

Next stop: Lustgarten (Pleasure Garden)

United Buddy Bears in Berlin

I now know the story behind the colorful bear statue we saw in one of the sidewalks of Berlin which I just fondly named as the Berlin Bear. Well, that’s what you get with surfing in the net; you end up with some interesting information. The bear statue we saw is actually one of the United Buddy Bears.

A buddy bear (or friendship bear) is a painted sculpture made of fiberglass about two meters in height.

The buddy bears were displayed in previous art exhibitions in Berlin (2003 and 2006) and Warsaw (2008) with the motto: “We have to get to know each other better; it makes us understand one another better, trust each other more, and live together more peacefully.” The exhibition also went on global tour and was hosted in Hong Kong, Sydney, Tokyo, Warsaw and other cities.

The United Buddy Bears exhibition at Bebelplatz, Berlin-Mitte (Photo credits: Wikipedia)

The United Buddy Bears’ message is about the art of tolerance, to promote international understanding among different nations.

Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church), Berlin

One of the familiar buildings near Alexanderplatz is the Marienkirche or St. Mary’s Church. Since visitors are allowed to go inside, the curious me decided to take a peek.

There was an ongoing renovation that time, with some temporary steel framework set up at the left side and the right side pews arranged facing to the left. Nevertheless one can still appreciate some of the artistic parts of the church such as the ceiling vault, the pipe organ above the church entrance, and the detailed artwork in the pulpit.

Here are some of the church photos:

At the entrance door

The ceiling and the organ

The ceiling vault

The pulpit

The church organ up close

Marienkirche is one of the oldest churches in Berlin along with Nikolaikirche, with most of its structure made of brick and granite.

Berlin day tour: Alexanderplatz and nearby points of interest

Our first stop at the Berlin-Mitte disctrict was Alexanderplatz, a public square and a major transport center in Berlin where the Weltzeituhr (World Time Clock), the Fernsehturm (TV Tower), Park Inn Berlin and other buildings are located.

The World Time Clock and the Park Inn Berlin

The Fernsehturm (TV Tower) and the Bahnhof Alexanderplatz (Alexanderplatz station)

The TV Tower is a familiar structure of the Berlin-Mitte skyline and can be seen along the Unter Den Linden Boulevard and other neighboring areas.

The Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall)

Near Alexanderplatz, is the Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall) where the governing mayor holds office. This renaissance-styled red brick building built in the mid-18th century was heavily damaged during the World War II and subsequently reconstructed according to the original plans during the 1950s.

Few steps from the town hall is the Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church) and the Neptunbrunnen (Neptune Fountain). I will be posting about Marienkirche and its interior in a separate post later.

The Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church)

Neptunbrunnen (Neptune Fountain)

The huge circular Neptunbrunnen with a height of about 10 meters highlights Neptune at the center, the god of the sea according to Roman mythology (known as Poseidon in Greek mythology). Around him are four women representing Germany’s four main rivers.

Are we tired yet? Still so many points of interest lined up! Okay, off we go walking again…

Next stop: Museumsinsel (Museum Island) and Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral).

Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin

After the mid-noon Mass at the St. Albert Magnus Church in Berlin, we headed off to the Charlottenburg Palace (Schloss Charlottenburg) since it’s within the same district of Charlottenburg. The Charlottenburg Palace, built in the 17th century, is Berlin’s largest palace. We brought with us lots of food (yup, we’re not just travel bugs but pacmans as well) in the car and had a picnic at one of the benches in the palace grounds.

At the Charlottenburg Palace gate

A closer view of the palace dome

A statue inside the palace grounds

For a fee, tourists can get inside the Old Palace where there are many rooms with intricate details of architectural styles; while behind the palace is a large garden. At the right wing is a souvenir shop where you can find Charlottenburg Palace keepsakes and Berlin souvenirs and other trip essentials such as Berlin travel guides and photography books. We decided not to go inside and explore more of the palace since we had other tourist attractions lined up in our day tour itinerary and it was already past noon.

Next stop: Alexanderplatz

Berlin day tour

Not only is Berlin known for its historical significance but it is also one of Europe’s top tourist destinations along with Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Athens, Venice and other popular cities for travel bugs. Thus, a day tour in Berlin, being the capital of Germany and its largest city, was added to our travel itinerary in Europe considering that ours was a Schengen Visa and it was good to make the most of it by traveling to nearby Schengen states. And why wouldn’t we take time to visit Berlin when it is just about three hours travel from Prague?

Berlin is best enjoyed not just for a day though, but for those who haven’t got the luxury of time, a walking tour around the Berlin-Mitte (center) district would be sufficient since most of the main tourist attractions are concentrated here.

Below are some of the major points of interest to visit in the Berlin-Mitte district:

Alexanderplatz
Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall)
Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church)
Neptunbrunnen (Neptune Fountain)
Museumsinsel (Museum Island)
Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral)
Unter Den Linden Boulevard
Zeughaus (Old Arsenal) which houses the German Historical Museum
Neue Wache (New Guard House) war memorial
Staatsoper (Berlin State Opera)
Sankt-Hedwigs-Kathedrale (St. Hedwig’s Cathedral)
Humboldt University
Bebelplatz
Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), shown in the above photo
Reichstag building

Other points of interest we’ve visited outside the Berlin-Mitte district: Schloss Charlottenburg (Charlottenburg Palace) as our first stop located at the Charlottenburg district and Checkpoint Charlie (via subway) in the Friedrichstadt suburb.

Note: Photos and details of each point of interest to follow in separate posts.

A world of benches: Berlin

This is the third in a series of posts featuring photos of benches I’ve collected during my travels. Previously featured: Rauma (Finland) and Prague

After attending the noontime Sunday Mass at St. Albert the Great Church, off we went with our day tour of Berlin. I will be posting more photos about the city’s many historic landmarks and buildings, but for now here are some of the benches I’ve photographed to add to my collection. Enjoy!

Benches along the souvenir shop street… perfect place for tourists to rest for awhile after their shopping spree.

A series of concrete square benches at the rear of the Reichstag building.

More benches at the city park…

At the Charlottenburg Palace grounds. See that bench where the guy was seated? That’s where we had our lunch. =)

Art market in Berlin

Wanna shop for paintings, décors, jewelry, t-shirts, lanterns, bags, buttons and all sorts of art, handicrafts and books in Berlin? Check out the Art market (Kunstmarkt) at the Museum Island (Museumsinsel) beside the bridge every Saturday (11:00 AM – 3:00 PM) and Sunday (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM) where you can find some Berlin souvenirs to take home with you.

Here are some photos of what’s on sale at the street market where busy tourists crowd around the many items displayed.

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The Berlin bear

On our way to the Brandenburg Gate we passed by the Berlin Store souvenir shop to buy some pasalubongs.

There were just a lot of choices, if only you could bring them all home with you – bags, shirts, refrigerator magnets, pins, baseball caps and so much more. It would usually take us a lot of time when inside souvenir shops but we had to do our shopping real fast since we still had so many places to visit. After walking few meters from the shop, this is what we found…

A yellow Berlin bear with its arms raised up to welcome tourists!

The bear is the symbol of Berlin, and it is even the central figure in the city’s coat of arms.

Tsk, too bad we were not able to buy one of these miniature bears for souvenir when we were still at the shop.

If ever you’ll be dropping by Berlin, please say hi to the colorful Berlin bears for me!

p.s. I found more Berlin bears here. Enjoy!

Finding St. Albert the Great Church in Berlin

“We’ll be there just in time for the Mass,” bro-in-law assured cutie sis and I while tinkering with the settings of his GPS mobile phone. We were still in Prague when he said it, but the device already estimated the number of hours it would take to get there based on the total distance to be traveled and the maximum speed limit for the routes. Our destination? St. Albert the Great Catholic Church (St. Albertus Magnus Kirche) in Berlin.

While it was not the first time for bro-in-law and sis to be in Berlin, it was our first to attend the Sunday Mass in that church. Thankfully, the GPS phone assisted bro-in-law along the way and after about three hours on the road, we were just happy to hear it said, “You have reached your destination.” True enough, we stepped into the church just as the choir sang the entrance hymn.

Here are some photos of the church’s interior:

Quick information about St. Albert the Great Church:
Location: Nestorstr. 10, 14052 Berlin-Charlottenburg
(subway U Adenauerpl. / urban rail S Halensee)
Sunday Mass: 12 noon (English)