🇩🇪🧸BERLIN🧸🇩🇪

Day Eight: Exploring Berlin’s Layers of History

Our final full day in Germany began with a classic German breakfast—fresh bread, sliced meats, cheeses, and strong coffee—shared with Ulrich and Heidi. By 9:30 a.m., we were on the road, heading into the heart of Berlin.

Our first stop was the East Side Gallery, a 1.3-kilometer stretch of the former Berlin Wall. Once a symbol of division, it now stands as the world’s longest open-air gallery. The Wall itself was part of a 155-kilometer border system that included over 300 watchtowers and multiple layers of fencing A. Between 1961 and 1989, at least 136 people died trying to cross it . We walked the length of the gallery, pausing often to take in the murals and reflect on the stories behind them. One side is covered in commissioned artwork from international artists; the other is a raw canvas for graffiti and public expression.

Next, we visited Tempelhof Airport, once one of Europe’s largest and most iconic airfields. Originally opened in 1923, it became a lifeline during the Berlin Airlift of 1948–49, when Allied forces flew over 270,000 flights and over 2.3 million tons of supplies to sustain West Berliners during the Soviet blockade. At its peak, planes were landing every 30 seconds. Today, the runways are open to the public. We rented e-bikes and zipped across the massive tarmac, laughing more than we expected. It was a surprising highlight.

We then stopped at the Berlin Airlift Memorial, which honors the 78 pilots and crew members who lost their lives during the operation. It’s a quiet but powerful reminder of the scale and stakes of Cold War-era Berlin.

Our final destination was Teufelsberg—“Devil’s Mountain.” Rising 120 meters above sea level, it’s Berlin’s highest point, made from roughly 26 million cubic meters of post-WWII rubble. Beneath it lies the remains of a Nazi military college so structurally sound that it was easier to bury than demolish. During the Cold War, the U.S. built a massive listening station here, part of a global surveillance network. The abandoned radar domes are now covered in street art, and climbing to the top offered sweeping views of the city and a surreal blend of history and creativity.

Back at Ulrich and Heidi’s, we ended the day with a hearty German dinner—sauerkraut with bacon, mashed potatoes, and grilled sausages, chocolate cake and ice cream —followed by long conversations in the garden under the cool evening sky. It was the perfect close to our journey.

As we reflected on the day, Ulrich asked us what our favorite stop was and what we had learned. It was hard to choose. But if there was one takeaway, it was this: Berlin doesn’t hide its past. It invites you to walk through it, question it, and carry its lessons forward.

Tomorrow, we fly to London at 11 a.m.—but Berlin will stay with us.Read more