The conference presentations ended slightly earlier on Tuesday, which provided the perfect opportunity for three of us to head into Berlin. The train journey took only half an hour. By the time we arrived, darkness had already fallen outside, but it felt like an excellent chance to experience a different side of the city. I had not actually seen much of Berlin at night before.
Table of Contents
We travelled straight to the Reichstag. We passed the fountains, which appeared to have been completely switched off at exactly 20:30. Glass covers that protected the openings to the subway station were illuminated from below. I thought it was a brilliant concept, as it gave the illusion that the asphalt was glowing beneath our feet. Nevertheless, vandals clearly operated here too, as a few of those covers were cordoned off because they had already been smashed, and falling through would have been a long drop.
Monumental Landmarks in the Dark
The Reichstag stood before us in all its grandeur, its facade impressively illuminated. The entire area was fenced off with metal barriers and guarded by the police. That was nothing new, since this building is always heavily protected, making it difficult to even approach the steps in the evening. I still had not been inside it yet.
As we walked a bit further, we noticed candles burning in the shadow of the trees, and crosses were hung on a fence. They were evidently dedicated to the victims of genocide or a similar tragedy. In the distance, the iconic triumphal arch—the Brandenburg Gate—was glowing. It always looks spectacular, though the view from the back does not leave quite the same impression as the front. The square in front of the arch was bustling with tourists, and everyone was busy taking photographs. The sound of a violin drifted from afar, creating a beautiful vibration that resonated deep within. On the left side of the arch, the flag of the United States of America was fluttering, marking the location of the US Embassy.
Walking the Berlin Wall After Hours
After admiring the gate, we made our way towards the East Side Gallery. I had already seen it before, but my colleagues had not, and I was quite curious to see how it looked at night. We boarded the subway and headed in that direction.
I must admit that the wall looks better during the day because the night-time lighting is rather poor, but it was still well worth seeing. It was very easy to notice that the wall had been heavily reinforced from the western side, as everyone had been trying to escape from the east to the west. We had to walk about 1.5 to 2 kilometres to reach the next station, and the East Side Gallery – or the Berlin Wall, to put it another way – accompanied us the entire way.
Late-Night Cravings and Language Barriers
It was already getting late, so we boarded the train back because we did not fancy walking all the way from Berlin to Potsdam. We disembarked at the Babelsberg stop with the intention of having dinner, but it turned out that all the kitchens were already closed by 23:00. Drinking was the only option left. Consequently, we had to settle for a German kebab, which I must admit was absolutely delicious. Perhaps it tasted so good simply because I was so hungry?
I had to order by pointing with my fingers, as my German conversational skills were not particularly good. The vendor asked if he should include all the ingredients, but I misunderstood and thought he was asking what to put in. I pointed specifically at the onions, and only then did I realise he was saying “Should I leave this out?” followed by “Should I include everything?”. I quickly replied “Alles”. As I mentioned, the kebab was incredibly tasty, and it made for the perfect end to our night.