Berlin 2026

I've heard from loved ones several times that I'd dig the vibe in Berlin. About how artsy and underground it was, similar to Montréal, but more gritty. Well, I finally booked the trip and went to see it in person.

What brought me to Berlin however, wasn't the artsy vibe alone. Inspired by an acquaintance in 2025, I started reading a lot about Cold War and the Soviet Union. I then shifted my attention to Germany and Berlin, and got to explore the oddness of what the country became after World War II. How it got turned into two countries, each initially controlled by the allies, and then the split into East and West, along with all the ideology differences that entails. I wanted to see how this split affected (and still affects to this day) the culture and architecture.

Here are some of the highlights:

Accomodation

Without knowing much about the city's geography, I rented a studio apartment for 8 days in Prenzlauer Berg (east Berlin). I was at the Schonensche Strassße and Berliner Strassße intersection. This turned out to be a massive pro in my case, because this area was highly influential in the GDR times. Thanks to this wonderful resource, I discovered I was just a couple blocks from the border with West Berlin.

Even before checking into my apartment, I got to see tons of remarkable places within a 30min walk, such as the Bösebrücke bridge, which was the first border that was opened when the wall fell). The area is also very lively, with tons of amazing restaurants, coffee shops and public transport.

Itinerary

I used ChatGPT to come up with an itinerary based on GDR-related tours and spots. I refined it a few times and organized it in a way that made it more convenient. These were the tours I ended up choosing:

Subways, Bunkers, Cold War - with Berlin Untervelten

Amazing tour in the underground tunnels and bunkers of the city. As the very knowledgeable guide explained how the many bunkers were used during war times in cases of bombs, air raids and whatnot, it was really a shock to imagine what it must've been like to be the average person living in Berlin at the time, being at risk and having limited resources for them and their families. Also saw some escape routes to the West that were started after the Berlin Wall came up. Definitely recommend Berlin Untervelten tours and will definitely come back for more. More info here. No photos allowed.

Tempelhof Airport

Or flughafen if you're feeling fancy. This airport was built by the nazis and its overwhelming architecture was meant to portray Berlin as the center of the world. It was decommissioned in 2008 due to its proximity to the city center and its layout, which was not the most convenient compared to more modern airports. Tempelhof was how the American military would access the city during the Berlin airlift. The airport seems to be frozen in time, with much of its decoration and layout dating from when it was most used in WWII and the 70s. Worth the visit.

Bernauer Straße Wall Memorial

This was a very emotional stop, as this street was cut over by the Berlin Wall back in the day. You can see pictures of people who died trying to escape East Berlin, as well as how some of the houses split by the wall had its doors and windows bricked up. To think the place where the memorial stands used to be a death strip is mind blowing. Lots of old pictures and info to read along the wall remains. Mandatory spots for those interested in Cold War.

To be continued...