Teacher Training in Berlin
Berlin is considered to be the most vibrant and modern European capital; a city that cannot stay still for a moment. Berlin is a trendsetting city when it comes to music, art, and life itself. The city is best known for its striking contrasts since it combines modern architecture and historical landmarks. Moreover, Berlin is Germany’s greenest city, and it offers locals and tourists plenty of open spaces, parks, lakes, and wooded areas.
Berlin and Surroundings
Berlin is the capital of Germany and it is situated in the North-East of the country. It is the city of art, artists, and museums, hosting over 170 museums in total. The sights Berlin has to offer, from the Brandenburg Gate to the Parliament, bear witness to the history of an entire nation. However, the history of the city also has a sad side, since it is heavily connected to the events of the post-Second World War period. Large parts of the city were indeed rebuilt after the World War II allied bombings. In 1945 Berlin was divided into four occupied zones and, from 1961 to 1989, was split up by the famous Berlin Wall into East and West Berlin.
Places to visit in Berlin
1) Brandenburg Gate
Brandenburg Gate is Berlin’s most famous landmark and is located in the western part of the city center. It is an 18th-century neoclassical monument built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II and set the entry to Unter den Linden, a boulevard of linden trees that leads to the Royal City Palace. Today, the Brandenburg Gate is considered not only as a symbol of European and German history but also of European unity and peace.
2) Alexanderplatz/TV Tower
Alexanderplatz is the most visited area of Berlin since it is a popular starting point for tourists. The square, named after Tsar Alexander I, who visited the city in 1805, has many shops, cinemas, and restaurants, but its main attraction is the TV Tower. The TV Tower, built during the years of GDR, is now a symbol of Berlin, from which you can enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the city.
3) East Side Gallery
The East Side Gallery is the largest and longest-lasting open-air gallery in the world, with its 1.3 kilometer long painted stretch of the former Berlin Wall. The Gallery consists of 105 murals, painted in 1990 on the east side of the Berlin Wall by artists from all over the world. It is situated along the river Spree, at the former border between the lively neighbourhoods of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain.
4) Parliament (Reichstag)
The German Parliament (Reichstag) is a historic building in Berlin, constructed to house the Imperial Diet of the German Empire. In 1933 it was severely damaged by a fire and after World War II the building fell into disuse. After the German Reunification in 1990, it underwent a reconstruction led by architect Norman Foster, and in 1999 it became again the meeting place of the German Parliament: the modern Bundestag. Tourists may also book a visit to the glass dome of the building, to enjoy a stunning view of the city.
5) Holocaust Memorial
The Memorial dedicated to the Murdered Jews of Europe is a memorial of the Jewish victims of the Holocaust designed by architect Peter Eisenman and engineer Buro Happold. It consists of 2711 rectangular concrete blocks and was inaugurated in 2005. The artist leaves every possible interpretation open to its visitors, although it is widely accepted that the blocks very strongly recall a cemetery.
6) Museum Island
Museum Island is a museum ensemble on the northern part of Spree Island in the historic heart of Berlin. It was built from 1830 to 1930 by order of the Prussian Kings to make art publicly accessible. The Museum Island was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 and consists of the Altes Museum, the Neues Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie, the Bode-Museum, and the Pergamonmuseum. The Neues Museum hosts the Egyptian Collection and the most famous bust of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, who was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. In the Pergamon Museum visitors can admire the Babylonian Ishtar Gate and the Hellenistic Pergamon Altar.
7) Gendarmenmarkt
Gendarmenmarkt is one of the most beautiful squares in Berlin. It is best known for the architectural trio composed of the Berlin Concert Hall and the German and French Cathedrals. In the middle of the square you will find the monumental statue of the poet Friedrich Schiller.
8) Berlin Cathedral
The Berlin Cathedral is a Lutheran church built from 1894 to 1905 by order of German Emperor William II. The building combines the Renaissance and Baroque Revival styles and is the largest protestant church in Germany.
9) Charlottenburg Palace
The Charlottenburg Palace is a Baroque palace, commissioned by Queen Sophie Charlotte, the wife of Friedrich I. It was built at the end of the 17th century and greatly expanded during the 18th century. Both the beautiful gardens and the palace in a French Baroque style attract visitors all year round.
10) Berlin Wall Memorial
The Berlin Wall Memorial is situated at the historic site of Bernauer Strasse and commemorates the division of Berlin. It extends along 1.4 kilometers of the former border strip and is also home to a Documentation Centre.
Our Cultural Activities
Our guided tour of Berlin city center
We offer one to two free walking tours of Berlin city center each week. Led by a professional guide, the walking tour introduces you to Berlin’s rich history and monuments. It usually includes the most famous sites, like the Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial, the Parliament and Potsdamer Platz.
Our full-day excursion
After five days of lessons, it is time for the weekend and time to relax. For you and your colleagues who met at Europass, we offer a trip to the stunning city center of Potsdam and its Park Sansoucci.
Potsdam is the capital of the near Brandenburg region. It was a residence of the Prussian kings and the German Kaiser until 1918. Its planning embodied ideas of the age of Enlightenment. The parks and palaces of Sanssouci are the largest World Heritage Site in Germany. The palace Sanssouci was the first building of the park and was built under Friedrich II (also known as Friedrich the Great) as a summer residence between 1745 and 1747 in a peculiar Rococo style.
The last building to be built in the park was the Church of Peace, which resembles an Italian Romanic church. The city centre of Potsdam attracts tourists from Germany and all over the world for its Brandenburg Gate, its elegant buildings in late Baroque style and its peculiar Dutch Quartier, which recalls the Dutch colonies who used to live in the area and work at the construction on the Sanssouci palaces.
Do not miss the opportunity to participate in these all-inclusive tours, with professional guides, tickets and transportation included in the price of the course!
