Berlin Trip

Back in February the History Department ran another unforgettable trip to Berlin. Beatriz and Lucy in Year 10 have written about their experience:

Despite it being a short trip, Berlin 2018 was jam-packed with amazing experiences. On Thursday 1st February we arrived at Northgate at the ridiculous time of 2:00 am! Although we were all tired, we were prepared for the trip ahead. After our farewells, we departed from the school at 2:30 am to head to Heathrow Airport.

At around 5 am we arrived at Heathrow Airport, and once we checked our luggage and went through security we had 30 minutes to browse at Duty Free and pick up an early breakfast. We boarded our plane at 6:30 am and set off to Berlin at 7:10 am.

We landed in Germany at 9 am (GMT), got our luggage and headed to the coach for the hotel. During our coach journey we had a Berlin local, Tatina, informing us about the history of Berlin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We arrived at our hotel, Meininger Hotel, and almost straight away we were off to explore Germany’s capital. Firstly, we went to grab lunch at the train station opposite our hotel and once we were done we set off to look at Berlin’s main landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate (which was in fact our first stop), the Reichstag Building, the Holocaust Memorial before having a delicious meal at Maredo. Once we arrived at the hotel we went to our rooms and flopped straight to bed.

On the second day, we went downstairs to the dining room to have breakfast. Yet again, another delightful meal. Later on, we headed to the Jüdisches Museum which was dedicated to the memory and education of the Holocaust. There were many interesting exhibits such as the three Voids that the architect designed to emulate a space of thought and reflection of the tragic deaths of so many people.

Before heading for lunch we stopped at Checkpoint Charlie (the most famous crossing point between East and West Germany which was then segregated after The Cold War). We then ventured to the Mall of Berlin to grab some lunch and explore the shops.

Next, we went to the Deutsches Historisches Museum which explained the history of Germany from 1914-1991 and highlighted the tragedies of both world wars and the Cold War on both Germany and opposition. On our way back from Alexander Platz where we sipped a much needed warm drink and grabbed some souvenirs, we headed back to our hotel after our long day to have some dinner consisting of beef stew, boiled potatoes and salad. Afterwards we had some time to relax before having a wonderful night’s sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With great new friends made and new memories formed, we packed our bags and headed to the coach for our last day in Berlin. Firstly, we went to the Berlin TV Tower, the tallest building in Berlin. To see the amazing view of Berlin, we had to go in a lift that went up so high it actually made our eyes pop! Once we got up there, we went around to see the skyline of the capital. We saw landmarks and some gorgeous buildings. Next, we went to a small café on the outskirts of Berlin for a nice lunch before heading to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.

Sachsenhausen was an informative yet very emotional and hard-hitting experience. We explored different huts, each one showed how life was for prisoners. It was an eye-opening experience. It was a time of reflection and memory to those who had to suffer through the conditions and treatments of a place like Sachsenhausen and we believe that everyone on the trip took something from this moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then proceeded to the airport for our 6:40 pm (GMT) departure, although our flight was delayed for 90 minutes, which was not a fun moment at all. Finally, after a two hour flight we landed in Heathrow Airport and ready to return home. Although we did enjoy our time in Berlin, everyone was excited to go home and rest for the remainder of the weekend.

To end this, we collected some quotes from students who attended the trip:

“The amount of culture and history we saw was unforgettable”

“I feel so lucky to have experienced an amazing city and to be able to imagine how different it would have looked like in Nazi Germany. I made some memories with some amazing people I know I’ll never forget.”

“An amazing experience with great people”

“Had an absolutely amazing time, cherished every second,”

Thanks go to Mr Guy for organising such a fantastic and educational trip along with Mrs Sutcliffe, Miss Ling, Mrs Anders and Mr MacDonald who came as well.