The Ampelman in Berlin

Berlin's landscape has changed so much since the wall came down that it's sometimes hard to tell which part used to be the West side and which one the East. Both sides now are dotted with modern high rises, trendy shops and hip eateries. But if you look a bit closer, there are ways to tell whether you are in the East or the West.

 One way to know where you are is to look out for the cobblestone trace of the wall that meanders through Berlin, but the easiest way to determine what side you are on is to look at the pedestrian traffic lights. In the former West they look like any other traffic light throughout the world, but in the East the little green and red man looks a little bit different. In the East he looks bit more cheerful and he wears a hat. He is so distinctive that he's turned into somewhat of a cult figure. It's the Ampelman or traffic light man.

The cheerful man dates back to 1961 East-Berlin when he was introduced to this side of city to distinguish the traffic lights for cars and pedestrians throughout the GDR. He was introduced with much media fanfare and he his popularity after that soared. He was used for traffic education videos, he played a part in a televised cartoon and he was the main character in several comics and games.

When Germany was unified there were several attempts to standardise the traffic lights according to the West-German design, and he disappeared for a while. However the Ampelman had acquired such a large cult following and their protests made sure that these plans were turned back and the Ampelman made a come-back.

Even though the Ampelman might not make any TV appearances anymore, he remains a highly popular and beloved figure. And with several Ampelman souvenir shops popping up like mushrooms, it looks like the Ampelman is here to stay.

Coffee at Panorama Punkt

The last time I visited Berlin was back in the early 90s, not long after the Wall was torn down. Berlin's cityscape was dominated by cranes and Potsdammer Platz was a bit of a construction site. How things have changed since then.

Potsdammer Platz now is a vibrant area with lots of shops, bars and restaurants and  towering over it is the Manhattan style high-rise called Panorama Punkt with an observation deck and cafe on its top floor. My friends and I decided to take a look.

The lift that took us to the 24th floor in an ear-popping 20 seconds is the fastest in Europe. When you step out of the lift you enter the triangle shaped observation deck you have a 360 view of the entire city of Berlin and you can see pretty much all the famous sights and landmarks. Even with on the greyish day we had, we saw Brandenburg Gate, the Jewish memorial, the Reichstag and more from up there. 

A multi-media open air exhibition tells you the history of Berlin and of Potsdammer Platz in particular. I don't think I know one square in the world with so much histories and so many stories. The exhibition shows you what role it played before, during and after the erection of the wall. You learn about its multiple transformation from from a quiet green to a vibrant square with luxury shops, to derelict landfill cross sectioned by the Berlin Wall into one of the trendiest parts of the city after it was torn down. We also came to realise that the Berlin Wall cut right through the spot where the Panorama Punkt building now stands. A few slabs of the wall, now decorated with love locks, are a reminder of this.

After our educational view from the top, rain clouds started moving in and we rushed into the Panorama Cafe where we finished off our visit to Panorama Punkt with a warm cup of coffee and a slice of freshly baked apricot tart. In my book, that is the best way to take in a city view.

The Currywurst Museum in Berlin

Germany is not particularly renowned for its refined cuisine, but one thing the Germans do really well is sausages. Not only do they do them well, they love them well. So much so, that they've dedicated a whole museum to its currywurst in Berlin. When I heard about its existence, I couldn't help but check it out. Of course.

The museum is located in the heart of Berlin, very close to Check Point Charlie. It's hard to miss as there is a flashy red car parked out front with a giant currywurst teetering on its roof. Once inside there is no mistake that the theme of the museum is sausages, as the smell of them lingers throughout.

The exhibits are very visual, interactive and highly entertaining, which make this museum great for kids and adults who refuse to grow up. There are multiple displays showcasing Germany's beloved dish and its origins, its ingredients and the way it should be served. It tells you how many wursts there are produced and consumed every day, their distribution around the world and you can discover their claim to fame (yes, they featured in movies and TV series). There is even a life size currywurst snack bar on wheels if you're into sausage role playing.

You can smell, touch and frolic with sausages and fries in different shapes and sizes including their condiments. And if all that smelling, touching and playing has worn you out, there is a currywurst sausage couch where you can watch sausage clips on a sausage TV.

A visit to a museum such as this one, wouldn't be complete with a sausage sampling in the currywurst restaurant which is included in your (slightly steep)ticket price of €11. However, if you're really hungry you can pay a little more and upgrade the sampling to a proper currywurst menu with a drink. All in all, it's a museum where you can have a good laugh and some good food, and be honest now, where in the world can you play with sausages for €11 these days?

Berlin Wall Art

When I was visiting Berlin a few weeks ago, my friend told me that there is talk to tear down most of the Berlin Wall to make space for apartment blocks. Leaving only bits here and there scattered around the city.

If that goes ahead, a large chunk of German and important history will disappear. I find that hard to fathom. It's almost like saying, oh let's tear down the Eiffel Tower and build some flats, or let's get rid of Big Ben to make way for some new tower blocks. The Wall is so much  more than a touristy site. It's a reminder of how horrible humans can be, but also of how capable they of of being good. So I'm hoping the wall will stay.

Whatever happens, I'm glad I got to see it when I did. Not only because of what it stands for, but also because of its incredible art work. Here are some of my favourite pieces of Berlin Wall grafitti.