00:00I'm Lily Douse and this is Grand Voyager. In this episode I travel the world to discover incredible places filled
00:10with culture, luxury and adventure.
00:13Along the way I meet the people, taste the flavours and experience the moments that make each destination unforgettable.
00:26Today, I'm travelling to Germany's capital, Berlin. Once divided by a wall, it's known for its freedom and creativity.
00:36Hallo and welcome to Berlin. In this episode I'll be exploring what gives this city its epic vibe.
00:44From arts and culture to food and history, there's so much to explore.
00:49My first stop is Brandenburg Gate, a historic landmark in the heart of the city.
00:56The Brandenburg Gate is the symbol of Berlin, the symbol of the German nation.
01:00It was built in 1791 and it was an actual gate, the gate to Brandenburg, hence the name the Brandenburg
01:07Gate.
01:08People gather here for national celebrations, but it's just one part of Berlin's varied architecture.
01:16Something I love about Berlin is that when you look out at the mix of architectural styles, you can see
01:22its layers of history.
01:24The buildings are telling the story of the city.
01:27Just a short walk away is the Reichstag building.
01:31The Reichstag building is Germany's historic parliament. It was finished in 1894 and that inscription to the German peoples, that
01:39was not originally there.
01:41It was only midway through World War I that that inscription was added to the building.
01:46From here, we head to a surviving section of the Berlin Wall.
01:50After World War II, the city was divided into four sections, Soviet in the East and American, British and French
02:00in the West.
02:01The East German government later built the wall in 1961 to stop people from leaving for the West.
02:10Another section of the wall is now an open-air arts gallery.
02:16After the wall fell in 1989, artists painted on it.
02:20And so this for me is so special. It's an act of reclamation.
02:25It divided the German people and now that it was down, they could paint on it.
02:30They could express how they were feeling when there was freedom of movement, reunification of East and West.
02:35The mural stretched for around 1.3 kilometres along the wall.
02:41It's a creative example of how art can give history new meaning.
02:46Art is everywhere in Berlin, from its murals and hidden courtyards to its colourful cafes.
02:54And you can really see that here in former East Berlin.
02:58Berlin is famous for its darkness, for really dark history.
03:03But Berlin has emerged out of this with this light, this vibrant, fierce personality.
03:09And this very strong sense that freedom of creativity is worth protecting.
03:20Street art here comes in all shapes and sizes, and each artist has their own style.
03:27I'm meeting a local graffiti instructor to try it for myself.
03:32Graffiti is about expressing yourself, but there are some useful techniques to learn.
03:38We work in layers, so you place all your elements, and in the next step, you start to fill in
03:45the big areas.
03:47In the third step, you can create outlines surrounding your word or the details.
03:53And in the last step, you can work on very detailed elements.
03:57There's plenty of inspiration here.
04:00The challenge is deciding what I want to create and making it my own.
04:05I guess there's no right or wrong way to do it, right?
04:07No, there is no right or wrong way.
04:10Spray paint is popular with street artists, because it allows them to cover a large area quickly.
04:17So if you are far away, you have no clear dot or not a clear line.
04:22But if you are very close to the canvas, I really touch it, then you have skinny lines.
04:28Okay?
04:29In graffiti, letters become part of the artwork.
04:33Their shape matters just as much as the message.
04:37And there's one trick.
04:39You can just, from one end to the other, and then you can start filling very fast.
04:44And we always say less color is better than too much.
04:47A strong contrast between the colors helps the design stand out and makes the letters easier to read.
04:56I always say the spray can is like a pencil and eraser at the same time.
05:00It's just a tool and you can correct everything.
05:02I'm really impressed with how it's taking shape.
05:06This has been a fun way to experience the city's creative side.
05:11And I'll look at street art differently after this.
05:17On the other side of Berlin is a historic building that's been transformed into a boutique hotel.
05:25Once a woman's prison, it held political prisoners during World War II.
05:30I'm staying here while in the city, and I'm curious to see how much of the original building has been
05:37preserved.
05:39It's more than 100 years old, everything here, so it's a lot of history.
05:43It took us more than 10 years of transformation to create this little gem of relaxation in the middle of
05:53West Berlin.
05:54It really is just so fascinating to see the architecture, and it does take you back in time staying somewhere
06:01like this.
06:02Throughout the hotel, many original prison features remain, including iron bars, cell doors, and long corridors.
06:11Former cells have been joined together to create suites with all the modern comforts you'd expect from a luxury stay.
06:20The hotel also has its own bakery, where they make fresh bread and pastries by hand for the hotel's restaurant.
06:29Their speciality is sourdough bread, which visitors can buy and take home.
06:35It's a unique place to stay, where the past is carefully brought back to life.
06:44Flowing through the city center is the River Spree.
06:47It runs past many famous bridges and landmarks.
06:52I'm here to see them from a different angle.
06:55We will start off by seeing the city.
06:58It means we will go in the direction of the Oberbaum Bridge.
07:01And afterwards, we will go to the Wumelsker Bucht.
07:05There are plenty of ways to explore the River Spree.
07:08From pedalos and paddleboards to kayaks and canoes.
07:13We hop aboard and head out onto the water.
07:16So, on the right side, we have Stralau, Alstralau.
07:20This was once a fisherman village.
07:23And now we see we have a lot of luxury apartments.
07:27The Spree stretches for around 400 kilometers through towns and the countryside.
07:33Here in the city, it's home to Molecule Man, a 30-meter-high sculpture standing in the river.
07:41It represents people and the city coming together.
07:47So, now behind us is the Oberbaum Bridge.
07:49It's a really famous bridge.
07:51We have the U-Bahn passing through.
07:52And if you look closely, you see the middle looks a little other because in the Second World War,
07:59they just exploded the middle so no one could pass from east to west to enter the city.
08:04And now they've rebuilt it and it looks like this now.
08:08There's something relaxing about being out on the water, even when you're pedaling.
08:14And with sunny weather like this, I'm in no hurry to head back.
08:22Berlin is a city of different neighborhoods, each with its own character.
08:28With so much to see, it's the ideal city to discover by bike.
08:32I've seen so many people cycling around Berlin.
08:35This is the way to get around for sure.
08:37If you ask me, it definitely is.
08:40Of course, not everyone agrees with it.
08:42But generally, Berlin is pretty flat.
08:47We got pretty wide streets.
08:48And in the last couple of years, they built a lot of cycling infrastructure.
08:52So, bike lanes, bike paths.
08:54And it's getting more and more.
08:55We set off, cycling through Berlin's leafy streets, taking in the city along the way.
09:02Our first stop is a park with a divided past.
09:07So, we're in Mauerpark, which translates to the wall park,
09:11because all that's on the right here used to be part of what's mostly called no man's land.
09:19So, the space between the two walls was turned into a park about 20 years ago.
09:24And it's a place where you get a lot of tourists and locals meet.
09:30Exploring by bike gives us the freedom to enjoy the park
09:33and stop whenever something catches our eye.
09:38Nearby is a Protestant church closely linked to East Germany's opposition movement in the 1980s.
09:47This is the Zionskirche.
09:49This was one of the central meeting places.
09:54And one of the reasons why the Protestant churches played such a big role in this opposition
09:59was that the state had limited access to it.
10:03So, the official police couldn't access this whole area, not even getting to the church.
10:10The church is remembered as one of the places that helped bring about the fall of the Berlin Wall.
10:18We continue cycling through Berlin's streets, eventually reaching another green space.
10:25This is Volkspark Friedrichshain, the people's park of Friedrichshain,
10:30one of the oldest and biggest parks in the central city.
10:35Opened in 1848, the park is home to several historic monuments, including one from East Germany.
10:42Like other formerly communist cities, Berlin was full of these grandiose monuments.
10:51Most of them have been demolished, but they kept that one because it is not just about socialists
10:57or communist people, but generally for the German fighters that fought on the side of the republic
11:04in the Spanish Civil War.
11:06Exploring Berlin by bike has really made me feel part of the city.
11:12I'm leaving feeling more confident to try new things
11:15and noticing creativity in places I might have overlooked.
11:20To finish my time in Berlin, there's no better way to see the city than from above with an incredible
11:28360-degree view.
11:34Some restaurants really do include an experience and turning around Berlin is something quite incredible.
11:42From the city's street art and its river views to its fascinating history,
11:47Berlin is a place that leaves you wanting to discover more.
11:52But now, time for my next adventure.
