Day 6.
This was our last day in Berlin before flying back to the UK to see family later in the day. We took the U-Bahn from the Zoo Station to the Sophie-Charlotte Platz stop and then walked along Schloss St to the Charlottenburg Palace. As we approached the Palace it became apparent that it was undergoing some renovations as a big portion of the central part was covered in scaffolding. This was a little disappointing for my photo taking opportunities, but there was still plenty to see so we brought some tour tickets.
View as we approached Charlottenburg Palace.
The ticket we brought gave us an audio tour inside one wing of the Palace which was very informative and the rooms were very varied, some very ornate, and some much more simple. We could also freely roam around the gardens, which are free to the public, with this ticket, we were able to gain entry to other buildings on the grounds like the Mausoleum and Belvedere.
One of the more ornate rooms in the Palace.
We were running a bit short on time, so we decided to wander the gardens a little and go into the Mausoleum. It is the resting place of Queen Luise and other royals including Emperor William I and his wife Augusta, and was actually more beautiful inside that I had realized it would be.
Inside the Mausoleum.
It was a lovely day, so we walked back through the formal gardens and back to the station to catch the train back to the Zoo Station.
Gardens at Charlottenburg Palace.
Once we arrived at the Zoo Station it was a little after lunchtime and we were very hungry. We had been planning to make sure to try Currywurst, a Berlin street food, while here, so this was our chance as there was a Curry 36 right by the Zoo Station. I had read, and heard from one of the tour guides, that Curry 36 was a great place to try this street food, so that was what we did! We ordered Currywurst with fries which was pretty good, the curry flavour wasn’t as strong as I thought it might be, and I noticed that the locals seemed to be eating the Currywurst with bread instead, and no fries.
Currywurst.
After gobbling down our lunch we went in search of a grocery store where we purchased some German biscuits to take back as gifts for friends. On our way back to the hotel to get our bags I wanted to take a quick look at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church which I had been walking past almost every day for the last 5 days. The church is a strange combination of old bombed out church, and newer 1960’s octagonal hall of worship.
The newer part in my opinion looks very ugly from the outside, but once inside the many little blue stained glass windows are beautiful and even at night, with the light from inside shining out, it is far more appealing.
The older part of the church has only part of it’s steeple still intact from WWII bombings, and still has a lovely section of mosaic ceiling and is also beautifully lit at night.
Time was getting on, and we needed to head to the airport, so we walked the short distance back to the Intercontinental Hotel, grabbed our bags and took a taxi to catch our flight to England to visit family. Berlin had been a pleasant surprise, I had enjoyed my time exploring the city and it’s history and food even more than I had expected!
Part of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.