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Berlin in ruins part II, Teufelsberg – Devil’s Hill

Gosia — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 17:17:50 +0000

In the competition for the weirdest place in Berlin, Teufelsberg, which in translation means – Devil’s Hill is definitely on the podium. The attractiveness of Teufelsberg was initially noticed by the Nazis. Under the direction of Albert Speer – Hitler’s architect, the construction of the military academy began on this site. The investment wasn’t completed due to the war, which took most of the expenses. After the war, the Allies attempts to blow up a solid German construction, ended with covering it with the debris, transported form bombarded Berlin. As a result, a pretty large 80-meters hill – the highest point in Berlin, was created. Initially, it was considered to be a perfect location for the ski slope, but after some time the joy of skiers came to an end. The beautiful view of Berlin attracted American and British attention, who set up a spy station here. It’s said that the National Security Agency (NSA), eavesdropped their neighbors from the Eastern Block, using radars located in characteristic 5 domes, reaching 10 meters of diameter. Some people say that Teufelsberg was a part of ECHELON – a global electronic intelligence network. Reportedly, at the peak of activity, there were about 1500 British and American spies working here. The station had been operating for more than 30 years, as it was only in 1992 when the Americans decided to pack their toys and leave this place. Spiritual renewal – a visit to the devil? After the German unity, there were many ideas on how to develop Teufelsberg, but none of them have been implemented. Even David Lynch was interested in Devil’s Mountain. He wanted to create a meditation center here, but he didn’t get permission from the authorities to run this project. Finally, Teufelsberg was handed over to the company that organizes tours an various events here. Details and admission fees can be found here. Characteristic domes are a thing of the past, however, they are still the ones that make this place unique. The white canvas that used to cover them, today makes a characteristic rustling sound in the wind. It really gave me the creeps. Murals, as well as various sculptures and installations, make an amazing impression. How to get to Teufelsberg? Car is the best option to get there. You can park on one of the 2 car parks, from which you can take the path through the forest to the top of the hill. To get there by public transport you need to get on the S-Bahn S3, S5, S75 and get off at the Berlin-Grunewald Station. From there you should follow Dauerwaldweg st. and then the Harbigstrasse st. from which you should turn right to the parking lot. From there leads the above mentioned path to the top of the hill.

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Berlin in ruins – an invitation to after party

Gosia — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 15:38:37 +0000

Finally, it’s time for a post about Berlin, but I won’t focus on charming, elegant places. On the contrary, it’s time to write about Berlin in ruins! Practical to the bone, the Germans have mastered the art of bringing back old buildings to life. A similar direction is currently seen in Warsaw, however, on a smaller scale and in a completely different way. How do Germans do it? Very simple. The resuscitation of these places has nothing to do with the German perfection. They assume, that there’s no point of changing something that is iconic itself, due to its history and unique character. Tempelhof Airport Tempelhof airport, closed since 2008 is a perfect example of German ingenuity. What can be done with an unprofitable airport located near the centre of Berlin? An iconic meeting place! Runways are perfect for skaters, and the green area in the middle for numerous events or just a barbecue. The airport building is also available for sightseeing, details can be found here.The special sightseeing option attracts many tourists here, because the airport has a really interesting history. The airport was built in 1924. The plans for the construction of the great Third Reich included its extension. However, the airport wasn’t used during World War II according to its intended purpose. Weapons and bomb planes were produced in the airport’s hangars. What’s more interesting during the war it wasn’t virtually bombed. The Allies didn’t want to destroy such a strategic point that they could use later. Soon after the War, it turned out that they were right. Although, just after the Berlin conquest, the Red Army handed over the airport to the US Army, a few years later, West Berlin was blocked. Tempelhof played a key role at that time. In the period from June 1948 until May 1949 the Allies organized there an airlift to provide local residents with food and other necessary products. Over time, these aircrafts were called “raisin bombers” or “candy bombers”, because in addition to essential goods, Americans also provided sweets for children. Tempelhof is an airport especially close to Poles, its location in close proximity to the border with Poland made it the “hub” of hijacked aircrafts and refugees from Poland during the Cold War. Numerous flights, especially in the 80’s, completely changed the meaning of the shortcut of Polish National Airline – LOT. The name began to be translated as: Landing on Tempelhof, or landet oft in Tempelhof (from German: landing often on Tempelhof). Temeplhof is the setting of many famous films such as the Bourne Supremacy, Steven Spieldberg’s – Bridge of Spies and Hunger Games.You can get here by metro – U6 line towards Platz der Luftbrücke. Get off at the Tempelhof station, which is on the other side of the airport. Haus Schwarzenberg Street Art Haus Schwarzenberg is an interesting, hidden place, in the center of Berlin. In the small courtyard there are countless murals, workshops, cinema and bars. Actually, it’s hard to believe that on such a small surface you can see so many different works, mosaics and other artistic installations. However, it’s not just an alternative hangout that many in Berlin. You can visit there the Museum of Otto Weidt’s workshop for the Blind (Museum Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt), who during WWII, employed blind Jews to protect them from being killed by Nazists. What’s more interesting, the they produced brooms and brushes… also for Wehrmacht. On the spot you can also visit the exhibition dedicated to Anne Frank. The entrance is located right next to the characteristic Anne Frank mosaic. You can find the courtyard of Haus Schwarzenberg at Rosenthaler Straße 39, next to Café Cinema. Ballhaus rivera – party is over Ballhaus is a real urbex gem among all alternative places in Berlin. The Ballroom is a piece of history. It was built in 1890 and from the very beginning it was a popular event spot. The perfect location, right on the banks of the Dahme river, was an ideal place to relax. Although it survived WWII intact, in the following decades lost the competition with other such places. The last event took place here in 1990 and since then the building has been living its own life, from year to year becoming more and more devastated. The area is off limits to visitors, and the building is on the verge of collapse, but that’s the charm of visiting such places 😉 The area is surrounded by a fence, but no extraordinary skills are needed to get there. All the entrances to the building, are locked of course, but some huge windows are open… 😉 The interior makes an amazing impression. The great ballroom is lit by rays of sunlight passing through the windows. You can still see here the decorated ceiling with the remains of the crystal chandelier. At the central point there’s a scene, with the old piano. I visited Ballhaus in 2018. This place certainly looks different now, I wonder if it still exists. If you have any information, leave a comment 🙂

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Alfama, Lisbon – how to describe something undescribable?

Gosia — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 14:48:32 +0000

Alfama has been on my mind for a long time, however it has been very difficult for me to write a post about this Lisbon’s neighbourhood. It would have been easier to say that it was a matter of lack of time, but there was another reason. In fact, you can’t just write about Alfama. I could endlessly use many adjectives to describe my feelings or auditory, taste and visual impressions during visiting this part of the city. But the best description won’t convey my emotions and what’s left in my memories. Skipping Alfama while being in Lisbon is like not visiting this city at all. You can explore every nook and cranny in Lisbon, but without seeing Alfama, it’s impossible to learn something more about this city. Alfama, as the oldest district in Lisbon, is definitely different from other parts of the city. This place actually takes back in time, as the only Lisbon district which survived the earthquake in 1755. The name Alfama comes from the Arabic language from the word al – hamma, which means hot springs. During the Moors occupation, Alfama was an exclusive neighborhood. It can be said that at that time this place was a kind of spa, as it was thought that waters in Alfama had healing properties. In the 20th century, Alfama was inhabited mainly by fishermen and sailors families, a poorer part of the society. In the 70-80’s it was considered as the most dangerous district in Lisbon. There was even a plan to pull down and rebuild this historic part of the city, fortunately, this didn’t happen. Today, more and more trusts are coming here from year to year, and this place is slowly starting to commercialise, while losing its unique character. Alfama seems to be actually a city within the city, operating on its own terms, away from the noisy centre. Alfama residents seem to form a local community cut off from the rest of Lisbon. Here you can feel relaxed and peaceful atmosphere and the lazy rhythm of the days, marked by daily domestic activities. The best way to explore this place is to get lost in a maze of narrow streets. The characteristic pastel buildings, laundry hanging on the balconies, the cats lying lazily on sidewalks or the amazing amount of decorative details, create a unique atmosphere of this neighborhood. You can also see here the daily life of the residents, taste homemade liquor Ginjinha, sold by older ladies, who in this way try to earn some more money to their small pension. Although Alfama is being occupied by the poorest part of society, at every step you can meet here smiling and helpful people. Portugal also owes Alfama – fado, traditional music. It’s inherent in the so-called saudade – feeling of longing and nostalgia. Saudade is a word that only exists in Portuguese and is an inseparable element of Portuguese people as a nation of sailors and explorers. For this reason fado music is very emotional and melancholic as well. Many songs are dedicated to Alfama, and there’re many fado concerts in the district. Fado is also presented in street art. On Escandinhas de São Cristóvã street you can see a mural of Fado Vadio showing popular fado performers. Furthermore in Alfama, you can see many interesting murals and famous azulejos – decorative, ceramic tiles. It’s worth coming here both day and evening when it’s interestingly lit. On Tuesday and Saturday from 6 am to 5 pm, a flea market called Feira da Ladra is organized. In translation Feira da Ladra means – thieves’ bazaar. This is the perfect place to buy something unique at a very attractive price. Alfama is a unique place. It seems to be separated from the bustling part of Lisbon, which gives you a feeling of diving into the local reality. Unfortunately, due to the development of mass tourism, there are less and less such places. I suspect that soon on Alfama streets we will also encounter stalls with “Chinese” souvenirs, food trucks and other commercial chain stores. However, in my memory will be the sounds of fado, warm smiles of old ladies selling delicious, homemade cherry liqeur, pastel colors and perfect photo chiaroscuro I have never seen in any other city.

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England – Bristol

Gosia — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 19:14:13 +0000

It was the beginning of November, I looked out of the window, it was cold, grey and gloomy day, so I decided to go somewhere. I started visualizing palm trees, sun and warm sea. I had to get out of here even, just for the weekend. After desperate search for any escape route, I booked the tickets to… Bristol. I can’t say that it was a question of conscious choice, because who in their normal minds is going to England in the middle of winter?! I can call it a momentary impulse, caused by a low price of the tickets… a month later, laughing at myself, I went to the airport in Modlin, then I didn’t expect it would be one of my better weekend trips. Knowing the “English” reality, at this time of year, I tried not to think that my trip would be rainy and cold. Meanwhile, to my surprise Bristol greeted me with beautiful sunny weather. However, it wan’t the only surprise, the city itself delighted me with its diversity, atmosphere and colors. The grey, neglected buildings in Stokes Croft, or Nelson Street are converted into a real art by a group of artists from the project called See No Evil. I must admit that streets of Bristol are one big gallery in fresh air and what’s more, it constantly changes. Famous Banksy comes from Bristol. His now, can be seen all over the world from the United States to Australia. The first Banksy’s mural is located in the Stokes Croft street, it presents a teddy bear, throwing a Molotov cocktail at the police. Bristol also surprises by its original approach. It’s the place of the groups like: Massive Attack or Portishead, which gave rise to trip hop. Furthermore, here took place first bungee jump in Europe. it was on 1st of April 1979, from the Clifton (Suspension) Bridge The bridge itself is impressive because it rises up to 80 meters and guarantees amazing views over the Avon gorge. When I was landing at the Bristol airport, it was first thing which I recognize. I was night and the bridge was beautifully lit, it looked really magnificent. However, Bristol is not just bungee jumping and street art venue. There are many completely different and climatic places, like the famous Christmas steps. There you can also see the Temple Church, bombed during world War II. It is also worth exploring the port in Bristol. It’s also known as the Gateway to the New World, is one of the oldest in England. From there, at the end of the 15th century John Cabot went to a journey to America. There’s a replica of his ship and very interesting M Shed Museum, dedicated to the history and life of the people in Bristol and you can find here even a planetarium as well. Bristol is open and cosmopolitan city, which can be seen at the famous st. Nicholas ‘ market, where numerous stands offer various dishes and products from all over the world. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

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