Arriving at the Hauptbahnhof in Berlin was spectacular. It was as if it was brand new- HUGE with steel and glass. Here the 'S-bahn' (the faster metro) was elevated (in some parts) and the major section made a ring around the city. It provided some beautiful sights of the city and gave a better perspective of where you were. Big, tall and long buildings stretched down the city blocks that seemed to be like 2 of DC's city blocks. The city was just beautiful- more than I had imagined.
In Berlin, they offer a free tour that lasts about 3 hours. It gives you a taste of the city's history and it's FREE! (tipping is not mandatory, but nice- it is afterall 3 hours and the guides are great with history and character). The tour took us all over the city and talked about Berlin's rocky past with Hitler and we even got to see where Michael Jackson dangled his baby out the hotel window! haha. (see, Berlin isn't all dank and gray with history.) The Reichstag, their Parliment building, was hugely impressive with a glass egg dome. You can go in, free of charge, up to the top and see the views of the city- the lines can be long, but take your time once inside.
