Abandoned buildings, insta-worthy bridges, and pickles?
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to travel to Berlin for work, and I extended my trip by a couple days to see some unique sights.
The last time I was in Germany was in high school with the history class. We followed the Allied invasion through Europe, so I'd already visited some of the first things that come to mind when you think of Berlin: the wall, Brandenberg Gate, the Reichstag, Holocaust Memorial, etc.
This time around, I had the freedom of being on my own, a car, and the desire to see some unique things.
Teufelsberg
My first stop was Teufelsberg. Today, it's an open air art gallery that features murals covering abandoned buildings. The mountain's history is every bit as interesting and significant.
The mountain isn't even natural, it was built out of the rubble of World War II. After that, it became the espionage headquarters for the Allies to spy on East Germany and Russian activities during the Cold War.
After the wall fell, the facility fell into disrepair, until artists reclaimed it. Now, as you walk through, it's a vibrant expression of political statements, inspirational artwork, and impressive murals that are stories tall.
There's plenty of history here too, artifacts of military activity and the old postal service are still on site. I loved the juxtaposition of modern day protest and social commentary using art paired with the events and activities that led to the creation of the site and it's use over the years. It's impossible to not think about the rhythms of history and how humans can't help but repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
Beelitz-Heilstätten
My afternoon kept with the abandoned building theme as I made it to this abandoned military hospital just an hour before closing. The gate keeper assured me that I'd be able to see everything as long as I "didn't stop to take pictures" as he eyed the camera around my neck.
I'm a fast walker, so I wasn't too worried about it. This park has the feel of a compound reclaimed by nature. When it was open, it must have been a peaceful facility, though no doubt the patients weren't having the best time. This old hospital used to treat tuberculosis patients and even saw Hitler come here for treatment when he was injured during WWI.
The park has built elevated walkways that help you get a unique perspective on the abandoned buildings from above. That guide didn't know what he was talking about, I was able to walk all the elevated walkways and walk around all the buildings on the ground too.
I didn't plan far enough ahead to be able to take advantage of the tours that go inside, but I could still peek in to see a dining table still with glasses and candle sticks on it, green tiled rooms with chairs that were straight out of a horror movie, and cracked stone steps that could tell an infinite number of stories.
Rakotzbrücke
If you've been on Instagram and the algorithm knows you like photography, you've probably seen this bridge crop up on your For You page. This place has always been on my insta-bucket list, so when I was booking a place to stay outside Berlin I found a gorgeous little AirBnB south of Berlin that was only 10 minutes from this 19th century bridge known as "The Devil's Bridge."
Trails go around the small body of water it crosses, so you can get up close (but not on it). It looks like something Sauron himself would have built, all spiky obsedian angles.
On a calm day or night, the bridge seems to make a seemingly impossible circle in the water. I visited 3 times, attempting to photograph star trails and the Milky Way reflected in the water.
Just like last time I was in Europe, the end of Hurricane Gabrielle was hovering over Europe, making everything dreary and cloudy and wet. So while I'm still working on those astro shots, I was happy with some of the black and white day time photos I was able to capture on one of my 3 visits.
Spreewald
The Spreewald is a picturesque biosphere reserve that's the Venice of Germany. Wetlands and canals fed by the Spree River create opportunities for kayaking and gondola rides.
Since it was raining, I went for an option on a covered boat and had a nice slow float past homes with "kayak parking" for garages and gnomish mailboxes on the water.
The area is also known for its pickles, with many vendors at the docks set up with different varieties of pickles that were a nice crisp, savory snack. Ruby is obsessed with pickles and cucumbers, so I was hoping to bring some home for her, but I couldn't quite figure out how to get the jars of pickles juice past the 3oz liquid limit on airplanes.
Basteibrücke
My last evening was spent exploring these rock formations that rise hundreds of feet over the Elbe River. Honestly, these kind of sneak up on you, I was dubious that they'd be that impressive on the drive in but when I got to my first view of the edge, I realized how deceiving the height difference was on the drive in.
Unfortunately I was coming in kind of annoyed, I'd hit traffic and made a wrong turn on the way down, so I had to cut off my plans to see the Saxon Switzerland Mountains. Turns out, that was the best thing that could happen. Without that delay I probably wouldn't have been at Basteibrücke at sunset to see what was about to unfold.
Among the rock formations is a sandstone bridge that links some of the rock clefts together and has been a place for tourists to visit for over a century. While I was exploring the paths, I saw a rainstorm causing god rays to stream down from dark clouds, and I knew rain would be hitting soon.
I found shelter from the rain and waited it out, knowing that when weather and sunset mix, it usually makes for some pretty dramatic skies.
When the rain abruptly stopped and I saw the sun overhead, I knew immediately there was a good chance a rainbow might be out. So I rushed over to the viewing platform for the bridge, and sure enough, there was a vibrant double rainbow stretching across the gorgeous German landscape.
All the frustration about arriving late was immediately erased. The rainbow only lasted a few minutes and we were left with the gorgeous sunset colors over the bridge. A good reminder that, most of the time, happy accidents can be better than any plans we might make.
