Fall of the Berlin Wall, 25 Years Later

This blog post was originally shared fall of 2014:

In anticipation of BERLIN’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY for the FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL happening Sunday, November 9th. Berlin has set up an estimated 8,000 biodegradable balloons to celebrate its reunification anniversary. I spent the day cycling 15km from beginning at East Side Gallery / Oberbaumbrücke to end at Bornholmer Straße to share an exciting time in a city that’s still being redefined. 

An overview of the location from 10 photos: 

1. East Side Gallery
2. Oberbaumbrücke
3. Kreuzberg 
4. Engelbecken
5. Checkpoint Charlie
6. Topography of Terror
7. Reichstag
8. Mauerpark
9. North of Mauerpark
10. Bornholmer Straße

Being a new expat to Berlin with only three months under my belt, I couldn’t be more excited to be here for this monumental moment. Taking the opportunity to travel along the Berlin Wall’s old route was a remarkable experience in which I was able to see how Berlin is still developing. From the hip and gritty neighborhoods of Friedrichshain and Kreuzburg that remain with old Berlin architecture, to the bustling Mitte that felt like a huge shopping mall while biking through. Being able to see the juxtaposition that goes from Kreuzberg to Mitte and then Maurpark. It’s easy to see there is money flowing into Berlin, a city that has once had a bad reputation but is quickly changing. With many expats like myself, it’s not surprising there are so many changes. Though, with this 25 year anniversary, I could tell that even the locals were taking the time to stop and photograph this iconic moment in hitory. As I can only imagine the emotional feelings this anniversary means to them. 25 years isn’t such a long time, but it was nice to see so many expats, tour groups, and locals alike coming together for such a monumental moment in Berlin’s history. 

On the night of November 9th, all 8,000 balloons will be released in honor of the 25th anniversary. For more details on Fall of the Berlin Wall, check out VISITBERLIN.