By Frau Lessig (Head of German)

Students from Years 10-Upper Sixth visited Berlin, the capital and largest city of Germany, during the October half-term break in order to explore the history, culture and language of this fascinating, vibrant and diverse city.

We explored Berlin on an informative four-hour guided walking tour that covered some of the most important and famous sights of Berlin such as the Brandenburg Gate, government buildings,and the Berlin Cathedral. After lunch we headed to the Reichstag, the seat of the German parliament, where we visited the glass dome that offers panoramic views of the city and learned about the history and architecture of the building.

On the second day, we visited the Berlin Story Bunker, a former air-raid shelter that has been converted into a museum that tells the history of Berlin from its origins to the present day. We all gained a deeper understanding of the historic and cultural context of Berlin. During lunchtime we visited the DDR museum, an interactive museum that showcases the everyday culture and society of East Germany. In the evening we were treated to the VIP lounge and four bowling lanes at a nearby bowling alley. Everyone was very competitive and much fun was had by all.

On the third day, the students had their first German lesson at a language school with many opportunities to practise their German skills. After this, we went to the Panoramapunkt, a viewing platform on the 24th and 25th floors of the Kollhoff Tower by using the fastest lift in Europe. We had a 360-degree view of the city and could take in the exhibition that shows the history and development of the Potsdamer Platz, one of the most modern squares in Berlin. In the afternoon, the students practised their German language skills in the Mall of Berlin. That evening, we visited the Fernsehturm, the tallest building in Germany, and saw the lights of Berlin and the iconic landmarks from the observation deck at 203m!

On our last day, students immersed themselves into the German language during their lessons. Students got to try some of the local cuisine such as Currywurst and Bretzel before heading to the airport.

Rachel Forbes-Laird (Lower Sixth) said: “The Berlin trip was a great experience, allowing the German students across the school to work together and immerse ourselves in German culture. We all really enjoyed exploring the city of Berlin. Watching the sunset from the top of the Reichstag building was a particular highlight.”

View the fantastic photos from the trip here.