10-13 February 2024

Our Sixth Formers enjoyed an amazing trip to Berlin over half term, with visits to the Brandenburg Gate, the remains of the Berlin Wall and the Berlin Wall Memorial. They also visited several museums including the Altes Museum, the Neues Museum and the DDR Museum.

Students also visited Berlin Cathedral and Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. They climbed to the top of the Reichstag Building and TV Tower, where they had magnificent views of the city.

From the students

A Berlin Trip write up from Freddy Year 12

On our recent Sixth Form trip to Berlin, we had the opportunity to visit some amazing historical and cultural sites which linked to; Prussia, The Holocaust, The Cold War, and modern Germany. On the first day, when we arrived in Berlin, we visited the Brandenburg Gate, one of the most iconic symbols of Berlin. Afterwards, we visited the Reichstag Building, where we went on an audio guided tour which looked over all the Berlin Skyline. Having finished this, we returned to the Hostel for a meal and a quiz before getting some sleep for the busy day ahead.

On the second day, we visited the Berlin Wall Memorial, where we gained important historical information and heard the moving stories of people who were separated from their families. Afterwards we got the tram to the East Side Gallery, which is a large stretch of decorated wall commissioned by artists from around Germany and the world.

We then visited Alexanderplatz for lunch, where a KFC became a common occurrence! The day advanced as we visited two museums of ancient history and climbed to the dome of the Berlin Cathedral. In the evening, we went black light mini golfing, where I fell in love with the girl behind the ticket desk.

On the Monday, we visited the DDR museum (one of the most interactive museums in the world). We then got the train out of Berlin to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, this will be a memory I will not forget, as we were educated on the tragic loss of life that occurred here in the Second World War. In the evening, we visited a traditional German restaurant next to the Brandenburg Gate, where we ate chicken schnitzel and apple cake. Delicious.
Finally on the Tuesday, we capped of the trip by visiting the Hamburger Bahnhof Gallery (rocks…) and the TV Tower in Alexanderplatz, giving 360 views of the whole of Berlin, where a clear architectural division was visible between the East and West side. Overall, the trip was very enjoyable and educational. I will recommend it to anyone if the trip happens again in the future.

Quotes from students:

“I really enjoyed the East Side Gallery, there was very diverse art. I would recommend it!” Olivia

“I was really inspired by the architecture of the city.” Evie

“My highlight was seeing the bust of Nefertiti in the Neues Museum.” Nathan

“I really enjoyed the Berlin Cathedral and The Brandenburg Gate because of its beautiful architecture.” Rebecca