Berlin

Although Berlin is more than 100 miles from Hamburg where we docked, we decided that we would catch a fast train and spend the day there.  The journey takes only 90 minutes using the German ICE trains, and the tickets were easily booked using the Deutsche Bahn web site.  Booking a few weeks in advance meant that a first class return ticket was only around £45 - an excellent bargain.

We started the day with a brief walk around Hamburg city centre looking at the town hall, waiting for the train to depart.

When we eventually arrived in Berlin, we left the main station and walked to see the Reichstag, with it's new glass domed roof. 

We then caught the S-Bahn to Hackescher Market station, had a quick bite to eat and then hooked up with a walking tour, provided by Original Berlin Walks.  This was an outstanding way of seeing some of Berlins main sites in and around the Mitte district in a short timeframe - it included Museum Island, the Brandenburg Gate, Bebelplatz, Unter den Linden, the Wall (or what's left of it), the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and much more.  We saw and learnt far more about Berlin in a short period of time than we could otherwise have discovered on our own.

After this, a quick taxi ride back to the station and back to Hamburg before the ship left at 2am!  We really enjoyed Berlin, and it is definitely a city we will return to for a longer period of time.