If you've previously read any of my travel posts, you'll know that when it comes to tourist spots I have pretty terrible bad luck (ok sometimes, I'm just really un-organised, but luck plays a factor too), luckily on my trip Berlin I wasn't travelling alone, so some of the young mans (impeccable organisation skills) good luck must have rubbed off on me. Because the day we visited Berliner Dom, as you can see, was truly BEAUTIFUL.
The Dom itself hadn't been at the top of our tourist spot hit list, and it had actually been left off many of the lists I'd read before we went. To be honest with you, I've got a little jaded when it comes to European churches, not that they aren't all beautiful, but as I'm not religious, I just don't get *that* much from them. But, we were in Alexanderplatz, the weather was gorgeous, and we thought we probably shouldn't spend all afternoon drinking gluhwein so we wandered down.
Berliner Dom, isn't as impressive as Milans, or as decadent as Venices and it isn't as wonderfully crazy as Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece in Barcelona, but when the sunlight hit it, and it glowed golden, I'll admit I was impressed. To me it had an air of St Paul's about it, but that might just be because of the pigeons.
We hadn't intended on going inside, but when we realised tickets were only 7 euros we figured why not. Like I said I'm not religous, but I did go to a religous school, and my gran was so I'm not entirely immune to the effects of being inside a church. I lit a candle, and didn't really feel it was appropriate to take photos, so I put my phone away.
You can take an audio guided tour around the Dom, and no doubt there is history pouring from the walls, but we just decided to follow the numbered signs, downstairs into the very creepy crypt and then upstairs. And then up more stairs. And then up some more stairs, not entirely sure where they leading us, until we opened a door and found ourselves stood on a rooftop path that led you around the dome itself.
We had no idea when we bought out tickets that you could do this, and I think there were a fair few tourists put off by the turnstiles and spiral staircases that probably left the Dom equally as clueless, but I'm so glad we persevered, because with the sun setting and the crisp clear skies, this was without a doubt the best view we found in Berlin. And did I mention it was ONLY 7 EUROS!
I should mention that I also visited the TV tower (seperate post coming up) but that was at night time, so hardly comparable, and we also waited in line at the security check to go up the Reichstag Dome, only to see nothing but a days worth of condensation clouding up the glass. I guess we can put that one down to my bad luck. So while we had visited the other viewing platforms the city had to offer, the day we visited the Dom, the circumstances were just right.
Berliner Dom, may not be the most impressive European church I've seen from the outside, and it may not have converted me to religion, but it has certainly convinced me to look a little closer, than just the facade and my camera lense, next time I'm on my travels! And I'd recommend you do the same.
Live life & take a look inside
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