The largest city in Germany and the second-largest metropolis in all of Europe, Berlin at times feels like a contradiction in terms. Boxy Soviet-era structures meld into centuries-old palaces; cosmopolitan culture and a trendy late-night scene collide with Berlin Wall museums and Holocaust memorials. From shopping along the Kurfürstendamm – known to savvy locals as the Ku’damm – at one edge of Berlin’s famous Tierpark and Zoo to snapping photos of the Brandenburg Tor – the famous gate that divided East from West – at the other end, there is simply so much to see and do around Berlin.
With the CEA study abroad program in Berlin, you’ll take courses at
Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, the city’s oldest university. Housed in the 18th-Century palace of Prince Heinrich of Prussia, Humboldt is located along Unter den Linden (Under the Linden Trees), the famous street leading from Brandenburg Tor and the Reichstag, Berlin’s parliament building, east across the River Spree into the heart of former East Berlin, Alexanderplatz, where you’ll find the second-tallest structure in Europe, the Fernsehturm (TV tower).
With so much history just blocks from your classes, imagine all there is to learn and discover on your study abroad Germany, while you take courses in German language and history. Here are just a few of the out-of-the-way places and neighboring cities to discover while you study abroad in Berlin.
Night Life
Part of the former East Berlin, Mitte was once a dead-after-dark collection of Soviet-era buildings and open squares. Today, it’s home to some of
Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam
The former home of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, Sanssouci is a palatial estate in the city of Potsdam, some 40 minutes southwest of Berlin by S-Bahn (Stadtschnellbahn, the city’s fast suburban train system). Built in the mid-1700s in high Rococo style, its gardens and park-like grounds rival those of
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Oranienburg
Situated around 60 kilometers north of Berlin, Sachsenhausen was the administrative center for all Nazi concentration camps and an SS training facility. Behind its ominous gates – inscribed with the infamous motto, “Arbeit Macht Frei” – the camp stands today as a testament against Nazi violence and the horrors of the Holocaust. Visit the Jewish barracks and museum, as well as the tall memorial obelisk constructed by the USSR after the war. An emotion-laden place, Sachsenhausen is sure to make your study abroad Germany a more meaningful experience.
Ready to plan your study abroad in Germany? Get started with CEA today, and discover these places and more in and around Europe’s culture capital, Berlin – your best choice for study abroad Germany.