Berlin is at once a priceless history lesson and a trendy hub of hip new happenings. The first day of our trip was dedicated to the history, and we spent hours gawking at the main tourist attractions in Mitte. Many of these sites revolve around the Second World War and the Cold War. Reminder: Berlin was once Hitler’s headquarters, and as soon as his hellish rein ended, in marched the Soviets to further suppress by imposing communism and dividing the city by putting up the Berlin Wall. We visited what remains of the wall, as well as the strong Reichstag Building, Brandenburg Gate, and the site of Hitler’s bunker, where he and his wife famously committed suicide in 1945.

We were getting hungry after a long morning of sightseeing, so we headed back to the Brandenburg Gate, where we had spotted some food trucks a few hours prior. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into when we first wondered in, but it soon became very clear that this wasn’t just any normal street fair. Soon, we saw large crowds gathering, people dressed in bizarre outfits, and rainbow banners as far as the eye could see. We were in the middle of Berlin’s Gay Pride parade. Everywhere we looked, people were celebrating, drinking, and dancing along with packed busses that were blasting groovy tunes. We could no longer resist the urge to dance along with them, all the while grinning from ear to ear and singing the lyrics to American as well as German hits.

The irony of it all hit us hard and fast. Here we were, in a city whose history is defined by intolerance, oppression, and murder of anyone and everyone who was different; and now we were celebrating gay pride. The party was awesome and we wanted to stay, but still had tons of other places left to see.

We then headed to the famous Checkpoint Charlie, as well as some other remains of the wall and artistic memorials to those who had lost their lives in all the tragedy. After we had accomplished everything on our to-do list, we headed back to our hostel and got to know some of our fellow travelers, two university-aged girls from Sweden, before falling asleep.

The following day was ours to enjoy trendy Berlin. Dressed in flowy sundresses, we first caught the train to Mauerpark. We were lucky that our visit landed on a Sunday, as the park was in full swing. It was inhabited by a flee market, local musicians, and street performers. We joined the crowd gathered around an outdoor amphitheater, which was packed in anticipation of the main event: open karaoke. Two locals who started the tradition unloaded speakers, microphones, and a computer, all of which had been attached to their bicycles. We were then entertained for hours as people from all over the world volunteered to sing ballads of their choosing to a crowd of eager listeners. The sense of community in the park was colorfully striking, and we felt like we were, at least temporarily, a part of it.

We left Mauerpark with our newly purchased knick-knacks and caught the train to Kreuzberg. There we enjoyed peeping in at quirky cafes and shops along the canals, where we eventually brought our take-away dinners to enjoy beside the pleasant waterway. After dinner, we made our way toward the East Side Gallery, an impressive stretch of the Berlin Wall that is covered with even more impressive street art. By the end of the night, our feet were screaming for relief, and we passed out within minutes of returning to our hostel.

Berlin has been through a lot, but just like with people, that’s what makes it so unique and special. We weren’t yet ready to leave the land of brats and pretzels, and were comforted in knowing that we would be in Munich in a few short days. But for now, it’s on to Salzburg.