history

In the 1960’s the area around what was known as Leninplatz worked as a breaking pointing between Friedrichshain and Alexanderplatz. It was there that, gradually, the buildings started to look bigger and bigger resulting on what was the center of East Berlin at Alexanderplatz. But it wasn’t always like that.

Leninplatz Berlin: The Past of Platz der Vereinten Nationen

Berlin (category), Germany (category)
8 min read
28/03/201614/06/2024

Even though the Cold War ended more than 25 years ago, you can see remains of it everywhere. The Berlin Wall, the most famous symbol of it, is easily found around Berlin but this is not the only relic that still stands and Martin Roemers is here to show us those decaying testaments of a world that doesn’t exist anymore.

Relics of the Cold War: A Photography Exhibition in Berlin back in 2016

Berlin (category), Photography (category)
4 min read
23/03/201630/12/2023

These extraordinary and never-before-seen home movies were filmed by a German-American family who visited Berlin and Germany during the Olympic Games in 1936. They give a good idea of what a tourist might have experienced. The film begins with shots aboard the liner Deutschland during the trans-Atlantic crossing, including a visit to the ship's bridge, dancing on deck to music provided by the ship's band, and more.

The 1936 Berlin Olympics: A Family Vacation Movie

Berlin (category)
3 min read
21/03/201605/07/2024

It was early June 1945 when LIFE Magazine published an article titled the The Battered Face of Germany showing all the destruction caused by the Second World War in Germany. This article was published not long after the surrender of Germany where, today, we have the Russian German Museum in Karlshorst. In this article you could see amazing pictures made from the air by Margaret Bourke-White who would later be accredited as the first american woman to photograph in the Second World War. Also, the first authorized to fly on combat missions. Her pictures showed the devastation of Germany and show the pattern of destruction caused by Allied air bombing.

Second World War in Germany: The Battered Face of a Country

Berlin (category), Germany (category)
3 min read
09/03/201601/12/2023

The first time we visited Sweden, we also visited Älvsborg Fortress in Gothenburg. This large fortress is located, strategically, in Göta River since it was built to protect what was then the only access Sweden had to the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. But the fortress we visited isn’t the first one built to protect what would become Gothenburg later.

Älvsborg Fortress: A Visit to Medieval Sweden

Gothenburg (category), Sweden (category)
4 min read
26/02/201627/10/2016

Wrocław is the historical capital of Silesia and the largest city and the capital of Lower Silesian Voivodship in Poland. Fotostrasse was there for a few days in early 2015 and we fell in love with this city that hosts almost a million people. Because we love the days we spent there, we decided to write this short guide with a few things you need to do in Wrocław.

Things to do in Wroclaw Poland

Poland (category), Wroclaw (category)
13 min read
14/02/201621/12/2023

Cerro San Cristobal is one of the most famous tourist spots in Santiago, Chile. When my mother decided to visit me during my days in Chile, this was the first place I thought about bringing her. I knew she would enjoy the amazing view overlooking Santiago, the Andes Mountains and the Cordillera de la Costa.

Cerro San Cristobal in Santiago, Chile

Chile (category), Santiago (category)
6 min read
08/02/201624/01/2024

Nordbahnhof Park in the Winter by Felipe Tofani

Beyond the Tracks: Exploring the Nordbahnhof Park in Winter and its Surroundings

Berlin (category), Germany (category)
6 min read
23/01/201609/01/2026

If you are looking to travel back in time to Prenzlauer Berg in 1993, this short movie from Hannes Stöhr might be one of the best ways to go there. A short trip back into a neighborhood that was still, somewhat, divided between East and West Berlin.

A trip back in time to Prenzlauer Berg in 1993 with Hannes Stöhr

Berlin (category)
3 min read
16/01/201630/12/2023

Most people don’t know but there is a piece of Africa in Berlin and you can find it in Wedding, a district north of Berlin. There you are going to see the African Quarter of Berlin and we only manage to discover that because we were invited by With Locals to try one of their tours. Once we took a look at what was available, we knew we had to explore Wedding with Henning, our connection with the African Roots of Berlin.

The African Quarter of Berlin

Berlin (category), Germany (category)
5 min read
28/12/201521/12/2023

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg is a church of many names. Some call it Church of Our Savior on Blood, Church on the Blood, Temple of the Savior on Spilled Blood and the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Either way, this is a special church since it was built where Tzar Alexander II was fatally wounded in March 1881.

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg

Russia (category), St Petersburg (category)
8 min read
18/12/201520/10/2024

The first thing we did when we got to Saint Petersburg with the guys from Timetravels was the visit to the Sphinx of Saint Petersburg. Such an unexpected sight to have in Russia. It is even more weird when you look across the river into all the neo-classical palaces and building overlooking the waters. Somehow it felt like a weird trip back in time.

The Sphinx of Saint Petersburg

Russia (category), St Petersburg (category)
4 min read
27/11/201504/05/2026

Berlin 1945, the Second World War was over in Europe but things didn’t look that good for the German capital. The Soviet Army had conquered a city reduced to rubble and under martial law. And the Red Army had Berlin just for them, the American, French and British army would only get there in a few months.

Surviving the Rubble: Berlin’s Struggle After 1945

Berlin (category)
3 min read
18/11/201510/12/2024

From the Stadtschloss to the Third Reich: Berlin in the 1930s

Berlin (category), Germany (category)
3 min read
16/11/201515/04/2026

Grotte di Catullo is the largest and most complete roman villas in northern Italy and a must see for everyone curious about roman times.

Grotte di Catullo in Sirmione for #Blogville

Italy (category), Sirmione (category)
6 min read
28/10/201519/10/2019

Most people, when they visit Berlin for the first time, find time to visit the famous Checkpoint Charlie. This infamous border crossing between East and West Berlin is a classical tourist stop for people interested in the Second World War and the relationship between Communist Germany, the USSR and the Allied Forces that controlled West Germany.

What can you do around Checkpoint Charlie?

Berlin (category)
14 min read
28/09/201501/12/2023

Immortal Regiment: The day we marched with the veterans in St. Petersburg

Immortal Regiment: The day we marched with the veterans in St. Petersburg

Russia (category), St Petersburg (category)
6 min read
29/08/201508/05/2025

The Åland Islands are a group of islands between Sweden and Finland. Officially speaking the islands are Finnish, but they speak Swedish and they had their autonomy awarded to them by the League of Nations in 1921. This was the only way to settle the long-running dispute between Sweden and Finland about who owns Åland. In fact, nobody owns Åland and they are an autonomous area surrounded by the Baltic Sea and they take care of most things themselves.

Seven Things You Need To Do In Åland

Aland (category)
9 min read
19/08/201521/12/2023

Most visitors to Berlin, even those curious about World War II history, miss one of the city’s greatest, most curious, and most impressive memorials, the Soviet War Memorial at Treptower Park. Treptower Park just might be the most impressive and important war memorial you never have heard of, demonstrating how a monument can both educate and facilitate reflection.

Free Self-Guided Berlin Tour: Five Hidden Historical Sights

Berlin (category)
10 min read
22/07/201515/07/2026

The Parliament of Trees: Where Nature Remembers the Berlin Wall

Berlin (category)
4 min read
18/07/201519/03/2024

Elisabeth Sanatorium - Urban Exploration Berlin with Fotostrasse_108

Elisabeth Sanatorium: History of an Abandoned German Clinic

Urbex (category)
5 min read
07/07/201519/04/2025