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The Downs School Berlin Trip 2026 - GCSE History

By Freda Yr 11

The Downs School in Berlin- What a way to summarise our brief time as Berliners. This trip was loads of fun as: Firstly, we found out more about Weimar and Nazi Germany as part of our history topic, and, in general, we had a lot of fun and quality time with friends.

Our journey started on February the 14th, or more commonly known as Valentines Day, where we set off on a long coach journey taking us to the port in Dover. After catching a ferry over to France, we drove all the way to Berlin- Grabbing a morning breakfast and drink on the autobahns.

After checking in at our hotel, we set off on a walking tour across Berlin. We stopped at the Reichstag building, which served as the home of the Weimar Republic’s parliament and had a key role in how Hitler rose to power, when a part of its dome was set on fire in 1933. We then walked to the Der Rufer (The caller), a bronze sculpture created in 1967. This sculpture is of a man, cupping his hands as if he were shouting, pointing towards the Brandenburg gate. Installed before the fall of the Berlin wall, it has an inscription of peace. Next, following the statue, we walked to the Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin. If you do not know what the Brandenburg Gate is, you are missing out! Completed in 1791, it symbolises German unity and peace. At 26 metres high, with twelve columns and a famous statue of a chariot, you cannot miss it. Finishing our tour, we made our way to the Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Central station), where we had lunch, before, making our way back to the hotel for a early night.

The Olympiastadion, a sporting arena specifically built for the 1936 Olympics. Created during the Third Reich, it was built to look like the Colosseum in Rome, with many pillars and an open roof. Holding 74,000 people in the audience, a football pitch, and running track. The running track is distinctive to the stadium, due to its unusual colour of blue not red. Installed in the early 2000s, it is to show how it is the home to the Hertha BSC team. Afterwards, we then travelled to the Mall of Berlin! With a slide going from the second floor to the ground floor, it was the perfect place to stop for some lunch. Finishing our lunch break, we went to the TV Tower- Another one of Germany’s iconic landmarks. The TV Tower was one of the first to be made and served as a blueprint for many more towers. At 368 metres (36 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower), this was hard to miss. We all took a lift to the top of the tower, took pictures through the windows with friends, and even helped other visitors taking pictures as groups.

On the Tuesday we travelled to the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum, stopping at Platform 17 memorial on our way. On this day many of us learnt the sheer severity of the Third Reich’s regime, and how brutal it was. Looking at many different areas inside the camp, such as the barracks, grounds, memorials, it all painted the picture of why everyone needs to reflect and look back on the past, even if it was an atrocity. I believe everyone should look back on the personal stories of people who were there, to help remember and honour those who suffered due to this regime and know why it should never be repeated. After we then ate some Hühnerschnitzel, or Chicken schnitzel at a nearby restaurant, which is a traditional German dish. We then travelled to Berlin Story Bunker, one of the key highlight moments of our trip, at least for me. This was a Bunker created towards the end on WW2, covering 4 floors in total- 2 above ground and 2 below. This museum covers one of the biggest questions, ‘How could it happen, Hitler?’ Covering Hitler’s early life all the way to the Cold War, and more, this was one of the biggest museums we went too, and perhaps one of the most informative museums that covered a wide range of topics.

Wednesday, our final day in Berlin. We went on the trains throughout Berlin, focusing on the Cold War and the Berlin Wall. We saw the memorial, Trains to life -Trains to death, The Typography of Terror, a museum about the Cold War (another one of my top museums of the trip), and walked alongside the Berlin Wall. To finish off our trip we visited a chocolate factory and went to the Mall of Berlin. Here many of us bought souvenirs and trinkets to take home for ourselves and give to loved ones at home. Finally, we all had to say goodbye and tschüss to Berlin, as we all boarded the coach back home.

While writing this I have been reminded by all the highlights of this trip that were not too historical, buying pretzels and random sweets to share with friends, seeing snow fall from the sky to the ground, talking to people who I may not have been close to before this trip, and not to forget singing Happy Birthday to Mr Gadsden during dinner.

The Downs School in Berlin, 2026, will be a year to remember and look back on for many to years to come! Thank you to Mr Jones, Mr Gadsden, Mr Whatley, Miss Huges and Miss Greenwood who helped us on and off the trip.