Last Weekend, from June 9th to June 11th, CompEng went on a fun trip to Berlin and for everybody interested in the group’s wonderful experience, here is how it went!

The trip started early on Friday morning, everyone was excited for the bus ride ahead of them and the arrival in Berlin. Little did the group know at that point that the bus ride would take a lot longer than expected, but after enough time to sleep and to get to know the people who were on the trip, the group finally arrived in Berlin. Once everybody was able to unpack and get some rest at the hostel we stayed at, everyone went out to explore Berlin in the perfect summer weather for the first time. A part of the group’s experience went from walking through the gorgeous Tiergarten that was close to the hostel and has beautiful flowers and bridges to discover, over visiting sights, such as the Victory Column, the Bundestag (or Reichstag) and the Brandenburg Gate, to ending the day with some food at a restaurant. The students already had a lovely time on this first day and were eagerly waiting to see what the next day would bring!

The next day began with an early breakfast at 8 am, which turned out to be a great time to talk to others about how their Friday in Berlin looked liked and it was quite interesting to hear all the different stories and fun to connect with each other even further. The group’s program for the day was the Technik Museum, located relatively close to the hostel. There, everyone was able to learn a lot of interesting facts about all sorts of technical tools and processes and the students even had a tour guide who explained everything to them. A few of the most interesting aspects here were the Rail Transport and the Shipping and Aviation, especially because of German history. After the museum visit, everyone was able to explore Berlin on their own again. For some of the group this meant spending more time in the beautiful Tiergarden and visiting the Television Tower, another one of Berlin’s several sights. The group even went up the tower to watch the city from 200 meters above. It was a fascinating view and very cool to see the different landmarks and building structure and their connection to German history.

The CompEng’s last day in Berlin started with an even earlier breakfast at 7 am, so that there would be enough time for the planned boat tour later on. A little tired but excited the group went on the boat tour that was their last venture in Berlin. It was a 2 hour tour down the Spree that presented the perfect overview of Berlin’s several parts and history. The students were able to relax a little bit in the warm summer sun and enjoy their last hours in Berlin before the bus would leave for Bochum again. On the way back everyone agreed that one weekend is definitely not enough time to explore a big city with so much variety such as Berlin, but the students definitely got a first look on it and who knows, maybe at some point they will all visit Berlin again!

Thank you to everyone who took part in this wonderful trip and for making it so special!