UDL is a bit confusing because it does not have a cohesive theme. There’s a smattering of cafes, a lot of souvenir shops, some embassies, a few high end car dealerships with elaborate show rooms. Champs Elysee has a lot more atmosphere because it’s all cafes with terraces and then a few luxury goods stores like Louis Vuitton. The people on the Champs Elysee are also a bit different:) (sorry, that’s an in joke.)
On one end of UDL is the Fernsehturn. It's a hideously ugly TV tower put up by the Communists (though actually designed by Swedes - obviously not ones who worked at Ikea).
On the other end of UDL is the legendary Brandenburg Gate. The statue on top is called the Quadriga. Napoleon took it to Paris when he defeated the Germans. They reclaimed the Quadriga after Waterloo and named the square next to the gate “Pariser Platz” to rub French noses in it.
To demonstrate that we’ve moved on and there are no hard feelings, the French have located their embassy on Pariser Platz. This gracious gesture is somewhat mooted by the ridiculously fortified American embassy across the way. The sight of all those armed guards reminded me of Robespierre’s words, “Terror is therefore an emination of virtue.”
And then just 3 buildings down from the embassy I came to the most important sight in all of Berlin: Hotel Adlon! This is the hotel out of the window of which Michael Jackson dangled that baby. That was in Berlin. I know. You're all green with envy right now.
I'm a lucky girl.
