Destination: Germany

Germany’s parliament building, or Reichstag, is a must-see attraction in Berlin. With its motto, “To the German People,” it’s the symbolic heart of German democracy.

The Reichstag has a short yet dramatic history. When inaugurated in the 1890s, the new parliament building was dismissed by the emperor as a “chatting house for monkeys.” But at the end of World War I, the German Republic was proclaimed from here. Then, in 1933, a mysterious fire gutted the building, giving Chancellor Hitler a convenient opportunity to blame the communists for the blaze in order to consolidate his hold on power. As World War II drew to a close, the Nazis made their last stand here. Imagine: Desperate Germans fighting Russians on its rooftop. After 1945, the bombed-out building stood like a ghost through the Cold War. Then, with reunification, the parliament moved back to Berlin. This historic ruin was rebuilt with a modern element: a striking glass dome.

A walkway winds all the way to the top of that dome. A cone of mirrors reflects natural light into the legislative chamber far below. As you spiral up, survey the city. The views are marvelous.

But for Germans, mindful of their dark 20th-century history, the view that matters most is inward, looking down, literally over the shoulders of their legislators. The architecture comes with a poignant message: The people are determined keep a wary eye on their government.

We got great footage of the Reichstag, and this is one of the dimensions of the new Berlin that I’m thrilled to include in our new TV show on Berlin — the fastest-changing city in Europe. Stay tuned, as we have a dozen new shows coming to your public television station starting in about a month.

One of the great sights in Berlin is its history-stained Reichstag building, capped by an inspirational glass dome.

Tourists are welcome to marvel at the inside of the Reichstag dome.

I’ve long marveled at the notion of German citizens keeping a symbolic eye on their government by climbing the dome and literally looking down over the shoulders of their legislators at work. This poster, which I photographed on my way out of the building, gave me the view I wished we had for our TV cameras.

Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof — the city’s huge and thundering main train station — is one of Europe’s mightiest, with several levels of tracks serving over a thousand trains a day and a vast shopping mall of commercial activity. While a massive public expense, Germans consider infrastructure like this a good investment for both business and for everyday people. Just being here, for a train enthusiast like me, gets me all giddy. What train stations do that for you?

For the first time ever, I’ve come to Berlin and didn’t even venture into former West Berlin. The energy is in the eastern part of the city…and the best evening and eating scene is in the Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood.

“Der Berg,” as Berliners call it, was largely untouched during World War II, but its buildings — giant Industrial Age workers’ flats — slowly rotted away under the communists. Then, after The Wall fell, it was overrun first by artists and anarchists, and then by laid-back hipsters, energetic young families, and clever entrepreneurs who breathed life back into its classic old apartment blocks, deserted factories, and long-forgotten breweries.

Years of rent control kept things affordable for its bohemian residents. But now landlords are free to charge what the market will bear, and the vibe is changing. This is ground zero for Berlin’s baby boom: Tattooed and pierced young moms and dads, who’ve joined the modern rat race without giving up their alternative flair, push their youngsters in designer strollers past trendy boutiques and restaurants. Most visitors find themselves eating and sleeping in this part of the city…and for good reason.

Here’s a little clip capturing today’s energy in Prenzlauer Berg.

One of my favorite new sights in Berlin is the Mauerpark, or “Wall Park.” While most of the Berlin Wall was torn down decades ago, this large stretch has been preserved as a memorial to the victims of the Cold War.

Here’s a little video clip that shows vividly how freedom is dancing on the remains of a horrible wall. The Wall is now a canvas for spray-painters, and what was the “death strip” now hosts the world’s biggest karaoke party. Amazing.

Spending six days in Berlin shooting our new TV show on the city, we found ourselves most impressed by the energy of what was East Berlin. Areas that were, just a decade ago, squatter neighborhoods with ruin pubs have become gentrified. Now, while still a bit edgy, these areas are much more welcoming.

A remarkable thing about Berlin is that it’s actually cheap. It must be the most affordable capital city in Europe. Eating out is inexpensive and an absolute joy. But don’t be fixated on “German” cuisine. The most authentic local cuisine in Berlin is ethnic: Asian, Lebanese, Italian, and Moroccan.

And what’s most remarkable about Berlin is how it’s gone from a home base of aggression to the capital of chill. Otto van Bismarck was the ruler of Prussia as that German state spearheaded German unification in the 1860s. The popular joke was, “Most countries have an army, but in Prussia, the army has a country.” But today, the military trappings of Prussia are well incorporated into the mellow and pacifistic approach to life that characterizes Berlin.

I know that the gloomy news these days — with crises in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Gaza, and Ferguson, not to mention Ebola — can make it feel like the world is going to hell in a handbasket. I’d challenge people to remember there have always been atrocities and horrors like these — but there has not always been 24/7 news with an agenda that mixes entertainment and politics to boost ratings. Without minimizing the seriousness of our world’s trouble points, we need to remember that crises come and go while 90 percent of our world is generally stable and at peace. (Ironically, the issues that affect a far higher proportion of the world’s population — such as climate change and the extreme gap between rich and poor — don’t make headlines, and consequently don’t hit us like ice buckets of awareness.)

My sightseeing in Europe this season seems to revolve around the theme of nations grappling with a heritage of war. But today, Europe is as stable, free, and peaceful as it’s ever been. In fact, so is most of our world. For that I’m thankful.

Or am I missing something?

Berlin turned its back on the Spree River bank during the last generation. No one went there because much of it was a militarized “death strip” — part of The Wall that separated people on the East and West. But today the river is a people-friendly park lined with impromptu cafés. You grab a lounge chair from the stack, set it where you like, and enjoy your drink. The theme at this café: the Ampelmännchen, that jaunty “traffic-light man” that fills even avowed capitalists with a tinge of nostalgia for the communist era. You’ll know you’re in the former East Berlin because these DDR pedestrian-crossing lights have been — by popular demand — preserved.

What was dreary and run-down East Berlin is now clearly the happening zone. Bohemian-chic restaurants are thriving, and the café and restaurant scene is ever-changing — very tough to nail down in a guidebook. My best advice: Wander around Prenzlauer Berg (using Kastanianallee as your spine) and see what appeals. One thing’s for sure: Berlin is cheap. You’ll eat well for around €10.

Standing on a ridge next to a fragment of the Berlin Wall while overlooking the former “death strip,” I surveyed what’s called “The Wall Park.” It was Sunday, the park was packed, and what must be the world’s biggest karaoke stage was the fun-loving main event.

Otto von Bismarck was the political genius of the 19th century and the mastermind behind the unification of Germany — against the wills of the existing powers of the day. Traveling in Berlin, you can learn a lot about the emergence of a united Germany onto the European stage in 1870, and how that led to turmoil in the next century.