Choose Berlin For Your Study Abroad in Germany

The largest city in Germany and the second-largest metropolis in all of Europe, Berlin at times feels like a contradiction in terms. Boxy Soviet-era structures meld into centuries-old palaces; cosmopolitan culture and a trendy late-night scene collide with Berlin Wall museums and Holocaust memorials. From shopping along the Kurfürstendamm – known to savvy locals as the Ku’damm – at one edge of Berlin’s famous Tierpark and Zoo to snapping photos of the Brandenburg Tor – the famous gate that divided East from West – at the other end, there is simply so much to see and do around Berlin.

With study abroad Germany, one of CEA’s many study abroad programs, you’ll take courses at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, the city’s oldest university. Housed in the 18^th-Century palace of Prince Heinrich of Prussia, Humboldt is located along Unter den Linden (Under the Linden Trees), the famous street leading from Brandenburg Tor and the Reichstag, Berlin’s parliament building, east across the River Spree into the heart of former East Berlin, Alexanderplatz, where you’ll find the second-tallest structure in Europe, the Fernsehturm (TV tower).

With so much history just blocks from your classes, imagine all there is to learn and discover on your study abroad Germany, while you take courses in German language and history. Here are just a few of the out-of-the-way places and neighboring cities to discover while you study abroad in Germany with CEA.

Night Life

Part of the former East Berlin, Mitte was once a dead-after-dark collection of Soviet-era buildings and open squares. Today, it’s home to some of Berlin’s hottest spots for night life – without the tourist crowds of better-known nightspots like Kreuzberg and Prenzlauerberg. With no official closing time, it makes for a great (if not tiring) respite from hitting the books during your study abroad in Germany. Try Delicious Donuts, the Volksbühne Theater’s Grüner Salon and Roter Salon, or the White Trash Fast Food Diamond Lounge – all in Mitte, walking distance or a couple easy subway stops from Humboldt on your study abroad Germany.

Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam

The former home of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, Sanssouci is a palatial estate in the city of Potsdam, some 40 minutes southwest of Berlin by S-Bahn (Stadtschnellbahn, the city’s fast suburban train system). Built in the mid-1700s in high Rococo style, its gardens and park-like grounds rival those of Versailles, while the surrounding town of Potsdam boasts beautiful parks along the Wannsee, one of around 20 bodies of water in the city. Prussian kings called Potsdam home until 1918, after the First World War. Today, it is known for its connection to the European film industry, with major studios housed in Babelsburg, one of the city’s neighborhoods. Whether on a guided study abroad excursion or simply a weekend trip with friends, Potsdam is a great addition to your study abroad Germany.

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Oranienburg

Situated around 60 kilometers north of Berlin, Sachsenhausen was the administrative center for all Nazi concentration camps and an SS training facility. Behind its ominous gates – inscribed with the infamous motto, “Arbeit Macht Frei” – the camp stands today as a testament against Nazi violence and the horrors of the Holocaust. Visit the Jewish barracks and museum, as well as the tall memorial obelisk constructed by the USSR after the war. An emotion-laden place, Sachsenhausen is sure to make your study abroad Germany a more meaningful experience.

Ready to plan your study abroad in Germany? Get started with CEA today, and discover these places and more in and around Europe’s culture capital, Berlin – your best choice for study abroad Germany.