Ritz-Carlton Berlin marks 20th anniversary of wall’s fall

On Nov. 9, 1989, the wall that divided Germany for nearly three decades began its dismantling. That historic day, when East Germans were permitted to enter the West, marked the end of the Cold War, and, as crowds climbed and crossed their way to freedom, the world celebrated.

Now 20 years later, venues globally are marking the anniversary of the wall’s fall with various events. In fact, our very own Los Angeles County Museum of Art is running its exhibition, “Art of Two Germanys/Cold War Cultures,” through April 19.

But to commemorate this momentous turning point in history, there of course is no better place to go than Berlin itself. Among the various themed events this year in the capital, the “Festival of Freedom” will take place at Brandenburg Gate Nov. 7-9, 2009, and will culminate with a symbolic fall of the wall using miles of giant dominoes.

To visit in this significant year — and to learn more about the wall, and literally have a piece of it — note this unique Ritz-Carlton package:

Deal: The Ritz-Carlton Berlin, at Potsdamer Platz, is offering a “Remember the Wall” package for about $417 per night, pre-tax, for a double-occupancy room. (Singles are available for $360.) The most notable package feature is a piece of the original wall for you to take home.

In addition, you’ll receive tickets to the Berlin Wall Museum; a DVD of the film “Goodbye Lenin”; welcome Gorbachev cocktails, chocolates and Rotkaeppchen sparkling wine (apparently a former German Democratic Republic favorite).

To book the package, call reservations (number below) or e-mail berlin.reservation@ritzcarlton.com.

When: Available for stays now through Dec. 29, 2009.

Sightseeing & more: Once in Berlin, you’ll find plenty of sites to help maximize your stay in such a historic year: museums (170 of them) and monuments, Berlin Wall memorials, walking and biking tours along the former wall, and — lest we forget that Berlin is an urban hotspot very much in the 21st century — cutting-edge art, culture, music, fashion and food (and some of the best flea markets that I personally have ever come across).

Contact: Ritz-Carlton Berlin, (800) 241-3333

— Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Top photo: Cycling along a remaining portion of the Berlin Wall, 2006. Credit: tandemracer on Flickr]

[Bottom photo: Ritz-Carlton Berlin. Credit: Ritz-Carlton]

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This entry was posted on Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 5:10 pm by Susan Derby and is filed under Arts & Culture, Deals, Europe, Festival, Germany, Hotels. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.