Berlin: The World's Spy Capital

If you are a cold war junkie, Berlin's multi-layered experience will mesmerise you. The city was the epicentre of the cold war, a big reason why you'd want to visit it more than once

-  Ashwin Rajagopalan

DESTINATIONS are what we make them out to be. For many, Berlin is about its nightlife, there's probably no city that parties harder in Europe. Berlin's nightclubs and predilection for EDM is well known. For many cold war junkies like me, Berlin is a multi-layered experience. In many ways, this was the epicentre of the Cold war and the reason why I've visited Berlin more than once.

The Glienicke Bridge is one of the many spots in the city that transports you to the days of the Iron Curtain. It's why it's better known as the Bridge of Spies.

There's a famous scene in the Tom Hanks starrer Bridge of Spies that re-enacts one of the most famous prisoner exchange scenes from the 20th Century. It's a rainy night in Berlin (in 1962) and a KGB agent nabbed in New York is traded for spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers.

DETOUR

"AND Moscow is silent" Vladimir Putin was a KGB Officer stationed in Dresden when the then East German Communist government fell in 1989. He sought protection from a Red Army tank unit, but the commander wouldn't help without approval from Moscow. The commander is believed have told Putin that Moscow is silent. Many cold war insiders believe that this phrase has haunted Putin ever since. Dresden is about two hours away from Berlin and has all the ingredients for an engaging day trip from the German capital.