Berlin, Germany.
When my sister and I arrived in London in 2010, we decided to book a Top Deck tour for the Winter to give us a taste of Europe. This was the first time I visited Berlin. It was Christmas Eve and it was freezing. Coming from Brisbane, Australia we were not used to this bitter, chill-to-the-bone coldness. As the coach entered Berlin, the snow was falling and we did a quick drive by of the sites, stopping along the East Wall Gallery to take some photos. Then we did a pub crawl. Standard procedure really for these types of tours…
I am really glad I managed to come back to Berlin because I now realise how much of it I missed. It is so full of history and in the sunshine, it is not as bleak as I remember. Not one curry wurst was eaten either.
Stay Here.
There are loads of options on Air BnB or Booking.com. We stayed in the Friedrichshain area which is near our friends who live there but it is also a really nice area with cafes and shops. Public transport in Berlin is great so anywhere you decide to stay, it’s easy enough to get around.
Visit Here.
Walking Tour with Sandemans.
I feel you have to do a walking tour in Berlin because there is such an abundance of history here. So much happened in the city and the landmarks prove this so knowing what they are all about is significant, especially here.
You get a feel for all of the main historic sites located around the city on this walking tour including the brilliant Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The tour is free but you pay for what you feel the tour is worth. We had such a great tour guide, Sadie, who really knew the history so I felt this excursion was worth it.
Parks.
There are loads of parks in Berlin which is fantastic on days with sunshine. My favourite would definitely be Mauer Park where on a Sunday, there is live music, flea markets and food markets. There is also usually karaoke however the weekend we visited, it wasn't happening but bands set up around the park and people are there for a good time. No-one worrying too much about it being Monday the next day...
I wasn't able to make it this time but another good one worth visiting is Tempelhofer which has an abandoned airfield built by the Nazi's. It looks really interesting so bummed I didn’t manage to visit.
Potsdam.
This is a really pretty town located about 30min away from central Berlin by train. You need a solid day as there is a lot of walking involved. Have a wander around the town walking past the beautiful buildings, through the Jewish quarter and down Branderburger Strasse where you will see Brandenburg Tor. You can then walk to the amazing Sanssouci Park.
You need at least a couple of hours to wander around Sanssouci Park, taking it all in. We were lucky enough to have a friend of a friend who acted as our tour guide, taking us along a route to see all the main bits. The wine yard terraces are beautiful as is the New Palace where we ate our packed lunch. I could have spent all afternoon there to be honest.
Berlin Wall Memorial.
This actually shows you what the Berlin Wall looked like. You can really sense how desperate people must have been to try and escape the East with the structure of the wall. It would have been quite a feat to make it between the two walls without anyone seeing you. I still find it wild that this happened in my life time.
East Side Gallery.
This is probably what most people think of when they think of the Berlin Wall. This is a great memorial with 118 artists painting this part of the wall but it is definitely worth visiting the Berlin Wall Memorial for a dose of reality.
Admiral Bridge (Admiralbrucke).
This was a hot tip from my friend who lives in Berlin as you can just come here to chill and bring your own drinks. It was a good way to spend an hour or so, people watching while seeing the sun set.
On our walk around Kreuzberg to the bridge, we saw some of the famed Berlin street art like the Astronaut.
Strolling along the River Spree.
One morning we walked along the river to reach the East Side Gallery, passing the Oberbaum Bridge. After our day at Potsdam we also wandered along the river around the Bode Museum, grabbing an ice-cream to keep us cool. Perfect on a hot day.
Eat Here.
Prater Garden.
This is a huge beer garden located in the same area as Mauer Park. They have loads of outdoor seating and you can easily just spend an afternoon here drinking German beer and snacking on the big-as-your-head pretzels.
Food Markets.
As mentioned in the Visit Here section, at Mauer Park on the weekend they have food markets. I went for a felafel and haloumi wrap which was delicious. On Saturdays, Boxhagener Platz in Friedrichshain also holds a food market. We all went with the gozleme which were €3 each. They have a range of fresh produce as well as other stalls selling wares (and souvenirs).
The Barn.
When we first arrived to Berlin it was early morning and we all needed coffee. Stat. There are a number of these cafes throughout Berlin. The local cafe we used to go to in Tooting, London used beans from here so we knew it was going to be delicious.
Silo.
I am one of those people who needs to eat breakfast otherwise I get hangry pretty fast. Luckily for my travel buddies, around Friedrichshain there are a number of cafes to stop this from happening. Silo is one that serves great breakfast as well as really good coffee.
Distrikt.
This cafe is located in Mitte, near Nordbahnhof Station. The station itself is definitely worth checking out as it used to be one of the ghost stations that was closed when the wall was up plus it has a really retro feel to the station. We came to Distrikt for breakfast before venturing over to the Wall Memorial. The food and coffee got big ticks from us.
Burgermeister.
After sinking a couple of beers at Admiralbrucke, we wandered up to the Kottbusser Tor branch of this burger chain and demolished a burger, and some cheesey fries. Don't let the look of the shop stop you from going in as it's totally worth it.
Haferkater.
Scottish oats and coffee. Ok bit of a weird breakfast choice whilst in Germany but I went with a berry, coconut and chocolate number, and I was so full for the rest of the morning. Perfect for the day ahead, exploring Potsdam.
Five Elephant.
It was a super hot day exploring Berlin and we needed a time out. Five Elephant has a cafe and bakery located near the shopping district of Kreuzberg. Their iced coffees hit the spot as did their selection of baked goodies.
Mustafa Demir's Gemuse Kebap.
Saving the best for last because this kebab was one of the best I have ever eaten. I went with a chicken durum and it was heaven. All of us wanted another as soon as we finished. I highly recommend you try this - I have heard the veggie one is also really tasty.
Berlin is somewhere I could easily see myself living. It is a bit like London but with a less pretentious vibe. Winter however is bitterly cold so my recommendation would be to visit when it is slightly warmer so you can really explore what the city has to offer. Prost!
Flights to Berlin are often and cheap from London. Booking sooner rather than later and also travelling at non-peak time will bring those costs down. Check out comparison websites like Kayak or Sky Scanner.
There are loads of affordable accommodation. The area we stayed was a bit quieter but really nice. Booking.com and Air BnB will show you some good options.
Berlin is cheap so you can definitely have a budget weekend away here. We didn’t go out to any of the clubs as I am way past that but I am sure a night out would also be super cheap (if you manage to get inside!).
