Guten Tag Reader,
Where do I start? I have always wanted to visit Berlin, my Dad served time in the forces there, I remember watching the Berlin wall fall down on Channel 4 news with David Hasslehoff singing and I thought there must be more to Berlin than currywurst and beer and there is!
Berlin is easy to travel to. It is easy to travel from the airport to the city as well as using the sbahn which is like the London tube. The transport system is easy to navigate.
I travelled for a weekend with my cousin for a girlie weekend at the end of February. It was cold but sunny. Accommodation is easy to find dependent on your budget.
We travelled from London Gatwick via Easyjet to Berlin-Schoenfield with cabin luggage and we stayed two nights.
There are many districts to Berlin, it depends what you fancy, we stayed in the Mitte District. Mitte means middle, and it’s right in the middle of everything. Most attractions are 15 minutes walk at a push. It is near the shopping district and just a few minutes from the River Spree.
When we first arrived we walked along the river and we went on a boat on the Eddyline boat which was an hour trip in English and German. We paid 10 euro each and had a pint of the local beer Berliner which cost 3.70 each. It was informative and an excellent start to the citybreak as we could climatise to the area and see what there was to see.
After this we went to The Bundestag which is the German Parliament, you have to register if you want to visit this building at least a few weeks in advance. Here, we were met by the glass dome which was designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster who has designed The Gherkin in London.
We had lunch in Dachgarten Restaurant at the German Budestag which was pleasant, we had a main and a local beer which cost around 44 euro each but it was worth it.
After this lunch went out in the Mitte District to sample the local nightlife which was fun.
The next morning, we went on a walking tour which was fantastic. We had a wonderful 2.5hrs to three hours walk seeing the sights of Berlin which included The Holocaust Memorial which was emotional and moving. We saw Museum Island and stopped for pretzels and gluhwein.
There are lots of other fun places to investigate and lots of places to spot the Berlin logo which is a bear. You might find a bear below!
A recommendation:
The Pub which is located in Alexanderplatz. Here you can pour your own pint of Berliner, this is the the only place in Berlin where you can do this. Another interesting fact, the decor is mainly of Pugs. http://www.thepubworld.com/de/berlin/?lng=en
We sampled architecture, found fun places to sample German cuisine and had lots of fun. We saw views over the city and found the German people friendly and informative.
This is just a taster, if you want to learn more and would like a bespoke package, please let me know your requirements are and we can talk. Please put Berlin as your city in the subject line 🙂
Berlin is a beautiful city full of culture, architecture and needs a visit from you.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Shewholovesadventure.com/BeautifulBerlin
Berlin
Hi Orla, a friend and I are going to Berlin from 8th to 11th Feb. Any recommendations on things to do.
We staying near the Zoo in Tiergarten.
Zahir
Hi Zahir,
There is so much to do and see.
First of all if you like walking, check out a free walking tour! I recommend Sandemann’s Free Tour of Berlin on your first day, so you get a feel for the city! http://www.neweuropetours.eu/berlin/en/home. Check this website, tells you all about it. You sign up online and you pay a tip at the end of the tour. You meet by the Brandeburg gate which is near where you are staying. It usually lasts a couple of hours with a break in between for coffee/tea. I did this a couple of years ago and was great.
You see the Berlin Wall etc
2) Visit the Reichstag Parliament building Glass dome) register for free on https://www.bundestag.de/en/visittheBundestag/dome/registration/245686. You must take your passport with you for ID. it is right next to the Tiergarten. Great views of the city, take your camera.
3) In the Tiergarten you can check out statues, check out the Café am Neuen See,
4)Boat trip by Museum Island, you pay when you hop on and can get hot/cold drinks too.
5) Museums if you like that kind of thing.
6) Checkpoint Charlie, don’t pay the guards money for a photograph as they are actors!
7) Berlin is a walkable city, you can get a travelcard from Berlin Schonefield Airport for three days which includes your travel back to it. Transport is great.
Hope this helps Zahir! Enjoy
Hi Orla. This is very useful. What do you recommend doing at night in Berlin?
Hi Zahir, oh there’s a great nightlife in Berlin. There are plenty of clubs, bars, live music, there’s something for everyone. I would avoid Alexanderplatz at night as I found it a bit rough. Berlin is your oyster, plenty of nice places to eat too. Follow your instinct and go where the locals go!