Our Trip : Berlin
If Copenhagen was the perfect golden child, Berlin is its tattooed and pierced cousin. We loved Berlin and I hope to come back to this dynamic and ever-hustling city. It’s true what they say about the efficiency of German engineering; all trains are on time. But what really impressed me with Berlin was its party-like mood and feeling that went well into the early morning light.
We saw as much as we could within our short four day/three night stay but I daresay, it wasn’t enough!
Here’s a breakdown:
- We purchased the 72h WelcomeCard
- We used the “Call a bike” system that was conveniently located all over the city
- Our Airbnb was in the hip Mitte Neighborhood
Some places we ate at:
- Papà Pane di Sorrento — OK for its mains, probably better for its pizza.
- Yumcha Heroes — Dim Sum. Pretty tasty, big portions.
- Curry Mitte — A Berlin standard in street food: curried hotdogs and french fries. So good!
- Hot-Dog World —Seriously, I love me a gooood hot dog. Especially with fried onions on top. 👍
- Markethalle Neun — A food hall with great local finds. Thom and I split a great antipasti plate, ate some German-style meatballs, and tried vegan donuts.
- Süsse Sünde — Small little ice cream shop with fresh rotating flavors
- Haliflor — Cute coffee shop located across the street from our Airbnb.
- Flamingo Fresh Food Bar — Fresh lunch spot with decent hot and cold meals.
- Prater Garten — Oldest beer garden in Berlin
- We were also invited to a wonderful private event at Watergate. There were some amazing locally crafted beers and BBQ. 😋
What we saw during our stay:
- We got around by bike to see a lot of what is pictured above.
- I really enjoyed viewing the East Side Gallery. It was pretty awesome to see such iconic murals that really unsettled a lot of people up close and personal…if you know what I mean. 😘
- Museum Island was insane! One would need an entire week just to casually browse through all the art found there. We ended up only going to the Neues Museum and mostly because I wanted to see Nefertiti.
- The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe was very stoic and foreboding to walk through…a maze at the very least.
- The original and iconic art at the Bauhaus Archives was great to see in person. I’ve had so many art courses that would exclusively go over this school and the many pieces that are still used today in functional ways.
- The dome at the Reichstag was cool to see but I absolutely hated the security process of getting up there. I mostly recommend skipping it.👎
In conclusion: we found that we really, really liked Berlin! There was a lot to see and do. The city felt really young and there were all kinds of people and cultures blended together. Individualism is highly sought after there. Everyone seemed to look and dress like, “LOOK AT ME!!!”. I loved the city’s deep history, its mature, tree-lined streets, and the fact that a public park is never more than two-blocks away. The music, the food, the fashion were also really inspiring. What’s more to love?
Last thought: When do we get to go again??? 😜
This post is a part of a series based on my recent two-week trip to Europe.
To read this in order:
