Bustling Berlin
When I came to Berlin in my 20s I absolutely loved it and could see it as a place I would love to live, so it had a lot to live up to this time around...While I stand by my initial love for the city, with the wisdom of age and the expansion of my horizons, I think I have adjusted my view from “place to live” to “place to explore endlessly”.
Berlin was our home for roughly 3 weeks. We stayed just north of Alexanderplatz in a great area with everything we needed and quick proximity to many of the major sights (and a busy intersection that constantly had the sound of sirens blaring…). There was snow and ice on the ground when we arrived, and we were also treated to a full day of snow a couple days after we arrived so that was magical. The rest of our time there was quite warm for Winter weather and quite cloudy (we only got one real sunset).
Berlin has no shortage of things to do, from touristy sights like museums and historical buildings, to the expansive and diverse cultural (and counterculture) scene. We mostly stuck to the traditional sights for the first few days since it was Ry’s first time visiting, but also got off the beaten path in our later days there.
Here are some of the activities we enjoyed. This is not an exhaustive list of all we did (we were there for 20 days after all) so if you are planning a trip or looking for recommendations, reach out!
Museum Island: You could spend a few hours or days here. There are a plethora of museums and buildings on the UNESCO World Heritage Museum Island. My favorite is the Berlinerdom, or Berlin Cathedral, which offers a stunning backdrop for pictures and the top of the dome itself offers stunning views of the city.
Reichstag Building: The seat of the German government, this modern building in the shell of a historic building is architecturally stunning. It also offers great views and a top notch audio guide as you ascend the large glass dome. Tickets are free but you MUST reserve in advance as it's a government building that requires proper clearance (and security) to enter.
Topography of Terror: This is personally my favorite museum in Berlin. It sits on the site of the old SS headquarters in Berlin and tells the expansive story of the rise of Hitler in Germany. It is a very well done museum, and has the added benefit of being free. All around the museum are other small sites like Checkpoint Charlie and some Berlin Wall remnants that are also worth seeing. It is also a short walk to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Brandenburg Gate.
East Side Gallery: This is a section of the Berlin wall that was converted into an open air art gallery after the fall of the Wall. More than 100 artists from around the world were commissioned to paint murals on sections of the Wall. Each one is unique and stunning and makes for a great walk.
Döner Kebabs: We are no strangers to Döners but Berlin is supposedly where they were popularized as “fast-food” by Turkish immigrant workers, so we were in kebab heaven. We did a food tour which took us to the famous Mustafas Gemuse Kebap. We definitely recommend Mustafa’s for sure but there are so many other places throughout Berlin that you can’t go wrong with any. Even if you are not in Berlin, eat Kebabs. They are great.
Visiting Christmas Markets: There were a TON of markets throughout the city. We visited about 5 in Berlin (and another 2 in Prague and 3 in Dresden). Obviously this is only possible around Christmas but we stand by our decision to time our trip specifically to be in Germany for Christmas.
We also drank a LOT of beer. It was almost as cheap and plentiful as water, and it was awesome to try some of our favorite German beers that we frequently drank at home, actually in Germany.