Kicking off this month long trip was Berlin! I have always wanted to visit here but didn't know too much about Germany's capital. I'm quite glad it's gone that way though, as it's been full of surprises! My brother and mum accompanied me to Berlin (and will also to Krakow). What really struck me about Berlin was the huge diversity of the different neighbourhoods. Anyone who's been to Berlin and spent one day in Potsdamer Platz and another at the East Side Gallery will understand my point!
Where did I stay and how long for?
We stayed in a charming little hostel called Absolut Berlin in Pankow. This was such a lovely little hostel and I would highly recommend it, especially if travelling on a budget. The rooms were spacious and clean. We had to share a bathroom, but it was very quiet and we never had any issue waiting around for a shower! The hostel also had a shared kitchen for on the go meals. We were just a 2 minute walk from the U-Bahn, meaning getting to all the different tourist spots and areas was extremely accessible, especially if used to using the tube/subway.
Highlights
Highlights for me included the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Street Food Thursday and climbing the Reichstag.
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| Berlin. Beer. Burger! |
The Itinerary
24th May - We arrived in Berlin at around 4pm. Once we got settled into the room we went for a wander around the neighbourhood. We were directly next to a shopping mall, which was surrounded by coffee shops, bars and restaurants. After wandering for a while, we settled on a little restaurant and got a burger and a beer before calling it a night!
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| Brandenburg Gate |
25th May - After picking up a pastry from a local cafe, we headed to Potsdamer Platz, where we explored Brandenburg Gate and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The memorial was extremely moving, and so interesting to view the concrete slabs arranged at different levels. I would also recommend visiting the underground museum. Here you'll find the 'Room of Names' in which the names and brief biographies of murdered and missing Jews from all over Europe can be heard. It was astounding to discover that presenting all victims' names would take 6 years, 7 months and 27 days.
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| Holocaust Memorial |
After some lunch we visited Checkpoint Charlie, which was interesting to see and a must if you're visiting Berlin. It was of course swarming with tourists. So we stayed long enough to get a few snaps and continued strolling the streets.
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| Checkpoint Charlie |
Not far from Checkpoint Charlie was the Gendarmenmarkt, which is a square and site of the French and German churches and the Konzerthaus (concert hall).
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| Konzerthaus |
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| German Church |
We then got dinner at an adorable little Pizza place in Pankow called Zia Maria. I would highly recommend this place, although 2 slices is enough to fill you up! We ordered too much and ate the leftovers for lunch the following day!
26th May - On the 2nd day we decided to take a look at climbing the Reichstag. (We had tried to book tickets in advance but even 2 weeks before, it was fully booked!). Luckily, tickets can be bought on the day. Although the price to pay is a 2 hour long wait in a queue for tickets.
After a long wait we decided to climb the Reichstag the following day in the evening, just as the sun would set. So we then continued on to the TV Tower, which we managed to go up as soon as we arrived. The tickets were €13 each, which is pricey if you're on a budget. However the majority of the time we spent in Berlin, it was very foggy so the views weren't quite as spectacular as they could have been. I would definitely recommend it on a clear day though!
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| Foggy view from the TV Tower |
That evening, we visited Markthalle Neun in Eisenbahnstrasse for Street Food Thursday. This was one of my highlights of the trip, as there was such a great atmosphere and the market looked so pretty. Rows of little stalls covered in pretty lights, there was so much choice. We ended up circling around a few times to decide what we wanted to eat! In the end I went for a Vietnamese pork dumpling, and from a separate stall a new take on mac and cheese made with herbs and fried onions.
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| Street Food Thursday |
27th May - On our last day in Berlin, we spent most of the day at the East Side Gallery. This is was incredible to wander up and down both sides of the wall, admiring the artwork. Unfortunately 90% of the wall was covered with fencing, as they were repainting parts of the wall. This didn't take away from the experience though! After strolling up and down in the (hooray!) hot sun, we sat on some steps and enjoyed a Currywurst (another must in Berlin).
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| Berlin Wall |
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| East Side Gallery |
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| The Kiss |
We spent the afternoon wandering around the Mall of Berlin before heading over to the Reichstag with our tickets. We went up just as the sun was setting, making for some lovely photos. Inside was information on the history of the Reichstag (with a cheeky shot of Albert Einstein sat amongst other politicians!) it was definitely worth the 2 hour wait in line though, as the views were spectacular and there were much clearer views than that of the TV Tower.
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| The Reichstag |
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| Sunset |
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| At the Top! |
28th May - First train and a full day of travel. We got the train from Berlin to Warsaw and then from Warsaw to arrive in Krakow by about 6pm.
Top Tips/Recommendations for Berlin
- Book your Reichstag tickets as early in advance as you can!
- If you're in the area of Pankow, check out Zia Maria Pizza for a delicious bite to eat!
- Head over to Street Food Thursday. Don't worry if you aren't here on that day, it does run on other days of the week but only during the day.
- And of course, you have to try a Currywurst from a street vendor, as this is the signature dish. (Think hot dog and curry sauce!)
This was such a fantastic city to start in and I am so excited to carry on my adventure (hopefully with warmer weather!)
Auf Weidersehen for now Berlin!
Viele Liebe,
Franki xxx
