Destination Guide: Berlin, Germany
Twelve days spent in Berlin, eating, drinking, being merry and freezing my ass off. Let's dive in, shall we?
Recently in Berlin…
I’d like to start this Destination Guide off by sharing what I’m feeling thankful for, which is the fact that I was able to spend nearly two weeks in Berlin, Germany. When telling family members where we would be spending Christmas, we got a few reactions of “Berlin…? Okay, yeah, cool”.
This reaction is why I’m thankful. Because the reality of the matter is that if you had two weeks to spend in Europe, you likely wouldn’t spend them in Berlin. Not because it’s not a rad city, but because there are simply more rad options.
What a freaking treat that we get to experience places that, sadly, don’t get to make it onto everyones bucket list because time and life and PTO just don’t allow it.
So, now that my moment of gratitude is through, let’s get into it. If you’ve been keeping up with my previous destination guides, then you know the flow. Below you’ll find eight categories that I am using to rank my experience in each city, in the attempt to share consistent and honest reviews of our travels.
Lastly, for the fans of “Greg’s Kegs”, the newest column that made its debut in my Poland Destination Guide, rest assured that he will be doing a full German beer review when we dive into Munich. Hang tight.
Local Food Rating — 2/5
Now this may seem like a harsh rating, so let me explain. On our train ride into Berlin, we shared our “car” with a local couple who kindly shared recommendations with us. When we asked about food, they were quick to explain that Berlin doesn’t really have a “local cuisine”. I mean, other than currywurst (which we did get, several times).
For the sake of consistency, I’m keeping this category as local food, which leads to the lower rating. If I were to just rate the food we ate during our 12 days in Berlin, the score would be much higher.
Berlin is super multicultural, meaning they have a wide variety of cuisine present. We had some of the yummiest hand pulled noodles at Wen Cheng, and I experienced my very first döner kebab, so let me be clear that Berlin didn’t lack in the food department.
I also found bits of home with Slim Chickens and Cheez-Its (this was like hitting the mother load, I bought three bags). Don’t judge, if you haven’t had American classics in months, you’d be just as excited.
Here are a few restaurant recommendations for you to save for your next trip —
Markthalle Neun (market/food hall with so many food & local goods)
Beuster (where we had a lovely Christmas eve dinner)
Café am Neuen See (tucked in Tiergarten park, gorgeous interior & massive patio)
Wen Cheng (still dreaming about these hand pulled noodles)
People & Kindness — 4/5
We actually had really lovely experiences with people throughout the city. Whether they were tour guides, servers, grocery store clerks, etc., no interaction left us feeling deflated or “too American”.
Not every interaction was sunshine and rainbows, but we never felt dismissed by anyone we spoke or interacted with. I’ll be honest in saying that I wasn’t sure what to expect here; this city has been through a lot and at the end of the day, their history is still quite recent and fresh.
Their kindness towards Greg and I was very much appreciated, so a 4/5 it is!
Architecture — 3/5
Just like my previous two destination guides (Budapest & Krakow/Warsaw/Wroclaw), we’re talking about a city that was heavily and physically affected by World War II. Some believe that somewhere between one third to one half of the city’s buildings were damaged during the war.
So with that, ya really can’t come for their architecture too hard, considering the circumstances. The buildings that were left in tact, or that were re-built after the war, were truly stunning. When you were in a photogenic part of town (because if I’m honest, Berlin isn’t the most photogenic place I’ve been), it’s like the buildings were begging to be photographed.
The last piece of architecture you can’t forget when visiting Berlin — the Berlin Wall. I’m considering this more of a “tourist attraction”, but I figured it was worth mentioning here as it’s a giant slab of concrete that split a city in two.
Walkability & Public Transportation — 4/5
If you weren’t aware, Berlin is a massive city. It gave me New York City vibes (she says as a non-New Yorker) in the sense that you could walk for ages and still feel like you were in the depths of the city, weaving from block to block.
The public transportation is incredibly well connected in Berlin. You’ve got the U-Bahn (metro), S-Bahn (suburban train), Trams (streetcar, for my KC people), and busses.
We utilized the U-Bahn and trams daily and couldn’t have gotten around or seen half of what we wanted to see if we only relied on foot traffic. If you’re visiting Berlin, I highly recommend looking into a multi-day pass. Be sure to download the BVG Fahrinfo App to easily map out your travels and buy tickets on the go.
While the passes were incredibly convenient and easy to use, my one qualm is that prices were a bit expensive, in my humble opinion. I know this may trickle into the “affordability” category, but I’m going to argue that they go hand in hand.
Last thing I’ll say is while we didn’t have a single city worker check our tickets during our 12 days here, there is a hefty fine for getting caught on public transit without a ticket. So be a wise, good little tourist, and buy a ticket.
Tourist Attractions — 4.5/5
Calling all history lovers!! Berlin is a city that made me go “holy shit, why didn’t I pay attention in high school history”. I mean seriously, between WWII and the Cold War/Berlin Wall…. which by the way, wasn’t that long ago. And simply put, it’s fascinating to learn about and visualize firsthand.
There’s no shortage of museums and memorials/landmarks to experience in Berlin, and like I said, if you’re a history buff, this city is for you. The only reason it wasn’t a 5/5 is due to the fact that all tourist attractions (at least that we experienced) heavily revolved around history and art.
If history and art aren’t your love language, then I think Berlin may fall short in regards to “attractions” (unless you like beer gardens and parks, then just avoid winter and you’re set).
Here are some experiences and sights that I recommend for your next trip to Berlin —
Berliner Unterwelten tours (they have several different tour options, they take you underground to see bunkers, tunnels, learn about different escape attempts during the Cold War, etc. Totally fascinating and a must do in my opinion!)
highly recommend a walking tour of any sort, there’s so much history here & hearing from a local while you go to the historic sights is worth every penny. We did this walking tour with Alexis via GuruWalk and had a great experience!
Topography of Terror museum (free to enter)
visit Checkpoint Charlie
C/O Berlin museum
Brandenburg Gate
Museum Island (buy a day pass to access all 5 museums)
Berlin Wall — East Side Gallery
Tiergarten Park (& Berlin zoo if that’s your thing)
Berlin Treptower Park (so many parks we didn’t get to enjoy, a downside to visiting during winter)
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (free museum underneath)
Affordability — 3/5
Like many of our experiences thus far, Berlin had its moments of affordability and its moments of “what the helly”. That said, if I were to compare it to NYC or any other big city in the States, I would say that Berlin is ultimately a much more affordable option.
If you want to pinch pennies, you can get a get a €2 beer from a späti (corner store) and live your life in one of the many parks Berlin has to offer (gotta love an open container law, baby). Like any city, you can “do it cheap”, just as easily as you can splurge.
But in terms of our accommodation, cost of dinners out, and cost of tourist attractions, Berlin was a solid 3/5 for affordability.
Cleanliness — 1/5
I don’t know why I feel bad for giving Berlin such a low score in this category, like it feels personal, but the city just simply wasn’t clean.
Perhaps the fact that it was December, all cold and gloomy, and this just enhanced the feel of…grime…? But no, I would not consider Berlin to be a super clean, well kept city.
I’m sorry, don’t be mad at me. I still had a great time!
Christmas Markets — 4/5
I thoroughly enjoyed my Christmas Market experience in Berlin! I’m beginning to sound repetitive, but with the city being so large, it felt like we were just unexpectedly stumbling upon market after market.
Of the several markets that we experienced, I’d say my favorites were Schloßplatz (located right next to Museum Island) and Gendarmenmarkt (had a €2 entrance fee, but was well worth it).
Not only did I love the food and German beer offered at these markets, but they had plenty of places to stand or sit while you enjoyed your refreshments. Gendarmenmarkt also had plenty of entertainment, including live music and street performers.
In Summary…
I absolutely recommend Berlin, Germany as a city worth traveling to. Like Budapest, we felt like the city was very “livable”. Once you’ve gotten the hang of the U-Bahn and you’re eating at the random, hole in the wall spots, you can see yourself falling into a routine and feeling a little cooler than you did last week.
If time allows, I’d totally return during the non-winter months. However, I’m of course grateful for the cheery Christmas Markets, otherwise I think my seasonal depression would be hitting me hard.
Planning on going to Berlin, or Germany in general? Let me help get you sorted!
If you’re still here, you either love me a lot or you’re really interested in Berlin. Either way, thank you for sticking around! Next Destination Guide on the docket — Vienna, Austria.
Until next week, tschüss!
xoxo, Reagan