It had been a hectic week at ITB Berlin, the world’s largest tourism trade fair, which I visit every year. I didn’t get to see a lot of Berlin on my previous visits so I decided to add on a weekend to explore the city. My partner joined me for these few days. We’d seen the major attractions of Berlin like the Reichstag (Parliament), the museums on the Museum island, the Berlin Wall, the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie on previous trips so we decided to simply wander around Berlin and see where we ended up. There are so many things to do in Berlin that it’s hard to know where to start but having seen the major highlights previously certainly helped.
Now, we could just aimlessly explore Berlin. It turned out to be a fantastic weekend in this truly incredible city – Berlin is in itself one of my favourite reasons to visit Germany!
A weekend in Berlin: things to do and see
Some of the major attractions in Berlin we’d visited on previous trips include:
Reichstag
Berlin Cathedral
Brandenburg Gate
Checkpoint Charlie
Fernsehturm
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
A wander around Berlin
We started our Saturday morning with breakfast at the ubercool 25Hours Bikini Hotel, with a terrific view of the Berlin Zoo. We poured over our map as we munched on freshly baked croissants. There’s so much to see and do in Berlin that it was hard to agree where to start and where to go. We thought of a bike tour, a tour in an old Trabant car (!) and even a ‘secret’ food tour!
After much debating, we decided to start our stroll at the Potsdamer Platz, an easy compromise due to its central location. This historic square, once the busiest traffic intersection in continental Europe, suffered extensive damage during World War II and was later split through its middle by the Berlin Wall. These days, it’s a bustling place lined by modern buildings. Several original pieces of the Berlin Wall stand here as a chilling reminder of the city’s tempestuous history.
Holocaust Memorial and the Brandenburg Gate
From here, we strolled down Ebertstrasse towards the Brandenburg Gate, passing the Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted under the Nazis and the Holocaust Memorial. The Holocaust Memorial, with its rows of bold, grey concrete blocks of varying heights, is simply extraordinary. It invites people to playfully explore its maze of hilly alleys between the concrete blocks but wherever you go, the gravity of the Holocaust never leaves you. It’s an emotional, uplifting yet sober experience all at once.
We continued our stroll to the iconic Brandenburg Gate and down the Unter den Linden avenue before turning left at the Friedrichstrasse, a shopping street. We slowly made our way towards the Museum Island and walked along the Spree River promenade where we stumbled upon an open-air flea market. It was a beautiful sunny day and the market was a magnet for visitors and locals alike.
We then crossed a bridge at the world-famous Bode Museum and continued through the Monbijou Park along the banks of the Spree towards Alexanderplatz. It was very cool to see Berliners enjoying the fabulous weather, lying on the grass or lounging in chairs with friends, family, some wine, beer and grub. We stopped at a terrace for a beer and totally enjoyed watching the people pass by.
Berlin Cathedral and Fernsehturm
We walked past the Berliner Dom (Cathedral) and the Fernsehturm (Berlin TV Tower) – we’d already been into the Cathedral and the tower before so we decided to skip it this time; but I can definitely recommend a visit to these two attractions. We continued along the Karl Marx Allee, with its impressive Marxist architecture before hopping onto the U-Bahn that took us to the Friedrichshain district. We’d never been to this district before and we were in for a fabulous surprise!
Colourful Friedrichshain
We got off at the Samariterstrasse station and criss-crossed the neighbourhood from here. My first impression of the district was that it looked rather rundown but as we approached its centre around Boxhagenerplatz, we discovered its edgy, artistic side. Colourful murals and street art adorned the façades of buildings, and the multitude of cafés, restaurants and shops added to the vibrant ambiance. We loved it and spent the rest of the evening here for drinks and dinner.
East Side Gallery
By the way, if you love street art, you have to check out the legendary East Side Gallery, which is within walking distance of Friedrichshain. One of the world’s most famous pieces “The Kiss”, depicting East German leader Erich Honecker and his Soviet counterpart Leonid Brezhnev in a passionate kiss, can be found here.
Thrills at Tempelhof Airport
The sun shone brightly the next morning – another beautiful day! “If the weather is great, head out to the old Tempelhof Airport”. I’d heard this tip many times before so off we went to see for ourselves what it was all about. The Tempelhof Airport was the site of the infamous Berlin Airlift that provided West Berlin a crucial lifeline after the Soviets closed all traffic by land and water in 1948.
In 2008, the airport was closed to commercial air traffic after a lengthy debate and a referendum. The airport was then used for fairs, concerts and exhibitions before being officially turned into a city park, Berlin’s largest. We arrived at the site to find thousands of people simply enjoying the sunny Sunday morning. The atmosphere was incredibly relaxed, with people picnicking on the grass or flying their kites.
It was a windy day and the kite-flyers were out in full force. On the tarmac and runways, people jogged, cycled, rode Segways, scooters, kite-surfed (on skateboards) and para-sailed (on skateboards too). It was an incredible sight!
We hired a pair of electric scooters and off we went! It was so much fun zooming down the runways dodging skaters, cyclists, joggers and kite-surfers, and feeling the wind in my face. The fact that we were riding a scooter on a broad runway added to the thrill!
A terrific weekend in Berlin!
Needless to say, we had an unforgettable weekend in Berlin, arguably one of the coolest cities on the planet! It really has everything I look for in a city: an edgy vibe; striking architecture; and a vibrant cultural and culinary scene. I LOVE BERLIN!
One tip: if you’re visiting Berlin for a few days, check out the Berlin WelcomeCard, which covers public transport and offers discounts on tickets to museums/attractions as well as restaurants. Look for tours in Berlin. Read my post about alternative things to do in Berlin or things to see in Potsdam, an easy day trip from Berlin.
As mentioned above, I stayed at the cool 25Hours Bikini Berlin Hotel, which I can definitely recommend! Read my review of the 25Hours Bikini Berlin or check the hotel rates.
Read more Velvet Escape posts about Germany. A selection:
- Things to do in Dresden
- Discovering the origins of Bauhaus in Germany
- Street art in Germany
- History and wine in Rheingau
- Things to do in Hamburg
hey, good too know about Berlin, thanks for sharing this info….
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[…] Berlin’s history has had an enormous influence on the city’s street art. Famous political leaders, past and present, continue to feature in Berlin’s street art. One of the world’s most famous pieces “The Kiss”, depicting East German leader Erich Honecker and his Soviet counterpart Leonid Brezhnev in a passionate kiss, is the star attraction on the East Side Gallery section of the Berlin Wall. However, there’s lots more street art to discover in Berlin, amongst others, in Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, Revaler 99/Urban Spree, Dirckenstrasse and Teufelsberg (an abandoned spy station). Read my post about a weekend in Berlin. […]
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Hehe, something we have in common. 🙂
I visit Berlin every year for the ITB Tourism fair and I always stay a bit longer to see more of the city. Can’t get enough of it! 🙂
Cheers,
Keith
I love this city too !!!
You make miss Berlin!!!!
Hehe, glad you like my ‘portrait’ of your city Synke! 🙂
what a nice portrait of “my” city. You definitly had the weather gods traveling with you. I have to forward this article to my American friends as they never believe me that Berlin and Germany is not WWII movies. I am glad people were nice and friendly. Berliners are known for being very straight out but with only good intentions 😉
@Becki: yes, the streetart has been there for a long time. 😉 there are guided streetart tours if you don’t want to miss out on the good stuff next time you visit!
Synke
I was also surprised at how friendly Berliners are during our recent trip there for ITB. I went to Berlin expecting everyone to be cold and stoic, but they were just the opposite. The city definitely has a lot to offer and I fell in love with its architecture.
That’s an awfully nice weather during your visit! Sunny days in March are a rarity if history’s anything to go by!
You have to go back Becki! It’s such a cool neighbourhood! And you’ll love the street art there. 🙂
Cheers,
Keithy 😉
Man oh man, Berlin is so bloody cool … I just have to get there and base myself in this vibrant city!
Ahhhh, the murals in Friedrichshain – amazing!!! I must go back and find that area. Not sure it existed when I was in the area two years ago. I’m street art crazy!! 🙂
That only means one thing… you have to go back! Hehe! 🙂 Thanks for your comment Andi!
Cheers,
Keith
Oh my I love the colorful buildings! I’m sad I missed that on my trip in November.