March 24, 2017

I fell in love with Berlin

Of all the cities I have visited in the past few years, Berlin is one of my favourites. I didn’t want to leave, and I would go back in a heartbeat.

It was Christmas time, so the crisp dry weather was the perfect backdrop to the picturesque city. Although it was cold, I almost didn’t notice my nose turning pink. I was so mesmerised by the city’s beauty. Note: I’d reccommned packing warm clothes and lots of layers if you’re travelling at this time!

Day 1

We arrived from the airport straight into the heart of the city and smack dab in front of the Fernsehturm. It was such a lovely morning and we managed to get some nice photos with clear skies.

We stayed just outside the city, in a place called Hampton by Hilton Berlin City West, which was easily reached by a tram. We settled our things and headed for the Reichstag Building which we had tickets pre-booked for 2 pm. The building was just amazing. The dome above the seating area was just out of this world and was one of the highlights for me.

On our way back to the city, we ventured to the Park Inn Hotel on Alexanderplatz. The Panorama Terrace is easily accessible by lift straight from the Lobby on the ground floor and boasts amazing views of Berlin. At just €4 per person, it is worth a visit.

Day 2

The following morning, we headed to Chipps for brunch, and hands down this was one of the best brunches I’ve ever had. Not only were the staff so friendly, and the interiors top notch – the food and the coffee were AMAZING. The best start to the day of activities ahead.

Chipps was located just a short walk from Gendarmenmarkt. There was a huge Christmas market here at this time. We strolled around browsing the local creations and warmed up with some hot mulled wine, or Glühwein as it is called amongst the locals. I was on cloud nine.

We spent some time wandering around the city taking in the historical areas of the Holocaust Memorial and Brandenborg Gate which were incredibly poignant, yet beautifully designed at the same time.

As some of you already know of my obsession with all things paper, we stumbled across a little gem called Type & Hype on our travels. It had a small coffee shop that we stopped at for a little while to chill.

Later that evening we found a cool spot called Neni where we went for some pre dinner drinks and some hummus before heading for dinner in a cool burger restaurant called The Bird.

Day 3

We decided to take it easy on our third day as the weather was a little colder, and as there was some rain we decided to forgo the doom and gloom in favour of some indoor activities and visit the Bauhaus-Archiv museum.

After a few hours here, we were starving and headed straight for a newly opened café called Silo. The coffee and food were unreal and I would recommend the Shakshuka to anyone heading along. We purchased some of the coffee beans too as it was so tasty.

When we got out, the weather had cleared up a little. So, we took a stroll along the remains of the Berlin Wall and East Side Gallery. Some of the pieces were very controversial.

Dinner was at Herz & Niere Restaurant where we experienced a surprise five-course menu. Although the restaurant does offer an offal-only menu – we decided to do without on this occasion. (I just don’t think I could do it!) The food was out of this world. It is easy to see how it is rated one of the top restaurants in Berlin. We spent hours and hours here just chatting away. It really was the ultimate ending to our trip to Berlin.

Day 4

We had an afternoon flight back to Dublin, and so, after checking out of our hotel, we decided to stay close to the hotel wandering the cobbled streets. We did some shopping and headed back to Neni for some lunch before getting an Uber to the airport.

WhatsApp Image 2017-03-24 at 18.09.08

I would without a doubt recommend Berlin to anybody looking for a short break during the year.

As it was my first time in Germany, I wanted to see the city and spent most of the time sightseeing and exploring during the day. However, Berlin is home to some of the best nightlife in the world that I haven’t even scratched the surface of – guess I’ll just have to go back!