BERLIN, GERMANY
Berlin, Germany’s capital, is one of Europe’s finest cities for a laundry list of reasons! It is full of history, diversity, personality, and culture. It is also full of green spaces, museums, monuments, and partying. Berlin is vibrant, controversial, and classy. Whatever you are looking for, you will be able to find here. You cannot plan a European adventure without making a pit-stop in Berlin for at least a few days!
Attractions:
Brandenburg Gate: This iconic gate has been a signature landmark of Berlin since the late 1700s. It has seen plenty of historic events - both good and bad.
East Side Gallery: An open-air art gallery on a portion of the famous Berlin Wall. There is so much incredible artwork here; an absolute must-see! It is free and open 24/7.
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe: Very moving and interesting memorial made up of concrete slabs. The meaning is open to interpretation; definitely worth checking out!
Walking Tours: Alternative Berlin and SANDEMANs both offer free (tip-based) city tours. I specifically recommend doing the Alternative Tour because you get a chance to walk through the Kreuzberg District and check out places David Bowie and Iggy Pop used to go to! They also have paid options such as Third Reich, Street Art, and Beer Tasting. If you would prefer to do a self-guided of Kreuzberg, you can follow this link!
Visit Famous Public Squares: The most well-known squares are Alexanderplatz, Potsdamer Platz, Gendarmenmarkt, and Bebelplatz. Be sure to walk through and spend some time in these during your stay in Berlin. All of them have lovely architecture and intriguing stories behind them.
Templehof Park: This old airport used during the Berlin Airlift, when the Soviets tried blockading the city, is located in Southern Berlin. Today, it is a huge park in which locals hang around, play soccer, and relax. It is free to enter and open daily from 7:30am-5:00pm.
Spreepark: If you are feeling adventurous and daring, visit this abandoned amusement park! I cannot confirm or deny that sneaking into the park and snooping around for a few hours would be fun, but if I had done something like that, I would probably talk about how it was an amazing experience and adrenaline rush. I might also say that walking and looking around every corner to make sure the security guards didn’t spot me felt like I was in a movie. Directions and more information can be found here. Since my last visit to Berlin, it appears you can now do a 90-minute guided tour for €5 on weekends. If you would rather visit during the week though, I would not blame you…
Berlin Wall Memorial: The Berlin Wall divided this city into East Berlin and West Berlin from 1961-1989. It effectively split the country between democracy and communism and prevented East German citizens from fleeing to the west. Today, this memorial commemorates these trying years and those who died in the struggle. It is open daily from 8:00am-10:00pm and free to enter.
Checkpoint Charlie: History buffs will know this as the main crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Now, there is a museum here open daily from 9:00am-10:00pm; entrance costs €14.50.
Großer Tiergarten: Situated just west of Brandenburg Gate, this famous city park is 520 acres in size and a great place to kick back to read a book or go for a walk.
Olympia Park: This site was originally built for the famous 1936 Summer Olympics and was the location of the 2006 Men’s World Cup Final between Italy & France. Lots of cool memorabilia here. The site is open daily from 9:00am-7:00pm and costs €8 to enter.
RAW Tempel: One of the more unique spots in Berlin. If you visit during the day, it is a nice place to walk around, have a beer, and soak in the graffiti. If you visit at night, expect to party hard!
Other attractions include: Berlin TV Tower, Topography of Terror, Pergamon Museum, Berlin Cathedral, Mauer Park, and Reichstag Building.
Accommodation:
Cat’s Pajamas: Terrific hostel fit with a huge kitchen and lovely common area! The metro ride to the city center is very simple; a U7/U8 metro station is just four minutes away on foot (Hermannplatz). From here, the ride to Berlin Central Station (Berlin HBF) is 20 minutes and the ride to Berlin Central Station (Berlin ZOB) is 35 minutes.
Transportation:
Berlin’s main bus station is Berlin ZOB; all buses below leave from here. The main train station is Berlin Central Station (Berlin HBF); all trains below leave from here.
Prague, Czechia is 4.5 hours by bus from Berlin and costs €25. The train ride is 4.5 hours and costs €35.
Munich is 7.5 hours by bus from Berlin and costs €45. The train ride is 4.5 hours and costs €99.
Copenhagen, Denmark is 7.5 hours by bus from Berlin and costs €40. The train ride is 7 hours (indirect) and costs €80.
Krakow, Poland is 8.5 hours by bus from Berlin and costs €42. The train ride is 9 hours (overnight) and costs €45.
Vienna, Austria is 9 hours by bus from Berlin and costs €40. The train ride is 8 hours (indirect) and costs €139.
Amsterdam, Netherlands is 10 hours by bus from Berlin and costs €40. The train ride is 6.5 hours and costs €89.
Lux City, Luxembourg is 11 hours by bus from Berlin and costs €47. The train ride is 8 hours (indirect) and costs €124.
Brussels, Belgium is 12 hours by bus from Berlin (indirect) and costs €46. The train ride is 7 hours (indirect) and costs €161.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) is 28km (17 miles) south of the city center and accessible via metro, regional train, bus & metro, and taxi. The option you select below will be determined by where you are staying.
Metro: The ride on the S-Bahn (S9 or S45) is 45 minutes and costs €3.60; trains run every 20 minutes. Purchase the “ABC Ticket” which connects Zone A to C.
Regional Train: The ride on the Flughafen Express (FEX) is 30 minutes and costs €3.60; trains leave every 30 minutes. Purchase the “ABC Ticket” which connects Zone A to C.
Bus & Metro: The combined bus and metro ride is 45 minutes and costs €3.60. From BER, the bus ride (X7, X71, or N7) is 10 minutes and drops off at Rudow U-Bahn Station; buses leave every 10-15 minutes. From Rudow, the metro ride (U7) is 20-35 minutes depending where you plan to get off; trains leave every 5-10 minutes.
Taxi: The ride is 45 minutes and costs €45-€50 depending on the time of day.
