BERLIN
I don’t consider myself a “Negative Nancy”, but more of a “Realistic Rita”. So with that said, I will always be keeping it real on this blog. My first dose of real is that of all the places I saw on my first trip abroad, Berlin I could go without ever visiting again. It’s city comparable to NYC, either you will love it, hate it, or only want to go once.
With that said, I do think everyone should go at least once. If you are a history buff, this is definitely the city for you. I appreciate history but don’t completely nerd out on it, so once I’d seen the major sights, I was kind of over it. Spending a ton of time on the train there was a pain for me… mass transit just isn’t my style. I recommend going to Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall museum, Charlottenburg Palace and the Berlin Cathedral (basically every place a simple google search will tell you).
Charlottenburg Palace is absolutely stunning and was undergoing some renovations while we were there. You can go inside and tour it, which we didn’t do, or simply enjoy the grounds and gardens. With the weather being so nice it was perfect to walk the grounds and then enjoy a snack at the restaurant out front on the patio. Patio dining is my favorite and if the weather allows, always sit outside abroad when I can.
For the ladies – you must go to KaDeWe. It is Berlin’s version of a Neiman Marcus on steriods. I’ve never seen anything like it. There are specialty shops of all kinds, food counters with gourmet chefs and my personal sweet spot – the Veuve Cliquot Bar. OMG – it was completely worth a splurge on a couple of glasses of champagne after picking out German chocolates to take back home and exploring all of the levels of the store.
Finally, the hidden gem of this city that was the most charming in my opinion was the Tiergarten. This thing is HUGE… definitely use the maps around because it would be quite easy to get lost. We went to one of the beer gardens next to a pond and had cappuccino and beers to take a break towards the end of our stay there. When you are walking the gardens, be sure to take a peek into the Berlin zoo which is visible from some paths in the garden.
ASHBEARS TOP TIPS/FACTS FOR BERLIN
1. Beer tends to be cheaper than water – cheers!
2. Wear comfortable shoes – you might need to run to catch a train! … but don’t wear sneakers, you will be automatically branded a tourist/American and made a target for pick pockets.
3. The transit systems run on the honor system – abuse it at your own risk.
4. Pay attention to the ground – there are bricks where east and west Berlin used to be divided – see picture below.
5. When ordering water, you must ask for stilles wasser to get tap water – otherwise it will be fizzy water.
ashbeartravels.blog 