First-Timer’s Guide to Berlin

Continuing on my Euro road trip series, Jacek, Jessica, and I drove 2.5 hours from the coast of Poland to Berlin. We spent 3 days there, which brought us to the halfway mark of our itinerary. When we arrived in Berlin, I received major NYC vibes from its evident diversity (relative to Poland) and liveliness. It felt natural to be there, so much so that I could see myself living there and loving it.

Here’s a first-timer’s guide to spending a few days in Berlin!

Where to Stay in Berlin

Neighborhood

We stayed in a beautiful penthouse in the Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood. Our street reminded me of a less crowded SoHo in NYC. There are many restaurants and bars, including one directly below our apartment, and lots of people out and about, but not to the point where you feel overcrowded. I also loved the abundance of sunflowers throughout the neighborhood.

 Airbnb Experience

We booked this penthouse using Airbnb and had a positive experience. This was my first time using a shared apartment space internationally, but it worked out to our benefit. The apartment was big enough that we and the hosts didn’t feel on top of each other; plus, we were only there to sleep and eat a few meals, so we shared apartment space for the win! Y’all know I’m all about the local experiences, and if you think about it, people who want to be in their homes at the same time as you are more likely to want to socialize with you.

Our host, Kai, is a yogi master who runs a studio in Berlin and teaches yoga worldwide. I also found out that he’d lived in NYC (so he automatically received double cool points from me, lol). I asked him if he was teaching yoga during our stay, and he said yes and invited us to be his guests. If you are ever in Berlin and want to include yoga in your trip, check out his studio, Yoga Tribe.

How to Get Around Berlin

Berlin has an extensive public transportation system, so we did not need to drive anywhere. We found metered parking quickly on our street. Berlin has four public transportation options: underground subway, buses, trams, and taxis.

During our time there, we navigated the subway and tram system easily. I highly suggest you have euros to purchase your tickets. You don’t want to be stuck scrambling for euro coins to buy tickets because no one’s card worked at the machine (true story). You can purchase subway tickets on the subway platform and tram tickets inside the tram or on its platform. 

The blue car pictured above is an East German car called Trabant or Trabi, a cultural icon. When the Berlin Wall fell, thousands of East Germans drove their Trabis across the border! Despite its major cultural significance, it is known as one of the worst cars because it’s made of cheap materials (resin mixed with cotton). We didn’t get a chance to drive in one, but you can rent one and drive around the city at Trabi World.

 Things to Do

Enjoy live music by the Oberbaum Bridge.

Berlin’s double-decker bridge, Oberbaum Bridge, runs along River Spree. It signifies unity by connecting Friedrichshain to Kreuzberg, former East Berlin and West Berlin boroughs (respectively). The bridge is usually busy and a great place for musicians to play their music. 

Visit the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall.

Close to the Oberbaum Bridge is the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall, which divided East and West Germany for 28 years. Currently, the East Side Gallery features beautiful paintings from over 100 artists worldwide and a random Beyoncé-inspired party flyer. The fall of the Wall was an essential part of history and a lovely tribute to it.

Check out Kreuzberg and enjoy a California Pop.

After visiting the East Side Gallery, we headed to the Kreuzberg for food and had some delicious ice cream bars from California Pops. Kreuzberg is a fun and artsy neighborhood that used to be shut in on three sides by the Berlin Wall.

Go on a free walking tour.

In a perfect world, we would have started our trip with a walking tour to organize the rest of our time. However, life happened, and who wants to rush during vacation?!

We attempted to make the highly recommended Sandemans’ walking tour but missed it by a few minutes. Luckily, the Brandenburg Gate is the meeting spot for many walking tour groups. We immediately spotted a guy in a neon yellow vest that said FREE WALKING TOUR and followed him. The tour was very informative and lasted about two hours. Here are some of the landmarks we covered:

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

This is a memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust and is overlooked by Parliament so they never forget about the atrocities of that era.

Checkpoint Charlie

This can be found on the border of Berlin, Mitte, and Kreuzberg.  It was the assigned crossing point for non-German citizens and members of the Allied Forces during the Cold War.

Topography of Terror

This is an exhibition that is located in the former premises of the SS headquarters and highlights the terror caused by the Nazi regime. Our tour guide mentioned this free museum during our tour, and we visited it afterward. You can spend hours there, but we got hungry and only spent about 45 minutes there. Pro Tip: don’t go to a museum hungry.

Hitler’s Bunkers

We visited a few of the label-less spots of Hitler’s bunkers (underground hiding places). It was eerie, mainly because there are right in the middle of an apartment complex.

Rausch Schokoladenhaus

If you are a fan of chocolate, you must visit Rausch Schokoladenhaus. It is arguably some of the best chocolate I’ve ever had. Our tour guide said that is where he spends all his tip money. They have many Berlin landmarks made of chocolate and other things, like an angel baby, a plane, and Titanic.

Gendarmenmarkt

Our tour ended here. It is a lovely square surrounded by the German and the French Cathedral and Schinkel’s Konzerthaus.

Visit Mauerpark’s Sunday flea market.

During our last brunch in Berlin, we started talking to this local. I asked what he suggested we do before we leave, and he immediately said to go to Mauerpark (Wall Park) on Sunday, where there is a fantastic flea market, open-air karaoke, and positive vibes. I got some great souvenirs from here, and luckily, for my pockets, we set a time limit for ourselves.

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