BIERKELLERS & BRATWURSTS IN BERLIN

 

One of my daughter Belles 18th gifts was a mum & daughter mini-City break to Berlin. This was originally booked for June 2023 but had to be changed a few times for various reasons, so we ended up going in cold January.

Unfortunately, the weather is a bit like the UK at the moment, grey & wet but Berlin has had a big bout of snow recently, so the city looked quite waterlogged from melting snow. 

However, bad weather certainly wasn’t going to spoil our trip and, after an extremely seamless journey from Manchester, we arrived at our hotel The Hotel Riu Plaza.

The hotel was slightly clinical but extremely clean with a great breakfast - all you need on a city break really- along with drink making facilities in the room, our hotel was ideally located not far from the main city attractions.

Although very touristy, I’ve always found a hop on hop off sightseeing but is great on the first day in a new city so you can get your bearings and, with the weather being miserable in the morning it was the perfect thing to do. 

My first impressions of the city as we drove round was that it looks like it’s still stuck in the 1970’s (maybe the C&A department store added to that!!!!) with many concrete buildings and everything looking like it needed a good lick of paint. With its graffiti adorned buildings it’s certainly not an aesthetically pleasing city and to me it doesn’t hold a candle to Cologne where I lived for a few months in my 20’s. 

However, it’s always good to experience a new city and it was very interesting to see the remaining section of the Berlin Wall and the holocaust concrete graces. 

 

Berlin, the capital city of Germany, is renowned for its exceptional range of landmarks, vibrant cultural scene and way of life. 

The city is best known for its striking contrasts. Historical buildings stand alongside modern architecture as the past and present intermingle. The sights Berlin has to offer, from the Brandenburg Gate to the Chancellor's Office, show the history of an entire nation. Germany's capital is home to all the main government buildings, including the historical Reichstag building as the seat of the German parliament.

Berlin is the city of art, artists and museums & is also a popular destination for classical music fans from every corner of the globe thanks to its leading orchestras, such as the globally popular Berlin Philharmonic, and the city's three huge opera houses, where spectacular operas and ballets are performed. 

Shopaholics are in their element on the renowned Kurfürstendamm and in the independent boutiques around the Hackesche Höfe. Berlin is a trendsetting city when it comes to music, art and life itself.

However, the city somehow remains chilled, with plenty of open spaces where people can go to breathe in some fresh air. With sprawling parks, wooded areas and lakes.

 

After learning about the historical side of the city on the tour it was time for some fun & we alighted the bus in Alexandraplatz.

The "Alex", as it is called by Berliners, is the central square of the eastern city centre and encompasses attractions - such as the TV Tower, the World Clock, and the Fountain of Friendship between Nations - which are popular with tourists from all around the world. 

For pre-dinner drinks I had booked The Ice bar Berlin & for the entry price of €22.50 3 drinks were included. I have to say the bar looks better in the photos than it actually is & it’s much smaller plus the drinks were not great with very little choice. We had a fun half an hour or so in there, but I wouldn’t particularly recommend it.

Having travelled extensively in my 20’s I have a tradition of always visiting the Hard Rock Cafe in every city I go to so of course we had to dine one night at the Berlin Hard Rock which was great. 

On our final day we visited the fabulous KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westerns) department store & then sampled some local delicacies including a delicious bratwurst & schnitzel before heading back to the airport.

Not a city I’ll rush back to in a hurry as there are much prettier cities in Germany alone, but we still had a wonderful trip.

 

Berlin is far colder than the UK in January so dress up warmly if you choose to travel at this time or year.

We caught an Uber from the airport then a train back which I highly recommend. The train service was extremely efficient, the train very clean and it was very reasonably priced.

Restaurant & shop prices are very similar to the UK overall with plenty of fabulous restaurants to choose from.

Try and learn a few German phrases before you go (luckily I lived in Germany for a year plus I studied it at school & quite a lot came back to me) as locals don’t speak English readily unless they really have to!!