Exploring the Heart of Germany: A long weekend in Berlin.
Welcome to Berlin. This is going to be a simple, comprehensive guide, as we only spent 3 days exploring this diverse city. Berlin is the Capital city of Germany, located in the countries North East, it has a fascinating history and is well worth experiencing. Berlin also has a buzzing, diverse food scene, celebrating food styles and techniques from all over the world, so of course this was a massive draw card for us. We would recommend giving yourself 3-5 days, as this is sufficient time to explore what the city has to offer.
Where to Stay
Berlin has a vast amount of accommodation types from simple hostels to luxury hotels along the river. We’ll be honest, the accommodation we chose (despite the raving reviews) was really disappointing and will not recommend. It was situated in an average part of town, and a good 30 minute walk from the main attractions and even further from the ‘foodie’ areas. Needless to say we spent a lot of time on public transport and walking.
Having experienced a part of Berlin, we would recommend looking to stay as central as possible, which gives you greater access to sites and the buzzing food scene. Look for accommodation in or near the Mitte District, this area buzzes and despite the city being quite dirty, you will captivated by a vast array of shops, restaurants & bars. The Mitte District is not far from various attractions and overall felt like a better area to be in. A reputable accommodation source in this District is Gorki Apartments, certainly on the more premium end but we thought we would mention it.
Avg. Costs in Berlin
You can look around and find some decent places to eat at affordable prices but just be prepared that it’s not a ‘low-priced city’ that it’s portrayed to be. We found the public transport to be rather punctual, and reasonably priced. The museums and galleries are well priced and considering the fascinating history of Germany and Berlin, these are some of the best in the world. In 2023, the average cost pp/per day in Berlin is €137, however you determine how much or little you want to spend.
Avg. coffee price: €3.50 | Avg. dinner Per couple: €40 - €50 | Avg. accommodation: €100 - €150 per night per couple
Best time of year to visit Berlin
The warmest months in Berlin are between May and September. The weather during our time in Berlin was variable, from 24°C (☀️) to 12°C (☔). Germany is a country that’s great to visit all year around, but if you don’t like the cold, then these are the months for you.
To be aware that on Sundays, Berlin is predominantly closed. We found some restaurants to be open, along with essential food stores and clearly the thing to do on a Sunday is flea markets. Hundreds of second hand stores, hand made crafts and records (LP’s) are plentiful.
We went to two and if this is your thing, they are great fun and a brilliant experience.
Favorite coffee, restaurants & drinks spots in Berlin
A stand out aspect of this city is by far its food scene! The city is filled with roughly 15000 eating establishments, so we can gurantee you will not be short of choice. From sidewalk currywurst to fine dining restaurants and everything in between, your minds will be blown! We love good food and have had the privilege of trying food in many countries across Europe & Asia, so we thought we’d share with you a comprehensive list of coffee shops & restaurants you have got to try…
Things to do in Berlin
Below are a few suggestions of where to start, we barely scratched the surface, but like always, travel is about doing the things that interest you, inspire you and most of all provide the most amount of enjoyment.
Berlin Wall, East Side Gallery
Brandenburger Tor (Gate) - as seen above
Memorial of the Murdered Jews in Europe
Hitlers Bunker - Berlin Story Bunker
Markthalle Neun (Markethall Nine)
Tiergarten Park
For further suggestions and ideas, we would recommend checking out Berlin.de
Berlin is a very interesting city in many regards and so we hope this has inspired you to go and experience what is has to offer. Below is a summary of our favorite shots from the trip.
