Win in Berlin
( I’m sorry … but … yes , I’m going to try and keep up with the ‘punny’ titles for all of my posts … just try to see past it if it really bothers you … )
This past weekend I went on my first independently planned trip of my study abroad semester !! Wohoo !!
— SO basically this post is going to be about my recommendations based on my trip to the said country and/or city , and I’m going to try and do this for every trip that I do in fact take part of in hopes that it might help you in your future travel whoever you may be … —
ANYWAYS … this past weekend a dear dear friend of mine ( lol we met each other on the orientation weekend trip a little over a week ago … PTL she hasn’t gotten sick of me yet !! ) and I traveled by the immaculate Ryanair to Berlin, Germany for the weekend ! And what an amazing weekend it turned out to be ! And let me tell you , it was not really at all like I thought it would be , which is always a good thing … life’s gotta keep you on your toes !
SO Berlin is an UBER diverse city . And it can be seen through a weekend trip of hitting all the highlights . It is filled to the brim with hipsters , tourists , various cultures (German , Indian , Turkish , Greek , Vietnamese , Cambodian , Sudanese , etc. etc. etc.) , homeless people , white collared business people , graffiti artists , punk rockers , backpackers , street vendors , AND SO MUCH FREAKING MORE !! Basically what I’m saying is that no matter who you are , Berlin has a place where you can feel loved . It has truly turned into such an accepting city and those are almost impossible to come by these days .
My top recommendations for if/when you go to Berlin are …
- Take a couple hours and walk the East Side Gallery which is the longest open air gallery in the WORLD by stretching 1,316 meters long. This area of the remaining Berlin Wall is a monument to the fall of the physical separation of East and West, with Germany’s peaceful overcoming and still to this day is a symbol to many of reunification. Give yourself time to take in all of the 101 murals on this stretch of the wall and simply reflect. The messages that this wall delivers says so much about the past, present, and future that we all need to be reminded of daily.
- Schedule a Street Art Workshop through Alternative Berlin Tours. During this 4.5-5 hour stretch of time you will be taken on a tour of the back streets of Berlin to discover truly amazing graffiti / mural / street art (and yes, all 3 of those are VERY different ). Your tour guide will either be a graffiti writer / street artist / or both and this is a very key part of the day because not only do they know where all the best stuff is … they will also offer an insight to you about this culture of street art that you probably have never considered prior. AND THEN at the end, you get to go to their workshop and get a tutorial on both street art and graffiti techniques AND practice such with actual spray paint. My friend and I took this tour and it was without a doubt a large highlight of our trip to Berlin and now we find it hard to pass street art on the streets of Rome without pausing to appreciate it or even recognize the artist that was there based on what we remember from the streets of Berlin.
- Pay your respects at the Memorial for European Jews. Although this memorial may seem slightly out of the way from all of the other things that you will want to do in Berlin, once you step into this memorial you will completely forget that. You will get lost in the vastness and solemness of it. It is incredibly hard to explain, I got light headed walking through actually it was that overwhelmingly moving that I had to sit down. AND please please please do not conform to the disrespectful tourists that will be around you running in and out of the memorial or posing for ‘artsy’ pictures and what not. Trust me you will have time for that elsewhere.
- Explore the flea markets ( called flohmarkts there ) and street fairs that Berlin will have on the daily! We went to the RAW Flohmarkt , the Boxhanger Flohmarkt , and a street fair that just happened to be going on the day that we checked-into our Airbnb and was just down the street! Not only are the set ups of these markets fun ( RAW is set up in the former site of the largest railway reconnaissance station ) but you never know what you will find & this environment is great for basking in the culturally diversified population of Berlin. — I actually ended up buying a map of Chicago from 1894 for only 20 euros —
- EAT A LOT
- Brammibals Doughnuts
- Do you miss the interesting doughnuts that are around found all over Chicago? Pop into Brammibals to go back home for a little bit. — Side note , yes these doughnuts are vegan but they are still amazing nonetheless. —
- Wonder Waffel
- Why do Germans love waffels so much? Because they consume them COMPLETELY different than how we do!! At Wonder Waffel you first have to choose your sauce … then your fruit … then your ice cream … and then your toppings … I got nutella, strawberries, bananas, blueberries, almonds, and chocolate ice cream. You MAY feel like you will explode post-waffel BUT you will be happy without a doubt. And you’re studying abroad, pounds don’t count until you step off that plane back onto American soil right? OH also they will write your name in chocolate sauce on your plate so if you like taking pictures of your food … here’s a perfect photo-op !!
- Good Morning Vietnam
- SO good … just trust me ! ( I had some kind of noodle dish … I could bet that they are all great though )
- Restaurant Bastard
- My friend and I went here for brunch and it was amazing. The vibe, the coffee, the food so so so great ! You won’t regret going here at all and you will probably feel cooler by going … at least I did … I can’t speak for everyone though.
- The Bird
- PREPARE YOUR ARTERIES !!! Do you miss the fatty and greasy food of the states yet ?!?!? Surprisingly enough, at least it was surprising to my friend and I, Germany is known and quite popular for their burgers and fries … and if you go to The Bird you will NOT be let down. And this is all coming from a girl that really only likes burgers in the states if they come from her dad’s bar sooooo maybe I’d say I’m a reliable source on this one? ( I got DA Bird which I HIGHLY recommend, you’re SO incredibly welcome in advance ) Oh and PLEASE don’t gip yourself and skip out on their fries … probably some of the best fries I ever have eaten … like I didn’t even ask for BBQ sauce to eat them with and for me that’s a HUGE deal.
- Amrit
- Walking the streets of Berlin the smells of spices from Indian and Middle Eastern restaurants alike tumble through the air and after a while you will find yourself craving either a falafel shawarma or some chicken curry. For my friend and I it was whatever we ran into first which happened to be this HUGE Indian restaurant that was booming with business. And their food attested to why it was ! — and don’t worry if your’e a spicy crier like me … there are enough mild foods that will satisfy your hunger.
- Roamers
- IF YOU DO ANYTHING ON THIS BLOG LET IT BE THIS !!!!! The environment , the food , the music , the staff , the drinks , literally everything will have you smiling from ear to ear … that is if you have a heart … yup … I went there. AND I have to admit that this is where I believe I have consumed the best meal that I will ever have the honor of receiving and consuming. ( there may or may not have been tears ) I had a homemade granola bowl ( homemade granola, yogurt, homemade berry compote, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, chia seeds, sesame seeds, honey, and bee pollen ) and my friend had avocado toast with a poached egg. Oh and … GET A CINNAMON ROLL !!!
- Get some coffee , get some fresh juice , get your brunch , get a pastry , and hey maybe stay for your next meal !!!! ( I regret not staying 100 % )
- If that didn’t sell you … here is how they describe themselves on their website : “Farm house charm with a breeze of California,woody & rustic, stuffed with plants & country music, handcrafted food adorned with a fistful of love.” AND MAN OH MAN will you feel the love !!!
- NOW if that didn’t sell you … here is the quote that they basically live by : “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers” RIGHT ?!?! amazing.
- Brammibals Doughnuts
- DRINK UP ( I apologize in advance for you beer lovers … I know I know Germany is known for their beer but c’mon … I’m a coffee girl whaddya expect ?! )
- Silo Coffee
- They also have food options but are always very packed.
- Brammibals (again)
- Roamers (again)
- Silo Coffee
— ENDING SIDE NOTE — Bring a filled water bottle with you everywhere unless you enjoy the feeling of dehydration ! Berlinians ( I just made that up … creative huh?!? It’s why they pay me the big bucks !! jkjk I’m not paid for this … ) do NOT drink water !!!!!! When my friend and I would go to dinner ( namely Good Morning Vietnam and Amrit ) and ask for water as we always do back home we would sometimes have to order alcohol first and then get a shot glass sized water offering. And don’t even try to get a refill … we tried at a restaurant and the server said that was all we could receive. Like we couldn’t even pay for water. —
ANWAYS, anyways, bring a water bottle with you and simply go to Berlin and enjoy all that the very very cultured city has to offer you. Soak it all in man.