For months, we had been counting down the days until our city break to Berlin and this week we finally arrived in Berlin for our 4 day adventure!
After a considerably early flight and a painless journey from the airport to the city centre, we quickly got settled in Plus Hostel Berlin, although I should probably correct this to "hotel" because it was nothing like a hostel as we had a private double room and an en-suite. So, as far as hostels go this was probably the most luxurious you could get.
After a quick unpacking of our bags, we went straight out to get our bearings (and mainly to get food). Our hostel is directly next to the East Side Gallery and borders Neukolln, the hub of all things vintage. According to reviews, it's hipster haven. Alex and I felt like the un-coolest people in the area!
I always prefer to walk round the city as opposed to getting the train or bus, as you get to see the real personality of a city and usually the best parts are hidden away from the main streets. On our first day we walked to Treptower Park and around the area before finally ending up in Que Pasa, a Mexican themed bar-restaurant. I didn't expect to be eating anything other than burgers and Currywurst, but the food at Que Pasa was so yummy (and reasonably priced). It was a bonus that they were also offering ample 4€ cocktails! It would be silly not to visit this little gem.
Our second day was our busiest day as we did all of the touristy things and managed to walk around 20 miles in total that day. Firstly, we walked along side the East Side Gallery, the most intact part of the Berlin wall, and this was by far my favourite part of Berlin. Each part of the wall tells a personal story, and it's an uncensored expression of freedom through street art.
We also ventured to Alexanderplatz to see the TV Tower, Brandenburg Gate, Tiergarten, Checkpoint Charlie, Topography of Terrors and in the evening we had a guided tour of the Bundestag (Reichstag) Building which was surprisingly super interesting and gave an insightful overview of the history of German parliament. The views of Berlin from the terrace at the top of the building finished off the day well. Better yet, all of the attractions above were free. The only thing we paid for that day was a Currywurst and some snacks from Lidl. We're stereotypical frugal students, aren't we?
Burgermeister
Five Elephant Coffee and Cake
New Deli Yoga Berlin
Berlin isn't a place you go to be bombarded with lots of attractions, but the culture and lifestyle is an attraction in itself. Once we had finished looking at the sights (which took only a day), we emerged ourselves in the culture. If any of you know me well enough, you know that Alex and I are HUGE burger enthusiasts, which means we were in our element when we found Burgermeister. Burgermeister is hidden under a bridge in Kreuzberg and serves the world's greatest burgers for a friendly price of only €4. It also has beer cheaper than Coca-Cola, so you can see what the hype is about.
We also did some cafe-hopping around Neukolln and purposefully went to Five Elephant Cafe. The weather was tropical for March, so we sat outside with some fancy coffees and ate the most incredible cheesecake.
When evening arrives, Berlin has an incredible array of bars. After revising the entirety of Trip Advisor, we explored another neighbourhood called Prenzlauerberg and spent the night having copious amounts of Whiskey and Beer.
Berlin is now one of my favourite places, and I'm really itching to get back there once I'm not a student and earning my own money. Berlin is perfect for a student budget, or anyone who isn't looking to break the bank.
