Expedia.com is giving away a trip to Berlin for one lucky blogger. I decided to enter the competition, which had some tight restrictions. I wrote this beautiful long informative post on all the things I would dream of doing with a week in Berlin, only to discover it was about 1,000 words too long. My imaginary trip to Berlin takes far more than 200 words to describe.
Make It Happen: BERLIN (the long version)
I fell in love with Europe after visiting Munich in 2011 and now I have a strong desire to not only explore more of Europe, but Germany in particular. With only two days there, I clearly wasn’t able to give the country the time it’s history and culture deserves! Berlin in particular has much to offer for the traveler due to it’s diverse art scene, complex history and 153 different museums! Here’s what I would do with a few days in the capital city.
STAY
- Reserve a room in the Swissotel Berlin where your luxury room comes stocked with an espresso maker to get you up and out the door in the morning and you can rent bikes on site.
The Swissotel Berlin, photo via Expedia.co.uk
EAT
- Taste the locavore menu of Ibero-Pacific cuisine at Pantry.
- Housed in what seems to be an old church, Katz Orange offers changing seasonal menus and inventive twists on classic cocktails like their “Mexican Garden,” a sweet and spicy take on a margarita.
- At Frarosa drink wine, choose from two set menus and pay a suggested donation price (or what you think the meal was worth!).
NIGHTLIFE
- Head to Clarchens Ballhaus where they offer nightly lessons in tango, salsa or swing and then spend the rest of the night getting showed up on the dance floor by grandmas.
- Berlin is world renown for it’s nightlife and I wouldn’t be able to go without spending at least one night out listening to some EDM. Panorama Bar is your best bet for international talent: it was named the “Best Club in the World” in 2011.
- Farbfernseher is Berlin’s smallest house venue. What it lacks for in size, however, it makes up for in spirit.
- Cookies: the club for those of you who want to party on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Only.
VISIT
- Start your first day off with the Discover Berlin Walking Tour which will take you around to the major historical sites. If you have the time, delve deeper with the Third Reich Walking Tour and see what is left of the “1000 year Reich.” Later on, return on your own to the Berlin Wall via the Nordbahnhof Station, which houses a museum that details the ancient history of the underground transportation system and the stories of those who used it to escape. Walk the 1.3km-long section of the wall known as the Eastside Gallery.
- The Brandenburg Gate, a neoclassical triumph arch, is the capital city’s most iconic landmark as it is the only remaining gate that used to be the only way to enter the city.
- Berlin might be best known for it’s vibrant street art and graffiti scene. The city, which once fought the wall murals, has opened it’s arms to street artists. Well known murals are found in Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, but it’s hard to find a street without art in the city. Learn about the artists and their tags at the online magazine Berlin Graffiti.
- Explore 800 years of history at the interactive museum The Story of Berlin. Exhibits include a still functioning nuclear bomb shelter.
- The DDR Musuem lets guests explore what life was like under the socialist regime in East Berlin.
- The Pergamom Museum is the most visited museum in Germany and holds the Pergamon Altar, so large it takes up an entire room and was originally constructed as an alter to Zeus.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
- On Sunday afternoons, join the masses and check out Bearpit Karaoke at the amphitheater in Mauerpark!