Berlin had been on my list for years before I eventually decided to get myself out there for my 29th birthday a couple of weeks ago. I knew I'd love it - the history, the edginess, the urban grit... it just sounded like such a cool place to me. And it was. So here's what I got up to on my weekend in Berlin - I spent longer than 24 hours there, but our second evening entailed wrong tram rides, incorrect directions, and zero bar-hopping, which is what we were looking for. So, it's a 24-hour Berlin travel guide instead!
Kreuzberg
On our first evening me and my mate headed to Kreuzberg (aka Little Istanbul) - I heard it was a hip neighbourhood heavily influenced by Turkish culture so I wanted to go and check it out. Firstly, I had the best shawarma/kebab from a little unassuming shop on Oranienstraße called Habibi for something stupid like £3. Then afterwards we did a little bar-hopping along that same street, in and out of quirky, industrial-chic haunts drinking £2 pints of beer.
Top tip for Berlin: bring cash. Barely anywhere takes card. I've also heard Kreuzberg is well-known for its third-wave coffee at places like Concierge Coffee and White Elephant, but the evening called for beer, and who are we to say no to that?
Walking tour
Call me ancient, but I'm such a fan of a walking tour - especially when you don't have very long in your destination. We decided to go for the Alternative Street Tour with AB Tours as we wanted to explore the street art, the culture and the underbelly of Berlin - which is what the website promised. I wish I could remember the guys name who took us around on the tour, but I have the worst memory in the world. He basically took us around three districts, talked to us about the history and how it informs modern culture, through abandoned places-turned-projects, cool spaces and the amazing street art around the city. We ended it at YAAM (Young African Art Market) - a really unique spot that looks out over the river, with food stalls, a bar, market and cool art. The tour was free and takes donations based on what you think it's worth - and it was seriously worth it.
The regular tourist spots
We also headed to the usual tourist places like the Berlin Wall, the Cathedral, Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The historic sites that speak to Berlin's past were poignant, eye-opening, and really interesting and I'm glad that we ran around the city like madmen exploring them because we really got an idea of what Berliners have been through and how far they've come.
So, that's my teeny tiny Berlin travel itinerary. I'll 100% be going back to explore more - maybe this time in the summer so I can chill in the beer gardens of cool art project places, and check out the nightlife a bit more. If anyone has any cool recommendations of things to do in Berlin for my next trip, I'd be hugely grateful.
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