Berlin

I visited Berlin for three days this December with my friend Mattea. We stayed at an AirBnB near the central train station and had so much fun exploring the city. Berlin is big but the public transportation is inexpensive and easy to navigate. There is so much history in this city and plenty of free sights and museums to keep your budget in check!

Brandenburg Gate

One of the most famous landmarks in Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate is a must-see destination in Berlin.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

A block away from the Brandenburg Gate is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Designed by Peter Eisenman, this memorial rests in between sculpture and architecture. One thing I hadn’t realized just looking at pictures before I went there is that the ground slopes up and down and none of the columns are exactly straight so it is very disorientating to walk through.

Gendarmenmarkt Christmas Market

If you’re in Berlin for Christmas, you have to check out the Gendarmenmarkt. It’s one of my favorite Christmas markets so far and they had the best food! Mattea and I got some carrot ginger soup that was to die for and we also had some traditional Spätzle.

Checkpoint Charlie and the Topography of Terror Museum

A short walk away is Checkpoint Charlie and the Topography of Terror Museum. Checkpoint Charlie is the best-known Berlin Wall crossing point. A block from there is the free Topography of Terror Museum which had a lot of historical information about the war and its impacts.

East Side Gallery

The East Side Gallery is an open-air mural gallery on a section of the Berlin wall. It’s a little farther from the city center from everything else but it’s definitely worth it if the weather is nice.

Otto Weidt Museum, Dolores Mitte Burritos and Alexanderplatz

The perfect finale to our trip to Berlin was Alexanderplatz. We went to the Otto Weidt Museum. Weidt owned a workshop in Berlin for blind and deaf people. When the war broke out, Weidt risked his life to protect his Jewish employees and hid some of them in his factory. And the best part: the museum is free! After the museum, we got some delicious burritos at Dolores Mitte and then wandered around the Alexanderplatz Christmas market.

If walls could dream… they’d dream of being torn down in Berlin.