My?Ultimate Berlin to do Guide
I recently travelled from Paris to Berlin ?- and I wanted to share my insights and tips of the best places to eat, shop and lazily hang out like a true Berliner. With lots of coffee snobbing in between – there will be a Berlin Coffee Guide to follow!
Berlin has a special place in my heart – food is cheap and of great quality, there are many green spaces and people are pleasant. This was my second time visiting this ever-changing city that has an unparalleled energy.
If you?ve never been to Berlin I can only describe it as teenage buoyancy: erratically energetic on some levels, yet calmingly lazy on other levels.
Berlin is the in-between of leaving childhood behind to embrace the newness of adulthood. It?s messy, it’s fun and it?s a constant dance between acceptance and rebuttal of change.?This was my second time there.
You know visiting a city on the second time around makes you want to see it ? ?all the ?dirty bits? (insert WILL.I.AM VOICE here..haha)
Like ?ok, now show me what you’ve really got?? . Last time I stayed in Mitte at a fancy hotel, had all the sightseeing my eyes and feet could bear. This time I was hell bent on just staying in one neighborhood ? only doing and seeing things that really interests me: coffee, food fashion and the interaction of people (I ended doing a lot of hipster shit! (sans le Stan Smith Adidas sneakers and Oversized glasses).
Which means I rented a bicycle and lounged around coffee shops a lot.
Staying in Neuk?lln (close to Kreuzberg), I crashed at one of my dear friends who recently moved to Berlin from Paris ? so no need for hotels or Airbnb this time. ?We had an absolutely?wonderful time! By the way Airbnb is a great way to stay at apartments when you travel. I’ve been using it for 6 years now.
It was certainly more fun to see the city with an ?insider?. ?They next couple of posts will have our favorite places from my 5-day trip to Berlin , via D?sseldorf, and Cologne. If you’re on instagram you can see more photos via the hashtag #yaniqueingermany on my personal account – it gets loaded with photos of coffee and?me posing beside doors (be warned!)
- Flight: Easyjet has cheap flights from Paris to Berlin for under 100 euros.
- Overnight Train: from Paris (Gare de L’Est) you can take an overnight train and arrive in Berlin the next day via BAHN the German train company.
- 1st timers: If this is your first time see a list of Berlin things to do here; Might be worth it to also get a day pass for Museum island.
- Stay: great aparts can be?rented for short term on Airbnb
- for more luxurious options there is Gorki Apartments + Plus One Berlin + Das Stue?++++ Waldorf Astoria Berlin
- Berlin blogs: my favorite Berlin blog is Stil in Berlin + Mit Verguegen
P.S. If you have any suggestions for my next Berlin trip – leave them in the comments!
xoxo