Landmarks in Berlin!
My daddy lived and studied for his PhD in Germany. He was so proud of that period in his life and always had so many interesting stories about how beautiful the country is. I actually don’t remember when and where I decided that I had to see Germany for myself.
Fast forward a few years later and Mr E and I had to make a choice between Munich and Berlin. I picked Berlin because I thought it was more romantic, less noisy and had a lot of places I wanted to see. Most importantly, I was fascinated by all the pictures of the landmarks in Berlin dating back to the war and telling the story of Berlin’s history.
We landed at 1pm and jumped on a direct bus from the airport to our hotel and our Berlin journey began!! We got off at Alexanderplatz and located our hotel in 2 minutes. Checked in and settled into our hotel. After a much needed rest, we set out to explore Berlin by night. Best decision ever!! It was like a different town from what we had seen in the day. It had a gothic vibe to it as the streetlights highlighted the buildings and brought out their characters. Every monument looked breathtaking! It was almost as if every structure meant something (they probably all did) and was worth more that it would have been in the daytime.
Berlin's Iconic Landmarks
We started off at the Berlin Television Tower. It shoots up over 360m to the sky and is one of the most visible landmarks from most parts of the city. We walked on and stumbled upon Rotes Rathaus (Berlin’s city hall), which was a few minutes walk from our hotel in Alexanderplatz built in the 1860s. We walked down to the Berliner Dom (The Berlin Cathedral) – another showstopper and the most gorgeous Basilica I have ever seen. Something about how the outside lights hit the building made the structure even more stunning!
Then we eventually made our way down to the grand Brandenburg Tor aka Brandenburg Gate. This is probably the most notable landmark in all of Berlin. We watched proposals, bridal parties and tourists trying to get the best selfies.
Berlin is full of history. Walking from Brandenburg Tor all the way to the Victory column, there are a lot of armored vehicles, war references and gardens that had statues mounted in honor of fallen soldiers and generals. In hindsight, it felt like the city was taking you on a triumph walk. Halfway through the walk, I had a juxtapose moment of looking back towards the war or looking ahead towards the Victory column. Pretty fascinating tbh!
It is very different from any city I had been to as you could tell that there was a lot of effort made to preserve the reality of what the city had faced and it is not just in one area, but every part of the city.
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe; tucked a few minutes away from Brandenburg Tor. This site was difficult to visit due its background story; knowing that it was in remembrance of people who had died made it 100x more somber for us. I did not take any pictures there out of respect (I’m not sure if you are allowed to but for personal reasons, I chose not to). We walked around quietly for a few minutes, said a prayer and left.
The next day, we went to the Berlin Wall. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting but I had gone by half of the wall before I realised I was already there. I guess the fact that there is graffiti on a lot of streets leading up to it, I could not tell the difference at first glance! We spent some time reading the notes people had left on the wall: political, sartorial and some cheesy ones too lol
Next was Konzerthaus Berlin located in Gendarmenmarkt in central Mitte. It is currently a concert hall. Ok, this was my favourite structure in Berlin. We got to the square quite late in the evening so we were able to catch the light effects, which shone throughout the building. It felt like we were in a movie; quite unreal!
To Eat
Street food. My fave thing was the Currywurst! Sausage seasoned with curry and cut into slices; served which ketchup! I had this twice a day, for everyday we were in Berlin. I just could not get enough; plus, it is very cheap!
Downtime and Chill
Our hotel had an extension, which opens up to the Spagos Restaurant, Bar & Lounge.
Pretty cool lounge. There was a performer singing and playing classic songs on the piano, the vibe was mature and it was the perfect way to spend our last night in Berlin.
Travel Details
- Hotel – Park Inn by Radisson Berlin Alexanderplatz. Prides itself as being the tallest hotel in Berlin. It is quite close to a lot of landmarks, which makes the location perfect and the hotel was so stunning. I remember saying to Mr E that I felt like I was in the Titanic – Highly recommend!
- Flights – British Airways
Both booked as a package deal on Expedia
To Note
- Currency – Euro
- Duration Needed – 2-3 nights should suffice.
- Best time to go – We went in March; it was bearably cold but with layers, you’ll be fine to walk around.
- Level of Expense – Affordable. Very affordable. Again, one of the cheaper cities in Europe.
Top Tip – Every site we visited was free. You don’t need to pay for guided tours as all the background information is available online or on slabs by each landmark.
Is Berlin on your travel list? Or any other city in Germany?
Bisous, ‘Bugo x
6 Comments
Babbi
Berlin is my favourite European city yet. It’s a whole vibe & a multicultural melting pot. I love it.
Bugo
Isn’t it?! I was so blown away; probably because I went there with zero expectations.
Mielle
Berlin is a definite most visit on the list of European cities. Contender for best European city. Love the pictures!!
Bugo
You’re so right! It’s so underrated, yet so much fun x
Adaku Ufere
That shot of you in front of the graffiti wall is so flames 🔥
I have my own issues with Germany so based on beef I’ve decided to dislike the country 😂
Bugo
thank you!
LMAO you need to write about your ordeal!