Germany is one of my happy places. Germany has hugely underrated food, (perhaps unexpectedly) warm and wonderful people and an enthralling history.

While France for me is synonymous with shared experiences with family, Germany is synonymous with shared experiences with friends. I think almost every time I’ve been to Germany it’s been with friends.

The first time I visited Germany was back in 2008 when Interrailing around Europe with friends from university.

I dug out my journal from this trip. My first experience of Berlin was getting lost on the U-Bahn for two hours while trying to meet up with some friends before going out on an all-nighter.

I had a lot of fun this afternoon tracing down our route from my scribbled notes. I’d love to go back to many of the bars like Silberfisch, but the place with the most interesting story is Studio 54.

When we visited back in 2008, we were all completely mesmerised by Studio 54. Studio 54 was a crumbling hunk of a building with an art commune, surreal sculpture park and a beach bar with mesmerising techno music. Every surface of Studio 54 was covered with colourful, thought-provoking graffiti.

Questionable fashion choices in Tacheles

After a little reading up, I’ve learned its actual name was Arthouse Tacheles. It was originally built as a department store before becoming. After being damaged in World War II, the building was partly demolished, but the rest left and neglected as the East German government had no funds to renovate it.

Tacheles was then planned to be demolished in 1990, but luckily it was spared this fate as it was taken over by a group of artists. Similarly to Christiania in Copenhagen, Tacheles was run as a cooperative and used to experiment with alternate lifestyles, art, music and various installations. The building gradually morphed into an attraction in its own right before being finally vacated in 2012. It’s sadly now being redeveloped into a mix of retail and apartments.

Skiing with Katrin, Felix & Joe near Oberstdorf

Visiting Berlin with Joe and Devin back in 2018

More recently, the last time I got to leave Denmark was for an aborted Oktoberfest trip to Munich. Even though Oktoberfest may have been cancelled we still managed to catch up with some really close friends and drinks few steins.

Catching up with Wadzi for the first time in 10 years

I’ll leave you with one quick tip. Back in 2015, I wrote a guide for things to do in Berlin. I have one important addition that I discovered a few years back - Vabali Spa and thermal baths. It’s like taking an Indonesian mini-break within your break in Berlin. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Das ist alles, bis morgen!

A friend recently asked me for some tips for a weekend in Berlin, so I thought I’d make the most of the opportunity and write a quick blog post. This list is by no means exhaustive; Berlin is one of those cities where there is an almost unlimited number of things to see and do, but here are a few of my favourites:

Berlin Free tour

I first took this free tour of Berlin back in 2008 when I was practically penniless. The tour hasn’t changed much since, and importantly is still free, but that’s not why you should take it. The tour starts right next to the Brandenburg gate and explores sights such as Checkpoint Charlie, the Jewish Memorial and some of the few remaining examples of the Third Reich architecture such as the oppressive Luftwaffe headquarters. It’s the best way to get your bearings if you’re visiting Berlin for the first time.

Berlin Free Tour

DDR Museum

Located nearby the TV tower where the Berlin free tour ends, the Berlin DDR Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into what life was like in the GDR controlled East Berlin.

DDR Museum

East Side Gallery and Michelberger Hotel

Even though the Berlin Wall came crashing down well over 25 years ago there are still a surprisingly large number of stretches of the wall still standing. One of the best places to see the wall is the East Side Gallery in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. It’s a 1.3KM stretch of wall plastered in artwork by over 100 street artists from all of the world. Once you’ve taken in the art, what could be better than sipping a cocktail at the incredibly hip Hotel Michelberger? They have a great selection of cocktails and the coolest menu design I’ve ever seen.

Homework - The Berlin Wall by Frederick Taylor

No trip to Berlin would be complete without taking a walk along one of the last remaining sections of the wall, but to get a bit of background to Berlin I’d recommend reading Frederick Taylor’s Berlin Wall book. It’s a fascinating account of Berlin from the end of World War Two right up to the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989. Having a sense of what the city has been through in the last 70 years makes sightseeing so much more interesting.

Book pick - The Berlin Wall by Frederick Taylor

Climb the dome of the Reichstag Building

From the top of the futuristic dome crowning the Reichstag building you can peer down into the German Bundestag (parliament) and see a 360-degree view of the surrounding Berlin skyline. What’s more it’s free, provided you book in advance. It’s particularly captivating if you visit at night.

Book Tickets to visit the Reichstag Dome

Late Sunday Brunch at the Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg

I won’t say too much about this incredible palace of delicacies other than it has to be the best place to get breakfast in Berlin on a Sunday. Markthalle Neun is a vast indoor market is crammed full of stalls selling delicious breakfast items. Check opening times though, as the market doesn’t open every weekend. If you’d like to read more about breakfast places in Berlin, check out Joe’s blog post:

Galloping Ghrelin - Brunching in Berlin