Fancy a city break with a difference? Daisy of 'Pretty Green Tea' blog tells us why you need to visit Berlin, inspired by her Lonely Planet magazine subscription...
Every month my postie drops the latest copy of my Lonely Planet magazine subscription through my letterbox. I always save the magazine for a sunny day so I can sit outside and read it without any interruptions. It’s a wonderful magazine filled with stunning photography and interesting articles. I’m always left planning my next trip away and I’ve built up quite the bucket list over the last few months.
Not only does Lonely Planet fill me with inspiration but it also highlights memories of places I’ve been lucky enough to visit over the years. The May issue was all about the best European city breaks. It’s one issue that I’ve been going back to again and again over the last few weeks. I’m very much a city break kind of girl. Although I’d like to be heading over to somewhere new in the coming months I’ll actually be making my way back to Berlin.
Last October I went to Berlin, the capital of Germany. I really enjoyed my trip and managed to fit a lot into my stay. So, today I thought I’d share 6 reasons you should consider a city break in Berlin.
- Great food: Berlin has a wide variety of multi-cultural food options to suit every budget. You’ll find currywurst kiosks dotted all over the city, traditional restaurants serving up Schnitzel, healthy juice bars and vegan restaurants, Turkish food stalls, trendy coffee shops and busy brunch hotspots. There really is something for everyone.
If you’re looking for a relaxed but delicious breakfast to share then I highly recommend the continental breakfast at EntwederOder.
- Rich history: Berlin is full of history, it’s impossible to visit the city without learning something new. There are beautiful and important monuments all over the city. The best way to immerse yourself in the history of the city is through one of the many walking tours. I went on a free walking tour which covered; Brandenburg Gate, the site of Hitler’s bunker, the Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, The Berlin Wall and much more. At the end of the tour you tip your tour guide as you feel appropriate.
If you prefer to learn and explore yourself then there are well over 150 museums across the city. There’s a lot to choose from so make sure you do your research before your trip. The Museum of Photography, Jewish Museum and Story of Berlin are all well worth visiting. Don’t forget to stroll over to Museum Island where you can explore the following 5 museums; Pergamon Museum, Bode Museum, Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie and Altes Museum.
- The Thursday night market - Make sure you’re around on a Thursday to go to the night food market (5-10pm) at Markthalle Neun. It’s a big street food party covering many cuisines in one place. I’ll warn you now, it will be very hard to pick what you want to eat, there’s so much choice. I always like to share a couple of dishes with a friend, it’s the perfect excuse to try a few different things.
If you plan to visit the market then arrive early, it gets busy quickly. There’s a friendly atmosphere and everyone is ready to chat and share their foodie tips.
- Public transport: It’s very easy to travel around the city with the affordable and efficient public transport. Make good use of the trains, trams and underground during your stay.
- Art: There are plenty of art galleries and museums in Berlin. I personally suggest talking one of the Alternative Berlin Tours to see the street art and unique spots around the city.
- Shopping: Berlin offers a much more unusual shopping scene with quirky shops and the fantastic Bikini Berlin shopping centre. The shopping centre has a combination of independent shops, pop-ups and a few well established shops.
Will you be visiting Berlin in 2016? Get inspired for your next mini break with a subscription to Lonely Planet magazine - you never know where it might take you!
This is a guest post via the magazine.co.uk blogger network.
