Nanda & Nathan The Travellers: Family Trip: Berlin

June 17-19, 2015 ---- Berlin is my favorite city in Germany. It might not be as pretty as Munich, but it is historically important, especially after WWII. If anyone plans a trip to Germany, I suggest that you put Berlin on the top of your itinerary and spend a few days there learning all about the Holocaust and the suffering of the Berliners after the war.

Accommodation: We stayed at "Metropolitan Hotel" located about a 5 minute walk from U-Bahn Spichernstraße station. It takes about 15 minutes to/from the Central Rail Station and involves at least one transfer. The hotel is in an old building, with a small elevator that stops at the landings between floors. There are many guest rooms and it's quite complicated to navigate your way around the hotel. However, it was nice, clean, and reasonably priced, and the breakfast was well-prepared.

Transportation: There are all means of transportation in Berlin. You can buy tickets from a machine located at all metro stations. There are three fare zones A, B and C, and you will need to buy only a ticket for zones AB to see all the famous tourist sites. If you travel with a group of 2-5 people, you might consider buying a "group day ticket." For tourists, the "Berlin Welcome Card" and "Berlin City Tour Card" already include transportation based on the zones you pick when purchasing the card. For more information, click on this link: https://shop.bvg.de/index.php/tickets

Food and Restaurants: Berlin has numerous restaurants of all ethnic cuisines. You can check on Yelp for restaurant reviews and suggestions. I picked to eat Russian and Lebanese food because we had had a lot of German food and I was tired of it by the time we reached Berlin. The first night we ate at the train station as we arrived in the city. After a full day of sightseeing, we went to a Russian restaurant called "Matreshka" and I had Russian food for the first time. They also served a shot of Vodka and aperitif for free. On the third night we went to "Al-Andalos" for an excellent Lebanese meal. We ordered "Al-Andalos platter for two", but the portion was so big that all four of us could eat together. Overall, we had a great experience eating out in Berlin.

Attractions: There are LOTS to see/do in Berlin. Because I was more interested in museums and history, I planned our itinerary to visit mostly WWII-related sites. For first-time visitors, the Reichastag Building, Brandenburg Gate, Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, and East Side Gallery are all must-see sites. If you want to climb up the dome in the Reichastag Building, make sure to make a reservation online about 3 weeks before your visit.

Our Trip Itinerary:

Day 1

Morning: Rick Steves's free audio tour "Berlin City Walk" (Reichstag Building, Brandenburg Gate, Holocaust Memorial, Führerbunker, Bebelplatz, Neue Wache) and visit to the German Historical Museum

Afternoon: continue Rick Steves's free audio tour (Berlin Cathedral, Spree River, Marx & Engels, St. Marienkirche, TV Tower, Alexanderplatz) and visit East Side Gallery, Oberbaumbrücke

Dinner: at Matreshka (Russian food)

Day 2

Morning: visit Gendarmenmarkt, Neue Kirche, Checkpoint Charlie

Afternoon: visit Topography of Terror, Jewish Museum Berlin

Dinner: at Al-Andalos (Lebanese food)

Day 3

Morning: visit Chapel of Reconciliation, Berlin Wall Memorial

Afternoon: visit Palace of Tears

As I said earlier, Berlin is my favorite city in all Germany. I felt like I learned a lot about World War II and post-war history, which I didn't learn much about in school in Thailand while growing up. My heart ached every time we visited the memorial sites, and I couldn't imagine how I would have survived if I were living through that war. Now Berlin is different and much more cosmopolitan than other cities in Germany. If I ever come back to Germany to live again, I would pick Berlin over Munich.