Berlin, December 2014

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I came to Berlin for a few days in December to meet friends over from Australia. It was a pretty relaxed trip, as I knew I would be back in January for longer. There is a lot of great historical stuff to see in Berlin, but it can be quite confronting, so it can be hard to do museum after museum – I need time to decompress in between!

I stayed at the Westin which was OK. No free internet, which I resent. Their breakfast buffet was highly recommended but is obscenely expensive and not worth it. I had brunch at the nearby Cafe Einstein instead, which was OK.

Like my last trip to Berlin, the highlight was the walking tour. It covers many of the must-see sights, including Museum Island, Neue Wache, the Brandeberg Gate, The Memorial to The Murdered Jews of Europe (this memorial is incredible, you walk through and these black pillars rise over your head), and where Hitler’s bunker used to be – now it’s just a parking lot, and deep below the surface is a layer of re-enforced concrete.

Of course we also went to Checkpoint Charlie, and saw some of the remains of the Berlin Wall.

We also went to some of the Christmas markets which are quite cute, including Weihnachtszauber Gendarmenmarkt. And I walked out along the river towards Neue Welt, and wondered around the centre including Museum Island.