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** BERLIN, GERMANY TOURS **
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I absolutely loved my 10 day solo trip in Berlin so much, I went back the following year with friends, and I’m waiting for my next opportunity to go back. Even though I didn’t see many black people, everyone I met was so kind and inviting. A woman even asked me if her cigarette was bothering me and if I wanted her to put it out, something I’d never experienced in my two months in Europe. I never felt isolated, always felt safe and was pleasantly surprised by how often restaurant/shop owners tried to speak to me in German.
Took my daughter on a graduation trip and we spent 2 days in Berlin. I will honestly NEVER visit there again. I found it to be a very cold place, in every sense. The people were not friendly, the city felt very industrial. I couldn’t wait to leave. Of all of the European cities, I’ve visited, Berlin is definitely my least favorite. Love their museums and art though!
I spent 3 weeks in Berlin this summer (2023) and found it to be incredibly creative (the government invests a lot of money in the arts), fun (lots of daytime and nighttime parties), and easy to get around (both by bike and the metro system) but I was really shocked at how few Black people I encountered there. While I wasn’t expecting it to be a very Black city, there were many days where I didn’t encounter even one Black person there. I also heard a few terrifying stories of POC who live there accidentally walking into Nazi bars/meetings, but since nothing like that directly happened to me, I can’t verify the details of those experiences. That being said, I found the people I encountered to be very friendly and inclusive. I stayed in the Mitte area, but I would stay in Neuklln next time because that ended up being the area that I went to the most for activities. Overall, I would highly recommend a visit to Berlin. Here is my google maps list of restaurants/activities I did while there: Berlin Hiwote
https://maps.app.goo.gl/66xPo9CN64G9pC7n7?g_st=i
I honestly have nothing positive to say about Berlin other than the beer tasted ok, had a yummy burger and Had fu. Riding around on the scooters and my accommodation.. So when we came out of the airport we arcs for directions on how to get to the hotel booking a taxi and so on the women on helpful and when we asked her for help on transportation she basically advised us to buy this pass which allows you to visit tourist spots and also to travel freely around Berlin. Let me tell you now we did not use that stupid parcel once when I converted to pounds it was probably about £40 that we spent which was annoying now thinking about it. Getting a bus out of the airport was another stressing itself we probably waited about two hours we had buses just go past us people telling us the wrong information allsorts so when we finally got through where we were staying, or by the way I stayed in a hostel(design hostel p182) but it was so weird because it wasn’t like a hostel hostel it felt more like a hotel and it was actually more expensive than a few of the so-called four and five star hotels.
Staying in the hostel it was clean staff are friendly they were young the security guards were super friendly as well like a can’t for my accommodation. This is where it gets crazy, brace yourself so short summary I got kicked out of the club I was verbally abused by locals I went into restaurants and I was ignored, waiters refused to serve me. And when I was served in a restaurant the way to actually through the menu at me I looked at my friend and by that time we said you know what it’s time to leave. It’s an hour became really difficult because the experience was just never a good one. Thank God near our hostel there were loads of Turkish sports to get that Turkish food my friend and I really like Turkish cuisine so for us it worked out but there was also a LIDLs so we were just able to buy food from there and feed ourselves. There’s probably only one black club that say and that was recommended by a black person that lives there and the music in itself I’d say I don’t know if it exists but German hip-hop and rap there were a few other songs that we were familiar with but other than that the music wasn’t particularly great. After day two I wanted to come back to London. There was nothing to do. There was no way I felt relaxed if anything I felt really on edge, as I mentioned nightlife was rubbish and so was my overall experience. I didn’t think anything could be worse than Bangkok but Berlin said otherwise.
Things I did:
Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Alexanderplatz, Jewish Museum yes I could’ve done more but I was so unhappy whilst being there I didn’t even want to do anything else.
I visited Berlin for a conference and really enjoyed my time there. This city is chock full of history, from World War II and the Cold War era.
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Here’s a list of places to visit:
1. Berlin Wall
2. Brandenburg Gate – beautiful at night
3. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
4. Berlin Cathedral
5. Alexanderplatz
6. Checkpoint Charlie – Many people died trying to cross from East Germany into West Germany here
7. Topography of Terror
8. Neus Museum – The famous bust of Nefertiti is housed here
9. Jewish Museum
10. Reichstag – Free to visit inside the glass dome, but reservations are required
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In terms of food, be sure to try currywurst (a combination of sausage, ketchup, and curry powder) and Döner kebab.
Berlin, Berlin in the summer is the best time to visit. I loved Berlin it was so chilled and so much architectural history to explore. Of course everything is accessible by the train, buy a day pass for all the districts and you are set and ready to go. And you save money by taking the train, when you use your google maps it will tell you the train routes and which station to jump off at and the next train to take. So full details on how to get around so you will not get lost. And there is Free Wifi in all the train stations , so YAY Germany.
Germany as we know has a lot of history especially with regards to the Holocaust.
Things i got to see :
1. Brandenburg Gate
2.Museum Island _ my favorite because i am the biggest nerd.
3. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
4. Berliner Fernsehturm
5. Berlin Cathedral – this was a wow especially for me who was raised a Catholic all her life. The outside and inside was amazing, lots of stairs SO sneakers and water would be advisable.
6. Alexanderplatz
7. Berlin Wall Memorial
8. Victory Column
9. Ann Frank Zentrum
So Berlin has a vast amount of history to explore for those into historical travels and adventures. I really enjoyed my visit, I did not get to see everything but i would return to see the concentration camps and etc. It is always so surreal to see places I read about in History in High School and my High School we only did German history and WWII , so it was pretty awesome going from textbooks to reality – and I got distinctions in history so I had to go see what I was clearly interested in. And I read all the Ann Frank books and watched all the movies so that was also something for the books going to one of the museums
Germany is very safe traveling as a POC , i mean as a woman you get a lot of attention cause Germans like women of colour. Everyone also just minds their own business and all because Germans just don’t like wasting time by loafing around and all. Berlin was the first time i learn about the honor system , so they trust you to buy your train tickets without being monitored or enforced , so the public system is based on trust, honor and honesty which i really admired. They do have random spot checks which i experienced and you never see it coming cause they send people dressed as civilians . So YAY Germany again ;)
Totally loved the historical adventure and look forward to going back.
I went there in December 2019 by plane from france. It was not expensive
There are a lot of things to do, there are a lot of big malls with all type of shops, there are a lot of places to go if you like history.
I went to check point Charlie, Brandenburg Gate, The East Side Gallery wich is a section of the Berlin Wall covered in colourful murals, The Berlin TV Tower (Berliner Fernsehturm) I didn’t go up but if you are interested it’s not expensive. I went to The Topography of Terror museum, it was interesting to see and learn what happened.
Because I went there in December, I went to multiples Christmas market and it was amazing : ▪︎Charlottenburg Palace
▪︎ Weihnachtszauber Gendarmenmarkt
▪︎Winterwelt am Potsdamer Platz.
Another thing that I loved was the local food, it’s was delicious; my favorite : ▪︎Currywurst you will find it on every street.
▪︎Bratwurst.
Even if you go to fast food like McDonald’s you will find specialties.
People were nice but when you are black there people will stare at you .
Ich bin eine Berliner
Tips In order to visit Berlin for a 4 days week-end :
-You can book an hôtel near the Fernseturm area, it is a great strategic point but full of ababdon industrial warehouse. It 10 min walk to Alexanderplatz, near metro,tram , bus station and shopping mall.
-You can manage your transportation by getting a Red city bus pass. (It is an hop on and hop off bus) You will visit the main tourist and historic part of the city.
-Check out the Culturetrip.com on order to enjoy a great street art guide tour , it is worth it.
-On sunday go and enjoy a buffet brunch at @kurhaus_korsakow and enjoy after the authentic flea market across the street on Boxhangener Platz
-Best Doner Kebad in town is a food truc “Mustafa’s” in Kreuzberg. You can have great currywurst near by also. This are the town well known culinary speciality.
– There are nice rooft top in the city for night chill activity and great Groovy hip hop club.
-Regarding the history of this town you won’t be disapointed, there is a lot to see
@aduke.travel.journey
Berlin is an awesome, large city with a variety of vibes – trendy, hip, grungy, chic, eclectic, modern, touristy and super local. I loved the Friedrichshian area for the all-night clubbing. They are indeed “exclusive” but not in the LA-type of way. And although some people have reported racism, I didn’t really feel that. They just want to make sure you’re not there to take a bunch of pictures and act foolish, but actually to enjoy the music.
Since moving to Europe Berlin is been one of the best cities I have visited. It is full of culture and history. Museum Island literary left me breathless. The exhibits in the Pergamon Museum are straight our of a history book or a National Geographic Magazine. Spend as much time as possible as you can each museum regardless of how long it takes, because each are worth it. The BERLIN WALL, enough said!
Give yourself to enjoy this city and all it offers.
Things to do:
Museum Island
Brandenburg Gate
Berlin Wall
Check point Charlie
Parliament Building
Oberbaum Bridge (across from the Berlin Wall)
Memorial of Murdered Jews
We went to Cologne for a quick friends get away weekend. It’s two hours drive from Berlin, but you can have a direct train from Paris.
Cologne is the cultural center of the region. There are multiple nice cathedral’s and museums to visit, if you like history it’s the right place. The night life is very busy with all the pubs and clubs around the city centre. I enjoyed the bycicle ryde in the old town, very charming and relaxing. Really worth going.
Berlin is very dope coincidentally from its history it’s had a major turn around from being the capital of racism to the most diverse city in Germany. The night life is for everyone every culture race gender it’s just one big melting pot! And of course so much history from the holocaust memorial to the cathedrals and Berlin Wall you really can enjoy being in Berlin
I’ve been to Berlin two times. My first experience was for Carnival of cultures which I loved as there were so many people out there from different cities. We met so many people and really enjoyed the experience. Two really cool spots that aren’t tourist attractions are Tropical island (an indoor beach) which is outside of Berlin and Mounte mitte (similar to go ape but 100x scarier) if you like adventure anyway. I’m also quite interested in the history of other cities so loved seeing the Berlin Wall and Memorial to the murdered Jews. For my melanin crew you have to visit YAAM BAR, this beach bar that play’s reggae and beats. They have pop up stores with dashikis, art galleries etc. It’s my favourite place in Berlin as I always feel so comfortable being there. We met people from Senegal, Denmark, London, America which was a really good experience. My second experience was a month ago, I didn’t enjoy it as much only because the people out there can be quite ignorant towards coloured people. But overall as a city it’s a great place to visit.
Berlin, the party capital of Europe! (and it is nothing short of that). When I arrived there I was a bit surprised that this famous city did not have a huge airport to match its reputation but I guess that does not matter.
I stayed in Berlin for 7 days and I feel that it was enough time to get a good feel for the city. The city is very big. The way I chose to navigate through it was by bike. Bikes are really cheap and convenient. Since the city is bike friendly and mostly flat it not too difficult to get from place to place. Berlin is rich in culture and history, so you can easily spot the differences from East Berlin and West Berlin. There are still pre-war buildings around. You can check out the Berlin Wall too! I took the whole day to see all of these beautiful sights and added in the Brandenburg Door and the East Side Gallery. I highly recommend taking a bike around the city because you can visit small parks and other sights in between destinations.
Now for the night life. Berlin is a party like non other that I have been to. Whatever your vice is you have access to it. I pride myself on my tolerance but I was quickly put to shame in Berlin. The people there are borderline CRAZY AS HELL! The party starts Thursday night and does not end until about Monday evening. I was fortunate enough to go to this world famous club called Berghain. The experience was nothing short of amazing but the process of getting in will definitely raise your anxiety levels. This is an exclusive club, meaning that you wait in a very long line and the bouncer at the door will let you know whether you can come in or not. No one knows the rules of what guarantees you to get in but I can tell you what I did. I wore all black and when you are in eye site of the bouncer DO NOT BE ON YOUR PHONE! Actually phones are prohibited to be used inside anyway so they will put a black sticker over it. Judgement day is quite quite quick, the bouncer will give you a quick scan and tells you yes or no. Once you are in, prepare for the night of your life. Great techno based music that surges through your body. The thing I loved about this club the most was that people are there to have fun. It is a no judgement zone…..no judgment to the point where you can literally do whatever you want, I can’t stress enough WHATEVER YOU WANT! So before you go there, be sure to have an open mind because you will see somethings that are Rated “X”. This wasn’t the only bar that I went to but it was definitely the most memorable. I will say that what ever type of vibe that you want you can find in Berlin. Another honorable mention was this bar called YAM. Its a more chill bar and I got the chance to go to a Julian Marley concert.
The people in Berlin are very nice. It is totally fine to go out alone and find a group of new friends to hang out with. I really like the international fell that I get in Berlin. There is not much pressure to be at a certain point in life because the people here are very open. If you are a very artsy person, like myself, then this is the place for you. There is art everywhere and you can easily be inspired.
With an early flight from London #stansted, we wasted no time when we got to Berlin. From having the currywurst (overrated in my opinion). Berlin Cathedral Church, #Brandenburg Gate, memorial of the murdereed Jews, reichstag building and the Berlin Wall.
Berlin has a lot to offer, definitely not in my list of top 10 countries to visit in Europe though.
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Looking for a nice bar with a great vibe? Head down to the @25hourshotels (#monkeybarberlin ), probably one of the best bars I’ve been to. Nice vibes, great views and strong cocktails!!
Tip: WITHDRAW CASH!! Last year I went to Berlin and Munich, I knew the score lol most small/medium businesses don’t want to pay any taxes..so refuse to take card payments… do you blame them?.. can’t lie I was pissed, I packed a whole shopping basket only to be told we don’t accept cards… it’s 2019, why don’t they just add the purchase fee to the customers?
So if you’re ever going to Germany withdraw cash in advance!! You will be left hungry, thirsty or stranded.
Their so called Uber system out there is a bit weird/dodgy. Download the @mytaxi_de app, I like this app as it allows you to pay by cash or card to the taxi driver. Most private taxi drivers do not accept card and will charge you extra if you have to drive a little further to find an ATM.
I stayed in the @amanogroup hotel for 2 nights
As a black man in Germany I got a lot of stares left right and centre.
Berlin is the type of city you could stay in for a month and not run out of things to do. Just spent 7 days there during New Years. One of the most popular thing to do in December is visit the various Christmas markets. They have plenty all over the city and they are not to be missed. From food to gifts this can be an enjoyable experience for the entire family. The nightlife there is unbeatable and they have the largest New Years Eve Party in Europe called Silvester. Get there early if you want to be apart of the party. This is a country of immigrants so no one will give you a second look for being black. Not quite as diverse as Frankfurt but it still has plenty of other black people. If you’re into history there is so much history to be had here and you can see how America played its part in their history as well. Things we don’t learn in school. Interesting place I would return.
Berlin is an ever evolving city, one that has something for everyone. If you’re interested in history, there are plenty of museums and sites, where you can top up on your knowledge. If you are into nightlife and the clubbing scene- clubs and bars usually don’t close until the morning light and there are so many clubs with different music genres. Shopping? There are 2 main shopping strips- Ku’Damm and Schlossstr. as well as many malls. Are you interested in arts? There is bound to be a gallery that you’ll enjoy. Food? Being that Berlin is a melting pot of different cultures, you are bound to find a cuisine you enjoy. (My fave will forever and always be a good old Döner Kebab from the Döner shop at Rathaus Steglitz). I am a Berliner and I can say that Berlin is def one of my fave city’s.
We left for the club at 11, with me thinking I’m in the US… We’re gonna stay til close, then I look at my watch its 7am and the lights are coming on… lmao Amazing fun, just watch out for the Turks, not black friendly…
While I was visiting Berlin I was sad about what was happening in this city back in 1990 and before.
To really understand the history of this city you need to do some museum and places.
-Berlin Wall
-Memorial of the Berlin Wall (free entrance)
-Berlin Wall museum
-Charlie checkpoint
-East side gallery
-Topology of terror
There are other places to discover in Berlin
– Reichstag Palace
– Brandenburg gate
Berlin is a city full of history
Berlin… where do I begin! This city is amazing. I am a big city girl so I love it here. There’s a lot of culture and lots of things to do here. On Sunday’s there’s a flea market you can visit. The nightlife is operational 24hours! Literally! You can leave the club at 10 am, go eat and head back. There are sooooo many bars and clubs, it depends on the vibe you are looking for. Techno and Hip Hop are popular here. This is a very cosmopolitan city, so I feel most people are open-minded and it’s very diverse. There are a lot of expats in this city and that’s what makes it diverse. If you have a Start Up, this is a great city because there are MANY Start-Ups here. I stayed in Kreuzberg which is the new hipster area. It’s a great vibe because most of the cool and vibey bars are in that area. It is affordable compared to most European big cities. You can get a full meal and drink/beer for 6 – 10 Euro.
Other things to do: visit the Zoo, go shopping, visit the many galleries and museums, Salsa on Sunday’s, hop on & hop off bus tours, bike tours and hiking Teufelsberg to name a few.
Berlin is pretty big so I would say you need at least one week to experience the city. I stayed for 14 days and it felt short! lol
There’s a lot to do in Berlin, I found it to be one of my favourite cities in Europe and pretty affordable. Just under €30 for a three day travel card which is quite expensive compared to other cities. However there’s so many free museums and things to do, you really won’t spend much.
I loved the East side gallery, holocaust memorial and obviously no visit to Berlin is complete without a trip to the Reichstag! I highly suggest visiting Topography of Terror museum, there’s hours of history and without a doubt my favourite part of the trip. German history is so rich and exciting, and they make no attempt at hiding the horrors of their past, unlike many other European cities. I loved Berlin and would highly recommend it.
Visit Berlin Park on a Sunday! It’s like Cochela in Germany with tons of beer at the beer garden, local music and cool flea market.
Go to the Reichstag Building but get two passes. One for the globe and one to see how the spire goes from the top down into the middle of the room where meetings are held. For food try Raush Schokoladenh it’s a chocolate shop. You can bike around the city. Berlin is very modern when it comes to there clubs. Hell they even have sex clubs
One of my favorite cities in the world- this place is just all around fun, easy to navigate using public transportation, and full of culture (all kinds of culture). I went for the carnival of cultures and was surprised to see the participation of German people in the music, food, and dance from all over the world. I liked that people here were curious, open minded, and knew how to have a good time. I would recommend Berlin’s KDK as a great point of entry to exploring Germany.