When I was writing my blog post about my amazing trip to Germany (see it here), I had so much to share about amazing Berlin, that I decided to write a post just about my time in Berlin. Full of walkable areas, free things to do, and amazing vegan food, Berlin is a mecca for my favourite things to do while travelling. This post is a recount of all the great times I had during four days in Berlin and has much more detail and information than the recap in my Germany post.
I travelled to Berlin by train from Cologne, and I was so excited for my late afternoon arrival. I couldn’t wait to wander and see all the sights. When I arrived at Berlin Hauptbahnhof, I purchased a three-day transit pass, then took the U-Bahn (one of the Berlin metro systems) to the Prenzlauer Berg area where I was staying to check in to my apartment-hotel. I chose Prenzlauer Berg to stay in because there were lots of vegan places to eat according to Happy Cow, it seemed like the accommodations were more reasonably priced than near Museum Island or central Berlin, and it seemed really walkable still.
After checking into my hotel, I headed for dinner at Chaostheorie, a vegan restaurant north of the Spielplatz Helmholtzplatz playground. I went because I wanted a milkshake but they were out so I got a cocktail, nachos, and chili. The food was just ok – there was better vegan food at omni restaurants in Berlin, and I’ve heard they since closed. I decided to leisurely walk back to my apartment through a few different streets and I saw people enjoying their front gardens, hanging out in beer gardens and in restaurant patios, and playing in parks so I definitely picked the lively, lived-in area of Berlin to stay.
The next morning was my first full day in Berlin, and my first goal was to check out Veganz – the vegan grocery on Schivelbeiner Straße – to get breakfast, replenish my snacks, and just check it out! The store was amazing – I enjoyed a pastry and coffee for breakfast from the café, then picked up granola bars, apples, chocolate bars (I tried an ichoc brand bar for the first time), and non-dairy creamers for my coffee. I stopped to drop my food off at the apartment, then took the street car to Alexanderplatz to see the fountain, the tower, and the world time clock. After checking out the attractions around Alexanderplatz, I walked to Potsdamer Platz which I didn’t find very interesting and Brandenburg Gate which was blocked due to filming and you couldn’t see the bottom or get close. The dome of the Reichstag is one of the main attractions in Berlin, but you can only visit if you book in advance. I wasn’t able to get tickets online for the Reichstag but I read that you can show up at the nearby visitor’s centre the week of your visit and possibly get them in person, so I headed there next to wait in line to get a ticket for later in the week – and it worked, I got one for the next morning!
After waiting in line for my Reichstag ticket, I checked out the Tiergarten – an urban park over 2 square kms with memorials, activities, beer gardens, ponds, and an amazing amount of green space and paths. I headed to the Soviet War Memorial first, just because it was the first memorial I saw on my way through the main park road. I then headed to one of the beer carts on the main road and enjoyed a beer while I planned my next few activities. I decided to next walk to the Siegessäule – the tall column with the golden Roman Goddess of victory – close to the other end of the park to check out the base and take pictures. You can go up to the viewing platform but only with advance tickets, so I skipped that part.
I wanted to head back to the Brandenburg Gate area, but instead of walking I decided to check out the city’s bike share program and rent a bike to cycle back through the Tiergarten. It’s changed rules since I was in Berlin, but it’s still really reasonably priced and a great way to get around. There’s a per half-hour or hourly rate, but if you sign up for an annual membership (which I did) you get the first half-hour of any ride free. There are stations all over the city, which was good because at the end of my ride I had to go past a couple before I found one with free slots. When I signed up, you just used your email and credit card to make an account at the first station, but they now have apps so you can set it all up in advance and just rent your first bike when you are ready.
I headed back to the city centre area (the office blocks near Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag), because I wanted to check out a vegetarian Asian restaurant, Savory Chay, that I’d seen on Happy Cow. After asking for vegan recommendations from the amazing server, I ordered fried wontons and tofu curry, both of which were flavourful, spicy, and delicious.
The next day I got up bright and early to get to my Reichstag tour time. I always pick up a few snacks when I’m staying in one place for a couple of days so I had coffee and a small breakfast in my apartment. Arriving at the Reichstag I queued for the first security (because it’s a working parliament building you have to go through security several times) and made my way into the building and eventually got to the elevator that takes you to the top floor. Although the tickets have a timed entry, you can stay as long as you want. I highly recommend the audio guides, they match specific numbers throughout the area and tell you more about the parliamentary system, the history, the architecture, and the surrounding areas. Bring your own plug-in headphones for the audio guides!
After exploring the rooftop of the Reichstag and listening to the audio guide, I walked about 5 minutes to visit the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. A free memorial and information center, this was the most moving, haunting, disorienting, reflective experience of my trip. I can’t recommend this memorial enough and I think that every visitor to Berlin should take the time to visit and experience both the memorial and the information center. I learned so much and cried in empathy.
After a quick break (which I desperately needed because of the emotions from visiting the memorial), I headed to the Mall of Berlin for a small lunch. I wanted to check out a mall food stall that I’d seen on Happy Cow that offered fries with vegan mayo, so I ate my fries and wandered around the mall for a little bit. The mall was your standard big, expensive store-style mall, but I did find giant Playmobil statues near the Playmobil store that I just had to take selfies with – I loved Playmobil as a kid.
After the Mall of Berlin, it’s just a quick walk to Checkpoint Charlie and the BlackBox Cold War Museum – a free, open air gallery and museum. I took pictures of Checkpoint Charlie but I didn’t line up to get my passport stamped – something I’ve regretted not doing since, so I’d highly recommend that if you are there. I was so struck by the contrast of the historical parts of the area (like the checkpoint, the volunteer’s uniforms, and the signage) with the modern parts (like the McDonalds and the KFC on either side of the checkpoint). I didn’t go to the Wall Museum as it cost quite a bit and online reviews said it wasn’t worth the cost.
My next stop was Museum Island – an island in the Spree River in central Berlin that has a large amount of museums and attractions. I walked around the island for an hour or so, taking pictures of bridges and buildings and the Berlin Cathedral.
I then headed back to Alexandrplatz to catch the U-Bahn to the Neukölln neighbourhood (just south of Friedrichshain) to get a vegan donut at Brammibal’s. I was excited to see there was a street market setting up when I got there, so I ordered a chocolate peanut fudge donut (an amazing choice) and hung around the donut shop until the market was open. The best thing about being flexible when you travel is the opportunity to stumble across things to do and have the time to check them out! The Neuköllner Wochenmärkte am Maybachufer was a great twice-weekly Turkish market set up right on Maybachufer. I browsed the stalls for a while but I didn’t buy anything, before starting the 1.5 hour walk back to my hotel.
Walking, even long-distances in cities, gives you the opportunity to take lots of unique photos, stop anywhere you feel like it, plus eat more than you would normally since you get so much exercise – so I always recommend walking lots in cities on vacation! I took pictures of geese floating in a canal, a riverboat, about 10 churches, the Kulturbrauerei, and people watching football (soccer) outside a bar.
My lunch was so light, I decided to get an afternoon snack along my walk, so I looked for a yummy-looking place as I walked – and I found it with Momos, a dumpling place that used to be located in Prenzlauer Berg. Even though they’ve moved to Mitte, their menu is largely the same, and I got the snack (two types with one dipping sauce) with bro-shi-to and champ lover dumplings and SOY-SESAME dipping sauce plus a local organic beer. I also got spicy ginger beans, which they no longer have but were amazing!
After some downtime back at the hotel for some video calls to family and to book my next day’s train to Hanover (I was visiting family so I booked the train in advance to be able to tell them when to meet me), I decided on a late-supper at a vegan restaurant with some authentic German options – the now closed vego Foodworld. I got the currywurst (a sausage covered in ketchup and curry powder or sauce) and fries, and although I loved the fries and they were probably the best fries I’d ever had, I didn’t like the currywurst at all. I’d never had the non-vegan version, but it seemed authentic looking so I guess I just don’t like currywurst. Since this restaurant was the same company as the makers of Vego chocolate bars, I couldn’t leave without buying their famous chocolate hazelnut bar – which was as amazing as people described, so milky (from the hazelnut paste) and creamy. After a long and full day, with belly full of fries, I headed back to my apartment for the end of my last full day in Berlin.
On my last day in Berlin, I woke to beautiful blue skies and lovely weather, which was exciting because I wanted to walk around and catch a few things I’d not yet had a chance to see. I walked through the very near my hotel Mauerpark on my way to Veganz to get breakfast from their cafe and restock my snacks. I then checked out of my apartment-hotel and took the U-Bahn to Pariser Platz and got some coffee and last-minute souvenirs before walking by the Reichstag and Spreebogenpark to say goodbye and crossing the Gustav Heinemann Bridge to Berlin Hauptbahnhof to catch my train to Hannover.
Berlin was one of the most amazing, budget-travel-friendly, vegan-friendly places I’ve visited yet. I was sad to leave and I can’t wait to go back!
What are some of your favourite budget-friendly or vegan-friendly cities? What were your favourite activities there?