Berlin: 5 things you can't miss

I loved Berlin. I went to visit it in February, and to meet up with one of my good friends from Madrid, Maialen, who was spending her Erasmus year in New Castle, so arranging times to see each other in Madrid was hard, that's why we decided travelling together, and discovering a new city, was the best choice.

We both really enjoyed the city, not only for the alternative, international and really culturally diverse atmosphere which was loads of fun, but also for its great historical importance. It's a city with a different history around each corner, and I definitely recommend visiting it.

It's really easy searching the Internet for places to visit in Berlin, and it will give thousands of results with all kinds of information, I'm going to say 5 things you have to do when visiting Berlin, based on my impressions of the city, and what I enjoyed most about it.

Voyage to Berlin. Me and Maialen, on the river Spree, with the cathedral in the background. February 2018.

1. Go on a Free Tour.

My friends sometimes ask me if I get some sort of commission for promoting the Free Tours, and if they don't, they ask me where my obsession for them comes from.

The truth is simply that I think it's the best way of getting to know a city is through its history, and precisely Berlin, capital of the Cold War, and an important part of the Second World War, it has a lot to tell.

We did a Free Tour on the first day, and on it we visited, and took in the history of the Brandenburg Gate; Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe; the Rykestraße Synagogue, the protagonist of the Night of Broken Glass; the memorial to the books' burning by the Nazis; the Catedral; and the East Side Gallery, amongst others.

After the tour, we knew much more about the city, what other sites we should visit, and what areas we couldn't forget to walk down, and, knowing what the city had lived through, we could see it in a different light, with understanding eyes, the beautiful streets of the capital of Germany.

Holocaust Memorial. Berlin, February 2018.

Berlin Cathedral. February 2018.

2. Don't miss any details on the Berlin Wall.

To understand the wall's history more deeply that divided the city from the 13th August 1961 until the 9th November 1989, we took another tour where they explained to us, for two hours, all the events which lead to turning it around; from the ghost stations, to the tragic death of a teenager for trying to cross it, which inspired Nino Bravo in his song "Libre" (free). But this was just one of the 136 deaths this tragic wall caused.

As well as knowing more about the historical details, we were able to visit the Berlin Wall Commemorative Site, on Bernauer Strasse, where the first death happened, and where the only area of the wall remains which includes practically all the elements it was made up of, an inside and an outside wall, border of death, barbed-wire fences and a watchtower.

But the Berlin Wall is not only sorrow. In recognition of everything the wall meant to the people of Berlin, after its demolition it was announced that 102 artists from different countries would paint the untouched east part of the wall, distinct murals that paid homage to the freedom, and document the euphoria and hope of a better world, that was exalted by the end of the Cold War.

Nowadays, the East Side Gallery is considered as the the world's largest open air gallery (1, 316 metres). Honestly, it seems like a place of reflection and inspiration to me, one to think about the world, the one we saw, and how much has changed actually about the values and political systems around the world. If the power, now in the hands of others and taking other forms, is no longer oppressing us, and if these problems that we see reflected in the wall of hope didn't still exist today, more than in other countries we do not wish to look at.

East Side Gallery. Graffiti of the famous socialist fraternal kiss. Berlin, February 2018.

3. Rent a bike

One of the best days on our journey, was the one where we rented a bike, and we travelled around the city pedalling. We were stopping in the first few places, that we already knew from the tour, and examining them carefully, understanding them, and admiring them.

We discovered hidden corners, we went down the river bank, we visited the Turkish neighbourhood and the alternative, in general, we dove a little more into the city than we ever could have done on foot.

Undoubtedly, the bike was a good move, and up until the more well-known streets of Berlin we confirmed it for ourselves that day.

The river Spree. Berlin Cathedral to the left. February 2018.

4. Try the Currywurst

The queen of the street-food in Berlin, fried sausage with curry sauce, it's a food that can't be missed on our visit to the popular capital.

The price is around €4 with potatoes, and even though it's a basic dish, I think that through the food, you enjoy the city too.

It is the best dish to eat on a sunny day, sat in the square, perhaps Alexanderplatz, or in front of the river, peacefully enjoying the environment and the food.

They're also very advisable for used up pockets!

5. Enjoy the alternative atmosphere

Berlin, like I have previously said, is famous for its cultural diversity, that attracts tourists from around the world.

The Jewish quarter, the Turkish quarter, or the own alternative quarter, are the best examples for enjoying this movement about art and creativity.

I recommend going into every one of the places that call your attention from outside, because inside it's amazing.

One of the days we spent walking through the alternative quarter, Friedrichshain, we found a kind of abandoned house, surrounded by places that were closed at that time, but seemed to look good.

However, the big house was illuminated inside, and we decided to give it a visit.

Inside, it had tables with different artists that exhibited their work, one dj, a place of drinks and popcorn, and two screens that projected Amateur movies. Moreover, the place inside, was a warehouse, decorated completely in the Underground style, really cool, and the bathrooms were unique, with its walls covered in graffiti, and its mirror in the shape of a fish eye.

Berlin, February 2018.

This is only one example of the thousands of corners that are hidden in the streets of Berlin, and that we shouldn't be afraid to discover it, because they are completely worth our attention. Berlin is a place to explore.

And if you are eager for more, here I am leaving you a video that I made when I was in Berlin, one that captured the most important places that I visited in the city.

Best wishes, until next time!

---

Photo gallery