Experience in Berlin, Germany by Marieke

What is it like to live in Berlin? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Yeah I would recommend it! The city is very alive. There's always something to do.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Berlin?

I did my internship, so I can't really tell something about the student life here. But I met some students so I can give some recommendations on what they told me.

How much does it cost to live in Berlin?

Not much. I'm Dutch and doing groceries was (a lot) cheaper than in the Netherlands. I think a normal room is about 300/350 euros, but not sure because I rented an apartment. Also I recommend the food market. At Kotti (Kottbusser Tor) you have this little fruit and veggie stand with very cheap and good stuff and also the market at Maybach Ufer on Tuesday and Friday is amazing for fresh groceries.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Berlin? Is there any advice you can give?

Not really difficult. I recommend sites like WG gesucht and Immobilien24. It really helps if you send mails in German, because you'll get answered more often. And also send a lot e-mails. And ask for the "Pauschalmiete" or "Warmmiete", because in the "Kaltmiete" the water/gas etc. is not included.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Very diverse, because Berlin has many different cultures. The German/Berlin food is also (I find personally) very good. You really need to try the pastry, "Currywurst" and beer. And also things like döner, "Bouletten"/"Frikandellen" are very good.

"Currywurst"

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What places would you recommend visiting in Berlin?

Depends on what season and time. I recommend Concentration camp Sachsenhausen (very intimidating), Volkspark Friedrichshain (you can bbq here and by my opinion it's the most beautiful park in Berlin) and of course the many touristic things like the Dom, Brandenburger Tor, Siegesäule and the Wall. Also, my favorite part of Berlin was Potsdam, with lovely weather, I recommend to get there by regional train (because it's shorter, leaving every half hour from the bigger stations like Alexanderplatz, Ostbahnhoff, Wannsee). You can use your normal train ticket, but it's in the C-zone.

Potsdam

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Is it good to eat out in Berlin? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

Yes, eating out is very easy and there are a lot of good places out there. Personally I really liked a little Italian restaurant named Trattoria Felice. The atmosphere is amazing there. And in Schönenberger Allee/Prenzlauer Allee/Simon-dach-strasse there are very nice (little) restaurants.

Is the nightlife good in Berlin? Where is it good to go?

For real students I recommend Soda and Matrix. If techno is your thing, Berlin is definitely your place. There are a lot of techno clubs in Berlin (but it isn't really my taste... so). Also there are Erasmus-parties. I went to two, but I didn't really like them that much.

What advice would you give to future students heading to Berlin?

Germans are not famous for their kindness, so don't really expect this. But feel free and have a lot of fun in Berlin!