I’m such a Berlin fan. The first time I went was when I was in Year 12, so about 4 /5 years ago now, and I still believe that my visit played a big part in my choosing German over French as my degree subject. Berlin’s a city steeped in history – when you consider modern history alone, not only has it seen 2 World Wars, it’s been a city completely divided, politically and physically. Until 20 years ago, there were essentially two Berlins, that of the West and that of the East. We didn’t get a chance to this time round because of money issues, but if you ever do go to Berlin, make sure you go to the top of the Fernsehturm (TV Tower) and have a guess as to which half was part of the DDR/GDR (Deutsche Demokratik Republik/ German Democratic Republic) and which part was Western territory.
I was really chuffed that Sam and Lynz came to Berlin the same time of us – it was nice to have a little taste of home! The hostel we stayed in was quite possibly one of the best that I’ve stayed in so far. Hostel Aloha is such a fun hostel to stay in. As we were running on a tight budget, we cooked for ourselves most nights, which meant that there was a whole lot of socializing going on as we cooked and ate in the communal areas, which obviously led to communal drinking, ha! From other Brits, to three Swedish lads and a Canadian on a Europe trip (who might come visit us in Dortmund!), we met so many fun people – not everyone was so fun though, there was one jumped up Gap Yah-type arsehole who came out with so much crap that everyone pretty much steered clear of him.
We also went on an awesome free walking tour with the most energetic tour guide EVER. He clearly loved Berlin (lucky him getting to live there!) and knew so much about the city. We went pretty much everywhere touristy, even to where Hitler’s bunker used to be, which is now a car park where people take their dog to do its business (fitting).
Other fun things to do in Berlin :
Go play in KaDeWe – whether in the toy section or just the old ‘guess the pricetag’ game! Make sure you have a brownie while you’re at it!
Go to the Fleamarket in Mauerpark on a Sunday. Full of TREASURE! Lots of indie hipsters there too, made me giggle.
Get to Museuminsel and go to the Pergamon Museum (often confused with the Pokemon Museum) and go see all the old stuff! No really, it’s worth a visit, but if you’re a student, don’t forget your student card like silly me did.
Buy matching sunglasses and get lots of stares for wearing them everywhere.
And I wish to goodness I could remember where this place was, but there’s this amazing wine bar where you pay 2 Euro Pfand and then pay how much you thought you drunk into a big pot at the end. SUCH A GOOD IDEA. The staff were really funny, so don’t rip them off because they’re so nice!
I didn’t really want to leave Berlin – I can really see myself living here one day. I’m thinking of perhaps applying to be New Berlin tour guide the Summer after I finish my degree – if it means a Summer in Berlin, then I’m in!
