"You gotta feel Berlin”. The 69 Eyes already knew 20 years ago that there is something about Berlin, a special feeling that you shouldn't miss and that you have to experience for yourself.
Last September, my sister and I visited Berlin for the first time. What I really like about this city is that there is so much to discover. Berlin is a city full of history that you can still experience in many places. There are a lot of events you can attend every day, which is a real pleasure and a welcome change for someone like me who lives in a small village with 190 inhabitants.
I filled an entire notebook with the exact destinations and information about sights, places, museums, galleries and restaurants as an inspiration for our visit. After spending two days preparing our holiday, trying to fit in as many activities as possible into our 5-day stay, I came up with a 'master plan' (or should I write “master guide”) to visit 18 places and still have enough time to enjoy the city and stroll around. We almost made it. ;-)
My Top 3 Berlin Highlights in Autumn
Spree River Cruise
A boat trip seems like a very touristy thing to do, but it was a surprisingly nice way to see the city from the Spree River. I was afraid of getting seasick (who knows), but being on a boat for more than one hour turned out to be a good decision. The boat went very smoothly and we even had live commentary to find out more about the buildings we passed, such as the Berlin Cathedral, the TV Tower, Weidendamm Bridge, the Reichstag or the Nicolai Quarter.
If you are a bit lazy like me, it is wonderful to just sit with a drink in your hand and slowly move around the city without any effort. Also the perspective is quite different from the pedestrian route.
September seemed like a good time for such a boat trip, as it wasn't so hot anymore, maybe a bit windy, which we were prepared for.
There are different durations of these trips (up to 3 hours). We enjoyed it so much and have seen a lot more of the city than if we hadn't gone on this cruise. We are thinking of doing more cruises in other cities that can be explored by a river.
Reederei Hadynski
Anna-Lousia-Karsch Straße 2
10178 Berlin
Hackesche Höfe
I have seen photographs of the Hackesche Höfe before and wanted to check this place out, as it looked amazing on the photos with its linear architecture. Berlin has many hidden courtyards and the Hackesche Höfe are probably one of the most popular ones, but you still need to know about them to find them.
There are eight courtyards that are somehow connected and are a bit like a labyrinth to discover. The main courtyard, with its magnificent Art Nouveau facades, is breathtakingly beautiful. The courtyards are home to shops, cafés, a cinema, restaurants as well as cultural institutions and are also a nice green oasis in the city.
We even went there twice because we liked it so much and it is also a haven for small businesses with wonderful handmade products. I bought two pairs of earrings, one for me and one for a friend, a bookmark, a pin that looked like an old typewriter tab and a notebook with photos in it. It's also a lovely place to get an ice-cream, walk around and soak up the atmosphere of this wonderfully charming place.
Hackesche Höfe
Rosenthaler Straße 40-41
10178 Berlin
Helmut Newton Foundation | Museum of Photography
As a photographer, the Museum of Photography definitely needs a place in my top 3 of our Berlin trip. If you've ever been interested in artistic photography, Helmut Newton is such a big name that you cannot miss. The museum is housed in a historic building that is particularly impressive from the inside and is such a source of inspiration.
There is a lot to discover, from his black and white photographs, magazine covers, his photographic equipment, the 'living room', even his clothes and personal letters. When we visited the Museum of Photography there was a great sideshow about Alice Springs and her photographs (Alice Springs was the pseudonym of his wife June Brown, later June Newton). I particularly liked the creative pictures of them as a couple and those that gave a "behind the scenes" look at their work.
Also worth mentioning is the museum shop with lots of photography books and photography inspired products - the museum is a dream place for creatives (and those who like aesthetically nude pictures of young women ;-)
Museum für Fotografie
Jebensstraße 2
10623 Berlin
All in all, there were a lot of events that made the holiday really special: From the smallest disco in a phone booth to the great shopping experience at KADEWE (Kaufhaus des Westens) and the concept shopping mall BIKINI Berlin, not to mention the David Hasselhoff Museum (for a Baywatch fan like me) or the Brandenburg Gate and the Berlin Wall. Yes, you really have to feel Berlin to find out how versatile and vibrant this city is.
Berlin Travel Tips
How to get to Berlin?
We took the Eurowings non-stop flight from Graz to Berlin - it only takes 1 hour and 10 minutes, which is amazing and even shorter than driving from Klagenfurt to Graz. From Brandenburg Airport we took the regional train (RE 8) to Alexanderplatz, which takes about 35 minutes.
How to get around in Berlin?
As we were staying for 5 days, we decided to buy the Berlin Welcome Card to get around by train, underground and bus. We used the one with the "ABC" region and got a city guide as well as a map, which turned out to be very useful. You have to validate your ticket once before you can use public transport and then you don't have to worry about getting the right tickets for the right zones anymore. The Berlin Welcome Card also gives you discounts at various partners such as museums, Berlin walks or tours, restaurants and shops.
We bought the Berlin Welcome Card at the airport, Terminal 1, Floor 0 - you can also order it online in advance.
All pictures taken with my Leica Q2.
Check out my other blog post about Berlin too: