Berlin City Guide

Hello! Welcome to this slightly unconventional city guide to Berlin. I spent four lovely days in this vibrant and unique city back in March, despite the weather being absolutely awful at times. Berlin is so full of history and culture and of course there are many tourist must-sees that I am only going to touch on in this post. I wanted to show you some places to eat but also some tips to hack into the real Berlin. Make sure you check out my BERLIN VLOG of where to eat, shop and visit right at the bottom of this post and enjoy!

GO OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

Having been to Berlin a couple of years ago, I knew that this time I really wanted to get lost in the city and get a real feel for the place. Berlin is absolutely fascinating to walk around with street art and contrasting architecture at every turn. So, if you are going for the first time; sure, go and see the Brandenburg Gate and the East Side Gallery but then be sure to head into unknown territories. On this trip I particularly enjoyed exploring areas that I had not been to before like Friedrichshain and Neukölln. We saw some beautifully colourful buildings, hippy settlements - one with nearby giant slide - and got up close to the railway tracks.

ROAMERS

I apologise for the arguably excessive four photos to accompany a little bit of text about Roamers cafe in Berlin but just look at the place. It is so beautifully blogger and Pinterest-worthy that I found it hard further to narrow it down. After walking from Treptower Park, through the upcoming neighbourhood of Neukölln where this cafe is located, we stopped at Roamers for lunch. It is traditionally known for its brunches but it's an all day every day kind of deal so of course we went for eggs. Having seen the Instagram-ready slate board presentation of some peoples' dishes I must admit that I was slightly disappointed at my small plate but that is a minor detail (I still think our lunches make for a pretty damn good food photo). I had the avocado toast with extra poached eggs, which was lovely, and Lewis has scrambled eggs with extra avocado. The cafe is just beautiful and the staff are super friendly - plus they all just speak in English which was pretty handy!

€? I paid 10€ for that plus 3€ for a fresh mint tea which I think is quite standard pricing for Berlin.

TEMPELHOFER FELD

There is a place, just south of Kreuzberg, that is really quite special. Tempelhofer Feld is a former airport where Americans would land their planes during the Cold War. Complete with the original hangar and runways, Berliners recently campaigned and managed to keep this vast and unique place safe from housing development plans and a public place for good. In the summer the place will be full of people picnicking, sunbathing, cycling, jogging, skateboarding, the lot. But on this day in March, after quite a stormy afternoon, we were lucky enough to have a dry and quiet stroll down the former runways. For me, this is a must see if you are visiting Berlin.

KAFFEEMITTE

Having been to Kaffeemitte on our last visit to Berlin on a friend's recommendation, we just had to return and have their to die for chocolate cheesecake. Twice. Yes, we went on two of the four days of our trip and the other two days we were thinking about it. Kaffeemitte has a great vibe - it's always buzzing and as well as their amazing cake selection, they also offer delicious looking pasta, salads and sandwiches. As its name suggests, it is located in the central area of Mitte so it is perfect for a shopping pit-stop which leads me nicely onto my next tip...

€? - 3.50€ for a slice of cake and 2.50€ for tea.

SHOPPING

When you think of great cities to shop in, Paris, London and New York come to mind. However, Berlin should certainly be getting in that good press because its shopping is amazing. Of course you will find all of the usual high street shops but they also have some that are not found in every European city, such as Scandinavian favourites Weekday and denim gods Wrangler. If you are a bargain hunter or like finding that unique piece you should also check out my guide to VINTAGE SHOPPING IN BERLIN.

PHOTOAUTOMAT

When in Berlin, get photobooth photos done. The Photoautomat was introduced to Berlin in the 1960s and the few that are dotted around the city still produce retro and authentic photos for just 2€ per 4 strip. What a perfect bargain souvenir! This Photoautomat is located right near the East Side Gallery on Warschauer Straße. Last time we got colour ones so this time we went for black and white. Be warned that there is no timer so once you put your 2€ in, get ready to pose!

BERLIN'S DOORS

Well I thought I would finish off this slightly unconventional city guide on an unusual note. Sometimes I think that architecture and city design can get lost in the busyness of tourist attractions and appeal of foodporn. I can find simple pleasure in the aesthetics of a city from the Haussmann balconies in Paris and the bright lights in Times Square to the more recently discovered doors of Berlin. I was really quite taken by the colourful doors with Scrabble style numbers hanging above or next to the doors that light up charmingly at night. So my final advise to you is take time, look up, look down and look a little closer.

I hope that you have enjoyed this little guide to Berlin and make sure you watch my Berlin Vlog just below. It is one of my absolute favourite cities and I cannot wait to discover even more on my next visit, whenever that may be. 

What is your favourite thing about Berlin?

Izzie x

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