When my family and I decided to add Berlin to our Europe itinerary in summer of 2017, I thought of no one else but Peggy (a native Berliner) to recommend some of her favorite places and things to do there. Berlin, after all, has been on our list of “cities to visit” for quite some time now. Peggy was kind enough to recommend a ton of her favorite eating joints and sightseeing options. Unfortunately, due to a booking snafu, instead of 2-3 days in Berlin, we literally only had a day and a half!
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Berlin is a big city, and we did our best to make the most of our time there. Luckily, my German-speaking cousin was with us so getting around via trains and cabs became a whole lot easier. And of course, we walked endlessly even in our short time there. Isn’t walking the best way to explore a city anyway? The girls were tired and jetlagged (since Boston to Berlin was the first leg of our trip) but were troopers nonetheless.
We started our first day in Berlin with falafel, shawarma, and halloumi for lunch in Mitte. Mitte is known for its stylish cafes and chic apartments, so naturally we loved walking around, soaking in the sights, and taking photos. It was early summer (end of May) and while it was still chilly in Boston when we left, Berlin weather was phenomenal in the mid 70s. We walked from one neighborhood to the next (Hackescher Markt to Museum Island if I remember correctly), taking gelato and coffee breaks until the jet-lag hit. The girls and I went back to the hotel and took a much needed 2-hour nap, while my husband and cousin kept exploring and went wine and snack shopping. We then headed back out after a few drinks for some delicious street-side dining. We enjoyed the best doner kebabs! We were glad we decided against a proper sit-down dinner so we could make the most of the evening while the girls were still cooperative! Afterwards, we found ourselves walking around until 1 a.m. We went to the Berlin Wall, gave the girls a brief history lesson, caught up with my cousin, and had such a wonderful evening.
We woke up leisurely the following morning, and per Peggy’s recommendation, brunch at the House of Small Wonder was a must! Funny enough, I’ve never been to the one next door to Boston (in Brooklyn) and would like to try it someday. After some delicious coffee and Japanese-inspired lunch menu in a greenhouse atmosphere, we started our self-guided walking tour again. Reichstag building, Brandenburg Gate, The Holocaust Memorial, Potsdamer Platz were a few of the main attractions of our day. We kept walking until we stopped for some amazing ice cream at Caffé e Gelato, also one of Peggy’s recommendations. We treated ourselves to a few chocolate-y specialties and got just the right sugar rush for a midday pick-me-up. I almost nearly had my cousin miss her bus back to Bremen, but the ice cream was so worth it!
Soon after, even we had our flight to Rome, our next destination. We have such fond memories of our short (and sweet) time in Berlin. We would definitely like to visit again in a not-so-superficial manner.
Thank you Surabhi!
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