Berlin
Berlin has played a key role in several tragic historical events, it was the base for Hitler’s Nazi army, the battleground of the cold war and it was later divided by the Berlin Wall. Berlin remembers its past with several monuments and museums that are all worth seeing. Today, Berlin is the heart of Germany and a wonderful and exciting city. Students traveling to Berlin can enjoy trendy restaurants, shops, pubs and boutiques. Berlin has great public transportation, so you’ll be able to get around the city easily. Berlin is a popular tourist destination and for many European students it is also a popular destination because of its festivals, urban charm, and the fact that it has a busy rail hub. A popular option for backpackers is to fly into Berlin, spend a few days there, and then continue by train to other European cities. Cheap student flights to Berlin are available.
Berlin Pictures
Things to do in Berlin
If you’ve ever seen a picture of the Berlin skyline, you’ve most likely seen the tower that soars above it. The TV tower, or Fernsehturm as it’s called in German, is a great way of seeing the city from above. Get there on a sunny, clear day and you’ll get 25 miles worth of view. Needless to say the tower is a tourist attraction, so expect lines. It’ll set you back less than $10 and it’s totally worth it. If you can manage to get up in the morning you should definitely get there early to avoid the longest lines, unless you’d like to chat up some people in the line that is. Berlin has a lot of museums and some of them are world known, such as the Ethnological Museum in Dahlem. The Mauermuseum at the historical checkpoint Charlie is also worth visiting. Berlin does not attempt to hide the dark sides of its history and if you’re interested in seeing and learning more about Nazi activity, the Cold War tension and the aftermath of World War II you should visit the following: The Memorial to the Murdered Jews, near the Brandenburg Gate. The Berlin Wall, which can be seen to the east of the city centre along the River Spree in Mühlenstraße near the Oberbaumbrücke. Berlin also has two zoos and an aquarium, the Berlin zoo, in the City West, is fantastic and has the largest range of species in the world. You can also visit Tierpark Berlin, which is the other zoo, it is located in Friedrichsfelde. Berlin is a huge city, so arrive prepared for the best travel experience.
Nightlife in Berlin
Berlin is awesome and packed with students from all over Europe that are backpacking, studying abroad or that simply found a cheap flight to Berlin. Pub crawling is very popular and you’ll meet interesting people from all over. If you feel like going on a organize pub crawl there are actually companies that take care of that, you can sign up when you get to Berlin or take care of it before you get there. When you’re going out on your own you have to check out Warschauer Straße, where you’ll find a lot of bars and most importantly locals. Germans and especially Berliners love to meet up with friends before going clubbing, so you’ll find cool cocktail bars where young people meet before they move on to the clubs. Berlin is a bit tricky when it comes to clubbing, it has one of the best club scenes in Europe, but they’re a little scattered and a lot of the cool clubs may be a little hard to find if you’re not local. If you want to party in Berlin ask people your age, they’ll give you the best advice. That said, the clubs are mainly in the east, but some great clubs are also located in Charlottenburg and at Potsdamer Platz. You’ll be able to find packed clubs on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Dining in Berlin
Ready for a currywurst? It’s a bratwurst covered in ketchup and curry powder and it’s a must try when visiting Berlin. Students love dining out in Berlin as it’s a lot cheaper than most other European cities. A really popular area for eating out is Hackescher Markt, but if you’re looking for cheap and good food you should try Kreuzberg and Neukölln, where you’ll find great Kebabs, pizzas and Indian food.
Shopping in Berlin
Berlin is great for shopping. Smaller shops usually close around 8PM, but malls usually close between 9:00 and 10:00PM. Ku’Damm and Tauentzienstraße are the main shopping streets, but if you’re looking for some more upmarket shopping you should check out Friedrichstraße as well. Student like Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain for the affordable but still very fashionable shopping and with a lot of young designers opening shops it’s definitely a cool.
Berlin travel tips
- Make sure you don’t plug your 110 volt electronics in the outlets. It’s 220 volts in Germany.
- Ask if credit cards are accepted before you sit down at a restaurant.
- When in Berlin it’s common to tell the waiter how much you’re paying when you receive the bill. Don’t leave money on the table. 5-10% tip is good, but a lot of people just round it off.
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