December In Berlin
December In Berlin
For Matt's Birthday I wanted to book a city break for December and after researching a multitude of recommendations, I went for Berlin. My criterea was quite simple: somewhere that did Christmas to the maximum as, somewhere cold and somewhere with lots to see and do. Berlin is such an eclectic city, seeped in both history and modern culture. With 60 Christmas Markets throughout the city, trees adorned in lights and shopps adorned with decorations, it was quite literally a Winter Wonderland. I would simply describe it as an ambush of the senses - everywhere you go there is a new smell, new sight, new sound. Bratwurst sizzling, chestnuts roasting, waffles toasting, music playing, lights glittering, mugs of gluhwein clinking.
I was a tad concerned about what I would eat before we left, as automatically my brain connoted Germany with Bratwurst, Rouladen and Schnitzel; in general very rich, stodgy foods. However, I was so wrong - it was a Vegan haven. Every restaurant and cafe we went to had at least a handful of vegan options and on every street was a vegan dedicated eatery, including supermarkets! Two stand out restaurants for me were Hummus and Friends; a restaurent dedicated to Hummus, and Falafel Da Da Falafel; no suprise one dedicated to Falafel!
Favourite Sights and Things To Do
Checkpoint Charlie
The sight for many a daring escape by many an Eastern German and the scene of the infamous showdown between the United Nations and Soviet Union, you really can't miss seeing this historical monument. The other historical sights you must visit are the Berlin Wall monument and Jewish Holocaust memorial; both are so poignant and enriched with the history of the country.
Vintage Photo Booth
Dotted around Berlin are vintage photobooths that, for 2 Euro produce a set of black and white photos that are a great reminder of your trip.
Ice Skating at Alexanderplatz
You can ice skate at a lot of the Christmas markets, however we went back to Alexanderplatz after visiting on the first night to go ice skating on the beautiful circular rink around a fountain with classical music playing and lights.
Berlin Zoo
I'm only a fan of zoos in the name of conservation and knew that Berlin is renowned for it's breeding and rehabilitation programmes. It is a massive zoo nestled between high rise buildings, making it quite the location. Highlights for me included the amazing underwater Hippo exhibition and feeding time at the Sea Lions.
Glow In The Dark Cycle Taxi
A really fun way to get around the city, the cycle taxis are dotted all around Berlin. It was only on the off chance that one was trying to pick up trade on our walk to a Christmas Market, yet it turned in to one of the highlights of the holiday. Don't be afraid to haggle!
Gendarmenmarkt Christmas Market
Hands down one of the most beautiful sights I've seen. We went at night and were blown away by the beauty of the surrounding Deutscher Dom and Franzosischer Dom. It is the only market we had to pay to enter (only 1 Euro), but it was 100% worth it and there are also stage performances to watch with a mug of Gluhwein.
Kathe Wolfhart Christmas World
You know I said Berlin does Christmas to the extreme? Go to this shop and you'll see why!
Christmas lights at Potsdam Square Mall
Such an incredible array of Christmas trees and lights in awe inspiring. The shopping in Berlin is incredible and I found everything to be on a scale of its own! As a city I found it to be incredibly clean and also one of the safest I've ever felt in.
Tobogganing at Potsdamer Platz
Probably the highlight of my holiday - sliding down a toboggan run in a rubber ring through the centre of Berlin!
Unter Den Linden
The most famous boulevard in Berlin comes alive at Christmas when the trees lining each side of the road are clothed in lights.
Top Tips
.Flight times are important when you only have a few days and want to maximise your time. We flew out at 7am meaning we arrived by 10am and still had a full day. Our return flight was at 9.30pm, so again we had the full day to explore. It's worth paying a little more for better flight times, as other wise our 4 day break would be condensed further.
.Research the places you want to visit, where they are, the underground system, how to get to the hotel from the airport and everything in between. It saves so much time when you're out there trying to figure out where you want to explore and what U-Bahn stop to get off at.
.Just wander around! Getting lost in a new place means you find out so much more about the city, including all the hidden treasures. When we could, we avoided using the U-Bahn and walked, meaning we were able to take in a multitude of sights we might have otherwise missed. Our first day was spent wandering around the Mitte area and we saw a list of incredible buildings and monuments, inluding the Museum Quater.
.Visit Christmas markets in the evening to get the full effect and atmosphere of the lights.