November in Berlin??

Ms.Sunshine

Hello,


I am heading over to Berlin the last week in November for 3 nights. We are staying in Park Inn Alexanderplatz , so our location is good as I heard there are christmas markets outside the hotel in the square. Will it be snowing at that time of year?

I am wondering, at that time of the year what would the night-life be like? Can anybody recommend a place we should check out? We will be there mid-week to end of week also any nice restaurants.

Also can somebody tell me how we get to Mitte from Alexanderplatz.

Schalker

Ms.Sunshine wrote: »

Hello,



Also can somebody tell me how we get to Mitte from Alexanderplatz.

Underground (U Bahn or S Bahn)

Check out the English Website of BVG (Berlin Transport)

Alexanderplatz is 3 Stopps from Brandenburger Tor

you can almost walk to there

Check out Berlin City Tour Card under Ticket and Fares at the website.

There is a lot to see and do around Alexanderplatz which was the centre of East Berlin/GDR

Mitte with all its attractions in short distance with the Underground.


Take a look at Exberliner a website in English about nightlife dining culture etc.

and when you trust the Brits the guardian has the best clubs in Berlin

grimm2005

Thought I'd jump in here rather then start a new thread. Myself and a couple of Friends are going to Berlin in November (starting with the weekend and leaving mid week the following week). I've been doing a fair bit of research into what to do during the day but wondering if there's anything that I shouldn't miss?

Also what would be the best way of seeing all the typical big historical/tourist sites (WW2 memorials/museums, reichstag, berlin wall etc)? Originally I wanted to do a segway tour as I did one before elsewhere and loved it but apparently you need a drivers license to use one in Berlin! Would a walking tour or just a hop on/off bus tour be best? Would ideally like to visit as many of these in a day (would it be better to make it two?) so any recommendations for the best museums/sights would be greatly appreciated!

Ms.Sunshine

Schalker Thank you for your helpful response! I am now wondering where the best places for shopping in boutique style shops instead of the big chain shops??

grimm2005: Hello, I found the red hop on hop off buses that leave from near Alexanderplatz to be brilliant the first time I visited the city last year. You can also rent bikes around the TV Tower if you fancy doing your own touring!!
The KADAWE in the West of Berlin is a must see department store - the food floor on the top floor is to die for!
If you get a Berlin Welcome Card you can get the one that gains you access to Museum Island. ( I have not been but might purchase the card and go this year.) as you can also get many other discounts of the usual tourist attractions.

Will you be there for the Christmas markets??

grimm2005

Cheers Ms. Sunshine, will look into those suggestions!

Not sure if I'll be there for the Christmas markets, it will be around 9th November we'll be there but I don't know when they start.

Guyanachronism

The public bus route 100 is really good for covering the main stuff. The route is a loop from Alexanderplatz, along Unter den Linden, near the Reichstag and Brandenburg gate to the Kufurstendamm which is a really big shopping street but mostly chain stores, but it also has the really amazing Wilhelm memorial church, it's the remains of a cathedral bombed during world war II, left as a monument. It's a nice walk though from Alexander Platz to the Brandenburg gate and will pass a lot of sights.

For smaller boutique shops you would want to go to Prenzlauerberg or Friedrichshain. There is also a few mixed in around Hackescher Markt, which isn't far from Alexander Platz and also has plenty restaurants and night life but pricey for Berlin.

Food is difficult, I can't think of decent restaurants near Alexander Platz. The cafe in the German History Museum is nice and affordable for lunch with modern German cusine. There is the chocolate shop Fassbender & Rausch just off the Gendarmentmarkt square, the square and chocolate shop are worth a visit in their own right but upstairs there is a restaurant that gets really good reviews. If you really want a unique experience there is a rotating restaurant in the television tower but I don't know what the food is like. The La Fayette and the shopping centre connected to it, has a food hall but also delis and nice cafes, so worth a wander through, particularly for the massive glass feature in the centre.

My favourite things in Berlin are the Germany History Museum which has a really broad exhibition from medieval to modern, not just a world war II focus and some impressive pieces of armour as well as Napoleans iconic hat and Friederick the Greats iconic coat. It does also have a good world war II section with Hitlers desk and a globe from his office in the reichs chancellery with bullet hole where Germany should be. The building itself is also beautiful.

The fleamarket at the Mauerpark which is every Sunday even in winter, it's called a fleamarket but it's also very hip, place to be seen etc. I would really recommend afterwards nearby Kauf Dich Glueklich which sells waffles and has eclectic decor full of DDR era furniture. A stroll around Prenzlauerberg along Kastianianallee could be fun, the real young hip overpriced place to be but nice. Frankfurter Allee from Strausberg Platz to the two towers of Frankfurter Allee and then along Simon-Dach Strasse for shopping and cocktails. Frankfurter Alle is Stalinist era archechitecture and was where the May Day parades were held (the street before Frankfurter Alle is still called Karl Marx Alle). There is also a cool video game museum on Frankfurter Alle.

I am rambling now, but I love Berlin, I lived there in 2009, met my partner and I am moving permanently to Berlin next year.

Very important! Sunday all shops are closed! cafe, restaurants and bars will be open and there will be flea markets such as at the mauerpark, boxhaenger platz and next to Sbahnhof Tiergarten but all chain stores and super markets will be closed. Shops in train stations will be opened (hauptbahnhof is like a shopping centre) and some bakeries will open for the breakfast trade but that's it. Sunday brunch is a big thing in Berlin.

grimm2005

wow, lots of information, thanks for that Guyanachronism, will look into all of that! Had read about the revolving restaurant in the TV tower and reckon we'll give it a go, even just for the novelty aspect. Also read about "blind restaurants" where you eat in pitch black and are guided by blind people, sounds mad but reckon we'll check it out for the craic! The market in the park sounds worth a look, I also heard they do karaoke there on Sunday afternoon? (might just be in summer though?)

We're staying in the Generator hostel in Mitte, would it be easy enough to walk to most sights from there? Would you recommend getting a bus/train pass or just paying as we need to use them? Also, would you have any nightlife recommendations? The alternative walking tour and the alternative pub crawl have great reviews so may try and fit them in. We're arriving on a Friday night and leaving the following Wednesday so I reckon Friday and Saturday will be mad all nighters haha and the other nights will probably be quieter since places won't be as busy.

Guyanachronism

grimm2005 wrote: »

wow, lots of information, thanks for that Guyanachronism, will look into all of that! Had read about the revolving restaurant in the TV tower and reckon we'll give it a go, even just for the novelty aspect. Also read about "blind restaurants" where you eat in pitch black and are guided by blind people, sounds mad but reckon we'll check it out for the craic! The market in the park sounds worth a look, I also heard they do karaoke there on Sunday afternoon? (might just be in summer though?)

We're staying in the Generator hostel in Mitte, would it be easy enough to walk to most sights from there? Would you recommend getting a bus/train pass or just paying as we need to use them? Also, would you have any nightlife recommendations? The alternative walking tour and the alternative pub crawl have great reviews so may try and fit them in. We're arriving on a Friday night and leaving the following Wednesday so I reckon Friday and Saturday will be mad all nighters haha and the other nights will probably be quieter since places won't be as busy.

There is karaoke at the Mauerpark on Sunday but I think only in Summer, if you got the maurpark flea market, you won't miss it if it's on.

You can walk to most of the iconic sites from the Generator Hostel in Mitte. But for the Kudamm and elsewhere it would be best to get a ticket. I can't say which tickets are better, it depends on how much you want to spread out your sightseeing. If you decide to get once off tickets best thing is the option to buy four of the standard AB cards, it works out cheaper but I can't remember what the option in the machine is called, the reception in the Generator hostel probably has a machine for the tickets and would be able to answer any questions. But remember the airport is technically in zone C so when travelling to and from the airport you need ABC cards. Of course you can risk it, it's barrier free public transprot, but the BVG workers are incentivised to catch ticket cheats so they do inspect but it's random.

I haven't done walking tour or pub crawl but this would be a good time of year to do it. A friend worked as tour guide for the pub crawl and she loved it during winter when it was handful of people, but it was hell during tourist season trying to keep track 30 or 40 people.

It's no joke, if you want to leave the hostel Friday evening and party until Monday morning it's possible. There is no official closing time most clubs don't start filling up until after midnight. That said I am totally out of touch with clubs in Berlin, I would know mostly gay or alternative spots anyway such as Schwuz (which actually closed last week), GMF, Magnet, Ethologie and K17 which is a big alternative/metal/gothic venue near S Bahnhof Frankfurter Alle, of course there is Berghain which regularly tops the list of best night clubs in the world, but the bouncers are really arbitrary so you may need to buy some hugo boss suits and/or BDSM gear to ensure you get in.

A few drinks and a walk around Hackescher Markt (which is near your hostel) would be a good start, you might be surprised but prostitutes are legally allowed solicit on Oranienburger strasse. Also on Oranienburger strasse is Tacheles which was a building squatted by artists after the wall came down, most of them have moved out in the last few years but I think the graffiti and artwork in the courtyard is still there.

Simon Dach Strasse in Friedrichshain as I mentioned (get the S Bahn to Warschauer Strasse for a great view from the bridge and it's about 5 minutes walk from there) the east side gallery (remains of the Berlin wall) and Oberbaum Bruecke are also near there. Prenzlauer berg would have quite a few decent places around the Kultur Braurei (cultural centre based around an old brewery).

Really the best thing to do, assuming none of you speak German, is ask at reception in the hostel, they will probably be young, students etc. and be more up to date than me (I am not old, but kind of have a handful of places I go and don't bother with clubs much). Tell them what type of scene or music you're looking for at they will advise you. There is also a magazine called Zitty that would list all the parties as well gigs. They call them parties referring to theme in a club on a particular night.

Berlin has a great night life but what annoys me in comparison to Ireland is things are spread out. There are streets like Simon Dach strasse that has a load of bars with a mix of different types, but then afterwards to get to a club, I might have to get the U or S bahn, which runs all night at weekends, the only plus being everywhere including kiosks and cornershops sell beer and you're allowed drink on public transport.

Also there probably won't be snow but it will be very cold but not as damp as Ireland. Last few years first snowfall was in January.

grimm2005

Guyanachronism wrote: »

There is karaoke at the Mauerpark on Sunday but I think only in Summer, if you got the maurpark flea market, you won't miss it if it's on.

You can walk to most of the iconic sites from the Generator Hostel in Mitte. But for the Kudamm and elsewhere it would be best to get a ticket. I can't say which tickets are better, it depends on how much you want to spread out your sightseeing. If you decide to get once off tickets best thing is the option to buy four of the standard AB cards, it works out cheaper but I can't remember what the option in the machine is called, the reception in the Generator hostel probably has a machine for the tickets and would be able to answer any questions. But remember the airport is technically in zone C so when travelling to and from the airport you need ABC cards. Of course you can risk it, it's barrier free public transprot, but the BVG workers are incentivised to catch ticket cheats so they do inspect but it's random.

I haven't done walking tour or pub crawl but this would be a good time of year to do it. A friend worked as tour guide for the pub crawl and she loved it during winter when it was handful of people, but it was hell during tourist season trying to keep track 30 or 40 people.

It's no joke, if you want to leave the hostel Friday evening and party until Monday morning it's possible. There is no official closing time most clubs don't start filling up until after midnight. That said I am totally out of touch with clubs in Berlin, I would know mostly gay or alternative spots anyway such as Schwuz (which actually closed last week), GMF, Magnet, Ethologie and K17 which is a big alternative/metal/gothic venue near S Bahnhof Frankfurter Alle, of course there is Berghain which regularly tops the list of best night clubs in the world, but the bouncers are really arbitrary so you may need to buy some hugo boss suits and/or BDSM gear to ensure you get in.

A few drinks and a walk around Hackescher Markt (which is near your hostel) would be a good start, you might be surprised but prostitutes are legally allowed solicit on Oranienburger strasse. Also on Oranienburger strasse is Tacheles which was a building squatted by artists after the wall came down, most of them have moved out in the last few years but I think the graffiti and artwork in the courtyard is still there.

Simon Dach Strasse in Friedrichshain as I mentioned (get the S Bahn to Warschauer Strasse for a great view from the bridge and it's about 5 minutes walk from there) the east side gallery (remains of the Berlin wall) and Oberbaum Bruecke are also near there. Prenzlauer berg would have quite a few decent places around the Kultur Braurei (cultural centre based around an old brewery).

Really the best thing to do, assuming none of you speak German, is ask at reception in the hostel, they will probably be young, students etc. and be more up to date than me (I am not old, but kind of have a handful of places I go and don't bother with clubs much). Tell them what type of scene or music you're looking for at they will advise you. There is also a magazine called Zitty that would list all the parties as well gigs. They call them parties referring to theme in a club on a particular night.

Berlin has a great night life but what annoys me in comparison to Ireland is things are spread out. There are streets like Simon Dach strasse that has a load of bars with a mix of different types, but then afterwards to get to a club, I might have to get the U or S bahn, which runs all night at weekends, the only plus being everywhere including kiosks and cornershops sell beer and you're allowed drink on public transport.

Also there probably won't be snow but it will be very cold but not as damp as Ireland. Last few years first snowfall was in January.

Nice one man. Have seen a few articles about the best clubs in Berlin alright, and wouldn't mind checking one or two out but also don't fancy queuing for an hour only to be told to do one haha. We'll play it by year I guess. We're not really the mad clubbing types but it would be rude not to check a couple out while we're in Berlin which is famous for it. Was mad into rock bars for a bit but got bored of the limited selection over here so might seek something out in that area, although we're fairly easy when it comes to pubs so long as there's a good vibe and some half decent music playing.

As for transport I reckon we'll probs end up getting day tickets or something along those lines. I definitely wouldn't risk going without a ticket, we won't be going back to the airport as we're going to Warsaw from Berlin on the Wednesday so we'll just get a single for that I reckon.

Don't mind the cold so much, but hate the p!ssing rain, so hopefully won't be too bad.

Thanks for all the info!

Ms.Sunshine

Loads of GREAT information there. Will definitely check the places out.
Grimme200- I have a friend who did that blind dinner and said they loved it! They said the food wasn't amazing but as an experience it was great! Also you will miss the Christmas Markets as they start late November.

I am dying to see a show in 'The Friedrichstadt Palast' but their show called 'Show Me' seems to be finished for that time I am travelling which is the last week in November. They have a show starting called 'ERLEUCHTET’ . It seems to be a Christmas Show but doens't look as good as the Show Me , so I am trying to decide whether or not to go!!

A big nightclub I have heard of is called 'Berghain'. It it meant to be hard to get into put is meant to be worth the try!
One I went to was called AM-PM on Hackescher Markt. It was not great but it was an option - It is also near an Irish Bar!

grimm2005

Ms.Sunshine wrote: »

Loads of GREAT information there. Will definitely check the places out.
Grimme200- I have a friend who did that blind dinner and said they loved it! They said the food wasn't amazing but as an experience it was great! Also you will miss the Christmas Markets as they start late November.

I am dying to see a show in 'The Friedrichstadt Palast' but their show called 'Show Me' seems to be finished for that time I am travelling which is the last week in November. They have a show starting called 'ERLEUCHTET’ . It seems to be a Christmas Show but doens't look as good as the Show Me , so I am trying to decide whether or not to go!!

A big nightclub I have heard of is called 'Berghain'. It it meant to be hard to get into put is meant to be worth the try!
One I went to was called AM-PM on Hackescher Markt. It was not great but it was an option - It is also near an Irish Bar!

Nice one, will definitely do it so. Have seen Beghain pop up a lot on lists etc, will have to give it a shot I reckon and fingers crossed get in! But wouldn't be mad on the idea of queuing for an hour and then having to taxi it or get a train elsewhere after being refused, will see anyway. Weekend is also meant to be a good one, looks real nice as well.

Aenaes

grimm2005 wrote: »

Also what would be the best way of seeing all the typical big historical/tourist sites (WW2 memorials/museums, reichstag, berlin wall etc)? Originally I wanted to do a segway tour as I did one before elsewhere and loved it but apparently you need a drivers license to use one in Berlin! Would a walking tour or just a hop on/off bus tour be best? Would ideally like to visit as many of these in a day (would it be better to make it two?) so any recommendations for the best museums/sights would be greatly appreciated!

Hope this information isn't too late but i did a couple of tours in Berlin in September.
I didn't do a bus tour but there are plenty of them around and they drive around the main places, Brandenburg Tor, Victory Column, Checkpoint Charlie, etc.

I did two walking tours. One was the "Infamous Third Reich Sites" with Original Berlin Walks. This brings you to main sites like Reichstag and Topography of Terror museum, memorial sites for the different victims and also slightly less known places like Luftwaffe headquarters to show you what Nazi architecture was like and the place where the Reich Chancellery and Hitler's underground bunker used to be.
The tour was very good and the guide was knowledgable and enthusiastic.
They also do other tours that might interest you: http://www.berlinwalks.de/public/

The second one I did was an underground tour of a WW2 air-raid shelter with Berliner Unterwelten who do all types of underground tours.
Was very interesting to me as I visited Berlin mainly for the WW2 history.
They also did a tour of underneath a huge flak tower built during the war to protect the city from bombers but I didn't manage to do this one.
Here's a link for them: http://berliner-unterwelten.de/home.1.1.html

Their ticket office and meeting point is located right across from the Volkspark Humboldthain which houses the huge flak tower. You can climb the flak tower itself alone which I did and it's immense size is pretty cool. The park is very hilly since rubble from the end of the war was just dumped in the park and the vegetation has just grown on top of it, so that's just another little bit of history you are walking on.
There's also a nice little rose garden in the park which was quite nice to walk to before tackling the hills and then the flak tower.

Great city, hope you enjoy it.

grimm2005

Thanks man, not too late as we're going this Friday! I've got a tour of reichstag dome booked for Saturday and I think we're going to just walk it ourselves around the area to see Brandenburg gate, Jewish memorial, potsdamer platz and checkpoint charlie, have a ticket on sunday evening for the viewing deck and priority reservation for the revolving restaurant in the TV tower. Also going to check out Topography of terror on Sunday morning and then to the market in Maerpark.

It's funny you mention the unterwelten tours as I just looked them up yesterday and think we're going to do that WW2 bunker tour on Monday. Think we might do the mosaic tour on tuesday also where they take you out to a former concentration camp just outside the city that was turned into a soviet prison post WW2, got good reviews so might be worth a visit I reckon.

Think we'll squeeze in a couple of museums too!

Kevcol

Hey Grimm,

Came back from Berlin on Friday. Would love to be heading off again this Friday! Thought it was an amazing city, so much to do there!!

Sounds like you have a lot on your plate already but my friend and I did a Stasi prison tour and thought it was brilliant. It was a former prisoner that was our guide so that made it really good. We did it early in the day, around 10 and I think this was probably good since our group was pretty small while the groups that followed us were quite big.

For nights out, there was only 2 of us so we were looking for a crowd. We decided to do some pub crawls and it was a great laugh. For the fact that we went out on a Tuesday when most of the pubs were quiet but had a great night says a lot. It got busier as the week went on then. We did the Insider Berlin Pub Crawl. There's two each night, one from the west and one from the east. We did the one from the east, starts at Hackeshcer Markt at around 8:15. Great night!!

lubie76

Was in Berlin in November a few years ago. Amazing city and would highly recommend the free walking tours that start under the Brandenburg gate ran by students learning English...just remember to leave them a tip. Also it gets really cold so bring lots of warm clothes.

grimm2005

Kevcol wrote: »

Hey Grimm,

Came back from Berlin on Friday. Would love to be heading off again this Friday! Thought it was an amazing city, so much to do there!!

Sounds like you have a lot on your plate already but my friend and I did a Stasi prison tour and thought it was brilliant. It was a former prisoner that was our guide so that made it really good. We did it early in the day, around 10 and I think this was probably good since our group was pretty small while the groups that followed us were quite big.

For nights out, there was only 2 of us so we were looking for a crowd. We decided to do some pub crawls and it was a great laugh. For the fact that we went out on a Tuesday when most of the pubs were quiet but had a great night says a lot. It got busier as the week went on then. We did the Insider Berlin Pub Crawl. There's two each night, one from the west and one from the east. We did the one from the east, starts at Hackeshcer Markt at around 8:15. Great night!!

Nice one man, I actually had planned to do the stasi prison but the English tours are limited from November and none of the times they quoted suited so unfortunately had to forgo it as we already had plans for Saturday and Sunday when it runs. Yeah, we're planning at least one pub crawl I think, namely the alternative pub crawl on Monday night, have heard good things about it! Also saw there's a food and beer tour which sounds cool but again doesn't fit in for when we're there, There's a lot of things I'd like to do but our time is somewhat limited so will probably have to do them on a return visit at some point! Will check out those insider pub crawls though, might be worth trying one on our last night!

Ms.Sunshine

Aeneas,
I would be interested in doing the tour of the prison. Where exactly is it situated? We are staying in East Berlin. Also how much did it cost?
The pub crawl sounds fun, did many do it all together & which pub/club did they finish in??

grimm2005

Ms.Sunshine wrote: »

Aeneas,
I would be interested in doing the tour of the prison. Where exactly is it situated? We are staying in East Berlin. Also how much did it cost?
The pub crawl sounds fun, did many do it all together & which pub/club did they finish in??

The prison is in east berlin also, if you google map it you'll get an exact location, just put in Gedenkstätte Berlin-Hohenschönhausen. The English language tour runs on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday from 2:30pm, and you just show up before hand rather then book in advance. I heard it's only around €5 so pretty affordable!

Kevcol

I did the alternative pub crawl too on the Wednesday. I'll be honest in saying it wasn't really my scene. Before we ever even started they warned not to act like 'a**holes or di**heads'. I know there's nothing wrong with saying this but it felt like we were being treated like children from the start. And the club the anti pub crawl ended up in was pretty awful I thought, the whole group ended up leaving after about 10 minutes.

The Insider tour was much more relaxed with the focus being on making sure everyone in the group mingled. On that tour we ended up in Matrix nightclub. Not sure how high it ranks as regards clubs in Berlin, but the whole group stayed and really had a good night!!

Merkin

Hey, I went to Berlin for five days in the first week of December and it was so so so cold, I mean freezing on a whole new level, bring warm thick layers, it was minus twelve one day when we were there. Still one of my favourite cities, there is so much to see and do, you'll love it, and a gorgeous time of year to go too what with all the markets!

munchkin_utd

Kevcol wrote: »

And the club the anti pub crawl ended up in was pretty awful I thought, the whole group ended up leaving after about 10 minutes.
!

what was awful about it?

too much cheesy 80s hits and Garth Brooks OR was it banging techno or the likes?

grimm2005

Kevcol wrote: »

I did the alternative pub crawl too on the Wednesday. I'll be honest in saying it wasn't really my scene. Before we ever even started they warned not to act like 'a**holes or di**heads'. I know there's nothing wrong with saying this but it felt like we were being treated like children from the start. And the club the anti pub crawl ended up in was pretty awful I thought, the whole group ended up leaving after about 10 minutes.

The Insider tour was much more relaxed with the focus being on making sure everyone in the group mingled. On that tour we ended up in Matrix nightclub. Not sure how high it ranks as regards clubs in Berlin, but the whole group stayed and really had a good night!!

Hmmm, will keep that in mind so and consider the other options, cheers.

munchkin_utd

http://www.matrix-berlin.de/ is the website for that matrix club.

Seems like a good place to bring a diverse group of friends

Ms.Sunshine

Grimm2005, Enjoy your trip and don't forget to leave a trip report for us when you get back!! Looking forward to getting ideas from you

Ms.Sunshine

Grimm2005 - how was your trip? Please do a report

Kevcol

munchkin_utd wrote: »

what was awful about it?

too much cheesy 80s hits and Garth Brooks OR was it banging techno or the likes?

Sorry for taking so long to reply. It seemed pretty cool on the way in, in a kind of industrial area and away from the street. The whiff of weed as we got to the door was pretty strong. Normally I wouldn't have any problem with this but the place was just full of posers standing around watching you as you walked past. I just didn't feel comfortable there. Saying that, I'm sure other people could go there and have a great night. Just wasn't for me.

grimm2005

Ms.Sunshine wrote: »

Grimm2005 - how was your trip? Please do a report

Hi Ms. Sunshine, sorry haven't got back to the thread, I've been recovering all week haha.

On our first night, we stayed pretty local cos we got in late, the places we went weren't all that memorable apart from the last place we stumbled upon which we had to knock on a window to get into but honestly haven't a clue what the name of the place was, it was down an alley and had a mural of anne frank outside it was a pretty nice bar with incredible whiskey sours.

Second day we did all the tourist sites. Where we stayed was walking distance to everything really so we started at Checkpoint Charlie and had our photo ops there. Then we went on to the Topography of Terror museum which had sections of the Berlin Wall and architecture from the Gestapo/SS headquarters still standing outside. Inside was fascinating and gave huge amounts of detail into the Nazi regime and tbh I could have spent hours there. There's also a huge hot air balloon nearby you can pay to go up in which looked pretty cool but one of our party wouldn't have been able to handle it so we passed :P

We stopped by Potsdamer Platz then which had a nice little market with a fake ski slope thing set up you could do and well as mulled wine stalls, and bratwurst etc, then we went across the road to the Sony Centre which is an assortment of shops but has some amazing modern architecture. Off to the Jewish memorial then and walked around it, took photos etc.

We then had a brief stroll through Tiergarten before our booking for the Reichstag dome tour which was pretty cool and came with a genuinely informative audio guide and you get great views of the city.

After this it was a breather at the hostel and then onto a local bar to ready ourselves for the night. We went on to the sort of club district but we started at a bar called Salon Renate, which has this apparently amazing underground labyrinth but we were just a hair too late for the last submissions which were meant to stop at 10 so we just stayed in the bar till around 12 and then headed to the infamous Berghain which of course we didn't get into after queuing for an hour but we made friends in the queue and could drink beers while we waited, so upon refusal we went with our new friends to Watergate in a taxi (although it wasn't too far) which was a pretty sweet club with a view of the river.

On Sunday we went to Maeurpark Market but not before visiting the Berlin Wall memorial where they also have a viewing point where you can look down on an untouched stretch of "no mans land" between the two sides and the guard tower that watched over it.

The market at Mauerpark is absolutely huge and bigger then any I've ever seen, so we spent a couple of hours there.

That evening we went to the TV Tower and had a window seat dinner there in the revolving restaurant, pretty swanky, if expensive and the portions seemed small but worth doing it for the view (and to feel classy as fúck for a while :P). We went on to White Trash bar after and sat at the bar and had drinks for a few hours. Bit of live music, very interesting cocktail menu! Off to a club around midnight but the name escapes me now.

Monday afternoon we did the Berlin Unterwelten tour which takes you underground into a hidden section of the U-Bahn where civilians hid in bunkers during WW2 bombing, a very interesting tour and definitely recommended. We then went to museum island, although half the museums were closed and the open ones didn't seem amazing for the price so we opted for the Berlin Cathedral nearby which is an incredible building and the detail is insane, you can also go right to the outdoor viewing platform from the top and get more great 360 views of the city. That evening we went to a sort of grungy bar called 8MM which had great reviews but it was a little bit dead but seemed like a cool enough spot, we then moved onto a bar called CCP although tbh I don't remember a whole lot of that.

On Tuesday we went a bit west where the Zoo is and they have their big shopping district here so we had a good nosy around for a few hours, then we went back to the Mitte where we visited the Ritter Sport Chocolate shop where you can create your own bar from scratch and also buy a horrendous amount of chocolate in basically every flavour and size under the sun! Keeping in theme we went to the nearby Fassbender & Rausch Chocolatiers which has a lot of famous Berlin monuments made out of chocolate as well as a chocolate cafe on the second floor where I can honestly say I had the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted! Nothing much to report after this as we had a quiet night locally and had an early night because we had a train to Warsaw the following morning.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, we went to a restaurant called unsicht-bar on Tuesday evening and it was a very strange experience. You order from a menu in the lobby (chicken, beef, fish, veggie, or the "mystery" menu) and you only get a sort of riddle as a clue as to what your getting. A blind or partially sighted guy then comes and walks you to your table in a pitch black room where you literally cannot see a thing, even if you put your hand to your face. It's quite unnerving for a while but you end up getting used to after about half an hour. You get 3 courses and it lasts about 3 hours, maybe a bit less and you find out what you ate at the end. Again, it was expensive but a crazy experience and worth doing once.

Phew! and that's pretty much it! If you wanna know about anything in more detail then ask away! I'm still kind of on that "holiday downer" the week after when you're back in work, wrecked etc. but I guess I'll just have to start planning the next one :P