Buying £9 flights to Berlin when you're a little wine drunk with your friend may not be the most practical thing ever, but hey everything happens for a reason and you're only a student with 4 hours worth of lectures a week once right?!
I'm very thankful for that bottle of Sauvignon Blanc which cost more than my flight, because Berlin has got to be one of the coolest cities I've visited in a while.
The word cool gets chucked around a lot, but Berlin really embodies- it's full of edgy, beautiful people, bars where the furniture is on the ceiling, pop ups and vintage shops, and of course the nightlife is infamous.
We stayed in a beautiful Air BnB in a sweet little neighbourhood which was reminiscent of Paris with its wide cobbled boulevards and copious amounts of cafes and brunch places, which worked out well because what better cure for a hungover millennial than avo on toast?!
Although we only spent two nights here, we did SO much that we definitely did the city justice, although we both said we'd love to come- just in summer and not when we'd be shivering constantly again.
On our first evening we visited the Reichstag building, which was completely free, and had both amazing views across moonlit Berlin, and brilliant exhibits about German history.
After that, we had the most fabulously hipster burgers from the iconic Burgermeister in Kreuzberg under railway arches. They were completely vegan, but looked and tasted so much like meat that I had to go back to check- so 10/10 would recommend here. If I came back to Berlin, Kreuzberg is definitely the area I'd most like to stay in- filled with quirky bars and great clubs.
We did some bar hopping, from the weirdly wonderful Madame Claude, to my favourite bar we went to, Das Hotel. It's tiny inside, but packed, and lit my candles, giving it such a retro, smoky feel. When we walked in, there was a live jazz band playing which swept us up immediately and got us dancing with the friendliest strangers I've encountered.
Feeling slightly fragile, the next morning we ventured to Haus Schwarzenberg where there was an influx of amazing murals, graffiti and street art adorning galleries and independent shops. Berlin is known for its street art, and this gave us the chance to see so much of it in a really cool area. There's a cinema cafe, numerous vintage shops (where I got a silk slip for less than £7!) and little courtyards to wander through.
Berlin is huge, but the neighbourhoods all have such different atmospheres and things to see and do, that it never feels too large or cold. Really, you need months to explore Berlin properly, but I'm so happy I got to see so much of it in just a few days.
A trip to Berlin isn't complete without visiting The East Side Gallery, the remnants of the wall now decorated with iconic slogans, portraits and images. I've seen so many pictures of the most famous street art from here, that it was surreal to finally see it in person.
It's staggering to realise just how recently the wall which divided east and west Berlin came down, and there are reminders all across the city of this. It's a place with such a varied, and often dark history, but it's emerged as a fascinating and wonderful place to visit, with much optimism and life to it.
Another place to discover more about Berlin's past is Checkpoint Charlie, one of the few places to cross between east and west, and also the sight of an infamous stand off between the two sides.
Whilst it's incredibly touristy now, it's still worth a visit, just try and picture it without the McDonalds marring the background...
Our last day was spent wandering around and checking off the places we hadn't seen yet. The various cathedrals and squares are beautiful, and walking along the river was an idyllic way to spend a morning.
Plus we found a little stand which sold vegan bratwurst, which was SO GOOD. We actually ended up going twice we liked it so much, which said a lot considering how good the food in Berlin was. Waaaaay cheaper than London and such a huge variety- I had some of the best Vietnamese and Mexican food I've ever had there. Plus it's super vegetarian/vegan friendly which is always a bonus.
It was a really fantastic holiday, and I would recommend Berlin to anyone. It sounds cliche, but there really is something for everyone there- from great food and drink, fascinating history, beautiful parks, cool fashion and street style, and just so much more.
My next trip is back to Oslo in less than a month to see one of my best friends from study abroad, which I'm so excited about- I miss Norway's snowy streets!
Until then, Honor xxx
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