Travel Quickie: 24 Hours in Berlin

I have to admit, Berlin is one of the most charming European cities. The city expels this artistic aura of freedom and it’s just simply magical walking around in your quirkiest outfits possible while tossing friendly smile to some hipster and locals on the street. Berlin itself is located super strategically in the heart of Europe, where you can still feel the classic history of it yet you can see the sign of how globalization brings modernity in its various aspects, especially culturally. So, in this part of my blog, I will try my best to show you how to experience both worlds while only having 24 hours to explore around!

Some things you need to note down: choose your way of commuting wisely and dress comfortably. I will suggest a day pass with Berlin U-Bahn. Berlin’s metro system is super easy to navigate and the track can easily bring you anywhere on various points of the city, plus if you by any chance are going to be in Berlin on the weekend, the public transportations will run for 24 hours! And for the dress itself, wear some trendy but comfortable outfits to blend in better with the locals, and always wear comfortable shoes for you will walk a lot here.

10.00 am: Have breakfast at Beakers

Since Berlin is more like a late-night city, I will suggest starting your day a little bit later. Nothing beats great local atmosphere, tasteful breakfast, and good music to fill up your exploring spirit for the entire day. My own personal favorite here is the scrambled egg with salmon that will be guaranteed as one of your Berlin’s highlight for the day. Beakers is located at Prenzlauer Berg, the area that is getting rapidly gentrified, but this place still has this authentic atmosphere left to enjoy. Plus point, the foods here are also served aesthetically so flashing some pictures before you eat the foods is highly acceptable (for me!).

11.00 am: Catch one of Berlin Free Walking Tours

Berlin has a lot of cultural sites to visit that contain valuable historical stories that at first you will think, how the heck it’s possible to visit all in one day only? Here’s the thing, all of the cultural sites are linked with each other through the background stories, and for me, visiting some of the major cultural sites is enough to give you a brief insight about them. Luckily, you can easily find a free walking tour that will take you to some of the important sites throughout the city. Most of the tours start from Brandenburg Gate, you can just wave your way down but I recommend booking a trusted one in advance to secure your part. The tour will take you to sites such as TV Tower, Checkpoint Charlie, and Holocaust Memorial with easy adjustment options that suit your trip plans. P.S. don’t forget to give some tips for your guides at the end of the tour!

02.00 pm: Munch on some currywurst

I’m not quiet sure what’s the story all about, but when someone says, “let’s go grab a snack” in Berlin, my mind always wanders to a proper portion of currywurst. Currywurst itself is steamed and fried pork sausages cut into pieces sprinkled with sweet curry ketchup and a sprinkle of curry spice that gives this special flavor. You can find a lot of street food vendors in Berlin selling this infamous snack, and trust me when I say currywurst from street stands are always better than the one at the restaurant. My two favorite stands are Konnopke’s Imbiß for the juicy texture of sausage and Curry Mitte for locally sourced meat and broader options of sausages.

03.00 pm: Chill around at Tiergarten

As you all might already realize, I do love park, and I do love people who love park! Tiergarten is Berlin’s most popular inner-city park with the concept of urban garden in Germany. You can soak up some sun when the weather is nice and have a picnic, barbecue, or just jog and cycle around. If you pay a visit in winter, sometimes it’s also possible to ice-skate on some of the park’s small ponds. Whatever your plan is, this park is an ideal place to recharge your batteries in the middle of some serious sightseeing.

04.30 pm: Pay a visit to Hackesche Höfe

This place is such a popular attraction in Berlin, with impressive Art Nouveau façades and such a special atmosphere. This place is one of many courtyards in Berlin with mixture of offices, shops, flats, and even some workshops that you can join. If I can say it like this, the courtyard describe itself as a ‘mini-Berlin’ and you can find a lot of people from various different backgrounds here. You can check what you can do here that suits your interest, such as go to cinema, sip a cup of coffee at terrace, or even check out some trendy bars and clubs for this area also becomes famous for its buzzing nightlife.

06.00 pm: Have Wiener Schnitzel at KaDeWe for dinner

It’s also no secret that Germany is famous for its schnitzel and I don’t have a better idea of a nice dinner other than visiting KaDeWe for one of its most famous Wiener Schnitzel. The schnitzel here is made of a very thin piece of meat and coated in a fantastic mixture of egg, flour, and breadcrumbs. Honestly, the coating here is one of the best schnitzel coatings I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. The combination of both mixture of high quality ingredients and seeing the chef preparing your foods will surely make this a nice dinner experience for you.

07.30 pm: Night scroll around Brandenburg Gate and Unter den Linden

Beside park, I also love a night stroll at Europe’s big cities. While you’re getting ready for a fun night out session in Berlin, take a last look at real charms that this city has to offer. Taking a stroll at night gives different imagery of the city as for strolling during the day. I will recommend the magic boulevard along the Brandenburg Tor and Unter den Linden to see the dazzling city lights. There are also lots of coffee shops and popular souvenir shops to reward yourself with cute little present.

09.00 pm: Grab some beers at the bars

Before you go partying all night, it’s always a good thing to revive your energy. Head to some of the best bars in Europe in this city, grab some beers, and probably make a fun friend or two to continue the crazy night with. Few of the absolute gems are Klunkerkranich, Dschungel Bar, and Silver Future. Klunkerkranich is my own favorite rooftop bar in Berlin with a good-looking and trendy type of crowd but not in a super pretentious kind of way. This bar has a strong community vibe and nice live music. As for one of the weirdest bars in Berlin (in a good way!), head to Dschungel Bar with its abundance of greenery and real-life frogs, or Silver Future for a mega-friendly gay bar and great drinks (even if you’re not a queer).

10.30: Get ready to rumble a.k.a party until the sun goes up

Welcome to one of the party capitals in Europe when ‘anything-goes’ attitude towards almost everything leads to an epic nightlife scene in the whole Europe. One must experience it to say that Berlin’s nightlife is indeed crazy (say entering club on Thursday and go out again on Sunday at Bar 25 or grab Sunday morning breakfast and go partying for the entire day and night afterward at Berghain). Berlin is also the heaven for house and techno music lovers. To fully immerse in a crazy Berlin’s nightlife scene, go to Berghain for some of the world’s best house and techno DJs, Bar 25 for a beach shack style bar and reliably eccentric performances, Watergate for world’s famous sound system and LED light display, or Tape Club for gold-themed bar and dark main room with crisp sound system.