A Guide To 72 Hours In Berlin
Berlin is an extraordinary city. While it is the capital of Germany, it is arguably the least German city in the entire country, with around 20% of its population coming from countries all around the world. This internationality has influenced Berlin greatly, especially food-wise as you will see in this guide. You will also see some rather touristy sights that you’ve probably heard about a hundred times, but because they are immensely important to Berlin’s history and identity, I consider them an essential part to any trip to Berlin.
It is also worth mentioning, that I have decided to write this guide in hope of a time without Corona where we no longer have to social distance and Berlin’s nightlife can flourish again. However, in case you get the chance to travel to Berlin even at complicated times like this, you’ll see that Berlin is still colorful and alive; just replace eating in restaurants with take-out and nightlife recommendations with a stroll around a neighborhood of your choice and you’re good to go (my personal favorites are Mitte, around the Rosenthaler Platz and Charlottenburg near the Ku’Damm).
DAY 1
The Urban Nation Museum
Whether you’re arriving by train or plane, Berlin’s public transport network will take you anywhere you need to go. You’ll want to invest in a Tageskarte (Daypass) or a Wochenendskarte (Weekend pass). My recommendation would be to make a quick stop at your hotel or AirBnB first, before starting to explore Berlin, because you’ll be doing lots of walking.
Once you’re ready to go, I recommend brunch, regardless of the time you arrive. You’ll find Benedicts at Uhlandstraße 49, they serve brunch 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Since you’ll already be in the area, you can take a stroll down Ku’Damm, Berlin’s famous shopping street and marvel at the many designer stores and the beautiful houses they are located in. You’ll also be able to find beautiful bookstores such as the TASCHEN Verlag store in the Schlüterstrasse.
Before turning into Berlin’s most famous boulevard, the Kurfürstendamm served as a lane by the Royals in the 16th century as a causeway between Charlottenburg Palace and their Grunewald hunting lodges in the west.
After having promenaded along the Ku’Damm for a while, we are going to hop onto the U-Bahn (either of the green lines or the red line) and head to Nollendorf Platz in the Regenbogen Kiez (rainbow neighborhood), center to Berlin’s pride culture. Here we are going to visit Urban Nation, a museum for urban contemporary art that aims to support the exchange with the neighborhood and the mediation of culture and art.
If you’re hungry by now, I recommend grabbing a quick snack. You can never go wrong with a pretzel and some good coffee, and just around the corner from Urban Nation, on the Maasenstrasse, you’ll find at least a dozen of cute cafes.
After this artistic interlude, we’re going to continue on our tour of Berlin outdoors. You can easily grab one of the many electric scooters (Emmy or Tier) standing around in the city and ride east towards the Mitte district. You’ll pass by most of the sites Berlin is famous for, such as the Brandenburg gate and the Reichstag, from which if you continue east on Unter den Lindenyou’ll get to Alexanderplatz right away. On your drive there, you’re going to want to stop at some of the sights, such as the Berlin Dome, the Humboldt University and the Museumsinsel (museum island). On the museum island you can find 7 museums, all very much worth a visit. My personal favorites are the Pergamon Museum, hosting collections of Islamic art and ancient near eastern art, and the Alte Nationalgalerie which hosts many works of the old masters.
In Mitte, we’re going to stroll, where you can find scenic and unique thrift stores lining the streets. To finally conclude this long day, we’re going to enjoy dinner in one of the many amazing Vietnamese restaurants or Asian fusion places Mitte is known for, such as Monseiur Vuong, Shizo Burger or Pho.
DAY 2
The Sanssouci Park
Today, we’re going to start off with breakfast on one of the many weekly markets in Berlin, such as the Saturday market on the Winterfeldtplatz, where you’ll find amazing crepes, gözleme and wraps. After breakfast, we’re going to take a break from the bustling city and make an excursion to Brandenburg, the state surrounding Berlin, where we are going to visit the beautiful Sanssouci Park and its picturesque palaces. Simply take the U2 (the red line) from Nollendorfplatz to Zoologischer Garten, and then take the RE1 to Charlottenhof, where the park is only a few more minutes by foot.
Sanssouci park is comprised of a variety of palaces and pavilions built in the Rococo style in the 18th century and was used by Friedrich the Great, King of Prussia, as his summer residence. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For lunch, we’re going to enjoy some Arabic food in Potsdam at De Lewante. After eating, feel free to explore the inner-city circle of Potsdam, the capital of the state of Brandenburg. Potsdam itself also has a lot of beauty to offer, such as its small Dutch district, whose buildings mirror those of Rotterdam, as well as a 12-houses-small Russian Town. It was also the birthplace of European film production. In the Filmpark Babelsberg you can visit many popular film sets, used to create over 3,000 movies.
Now it’s time to return to Berlin for dinner. We’re going to return using the same route we took earlier to return to Berlin. Depending on what you’re in the mood for, you could go for very traditional German food at the Dicke Wirtin in the Carmerstrasse 9, a great Schnitzel and Apfestrudel for dessert at Sissi in the Motzstrasse 34 or some more modern take on many German dishes at Oh, Panama in the Potsdamer Strasse 91. Since the night is still young, I recommend making a stop at Victoria Bar in Potsdamer Strasse 102 to drink one or maybe two drinks. The 1920s style interior design with art deco touches combined with the jazz/soul music give the bar its vintage feel and charm. If you’re still not ready to call it a night, you can explore Berlin’s extensive nightlife, that encompasses over 400 clubs with some 2,700 parties every month. If you’re into techno, Berlin is the place for you, with clubs such as the famous Berghain, but also others such as Tresor. You will definitely find the right place for you. Berlin also offers many clubs for pretty much every music taste you can think of, such as 9ROSES, Avenue, Bricks, Watergate and many more.
DAY 3
To revitalize ourselves after last night, I recommend a brunch style breakfast at Zimt & Zucker at Schiffbauerdamm 12. The menu offers sweet and savory dishes, as well as amazing coffee and tea.
Zimt & Zucker
If your third day happens to be a Sunday, you’ll notice flea markets popping up out of the ground all over Berlin. One of my personal favorites is in Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg. It can be easily reached using the U2 (red line), stepping off the metro at the stop Eberswalder Strassse.
Mauerpark is for everyone; families, hipsters, joggers… you can find far more than a flea market. There are routes for cyclists, a petting zoo and a karaoke system, giving you your chance to share your favorite songs with Berlin while enjoying the view over the city. During the time of the Berlin Wall, the Mauerpark was stuck in a no-man’s-land between east and west but has been flourishing ever since the fall of the wall.
For lunch, we’re going to enjoy one of the two Berlin classics (maybe both if you’re extra hungry): a Curry Wurst or a Döner. For the best in Berlin we need to head to Mehringdamm. We’re going to take the U2 from Eberswalder Strasse to Stadtmitte and from there the U6 (purple line) to U-Bhf Mehringdamm. For the best Döner, you’ll want to queue at Mustafas Gemüse Kebab and for the best Curry Wurst you’re going to go to Curry 36. They are next to one another and for both, the waiting time is definitely worth it.
The East Side Gallery