Beers, Sausages and History

In researching flights to Europe we had found that the itinerary with the least (and shortest lay-over) would take us to Berlin. As such, our travels to Europe on this trip started and finished in Germany. 

After two lengthy flights, starting with Melbourne to Singapore where we had 5 hours to wander around the airport and where both Xander and Eloise were falling asleep, and where we then were delayed on the second airplane as we had to wait for Police to remove a drunken German that refused to cooperate, we finally touched down in Berlin.

As we only had that day before our next flight to Sweden the following day, we had booked a hotel room at the Moxy Berlin Airport, about 5 minutes from the airport. As we arrived to the hotel early, we enquired for the possibility to have an early check-in which were allowed to do for a small fee of €25.

Despite our fatigue after being awake for over 30 hours (besides Xander and Eloise, neither Suz or I got much sleep on the airplane) we made the decision to stay up to shake off the jet lag and make the most of our day in Berlin. As the weather in Berlin that day was going to reach 31C we changed from our cold weather gear to summer gear and caught a local bus outside the hotel where the bus driver was very helpful and assisted us in getting our 24h tickets that are valid on all buses, trains, trams and metros. 

We caught the Airport Express (FEX) train to Alexanderplatz where we enjoyed our first German meal, consisting of schnitzel and pork knuckle which we enjoyed with some local beers. 

After lunch we visited the Berliner Fernsehturm, the 368 metres tall tower that dominates Berlin’s skyline and offers panoramic views of the city from its observation deck. We walked around the observation deck, reading up on the city’s history and in true German style, got a beer from the bar to enjoy as we did so. 

After descending from the tower we continued strolling through Alexanderplatz, where we came across the Weltzeituhr, the World Clock which displays the time in some of the major cities around the world. We caught a metro from Alexanderplatz to the iconic Brandenburger Tor, perhaps the most known monument in Berlin. We walked through the gates and crossed the street onto Tiergarten, a large park in the centre of the city which provided shade and a respite from the busy city streets. 

Our last stop for the day was at the “Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe”, a somber place with rows of concrete slabs, which symbolise the magnitude and the horrors of the Holocaust. 

We returned to our hotel that afternoon and were all in bed by 7pm, exhausted, but happy that we managed to get out and see some of the sights that Berlin has to offer and looked forward to more adventures at the end of our holiday. The following morning we caught a flight to Sweden and Uppsala where our Europe trip really commenced.

Towards the end of our trip, after we had visited and explored Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Gibraltar and Morocco we returned to Berlin for our last two days before it was time to start our travels home. 

Upon arrival, Xander still wasn’t feeling great from his stomach bug, so after we checked into our accomodation at the B&B Hotel Berlin-Alexanderplatz, we didn’t venture far that afternoon and only made it to Alexanderplatz where we enjoyed some food and where I managed to try the Berlin speciality of Currywurst with a beer (and Xander managed to eat a simple bread roll).

The following morning was our last day in Berlin and we woke to grey skies and light rain. On the plus side, Xander was feeling hungry again so it appeared that his bug was coming to an end. 

As we left the hotel the rain had stopped however the skies were still grey and it was a cool morning. We embarked on our tour of the city and caught public transport to Checkpoint Charlie, a border crossing between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. We moved on and walked past Führerbunker, or the location where it used to be as it’s only a parking spot with a plaque telling the history where Adolf Hitler spent his final days. 

We continued on and walked past the “Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe”, Brandenburg Tor and the Reichstag Building before we caught another metro to the Berlin Wall Memorial where a stretch of the wall has been preserved and you learn stories about people that lived through those times.

We managed to find a beer garden that was open where we were able to enjoy some local beers and sausages before we continued on towards the The Oberbaum Bridge and East Side Gallery where we strolled this open-air gallery, viewing the different artworks along the wall. 

Towards the afternoon we visited Bebelplatz, a somber memorial to the Nazi book burning in 1933, before we crossed the Schlossbrücke onto Museum Island, walking past the impressive Berlin Cathedral before we ended up at the DDR Museum. This museum provided a fascinating look into what life in East Germany was like and had interactive displays that allowed Xander and Eloise to participate in.

We finished our last night in Berlin by having dinner at the Hofbräu Wirtshaus Berlin, a Bavarian Beer Hall filled with a traditional music, delicious German food and great (and large 1L beers) where we all toasted our great journey to not only Berlin but also to Europe. After dinner we returned to Brandenburg Tor for the ‘Festival of Light’, where we got to see the monument being illuminated with a range of colourful lights and designs.

Although we didn’t have a lot of time to explore everything that Berlin has to offer, we managed to experience a lot of historical sights and enjoy the food and beers that it has to offer and can’t wait to return to not only Berlin but also to the many other cities and towns in Germany.