One of the highlights of my Europe trip was exploring the beautiful Berlin – so enriched with history and some of the best vegetarian food I’ve ever eaten. I spent four days in Berlin trying to visit as many museums, historical sites, restaurants, and nightclub scenes as possible and now I’ve got the lowdown on what you have to do if you’re visiting Berlin for the first time.
WHERE TO STAY
There’s a ton of different neighborhoods but after a ton of research, I recommend staying in Kreuzberg. It’s in the heart of the city filled with the young adult crowd and super close to all of the night life, restaurants, and majority of the museums. We specifically stayed at the Ritz Carlton and found it to be extremely accommodating.
The best part about this area is you can rent scooters and bikes out to get EVERYWHERE.
If you want something more family-friendly and closer to the outdoor sightseeing spots, I’d recommend the Mitte neighborhood.
WHERE TO EXPLORE
Museum Island: It’s a compilation of Berlin’s best museums – I didn’t get to visit it this time around but it’s a great spot for history-lovers who want the full picture.
Brandenburg Tor: Iconic gate that symbolizes the divide between East and West Germany. I rode a bike around this area to explore it.
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe: Another very big tourist attraction – I walked through here and it made me feel sad, uncertain, and just lost in thought about the historical significance.
Checkpoint Charlie: Another famous crossing point between East and West Germany!
The East Side Gallery: It’s an open-air gallery that is also a memorial for freedom and the future.
TV Tower: It’s a beautiful tower where you can get a 360-degree view of the city, we ended up eating at the restaurant at the top here. The food was average but the view and sunset were everything.
Mauerpark Fleamarket: If you’re in Berlin on a Sunday, the flea market is where you have to be! I didn’t get to check it out but it’s definitely a Sunday vibe.
Topography of Terror Museum: It’s an outdoor and indoor history museum that outlines all of the horror of the Holocaust – this was my favorite historical museum. It’s also got a piece of the Berlin Wall attached to it.
Tiergarten: Berlin’s largest inner-city park – honestly it was just breathtaking.
Spy Museum: A super fun group activity filled with fun games and lasers to understand German spies and different methods of communication.
WHERE TO EAT
The food in Berlin was to DIE for! I made a quick TikTok rating all my favorites but you can find the full list below:
BurgerTurm: Berlin-style Burgers with the BEST vegan burger options.
Momos: Vegetarian dumplings
Curry 61: Excellent vegan currywurst!
Mustafas’s Gemüse Kebab: The BEST kebab in the world – the line was an hour long but so worth it.
Thai Streetfood Market: Thai food in a park with little stalls.
Curry at the Wall: My favorite vegan currywurst and bratwurst place in all of Berlin.
Curry 36: Another must-try for vegan currywurst.
Vendag: A completely vegan food spot – the angry chik’n burger was fire.
Kopps Restaurant: Another amazing vegan restaurant with a nice cocktail bar.
Sammy’s: Super delicious donut shop with tons of different flavors.
WHERE TO PARTY
The party scene is Berlin is ROUGH. We tried to get into 3-4 different clubs and were rejected due to dress code, wearing makeup, not being German, not speaking the language and so much more.
Berghain: The #1 techno club in Berlin and the hardest to get into. We were told to wear black, no makeup, no designer anything, and no talking in line – we STILL didn’t get in. I recommend going in small groups of two, knowing what artists are playing, and getting there early at around 11 pm to stand in line as doors open at midnight. One day, I’ll get in and go here.
Tresor: Simple is better – it’s another warehouse-style techno party. Small groups are encouraged and lots of black, fishnets, and simple styles are encourage. You can’t look like you tried too hard.
KitKat Club: WE GOT IN HERE! Although it’s meant to be high key a fetish bar and leather, kinky, glitz and glamour is encouraged… I didn’t get that vibe. I wore a bright yellow romper which I guess fit the theme. It’s definitely a sex dungeon vibe inside. They take your phones and you don’t get them back until the end of the night BUT I only saw a few topless people and honestly it was the best night ever of my Europe trip.
Sisyphus: Color experimentation for outfits are KEY here – I originally wore my yellow romper for THIS club but didn’t get in.
Honestly, Berlin nightclub is still a big question mark to me, I’m just happy I got into one and had the best time ever.
All in all, Berlin was definitely one of the top spots on my trip! You can follow my Instagram to see all my photos and TikToks from the trip!
