We
had a fun filled, action packed family holiday in vibrant and
fabulous Berlin. There was so much to see and do, and we had the most
wonderful time. It is impossible to cover everything on this blog, but
over the next few posts, I'll share my personal favorites and highlights
with you.
Berlin tip #1: Rent a bike!
Exploring
the city on two wheels is safe, easy and fabulous. The streets and
boulevards are wide and often tree lined. Most have bike lanes,
and motorists are extremely courteous. When travelling with children,
it's a great way to get around since usually they love biking. You'll cover more ground and see more interesting things than
you could ever do walking, and at the end of the day, your feet are still fresh, and ready for an evening stroll...
Bike hire:
Take A Bike
Neustädtische Kirchstrasse 8
10117 Berlin (Mitte, near Friedrichbsahnhof)
Tel: +49 (0)30 20 65 47 30
www.takeabike.de
Berlin tip #2: Where to stay
When
planning a city trip, a good location is the most important criteria
for me when chosing a hotel. It needs to be in a great part of town,
with easy access to favorite spots on the list...
The
'Gendarmenmarkt' in the vibrant Berlin Mitte is not only one of those
perfect locations, but also Berlin's most beautiful square. It is
surrounded by restaurants, cafés, shops and boutiques, and is within a
short distance of famous sites and beautiful museums.
During
the GDR regime and the time of the wall (1961 -1989), Mitte belonged to
East Berlin. Since the nineties, socialist post-war constructions have
been replaced by fabulous modern architecture, and historical buildings
restored to former glory. It is an ongoing process, so building cranes
are part of Berlin's skyline.
The Berlin Hilton which is located
on the South side of the square and has beautiful views over the domed
cathedrals and columned concert hall, played a
big part in the trip being such a successful family holiday.
It
is spacious, stylish and has excellent facilities for traveling with
children ... a great pool and fitness area, and a fabulous executive lounge
(offering a secure environment with complimentary games, magazines, internet access
and tempting goûters).
The Gendarmenmarkt by night..
Hilton Berlin
Mohrenstrasse 30
10117 Berlin (Mitte)
Tel: +40 (0)30 20 23 00
www.hiltonberlin.com
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gendarmenmarkt
Berlin tip #3: Where to eat
My two favorite restaurants in the area.
The borchardt, established a century and a half ago
Alfresco dining in the borchardt's beautiful and lively inner courtyard
borchardt Restaurant
Französische Strasse 47
10117 Berlin (Mitte)
Tel: +49 (0)30 81 88 62 62 www.borchardt-restaurant.de
Lutter and Wegner with it's white clothed tables on the pavement for summer evenings, and it's cosy mahogany interiour for winter warmth.
Lutter und Wegner
Charlottenstraße 56
10117 Berlin (Mitte)
Tel: +49 (0)30 202 95 40
www.restaurantlutterundwegner.de
Google Map with all Berlin tips: please click here
Dear MaiTai,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you and your family had a great vacation. I'm already excited to see more of the Berlin posts. I hope you had a chance to visit some art galleries there.
I've seen some of the new beauties from the Fall 2013 collection at my local H. I'm looking forward to seeing the Petite Duc 90cm, the enamel scarf rings and the Brazil Maxi Twilly up close and personal.
Dear K, can’t wait to see the autumn/winter collection in person too! Hope you’ll enjoy the upcoming Berlin posts. We went to a couple of museums, but did not have the chance to visit art galleries. Next time!
DeleteYes, I love Berlin! Thanks for this post, dear MaiTai! We'll travel to this fabulous city this month!
ReplyDeleteOh how wonderful to have Berlin to look forward to! Have a most fabulous and fun trip, dear Tereza!
DeletePlease give us more of Berlin! Tell us how it compares to other parts of Europe. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteThere will be more to come :-) Berlin symbolizes like no other place European history of the cold war period. Post WWII it was divided into East and West, and from 1961 - 1989 the division was enforced by the wall. Since the wall came down, the former Eastern part has undergone complete change, and it is still an ongoing process. Hope you’ll enjoy discovering Berlin’s vibrant uniqueness over the coming posts.
DeleteThanks so much MT, really useful travel guide which I shall use. Looking forward to more. Best s
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the first episode, many thanks! Hope you'll enjoy the next parts too :-)
DeleteBefore leaving fir our vacation, at least I see your first post, and I think that we have done the same things dear MT.
ReplyDeleteI will see remaining posts when returning...
Warmly
Have a most wonderful, fun and happy time in beautiful Greece, my dearest Monica! See you à la rentrée. Amitiés x
Deletewhat great ideas. You are braver than me renting a bike in a big city. I rented a bike and a segway (!) in Salzburg, but didn't have the confidence when I visited Berlin. Looking forward to the rest of the travelogue and seeing if anything special came home with you.
ReplyDeleteA segway!! DS would have loved to cruise around in one of those. The minimum age is 15, so we will have to wait another couple of years.. In the bike shop, we met the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who planned to cycle through town over the weekend. He later described Berlin as ‘a paradise for cyclists’ in his Telegraph column! The streets felt very safe indeed, but perhaps they were emptier than usual because of the holidays :-)
DeleteBoris indeed! I shall have to give it a go next time then :)
DeleteIndeed! I thought it was so cool that it was just him on a bike.. no entourage, nothing official, no frills. Just his curiosity.
DeleteStunning pictures...Europe is the best in the summer. We were there about 10 years ago and enjoyed it very much.
ReplyDeleteSo great to hear you had a wonderful time!
DeleteLonging to see more of Berlin! I've never been..looks fantastic! I think you speak fluent German? Is it difficult for those of us who speak English with a smattering of French?
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this travelogue!
Barbara A
I hope you will visit one day, dear Barbara, Berlin is such a great place! It is also very easy, and there are no worries re language....almost everyone speaks perfect English :-)
DeleteThank you so much for these great and very useful suggestions my dearest MaiTai! Although I have already visited several German cities, I have never been in Berlin.
ReplyDeleteLove your travellogues <3
Have a wonderful weekend. Summer hugs, Manuela
Happy you enjoyed part one, my dearest Manuela. Hope the upcoming episodes will entice you to visit Germany’s capital one day <3 Hugs right back, and have a most wonderful weekend too xx
DeleteBerlin ist always a nice place to go to, but I do not share your Borchardt recommendation.
ReplyDeleteBorchardt - have been there several times over the years. The service is not as good as it used to be and the waiters can be terribly arrogant. Tourists often get a table in the basement! Last time we got up and left. Absolutely not recommendable! :-(
Have a lovely weekend! :-)
I am so sorry to hear you’ve had bad experiences with the borchardt, dear happyface. We enjoyed our evening so very much. The service and food were excellent, the atmosphere fun and our waiter accommodating and friendly. I have not been for a long time, but friends of mine have. I would not want to miss it when in town, but do appreciate your contrasting review. Have a most lovely weekend too :-)
DeleteI just love your travelogues with all your wonderful tips, suggestions, and photos. I feel as though I'm on a adventure! Thank you for sharing MaiTai.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a relaxing weekend, Simone
So happy you enjoy coming along and sharing the adventure, my dear Simone! Hope you'll like the next parts too, and have a wonderful weekend!
DeleteWonderful travelogue of Berlin dear MT! You are always so kind to share and put such effort into your detailed info... thank you! Cannot wait to see how this city inspired your wardrobe selections!
ReplyDeleteHave a relaxing weekend and sending warm summer hugs, T xx
So glad you enjoyed the first part, my dear friend! Part two coming shortly, get your seat belt on for a Trabi safari! Hope you had a lovely weekend too <3 Summer hugs right back xx
DeleteThanks for the stroll down memory lane, dearest MaiTai. When DH and I were last in Berlin, New Years Eve 2010, and we stayed at the same Hilton with our room facing the square. It was very cold, but magical and energizing spending the evening and into the morning with several hundred thousand of our closest friends as the fireworks burst over the top of the Brandenburg Gate. Once we arrived back to the hotel, the black tie NYE celebration was breaking up around 3 a.m. We rode up in the elevator with another couple who attended the event. They were dressed in their finery, and DH and I in muckers and a our parkas! LOL We're looking forward to going back, but not in January. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the lovely post. It brought back many happy memories.
Warm orange hugs, dear.
CS
We might have stayed in the same room, my dear CS! The atmosphere by the Brandenburg Gate must have been amazing that night, what a wonderful memory to behold. Hope the upcoming posts will bring back some more happy memories. Warm hugs to you x
DeleteThank you so much for this wonderful information and the always so beautiful impressions to go along. Haven't been to Berlin so far and actually never had the urge to go - until now ;-). Hugs, Macs
ReplyDeletePlease forgive me for this belated reply, my dear Macs, I only 'found' your comment now. Hope you'll have the chance to visit Berlin one day soon! xx
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