I was invited to About You Fashion Week AW21, so it was a great opportunity to explore Berlin for the first time. My husband and I had 3 wonderful days in this city and I want to share our experiences, place to stay and our favourite spots in the city. I have to say that 3 days are definitely not enough for Berlin, but it is a great start.
1.Berliner Dom - a must see place. You have probably seen this magnificent cathedral in photos and videos, and it was awesome to see it in real life. There is a park next to the cathedral where you can just sit and enjoy the moment. It is especially nice during sunset - people are sitting there, drinking wine, beer (you can get it in the kiosks) and talking. It is also a very famous Insta-spot (the cathedral is beautiful from every side - also from the river). We were very lucky because we accidentally caught the Berlin Festival of Lights - made our experience even better.
2. Alexanderplatz - the home of the famous TV Tower, and although it is worth a visit, this was definitely not my favourite place - too loud, dirty and a bit too chaotic for me. But there are some cool stores, for example. TK Maxx if you are up to some designer shopping spree: I found pieces from Prada, Chloe, Valentino bag and shoes etc. And the prices, of course, are pretty cheap.
3. Brandenburg Gate - who doesn't know this place, right? The very centre of Berlin - place where everybody goes. So beautiful, but also so full of people. and I can get why, of course. It is also the place where Unter den Linden (the most beautiful street in Berlin in my opinion) starts.
4. Unter den Linden - as I mentioned before, this is such a beautiful street full of gorgeous architecture. It leads you all the way up to the Berliner Dom. You’ll find. the beautiful library and opera house on the way. And some gorgeous stores as well.
5. Museum Island - close to the Berliner Dom there is a place called Museum Island: full of different museums that are definitely worth visiting. Unfortunately we weren't able to do that because we did not have much time. But the buildings from the outside are also very pretty. Great place for an evening stroll.
6. Reichstag - very close to the Brandenburg Gate there is Reichstag - a historic building in Berlin which houses the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany's parliament.
7. East Side Gallery - the remains of Berlin wall that once divided Berlin. Now you can see amazing artwork there.
8. You have to try the famous curry wurst - I know a lot of travel bloggers recommend trying this local dish. You will find lots and lots of kiosks that sell curry wurst, and you cannot leave Berlin without eating it at least once.
9. Move around with metro and Uber - Berlin has different metro lines that will take you almost anywhere in the city. Such a convenient and cheap way of getting around. I believe one ticket costs 4 euros but you can buy more tickets in a bundle and it will cost you less. We also used Uber services and it was also very nice and not expensive at all.
10. Gendarmenmarkt - a place where a concert hall and two very similar cathedrals are located. One is French Cathedral and the other one is German Cathedral. Next to the French one there is a nice place for drinks in the evenings.
Where to stay? Gendarmenmarkt leads me to the hotel we stayed at - Hilton Berlin. The location is amazing - right next to the German Cathedral, right next to a metro station. 20 minute walk and you'll reach the Brandenburg Gate. We stayed at the Guest Room with Dome View and it was just magical. We had a small French balcony. The hotel is big and beautiful, we really loved the interior. Room was spacious and comfy.
My favourite part was the view of course (especially during night when the German Cathedral is illuminated from the outside) and also the delicious breakfast: the variety was amazing. So much to choose from.: fruit, cold cuts, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, bacon, vegetables, all kinds of bread, jams, cereal etc. They serve you coffee, fresh juices and you can also enjoy some sparkling wine - I really love hotels who offer that opportunity, since the glass of sparkling wine makes your experience/stay feel like something extra special, like a celebration. I think this was definitely one of the the best hotel breakfast I have ever had.
We really loved our stay here and would love to visit again - next time when we will be in Berlin. Although this hotel is pretty big with lots of guests, it felt like home. Thank you, Hilton Berlin team! :)
How did we get to Berlin? airBaltic offers direct flights from Riga to Berlin every day (sometimes even twice a day) The flight duration is approx. 1.5h.