Get ready, set, go…

We came to Berlin on a tight time schedule having roughly 36 hours to see the sights and experience the atmosphere of the city. And as we found out, it can be done.

Hop on the U-Bahn

Travelling by public transport is the best way to explore the city. Berlin’s U-Bahn is easy to use, it is clean and every station name is tiled in a different colour or style. Top tip – do not forget to validate your ticket before you get on the train.

Day 1

Our hotel was on Potsdamer Platz which is just round the corner from our first landmark of the day – Checkpoint Charlie. This spot is really busy so if you want your picture taken with the famous sandbags in the background, you must await your turn. If you want to learn more about the history of the checkpoints and what purpose they served, there are big infographic displays opposite the checkpoint. In general, there are quite a lot of detailed information boards accompanying most historic places across the city.

The next stop on our tight itinerary was Unter den Linden street which is one of Berlin’s main streets. It links the Brandenburg Gate on one end with the rest of Berlin’s landmarks and the river Spree on the other side. We walked towards the Museum Island and passed several of the city’s important buildings – the opera house, the university buildings, the Crown Prince’s Palace and the Humboldt Forum a home for the city’s best art and culture.

The Museum Island and The Cathedral

The Museum Island is an island created by the river Spree splitting into two. The most prominent building here is the Berlin Cathedral which was built in neoclassical style in 19th century. The cathedral is well worth a visit. The family ticket costs 10 euros and it will allow you to see the lavish interior with lots of gold features and impressive statues. You can also climb 270 steps to the top of the dome for some pretty amazing, panoramic views of the city. If you enjoy the views of the city from above and you don’t mind climbing narrow staircases or using lifts, these are some other options: the Humboldt Forum’s roof top cafe, the Reichstag (make sure you book in advance!), the Victory Column and, of course, the highest landmark in Berlin – the TV Tower with an observation deck at 203 metres.

The Museum Island and The River Cruise

As the name implies, the Museum Island is home for a number of world famous museums displaying art and historical artefacts from all over the world. The museums are connected by a colonnaded walkway which is very impressive and the autumnal atmosphere enhanced the appreciation of the landmarks.

Another part of the Museum Island worth visiting is Nikolaiviertel which is an old quarter dating back to 13th and forms a historical heart of the city. The name of the quarter comes from St Nicholas church which is the oldest church in the capital and is surrounded by medieval alleys and cosy bars and restaurants.

To add to our whirlwind tour of Berlin, we booked a 1 hour cruise on the river Spree. During our city breaks, I tend to use the Get Your Guide app which is a great source of what activities, restaurants or experiences are available in the capital. The river cruise guide’s commentary gave us the right amount of information and we were able to learn how the river divided the capital into west and east. The boat sets off from the cathedral, passes through a few bridges, goes past the Reichstag building and turns round at the Tiergarten. You can just about see the Victory column in the distance. There are a lot of landmarks being pointed out during the cruise so be ready for a lot of head turning.

There is one more site worth a visit and which is located on the river bank of the Museum Island. And the best way to spot it is by a constant queue formed outside it. The attraction is the DDR Museum where you can experience what life was like in the former East Germany – from a fully furnished DDR flat to a ride in a Trabant car.

Alexanderplaz and the Brandenburg Gate

Alexanderplatz is one of the biggest public spaces in Berlin and is best known for its TV tower, a landmark which can be seen from nearly every spot in the capital. This area is a trendy spot with cafes, bars and restaurants.

We didn’t have much time left to explore this area but we managed to get to Haus Schwarzenberg which is an interesting alley just off the main shopping street. The courtyard is well known for its street art and presents a showcase of murals, posters and graffiti. The buildings here are scruffy and probably not renovated on purpose to portray the look of the East Berlin.

The Brandenburg Gate

The main landmark which is synonymous with Berlin is the Brandenburg Gate. It is located next to the Reichtag building which is home to the German parliament. Throughout its existence the Brandenburg Gate was often a site for prominent historical events whether it is the end of the Second World War or the fall of the Berlin Wall. Throughout Europe, it is knows as the symbol of peace and unity.

As imagined, the area outside the Gate is full of tourists from all over the world taking selfies and admiring the symbolic monument. Apparently, the best time to come here is just before the sunset to see the sun rays beaming between the columns. It is a pretty powerful experience being here and being aware of the Gate’s importance in history.

We finished the day with a sausage and fried sauerkraut dinner at the Paulaner brewery which is one of the six breweries in Germany providing beer for Oktoberfest and it is one of the best selling beers in Germany.

Day 2 – Heading East

The next day, we headed back to Alexanderplatz and from here we took line U8 to Jannowitzbrucke which is on the East side of Berlin. It is a stark contrast to Berlin we saw the day before which was full of monumental and historic buildings. Our 20 minute walk showed us a different side of the city which used to be a working class district. One of the places worth visiting here is Holzmarkt 25 which is an eclectic and bohemian mix of bars, street food vendors, art and is also a music venue located by the river Spree. It was pretty quiet when we were there, however the place was being set up for the Dia de los Muertos party which was happening the day after.

If you follow the road from Holzmarkt 25, you will reach the famous East Side Gallery where the longest continuous remaining part of the Berlin Wall was painted or graffitied turned by 118 artists from 21 countries. It is definitely worth a visit.

This area, in general, is considered to be a fashionable area of the capital with trendy bars and alternative lifestyle. Oh, and do not forget to use one of the old photo boots dotted around this area where you can wait 4 minutes to have your vintage black and white photos developed in the the old fashioned chemical way.

Leaving the Capital

Before we left Berlin, we managed to cram in one last things. We got off at the Zoo U-Bahn station for a quick look at the location made famous by the 1978 book “We Children from Zoo Station”. This is also where we got the most amazing doner kebab from a tiny but constantly packed shop just outside the Zoo station. Kebabs are one of the most popular type of food here made famous by the Turkish immigrants.

Berlin in 36hrs – It can be done.

We did have a great time and we packed quite a lot in the time we had. We walked for hours but we did manage to see the main highlights of Berlin, do a bit of shopping and taste the food it had to offer. If we had more time we would have definitely visited a few museums, visited a club or ventured further a field to see the Muggelsee lake or Charlottenburg Palace.