The Berlin Edge

This is a wonderful museum filled with unique treasures and ancient art, right in the center of Museum Island. A must-see for your Berlin adventure! Some monumental buildings within include the Pergamon Altar, the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, the Market Gate of Miletus reconstructed from the ruins found in Anatolia, as well as the Mshatta Facade.

This is a traditional German restaurant located only 3 blocks from the Pergamon. They have an extensive beer menu and a delicious apple strudel, so make sure to save room for dessert!

The Neues Museum is adjacent to the Pergamon and another great museum to see. It contains a massive Egyptian collection, which makes a visit well worth it, even if it’s just for that.

This is a quintessential historical highlight in Berlin and a true beauty! Plan to spend at least an hour to see everything.

Note: Sundays and Mondays closed. Stop for dinner at a fantastic 1 Michelin-star German restaurant with a 6-course meal offering for 89 Euros, with the option of add-ons. Definitely worth the visit!

Have some breakfast at the Flamingo Fresh Food Bar. This excellent café opens at 7.30 (closed on weekends) and prepares fresh sandwiches and salads. Perfect for a vegan diet as well.

Start Point: Chancellery Pier / Pier Haus der Kulturen der Welt This is one way to see things of the city that you otherwise couldn’t! It’s a Berlin River Cruise that only lasts 1.5hours and will give you a glimpse of all the main sights of Berlin. It’s a beautiful thing to do in the afternoon. The season goes from March to December and the boat leaves, as well as comes back, at Chancellery/ Pier Haus der Kulturen der Welt. You can try Berlin city tours, which is one of the available companies. They are a little more expensive, but the tours come with a food and drink item of your choice. They also offer dinner cruises from Charlottenburg.

The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) is the ultimate landmark of Berlin and can’t be passed up.

Visit the Holocaust Memorial nearby, in honor of the Jewish victims of this horrendous event. It’s very moving and can be a quite emotional experience. It’s closed on Mondays and admission is free.

Here you can see the architecture that forms a big part of Berlin. Futuristic-looking skyscrapers, and endless cafes and shopping opportunities are in sight. Have some lunch here.

Here, you can still see and touch what’s left of the wall, which divided east and west for almost 30 years. This is better than any school-related history lesson, and will either heighten your awareness, or give you a full, new appreciation for the fall of the wall.

This is a very interesting and significant museum -it’s about the cold war era and explores many important factors about the wall and east vs. west, among other things.

To top it off: Pay a visit to Fassbender & Rausch, a most divine chocolate boutique worth standing in line for! They have Berlin buildings made from chocolate on display! The galleries are closed on Mondays.

Off to some shopping! This is where you’ll find upscale stores, and even if you don’t buy anything, it’s worth doing some window-shopping.

You can also check out Galeries Lafayette, the big shopping center. In there, they have another gourmet food hall, which is divine.

Have some dinner. The Schwarzwaldstuben is a traditional German restaurant with dishes from the south. Casual setting, and by nice weather, it offers outdoor seating as well. Great place for an unconventional meal.

The ultimate must-see, all year around, is Berlin City Hall. Take a tour, if you wish.

Officially speaking, this is the highest building in Germany, and you can go in and visit the observation platform. Visit Bar 203 to freshen-up, or the restaurant Sphere for lunch.

The Alexanderplatz is a major hub for public transportation, and worth taking a look, since it’s only minutes away. During Christmas, you’ll find several of the prominent Christmas markets here

This is a must-stop: Prenzlauer Berg is a trendy neighborhood filled with cafes, shops and galleries. Feel free to stop for the traditional cake and coffee at any of the nice café’s you’ll walk by (typically to be had around 3pm).

While in the neighborhood, check out The Mauerpark.

For this, you’re backtracking to the Prenzlauer Berg district, but believe me, you won’t regret it. It’s the oldest beer garden in Berlin. That being said, it’s only seasonal, unfortunately. Closes early at 6pm.

If you’re traveling off-season, you could also go to Oderquelle. It is the cozy indoor alternative to the Prater. Terrific food!

The largest palace in Berlin and a wonderful sight! The gardens are breathtaking, especially on a clear, sunny day, and the rooms inside of the palace are wonderfully historic. Your head-set, which comes with the self-guided tour, will give you a great insight into this buildings history and meaning. Closed on Mondays.

This is a surprisingly cute and delicious German restaurant in walking distance from the palace.

Pick 1 of the next two options: (1) Shopping or (2) relax at a water park

Option 1: Shopping This is one of the most famous shopping avenues in the city. Get off at the Kurfuerstendamm –“U-bahn”-stop and your shopping can begin! KaDeWe is the place to stop for lunch. It’s a tremendous department store with a gourmet food hall on the 6th floor, which is incredible. You have many options to choose from, among them a restaurant on top with great views over the city.

Option 2: Relax at a water park Located in the neighborhood of Brandenburg, this is Europe’s biggest indoor water park. You can even spend the night here in various stages of accommodations! If you travel as a family, parents can relax at the sauna and spa, while the kids will simply love exploring the indoor rainforest and splashing in the water. This will take a solid afternoon, or even longer, if you decide to spend the night!

This is an adventure with samples of the entire German cuisine, such as Currywurst, Knoedel, und Schnitzel. There are several tour companies and tons of different tours to choose from, but the bike one is my personal favorite.

Concentration Camp Sachsenhausen This is a very important stop for when you’re in Berlin. It’s brutal to see, but an unforgettable visit, nonetheless. This will fill the majority of your day, and if you book a guided tour, including the transport from and back to Central Berlin, it can take up to 6 hours.

(optional) Take a break in this place. This is a beautiful park (animal garden is the English translation) with ponds, walking trails and bridges. It’s a miniature Central Park, so to speak, and a really nice spot to relax and find serenity, especially with kids in tow!

Dinner at Café Jacques The Café Jacques is a lovely French restaurant with amazing food! Just keep in mind: It’s CASH only, so you need to be prepared to bring enough to cover dinner. It’s not expensive and prices range from 11-20 Euros a dish.