Berlin, Germany: A Vibrant & Delicious Destination

Berlin Cathedral: Berlin’s immense and visually stunning Protestant cathedral. The park in front of the cathedral is an enjoyable space to relax and take in the impressive facade.

East Side Gallery: The longest continuous stretch (just under a mile) of the Berlin Wall still standing. It has been turned into an art gallery, painted over with 118 murals. Leave yourself 45 minutes to walk the entire length—more if you take lots of photos!

Reichstag: Germany’s national parliament building. With advance reservations, you can climb up the glass dome to sneak a peek at the political scene inside when in session. This public oversight, literally, was an intentional choice after WWII, reinforcing the idea that citizens should always be able to observe what the government is doing.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe: A large open-air memorial made up of 2,711 coffin-like concrete slabs on almost five acres of land in the center of Berlin. It’s a haunting experience to wander through the site, feeling lost and alone between the stark and lifeless concrete blocks.

Pergamon Museum: An amazing and impressive museum housing incredible artifacts and structures brought to Berlin. Highlights include the Pergamon Alter from the Pergamon Empire of Ancient Greece and the Ishtar Gate and Processional Way from Babylon. This museum has been closed since 2023 for a massive renovation project, but prior to the renovations, it was my absolute favorite museum in the city, so I had to include it, and everyone should be counting the days until it is scheduled to reopen in 2027!

Brandenburg Gate: The heart of Berlin and the city’s most recognizable monument. It’s the endpoint of Unter den Linden Boulevard, an enjoyable tree-lined stretch with cafes, restaurants, and shopping. Make sure to stop in the Volkswagen Forum down the street and check out a fun collection of VW cars and history on the way!

Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe): This is the second largest shopping mall in Europe, second only to Harrod’s in London. You could spend an entire day getting lost inside, but it’s a great place to visit during lunchtime and take an edible tour through the sixth floor, the “food and restaurant floor.”

Sansoucci Palace (Potsdam): An easy, short suburban train ride from Berlin, Potsdam is home to Sansoucci Palace, built for Frederick the Great as a summer residence. It’s an impressive palace and surrounding area, worth a short trip outside Berlin for part of a day!

Berlin Wall Memorial: A small section of the complete Berlin Wall structure is left as a memorial, so visitors can see how it was set up with walls, fences, guard towers, and the infamous “no man’s land” between the inner and outer walls. It is an important reminder that this is a part of recent, modern history.

Berlin Philharmonic and Deutsche Oper Berlin: Berlin’s resident orchestra and opera company are two of the world’s best. If they are presenting performances during your visit, don’t miss an opportunity to see either (or both) of these ensembles live!

Rausch Schokoladenhaus: Fassbender und Rausch Chocolatier is a fantastical chocolate shop in the center of Berlin. It consists of a huge chocolate store on the ground floor with all manner of chocolate (great souvenirs) as well as chocolate sculptures of famous Berlin landmarks. Don't leave without venturing upstairs to the cafe with decadent chocolate-themed desserts and drinks!

Curry61 Alexanderplatz: This wonderful, casual, and inexpensive spot is one of my personal favorites of the many places to sample Berlin’s iconic sausage with curry sauce (and fries, of course)!

Schleusenkrug: This large traditional German beer garden is in the park near the Berlin Zoo. It boasts fantastic, traditional food and drinks in a relaxed park setting, which makes for a great respite from the city vibe and sightseeing!

Hofbräuhaus: An outpost of the famous Munich brewery, this is a welcome option for good Bavarian food (and beer) near Alexanderplatz. Make some new friends at the large communal tables and try the stellar roasted pork knuckle (Schweinshax’n)!

Wonderwaffel: As the name implies, this is a wonderful and creative outlet for waffles, shakes, and desserts in the center of town near Potsdamer Platz. It’s a great option for kids or anyone with a sweet tooth and a perfect place to pause between sights. Everything on the menu is Instagram-worthy!

Markthalle Neun: This sizable market in Kreuzberg offers all sorts of food both for sale and for consumption! Check the calendar on their website for food classes, themed food days, and the best of them all: “Street Food Thursdays.”

Dicke Wirtin: A traditional pub with great goulasch and fantastic currywurst. For beer lovers, they also have Andechs, my favorite beer anywhere, on tap!

Babel: A popular Lebanese establishment with tables on the sidewalk and especially good value for their lunch specials.