How about a city break in Berlin? Within 6 hours(by train!) you are already in Berlin, the vegan mecca of Europe. And what a lot to do here say! Way too much for only 3 days. That’s why we went there a second time in August!
Vibrant Berlin has many faces. This is mainly because there is no permanent city center. There are many neighborhoods, each with its own core, and thus its own look and feel. We slept with friends near Kreuzberg/Friedrichshain, a popular neighborhood among Berliners, students and tourists.
Traveling to Berlin by train
Not wanting to take the plane too often, I took the train to Berlin with NS International. I boarded in Amstersfoort and got off six hours later in downtown Berlin. Easy peasy. When you do the math on everything, you’ll also spend the same amount of time by plane. Only now without miserable security checks, expensive coffee while waiting and you can work all the way on your laptop. Highly recommended!
Want to know more about traveling by train? Go to the NS international website.
Hotspots according to locals for your Berlin city break
Below are tips for fun or interesting things to do while visiting Berlin. Curious about vegan and vegetarian dining hotspots? Then read our blog on vegan and vegetarian food in Berlin!
RAW-Gelände
The former industrial area right next to Warschauwerstrasse subway station is a melting pot of cultures (Revalerstrasse. 99). It doesn’t matter what you look like or where you come from. There’s not crazy much to do here in the winter, but in the summer you can even bathe in an inflatable pool. You can also eat delicious vega(n) food there. For example, how about a delicious vegan burger? By the way, on Sundays there is a fine flea market. Cozy! And are your shoulders stuck? Then enjoy a massage. About 30 minutes will only cost you 15 euros!
Roof terrace Klunkerkranich or Klunkergarten
Klunkerkranich (Apostelnstraße 11) is a great place to sit down after a day of sightseeing and enjoy a delicious beer as well as the view of Berlin. In fact, the terrace sits atop a shopping center/parking garage in Neukölln. And for the children, there is even a sandbox in which they can play. By the way, next to the mall is a fine little Vietnamese restaurant where you can eat great vega and vegan food for not much money!
Flea Markets
Retro, vintage, kitsch, homemade stuff: you’ll come across all sorts of things when you nose around one of Berlin’s many flea markets. Which ones are worthwhile?
- Mauerpark (Gleimstraße 55)
Mauerpark is a super-sized park with an immense flea market. You can also sing a note in front of hundreds of people. Perhaps a nightingale lurks within you?
- Boxhagenerplatz (Grünbergerstraße)
Boxhagenerplatz is a cozy, small flea market for young and old. Scoured all the stalls? Then have lunch at one of Friedrichshain’s cute cafes and lunches, such as The Bowl. - Neuköllner Wochenmärkte am Maybachufer (Maybachufer 31)
Maybachufer is not really a flea market, you will find mostly vegetables, music, creatives, fruits, fabrics and handmade jewelry. We ate a delicious vegan falafel there. Delicious!
Kulturbrauerei
Also worth visiting: Kulturbrauerei (Schönhauser Allee 36). Here you can go to concerts, dance salsa, shop, go to the cinema and much more. This is a really super nice place!
Vegan Valhalla!
In Berlin, they are so far with vegan food that you feel like a kid in a (gelatin-free) candy store! Want to know where you can eat great vegan and vegetarian food in Berlin? Then read our blog on vegan and vegetarian food in Berlin!
Friedrichshain/Kreuzberg
This neighborhood is characterized by its vibrant atmosphere. In winter it is a little less, but in summer it is booming! You can so spend a whole day just walking around, eating at one of the fantastic lunches, visiting unusual stores or just hanging out in a park and people watching, for example Treptower Park.
Hohenschönhausen (stasi prison)
Berlin has a fierce history. History makes Berlin what it is today. Poor, but sexy they call it themselves. In the prison (Genslerstraße 66) you can see the painful history of communism. You can sign up for a free tour. This is highly recommended. You get a lot of information about what things were like after World War II. Also visit the old stasi headquarters in the Lichtenberg district (Ruschestraße 103). Did you know that the movie Das Leben der Anderen was shot in this building?
Day trip to Potsdam
If you have more time than a few days during your Berlin city break, check out Potsdam. Imagine yourself back in Soviet times with all the Russian cottages scattered throughout Potsdam. The beautiful park with the grand old buildings. You almost feel like a Sisi ☺ Easy to reach by subway. From South Berlin, it takes about 1 hour.
Concerts
Check a the schedules of Berlin’s many pop venues. There are often performances by well-known artists. Then you will undoubtedly have fun night out among the locals! At Huxley’s Neue Welt (Hasenheide 107), we saw the American band Life of Agony!
Standard hotspots
These hot spots you’ll want to have seen, of course: Brandenburgertor, Museum Island and Unter der linden. Beautiful areas, but lots of tourists.
Want to know when which subway goes? Then use the BVG app for public transportation in Berlin.
Not in the mood for city break Berlin? But just quiet surroundings or a nice walk in nature? You can, of course, do the same in Germany. Consider Gummersbach. Close to the Netherlands so for weekend trip by car good to do.
