I’ve always wanted to visit Germany because of all the raving reviews I’ve heard from travellers over the past few years. So I was very excited to head to Berlin this autumn.

Visiting Berlin for me is definitely more of a history trip than a holiday! I’m not saying this is a bad thing though. I started the first day exploring the city on one of the free walking tours. Visiting the Holocaust memorial was one of the most interesting stops- hearing everybody’s views on the place was intriguing. A spot that can’t really be explained but if you’ve ever been you’ll understand what I mean! (third photograph above)

We then visited the historical sights of the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, site of Hitler’s bunker and the various squares throughout the city. One thing I found about Berlin was that it’s the only place in Europe I’ve ever visited that doesn’t have a definitive central square to visit. The kind you go to and find all the restaurants, the street vendors and the horses.. You know what I’m talking about. Prague, Krakow, Brussels, Brugge, Florence to name a few… They all have them! It was weird not to see this. It also meant that we had no idea where to go for dinner the majority of the nights, we thought maybe we were missing something!

Berlin is definitely one of a kind, I’ll give it that. We stayed in Alexanderplatz in the hotel you can’t miss – Radisson’s The Park Inn right behind the TV Tower. A great location for all shops and the German Octoberfest market!

A great thing about visiting Berlin in October is The Festival of Light. Iconic buildings dotted around the city are lit up in all colours and patterns making a beautiful display and a great way to see the buildings at night! We were lucky enough to be there for this.

Trying the different beers in Berlin is great if you drink beer… I don’t, But what I do love is fruity drinks. I managed to find the perfect drink for myself, Berliner Kindl Weisse! This popular choice is beer with fruit syrup. I tried raspberry, blackcurrant, elderflower and woodruff that turns your beer green! I absolutely loved this but it definitely does not do well for your stomach the next day! 😉

Amongst the beers and the various chocolate pastries I kept scoffing, we even tried our first bratwurst! Not too bad for someone who’s not a big fan of sausages but it’s got to be done in Germany.

On our final day we visited the East-Side Gallery. The 1.3km stretch of original standing Berlin wall is covered in art and is the biggest outdoor gallery in the world. I really enjoyed walking the stretch of this and admiring the art. It also makes you reflect on history and what it must have been like to be shut off from the outside world. It really makes you appreciate how much freedom we have to travel the world today.