08-05-18

5th stop: Berlin, Germany / 3 nights

A late arrival into Berlin due to the long day of travel plus the layover in Cologne. Nevertheless, we dumped our bags in the hotel and went out walking in the city. Our hotel was right by Checkpoint Charlie (a famous monument during WWII) therefore we were already in the heart of Berlin making it easy to get by on foot.

After grabbing a quick bite to eat we headed for Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. I love to walk the cities at dusk when the summer warmth is still in the air. It’s so pretty seeing the monuments empty and glowing from the floors uplighting.

This is definitely my favourite time of day to visit the monuments. To stand at the bottom of them thinking about how much history they have witnessed is pretty mind blowing. Actually, whilst we are on this topic;

Side note: I would recommend taking a seat in front of any main historical site in whichever city you are in and google it. It’s great to sit down and read about the monument whilst you’re there at the site. I have been doing this and it makes for a much cheaper and less rushed tour guide!

Our second day consisted of another open top bus! I have to say, these are so underrated!! They are the perfect way to see the larger cities like Paris and Berlin which are just impossible to complete on foot in our allotted time. Plus, it helps you to see parts of the city you otherwise wouldn’t have reached and you can hop on and off at any location to explore more.

The main highlight of the sightseeing day would have to be the Berlin Wall! If you head to East Side Gallery you can walk a good mile of the still standing wall which has been adorned with graffiti. Make sure your outfit is popping because this will definitely create some photos worthy of the gram.

As we were able to smash out all attractions in the city we decided to get a 40 minute tube out of the city on our second day to visit the Olympic Stadium. I have to say if you are able to set a whole day aside when you visit Berlin this has to be a must visit!! With a 60 minute guided tour at only €12 per person you cannot argue. Also, once you have given your ticket and are into the stadium you can roam around as you please!

The tour guides you through the whole inside of the stadium from changing rooms to warm up and rooms and even onto the track. To be able to stand on the track where Jesse Owens won gold at the Olympics in front of Hitler and to be by lane 4 of the track where Usain Bolt broke and made the existing world record for 100m is pretty unreal! I honestly cannot recommend going to visit here enough! Plus it’s a nice way to get out of the city and into a more rural area.

To finish off our day back in the city we headed to Charlie’s Beach, an artificial beach club by Checkpoint Charlie where you can get cocktails and waffles whilst kicking back in a hammock. I don’t think I need to say much more on that to convince you it has a cool vibe!

Back into present time and we are currently on a 4 hour train ride to Prague and witnessing some beautiful lake views out of the window. I can easily get used to this!

Peace and love,

Yasmin x