Berlin: how I spent New Year's eve in Germany

December 27th, 05:00: time to wake up, I have a plane to catch. Germany I'm coming !

If you have been following me on Social Media recently, you probably know that I was in Berlin for the Christmas holidays. Now that I'm finally back, I want to share the highlights of this journey as well as my top tips if you plan on traveling to the capital of Germany.

Everything was set. Traveling light and in good company — I was out to discover the World. More than just discovering a new foreign city, I was eager to discover this particular one: Berlin. For some reason I fail to understand myself, the German capital had been arousing my fascination for years on end.

So when a few months ago I had the opportunity to visit, I didn't have to think about it twice.

The Fernsehturm Tower of Berlin

“ I take pride in the words Ich bin ein Berliner.” — US President John F. Kennedy

Most people don't like Berlin or Germany. Or even the german language for that matter. Why? Maybe it's some bad blood from the war or something else. All I know is that every time I told my friends or my family about my plans to go to Germany, they would retort "why do you even go there: it's cold, it's ugly ... Go to [insert city here] instead". How about not?

The Bundesrat building

I spent 8 days in Berlin from December 27th to January 3rd and I enjoyed every one of them. For a reasonable price I had found on Airbnb a gorgeous apartment in the center so traveling around the town was rather enjoyable, getting to see the monuments and iconic places in the process.

The World Clock near Alexanderplatz

“Berlin, the greatest cultural extravaganza that one could imagine.” — David Bowie

Some will say that the Capitale feels old and "fixed" in the past but I don't think this way. I overall felt less stressed than I feel most days in Paris: the buildings, as well as the density of population, seem to be considerably less high. Even the subway stations felt less crowded and ... most importantly: way cleaner and recent than their Parisian cousins.

Planning on traveling to Berlin City?

5 places to visit in Berlin

If this article fired you up and you are ready to pack up your bags and head off to Berlin right now, don't worry, I've got you covered. Here is what I enjoyed the most during my journey there :

5 places to visit in Berlin

Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Markets)

Beautiful! Just beautiful. Lots of different kinds of food, souvenirs, and animations. There are located pretty much all around the city. Though, obviously, you would have to actually be there for the Christmas season to see them!

Fernsheturm Tower

It's not like you were ever going to miss it (you literally see it from everywhere in town), but you should definitely pay an actual visit to the Alexanderplatz and its Tower.

Fernsheturm Tower

Visit the Brandenburg Tor

Right in the center of the City, in the middle of the Partizer Platz, and close to the Chancellery / Parliament. The Brandenburg Gate is one of the historical monuments you can't miss.

Brandenburg Tor

Visit the Berlin Wall

1st historical place to visit in the City. I sadly didn't get to visit it by day and it was very cold, but I definitely recommend you to visit! The "street art" part of the wall is in the South of Berlin.

Berlin Wall

Shakespeare & Sons

Last but certainly not least, as a bonus. This little café / book store also known as "Books and Bagels" is absolutely gorgeous. I had the chance to discover it a few days before leaving and ... well my book lover's heart melt. And yours just might too.

Shakespeare & Sons shop in Berlin

Let's chat

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this article. Did you ever visit Germany? Or do you have some 'travel tips' to share? I'm really curious to find out in the comments!

If it's up to me, there is no doubt about it: I will go back to Germany.