What To Discover in Berlin (After You’ve Seen “Everything”)

What comes to mind when you think of Berlin?

Most traveling to Berlin (especially if you only have a handful of days) will spend most of their time in the Mitte neighbourhood, visiting Berlin’s “highlights”: the Brandenberg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, Unter den Linden and Museum Island (to name a few). While all of these sites are historically important, and significant – in addition to these, I encourage you to spend time outside of the centre and explore neighbourhoods, and spend some time in Berlin as a local might. Here’s how:

Prenzlauer Berg
Everyone going to Berlin will be told to check out Prenzlauer Berg – and for good reason: the former East Berlin neighbourhood is filled to the brim with good food, unique shops, greenery, bike parking, cafés, and young Berliners. I enjoyed strolling Prenzlauer Berg and enjoyed some of the best vegan gelato I’ve ever had (and I’ve been to Italy), at Hokey Pokey – with flavours like: dark chocolate, strawberry, raspberry, lemon… yum!

MauerPark
MauerPark is an urban park in Prenzlauer Berg. The park is a big, inviting space with a flea market, a unique 30 m of the Berlin Wall, and facing the park – a vegan restaurant famous for their “dirty rolls”, Fast Rabbit Fast Food.

Weinmeisterstraße
Get off at Weinmeisterstraße, a U-Bahn station (U8) – and experience what feels like an extension of Prenzlauer Berg (but quieter). While here, check out the classic absinthe shop, Absinth Depot Berlin. The Depot is officially a shop, but feels more like a super classy bar that’s frozen in time – complete with an old cash machine, dusty bottles, and pop up cigarette dispensers (and no photos allowed, unfortunately). Strolling around the station, you’ll find designer boutiques and one of the two Lululemon Showrooms in Berlin (at Muenzstrasse 20), so you know it’s the place to be.

Take a day trip: Potsdam!
I know this post reads “what to see in Berlin”, but trust me, you won’t regret taking the day and visiting the neighbouring city of Potsdam. Potsdam is a beautiful, peaceful little city – home to the Sanssouci Palace (17^th century summer residence of the King of Prussia, Frederick the Great), a unique Dutch Quarter (100+ brick homes built by the Dutch in the 17^th century), tons of lakes to admire (and to swim in!), and the best vegan dessert, at good dEATS.

If you enjoyed this post and want more awesome info on Berlin, like where to find the coolest market (Markthalle in Kreuzberg BTW), I really like Travels of Adam, a Berlin expert – he lives in and blogs about Berlin! 

Your turn – have you been to Berlin?
What did you discover in the city?