![\"dome-of-berlin-cathedral-germany\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/top-of-berlin-cathedral.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nOur Travel Experience in Berlin<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe capital city of Germany, Berlin is the country\u2019s central hub of history and culture, power and politics, art and music.<\/p>\n
We spent a brief two days in Berlin \u2013 it was not enough to intimately know the city, but it was enough for us to know we\u2019ll definitely come back to Berlin someday. My husband loves its hipster, artistic vibe, its gritty, classy feel, and its every corner that tells a story of art and history.<\/p>\n
(I prefer classically beautiful Munich, but I love Berlin too.)<\/p>\n
We\u2019re sharing our quick and lazy 2-day Berlin itinerary below. We didn\u2019t have much time, but we also didn\u2019t want to hurry our experience. We wanted to savor every moment of our time in Berlin.<\/p>\n
8 AMAZING REASONS OKTOBERFEST IN GERMANY SHOULD BE ON YOUR BUCKET LIST<\/a><\/em><\/h5>\nDAY 1<\/strong><\/p>\nArrival in Berlin!<\/p>\n
Check in at our modern, cozy hotel: MEININGER Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz<\/p>\n
After a quick rest and shower, we headed out for our FREE Berlin walking tour:<\/p>\n
Brandenburg Gate <\/strong><\/h3>\nThe starting point of our tour, Brandenburg Gate is one of the most iconic landmarks in Berlin. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBrandenburg Gate is Berlin\u2019s most famous landmark. A symbol of Berlin and German division during the Cold War, it is now a national symbol of peace and unity.\u201d \u2013 From Berlin.de<\/a>, the official website of Berlin.<\/p>\n![\"brandenburg-gate-berlin-quadriga-sculpture\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/brandenburg-gate-night-shot.jpeg\")
The Quadriga is a sculpture of the Goddess of Victory made by Johann Gottfried Schadow.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some of the historically significant events that happened at Brandenburg Gate include:<\/p>\n
\n- 1793 \u2013 The Quadriga was installed on the Gate. It is a sculpture of the Goddess of Victory made by Johann Gottfried Schadow.<\/li>\n
- 1806 \u2013 The Quadriga was taken by Napoleon\u2019s soldiers to France as a war trophy. It was returned to Berlin after Napoleon was defeated.<\/li>\n
- 1933 \u2013 The Nazis celebrated Hitler\u2019s rise to power with a torchlit procession at the Gate.<\/li>\n
- 1989 \u2013 A mass celebration was held at the \u00adGate when the Berlin Wall fell in November.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"famous-landmark-berlin-brandenburg-gate\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/brandenburg-gate-at-night-berlin.jpeg\")
Brandenburg Gate at night.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Berlin Wall <\/strong><\/h3>\nThe Berlin Wall was erected overnight on August 13, 1961 to divide West Berlin and East Berlin.<\/p>\n
After World War II, Berlin was occupied by different powers: United States, Britain and France made up West Berlin, and the Soviet Union controlled East Berlin.<\/p>\n![\"berlin-wall-walking-tour\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/berlin-wall-remaining-structure-1.jpg\")
What remains of the Berlin Wall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nResidents living in East Berlin were trying to escape to West Berlin, hence the Soviet Union put up the wall to encircle the West and posted guards at entryways. The Berlin Wall was not just a division between two places, but two separate ideologies as well: the Democratic West and the Communist East.<\/p>\n\n\n- \n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/how-does-berlin-wall-look-today-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n- \n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/berlin-wall-berlin-city-germany-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial)<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe memorial is dedicated to all the Jews and other victims of Adolf Hitler during the Holocaust period. After seeing this, it became all the more incomprehensible to me how some people could think this never happened at all, that it was all some fabricated story.<\/p>\n![\"berlin-holocaust-memorial\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/holocaust-memorial-for-jews-berlin.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\nThe victims of the Holocaust \u2013 the Jewish people, the people of different nationalities who helped them, the homosexuals, the minorities \u2013 their great sufferings and inhumane deaths do not warrant unbelief and denial. That is the most insulting thing one can do to them, after all the atrocious things they went through.<\/p>\n![\"berlin-holocaust-memorial-and-museum\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/holocaust-memorial-berlin.jpg\")
Hubby taking photos of the Memorial.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nI know Israel is not free of faults, but it does not mean we should deny that this massive genocide happened at all. Like with the genocides and wars happening (or that happened) around the world \u2013 Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, Rohingya in Myanmar, the war in Syria, the genocides in Africa \u2013 the least we can do is acknowledge their sufferings, their lives, their deaths and their stories.<\/p>\n![\"memorial-to-the-murdered-jews-of-europe-berlin-holocaust\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/berlin-holocaust-memorial-museum.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nThe Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe was designed by American architect Peter Eisenman and engineer Buro Happold.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hitler\u2019s\u00a0Last\u00a0Stand:\u00a0<\/strong>
An\u00a0inconspicuous\u00a0parking lot<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe last stand of Adolf Hitler. Below this ordinary parking lot was Hitler\u2019s final underground base.<\/p>\n![\"adolf-hitler-last-stand-berlin-germany\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/hitler-last-stand-berlin-germany-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Humboldt University <\/strong><\/h3>\nFounded in 1810, the Humboldt University was commissioned by Prussian King Frederic William III under the initiative of Wilhelm von Humboldt, Johann Gottlieb Fichte and Friedrich Ernst Daniel Schleiermacher.<\/p>\n![\"humboldt-university-one-of-the-oldest-universities-berlin-germany\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/humboldt-university-berlin-germany.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nOne of Berlin\u2019s four oldest universities, Humboldt University was built on Humboldt\u2019s concept of \u201cmother of all modern universities.\u201d The university had four classical faculties: Law, Medicine, Philosophy and Theology<\/a>. It was originally named Friedrich Wilhelm University.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Konzerthaus Berlin<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe Konzerthaus in Berlin is a neo-classical concert hall originally designed and built by Friedrich the Great, King of Prussia, as a theatre in the 18th century.<\/p>\n
Among the Konzerthaus\u2019s most notable performances include that of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart<\/strong>, Niccol\u00f2 Paganini<\/strong> and Franz Liszt<\/strong>.<\/p>\n![\"konzerthaus-in-berlin-symphony-orchestra\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/konzerthaus-berlin-germany.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\nToday, the Konzerthaus is home to one of Berlin\u2019s foremost symphony orchestras, Konzerthausorchester, led by principal conductor Iv\u00e1n Fischer. Their repertoire includes major symphonic works, chamber music, early music and contemporary classical music.<\/p>\n
You can read some more about the Konzerthaus here<\/a>, while you can check the events and buy tickets here<\/a>.<\/p>\nCheckpoint Charlie<\/strong><\/h3>\nWhen East and West Germany were still divided, Checkpoint Charlie was one of the few gateways between the two areas.<\/p>\n
It was also a popular site for many escape attempts by people from the East risking their lives just to go over the wall.<\/p>\n![\"checkpoint-charlie-american-military-germany\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/checkpoint-charlie-berlin-tour-1.jpg\")
Checkpoint Charlie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIf you want to know more about Checkpoint Charlie, check this out: https:\/\/www.history.com\/news\/8-things-you-should-know-about-checkpoint-charlie<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe tour took about 2-3 hours, although it doesn\u2019t seem like we didn\u2019t go to many tourist attractions in Berlin. That\u2019s because we walked around the city to get to one point to another, and during our stops, our tour guide shared a lot of interesting and helpful information with us.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d say it\u2019s definitely worth your time and effort, especially because you\u2019re getting a great tour for free<\/strong>!<\/p>\nAfter our Berlin tour ended, we roamed around a bit and eventually went back to hotel to freshen up for dinner.<\/p>\n
Dinner at Zur Haxen!<\/strong><\/h3>\nZur Haxen is a fabulous restaurant in Berlin<\/a> that serves traditional German food. Their restaurant has lovely interiors, welcoming and attentive staff, and superbly delicious food! We were not disappointed at all!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/haxen-germany-food.jpg\")
Haxen!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/best-foods-to-try-in-germany.jpg\")
Schnitzel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/best-food-to-eat-in-germany.jpg\")
Forgot the name of this traditional German dish. \ud83d\ude41<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n- \n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/zur-haxen-restaurant-berlin-germany.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n- \n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/zur-haxen-restaurant-berlin.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\nWe explored more of Berlin and saw how it was during the night \u2013 completely safe, beautiful and enjoyable!<\/p>\n
We found a free movie showing on one of the streets, some runners sweating it out together, restaurants and pubs filled with people, and police patrolling the city.<\/p>\n
Another noteworthy building in Berlin is Hotel Adlon.<\/h5>\n
Among Hotel Adlon\u2019s famous guests are Barack Obama and Michael Jackson. It\u2019s where Michael Jackson infamously held the baby at the balcony.<\/p>\n\n\n- \n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/hotel-adlon-berlin.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\nThe best Salzburg day tour itinerary that will make the most of your time and how to best get a Salzburg City card.<\/a><\/em><\/h5>\nDAY 2<\/strong><\/p>\nBerlin Cathedral<\/strong><\/h3>\nWe woke up early and enjoyed a hefty breakfast, courtesy of MEININGER Hotel\u2019s breakfast buffet!<\/p>\n\n\n- \n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/meininger-hotel-berlin-germany.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n- \n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/hotel-berlin-with-breakfast-buffet.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\nOur first stop was the city\u2019s iconic Berlin Cathedral. It\u2019s a shame that part of the Cathedral was being renovated at that time, so I had quite a challenging time taking photos. It\u2019s a beautiful sight nonetheless!<\/p>\n![\"famous-berlin-cathedral-in-berlin-germany\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/berlin-cathedral-in-germany.jpg\")
The Berlin Cathedral.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"front-facade-berlin-cathedral\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/berlin-cathedral-sculpture-details.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nBerlin Wall \u2013 East Side Gallery <\/strong><\/h3>\nOur next stop was the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall<\/strong>, which we had to find on our own! We got there after lunch and didn\u2019t have enough time to see all the murals on the wall. But we were happy to have our own Berlin Wall tour.<\/p>\nTIP<\/strong>: Allot 2 hours to explore the Berlin Wall if you really want to savor and maximize your time there.<\/p>\nWe passed by Checkpoint Charlie again and tried Berlin\u2019s currywurst<\/i> (curry sausage) \u2013 a must try in Berlin! It was so delicious I just had to have more! I think I gobbled 3 servings of currywurst<\/i>.<\/p>\n\n\n- \n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/currywurst-berlin-best-food-to-eat.jpg\")
The best currywurst<\/i>!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n- \n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/best-food-to-eat-berlin-germany.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\nWe also dropped by a few souvenir stores to buy presents for our hosts in Germany \u2013 special mention to Aling Fely and Gerhard and Amay (did we bring you anything? Lol.)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/souvenir-shops-in-berlin.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nI don\u2019t know if it\u2019s just Berlin or Germany as a whole, but the souvenir shops in Berlin have a quirky, unique and delightful selection of souvenirs.<\/p>\n
Our last stop was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe<\/strong>, which we only passed by yesterday at the tour. This time, we went inside the museum. It was such a sobering, unforgettable and emotional experience for us, so I\u2019m dedicating a separate post for it.<\/p>\nAnd we had a sumptuous dinner at a Chinese restaurant before we went back to our hotel and prepare for our night trip back to Munich.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/peking-duck-berlin-restaurants.jpg\")
Pecking Duck!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nOur Hostel in Berlin (with free breakfast buffet!) <\/strong><\/h2>\n
DAY 1<\/strong><\/p>\n Arrival in Berlin!<\/p>\n Check in at our modern, cozy hotel: MEININGER Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz<\/p>\n After a quick rest and shower, we headed out for our FREE Berlin walking tour:<\/p>\n The starting point of our tour, Brandenburg Gate is one of the most iconic landmarks in Berlin. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBrandenburg Gate is Berlin\u2019s most famous landmark. A symbol of Berlin and German division during the Cold War, it is now a national symbol of peace and unity.\u201d \u2013 From Berlin.de<\/a>, the official website of Berlin.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Some of the historically significant events that happened at Brandenburg Gate include:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Berlin Wall was erected overnight on August 13, 1961 to divide West Berlin and East Berlin.<\/p>\n After World War II, Berlin was occupied by different powers: United States, Britain and France made up West Berlin, and the Soviet Union controlled East Berlin.<\/p>\n Residents living in East Berlin were trying to escape to West Berlin, hence the Soviet Union put up the wall to encircle the West and posted guards at entryways. The Berlin Wall was not just a division between two places, but two separate ideologies as well: the Democratic West and the Communist East.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The memorial is dedicated to all the Jews and other victims of Adolf Hitler during the Holocaust period. After seeing this, it became all the more incomprehensible to me how some people could think this never happened at all, that it was all some fabricated story.<\/p>\n The victims of the Holocaust \u2013 the Jewish people, the people of different nationalities who helped them, the homosexuals, the minorities \u2013 their great sufferings and inhumane deaths do not warrant unbelief and denial. That is the most insulting thing one can do to them, after all the atrocious things they went through.<\/p>\n I know Israel is not free of faults, but it does not mean we should deny that this massive genocide happened at all. Like with the genocides and wars happening (or that happened) around the world \u2013 Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, Rohingya in Myanmar, the war in Syria, the genocides in Africa \u2013 the least we can do is acknowledge their sufferings, their lives, their deaths and their stories.<\/p>\n The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe was designed by American architect Peter Eisenman and engineer Buro Happold.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The last stand of Adolf Hitler. Below this ordinary parking lot was Hitler\u2019s final underground base.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Founded in 1810, the Humboldt University was commissioned by Prussian King Frederic William III under the initiative of Wilhelm von Humboldt, Johann Gottlieb Fichte and Friedrich Ernst Daniel Schleiermacher.<\/p>\n One of Berlin\u2019s four oldest universities, Humboldt University was built on Humboldt\u2019s concept of \u201cmother of all modern universities.\u201d The university had four classical faculties: Law, Medicine, Philosophy and Theology<\/a>. It was originally named Friedrich Wilhelm University.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Konzerthaus in Berlin is a neo-classical concert hall originally designed and built by Friedrich the Great, King of Prussia, as a theatre in the 18th century.<\/p>\n Among the Konzerthaus\u2019s most notable performances include that of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart<\/strong>, Niccol\u00f2 Paganini<\/strong> and Franz Liszt<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Today, the Konzerthaus is home to one of Berlin\u2019s foremost symphony orchestras, Konzerthausorchester, led by principal conductor Iv\u00e1n Fischer. Their repertoire includes major symphonic works, chamber music, early music and contemporary classical music.<\/p>\n You can read some more about the Konzerthaus here<\/a>, while you can check the events and buy tickets here<\/a>.<\/p>\n When East and West Germany were still divided, Checkpoint Charlie was one of the few gateways between the two areas.<\/p>\n It was also a popular site for many escape attempts by people from the East risking their lives just to go over the wall.<\/p>\n If you want to know more about Checkpoint Charlie, check this out: https:\/\/www.history.com\/news\/8-things-you-should-know-about-checkpoint-charlie<\/a>.<\/p>\n The tour took about 2-3 hours, although it doesn\u2019t seem like we didn\u2019t go to many tourist attractions in Berlin. That\u2019s because we walked around the city to get to one point to another, and during our stops, our tour guide shared a lot of interesting and helpful information with us.<\/p>\n I\u2019d say it\u2019s definitely worth your time and effort, especially because you\u2019re getting a great tour for free<\/strong>!<\/p>\n After our Berlin tour ended, we roamed around a bit and eventually went back to hotel to freshen up for dinner.<\/p>\n Zur Haxen is a fabulous restaurant in Berlin<\/a> that serves traditional German food. Their restaurant has lovely interiors, welcoming and attentive staff, and superbly delicious food! We were not disappointed at all!<\/p>\n We explored more of Berlin and saw how it was during the night \u2013 completely safe, beautiful and enjoyable!<\/p>\n We found a free movie showing on one of the streets, some runners sweating it out together, restaurants and pubs filled with people, and police patrolling the city.<\/p>\n Among Hotel Adlon\u2019s famous guests are Barack Obama and Michael Jackson. It\u2019s where Michael Jackson infamously held the baby at the balcony.<\/p>\n DAY 2<\/strong><\/p>\n We woke up early and enjoyed a hefty breakfast, courtesy of MEININGER Hotel\u2019s breakfast buffet!<\/p>\n Our first stop was the city\u2019s iconic Berlin Cathedral. It\u2019s a shame that part of the Cathedral was being renovated at that time, so I had quite a challenging time taking photos. It\u2019s a beautiful sight nonetheless!<\/p>\n Our next stop was the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall<\/strong>, which we had to find on our own! We got there after lunch and didn\u2019t have enough time to see all the murals on the wall. But we were happy to have our own Berlin Wall tour.<\/p>\n TIP<\/strong>: Allot 2 hours to explore the Berlin Wall if you really want to savor and maximize your time there.<\/p>\n We passed by Checkpoint Charlie again and tried Berlin\u2019s currywurst<\/i> (curry sausage) \u2013 a must try in Berlin! It was so delicious I just had to have more! I think I gobbled 3 servings of currywurst<\/i>.<\/p>\n We also dropped by a few souvenir stores to buy presents for our hosts in Germany \u2013 special mention to Aling Fely and Gerhard and Amay (did we bring you anything? Lol.)<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s just Berlin or Germany as a whole, but the souvenir shops in Berlin have a quirky, unique and delightful selection of souvenirs.<\/p>\n Our last stop was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe<\/strong>, which we only passed by yesterday at the tour. This time, we went inside the museum. It was such a sobering, unforgettable and emotional experience for us, so I\u2019m dedicating a separate post for it.<\/p>\n And we had a sumptuous dinner at a Chinese restaurant before we went back to our hotel and prepare for our night trip back to Munich.<\/p>\nBrandenburg Gate <\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Berlin Wall <\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\nMemorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nHitler\u2019s\u00a0Last\u00a0Stand:\u00a0<\/strong>
An\u00a0inconspicuous\u00a0parking lot<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/figure>\nHumboldt University <\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/figure>\nKonzerthaus Berlin<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/figure>\nCheckpoint Charlie<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Dinner at Zur Haxen!<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\nAnother noteworthy building in Berlin is Hotel Adlon.<\/h5>\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\nThe best Salzburg day tour itinerary that will make the most of your time and how to best get a Salzburg City card.<\/a><\/em><\/h5>\n
Berlin Cathedral<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nBerlin Wall \u2013 East Side Gallery <\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nOur Hostel in Berlin (with free breakfast buffet!) <\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/honeybeaubie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1340-meininger-hotel-berlin-alexanderplatz-mehrbettzimmer-5fba18d.jpg\")