Berlin, Germany

Berlin is great for the techno head/club junkie. It’s not my thing, but there are plenty of spots for that if it’s yours. Clubs stay open until the early morning hours, so if you’re someone who likes to be out all night, Berlin is the place for you.

I traveled with Yara before she was a vegan, so we were both really excited to try authentic German food. (That’s not to say that you can’t eat vegan in Berlin, but we weren’t looking for it, so I have no suggestions on that.) We had some kind of sausage that I can’t remember the name of, but I know that we loved the German food. Obviously, we had beers everywhere we went. I think it goes without saying that in Germany, German beer should be your alcohol of choice. Just as you would drink French wine in France.

Some of my most memorable moments on this trip were just getting some German beers and walking around the park. To be fair, this wasn’t really a uniquely German experience, it was more just plain European.

Tips:

• Skip the Holocaust museum. Just go outside of it to see the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. We thought there would be a ton of Holocaust related museums in Berlin, but we should have realized that most of that is actually outside of Germany.  The memorial was cool, but I wouldn’t say the museum was worth it or that you’d learn anything new. If you don’t want to take my word for it, The New Yorker has a great article on the general inadequacy of the whole thing.
• If you’re into street art, check out the Berlin Wall. It’s generally cool for the history aspect, and even cooler for the art. Much like Detroit, Berlin is known for its street art. Walking around the city aimlessly you will allow you to see tons of gorgeous pieces.

• Take a walking tour. I suggest this for any city that you don’t already have jam packed with your own ideas. There are always free walking tours in every major city and, like I’ve mentioned before, you learn so much and see a bunch of stuff you otherwise might have missed. We did the free walking tour in Berlin, and we’re super thankful we did.