Berlin and Germany in general are places that I have somewhat unconsciously avoided. It has never been a primary destination for me. I always thought that I would find my way there one day, whether for work or pleasure. I visited Germany for the first time less than a year ago. I was in Frankfurt for a few hours, on my way back from the US. It took 32 years, but finally the invitation to make a short trip to Berlin came. The main purpose of the visit was a concert by Pantera, a metal band with great influence in the ’90s.
We arrived in Berlin on a Friday afternoon, at Brandenburg Airport. To get to the city, we used the S9 train, since we couldn’t catch the REG train with fewer stops. A single ticket cost 4.7 euros (which included zones A, B and C where the airport is located), while a 24-hour ticket cost 12.3 euros for these three zones. Berlin is said to have “free” public transport, however, although we didn’t engage with any, ticket inspectors were often seen at metro stations, especially late at night. The fine for not having a ticket is 60 euros, so you might want to try your luck if you’re staying in Berlin for at least a week, as the fine and ticket aren’t that much different. I say this for people who get an adrenaline rush from such experiences, not anxiety like in my case.
The highlight for the first day was the concert. As soon as we checked in, we had lunch and headed to the “Max-Schmeling-Halle”. Doors opened at 6 pm and the concert started at 7 pm with King Parrot and Power Trip. Finally, it was Pantera’s turn. The opening was electric. They paid tribute to the Abbott brothers (the guitarist and drummer who have passed away) from time to time. For an hour and a half, we were buzzing, even though the average age of the crowd was much older than ours. When the concert was over, we were still hyped. On the first night we were joined by friends who lived there and went for very tasty burgers at Burgermeister Schlesisches Tor, a true Berlin atmosphere.
Saturday was the only full day we had available for this trip. The morning’s blessing was an Italian café, Cicala, located between the hostel and Alexanderplatz. The first tourist stops of the day were the Berlin TV Tower, the Neptune Fountain, the Berliner Dom, the Museum Island and the Brandenburg Gate, where a peaceful protest was taking place. Berlin was in the middle of the central elections. You could feel the atmosphere of the elections from the posters of different parties, which came with very different and extreme proposals from each other.
Then we visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and headed towards the Berlin Wall monument. I was never attracted to history in school, learning about the past of countries during travel not only pleases me, but also helps me remember the information for a long time. When you learn about the details of the past, you also learn not to be surprised by the details of the present. On the way to Checkpoint Charlie, we passed by the outdoor exhibition of “Topography of Terror”, near the former headquarters of the Gestapo.
After a short stop at Checkpoint Charlie, we headed towards the East Side Gallery, where we admired all the murals that stretched along the wall over 1 km long. Although recreated by the artists themselves and not the original versions, their messages still evoked strong emotions. To end the evening by the river, we headed to Holzmarkt 25, a very pleasant place with greenery by the river and very cool bars and shops. For the first time here I tried warm white wine. It was not as disgusting as it may sound, on the contrary. We had the wine by the river and, quite by chance, we came across one of Berlin’s Telediscos, the smallest discos in the world. For only 4 euros, we had no choice but to try it. After a very active day we stoped by Buya Ramen Factory, a place that I fully recommend from all aspects.
We spent the rest of the evening at the hostel to rest. In the early hours of the morning we headed to Tresor Club. Why this club and not another? Some of them were closed for the winter season and would reopen in March, while others, like Watergate, were closed for good. So we agreed on the first club that seemed suitable and without long lines. We got there around 2am and the queue was about an hour long. Since we were two girls, we had no problem getting in, but two groups of guys in front of us were not allowed in, for no specific reason. This is something to keep in mind before waiting in line at such places.
The next morning, we stopped for our coffee again at Cicala and headed home, taking with us an overall taste of everything Berlin has to offer.
