Top 5 Delights: Berlin

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1. Biking! - There are bike paths everywhere and they are so well laid-out that people actually use them. Are you listening American city planners? Side walk for pedestrian, bike path for bikes, streets for cars so no one gets in each other’s way…well except when turning and when pedestrians don’t pay attention, but it does seem to work! It was a fantastic way to get to know the city and my dear friend Amanda and her lovely boyfriend Vallen rode in front and behind me at all time to protect my scaredy cat self. It was the first time I’d ever ridden a bike to get around a new city and color me converted! It was the best way to get the lay of the land quickly and see a lot of sights in a short time.



2. East German (DDR) Museum – Ever wonder what a mass-produce government regulated and subsidized wardrobe would look like? What about a car you had to wait 5 years on waiting list for the privilege to buy? What the interrogation room of a Stasi officer is furnished with? The East German museum has an interactive informative and hands-on version of it all! Endless pushing buttons and turning levers is perfect for a raging history nerd like myself; love it!

3. Pergamon Museum – Hands-down the most impressive collection of antiquities I’ve ever seen. They have an entire altar built by the Pergamon people and an incredible assortment of artifacts from Mesopotamia and even older! There’s a free audio guide that is very impressive and they have an exhibition on Muslim art and antiquities that is also beautiful.

4. East German Gallery – A collection of murals painted by artists from all over the world on pieces of the remains of the Berlin wall. They were recently re-furbished by the original artists and are in impressive condition. Hands-down the best thing to do in Berlin that is 100% free.

5. Food – All of the food I ate in Germany was absolutely delicious. Unlimited Sunday brunch buffet is a fantastic hangover cure, the currywurst (famous German hot dogs) with curry ketchup lived up to its name, and the diverse population provides for lots of fantastic ethnic options. We had some fantastic sushi, and the best banh mi sandwich I’ve ever had at two of these little hole in the wall gems.