A Winters Break in Berlin!

My daughter turned 18 on the 30th of December, and I decided quite some time ago that material things to mark such occasions weren't really me. You can lose things but memories are always there; so we jetted off to Berlin for two nights, leaving her three siblings behind!

The 27th December saw us fly Ryanair Belfast to Berlin. Having very limited German between us we were a tad nervous about getting around, but we had no need to be! It is so easy and ridiculously cheap to buy tickets for the U- Bahn.

We stayed two nights at the Hilton Berlin in the Gendarmenmarkt, which had the Stadmitte U-Bahn stop right outside and over looked the Gendarmentmarkt Square. At this time of year there were also Christmas Markets in the Square.

The Hilton was a really central hotel to stay in the Mitte area of the city, as it opened up both the East and West very easily for us to explore. The rooms were spacious and breakfast was plentiful - lots of choice, even champagne if you felt the need. The lobby bar had a great easy going atmosphere with a piano player in the evenings, which was perfect before heading out.

The Christmas Markets were everything I expected and more! The live music was superb - everything from rock to folk and in between, and it gave the markets themselves an authentic atmosphere that I wasn't expecting. We decided to do a hop on-hop off bus trip to orientate ourselves and it was really worth it, as you picked up little bits of history that you wouldn't otherwise learn.

My top tip for Berlin is to make sure you register online before you go if you want to visit the Reichstag and its Dome, otherwise you could face a one to two hour queue to get booked in for the next day or even the day after. It is well worth it though.

I wasn't expecting Berlin to be so flat - a really easy city to navigate if you have someone with you that has a mobility issue.

A little secret about the Hilton Berlin which they don't warn you about - you are right next to the most amazing chocolate house - Fassbender and Rausch. You can have dinner, all with a chocolate theme, like a chocolate and pea risotto. We did visit twice for hot chocolate and desserts, and even a little prosecco. Definitely the most delicious chocolate I have ever tasted!

Of course, when in Berlin you have to sample the Curry Wurst. Not being a lover of sausages I was hesitant but there was no need, as it was very tasty - I had it twice!

We had a short time in Berlin and I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that I will visit again. If you are thinking about visiting the city feel free to get in touch!