Catching up with Berlin

A few years ago me and my boyfriend escaped Chrismas by a trip to Berlin. The climate was grey and cold and most shops closed. We ate lot´s of Indian and Turkish food since that was the only open restaurants. Despite this, wich we could have guessed beforehand ofcourse, we had an amazing time in Berlin. A lot also thanks to the fantastic hostel Circus. What we liked the most though was the atmosphere.

This year it was time again for Berlin. After spending some time with my boyfriends family in Poland we took the train to Berlin and checked in at hostel Circus again. Our room was very similar to the one we had last time. A nice IKEA decorated room with a double bed. And the breakfast was as delicious as we remembered. An all you can eat for just 5 Euro. That is very good, especially now since the Euro is low. We felt home 🙂

We spent one day on bike and three by foot. Berlin is big so renting a bike for the “must see” attractions is a good idea. Berlin is not a pretty city. The charm lies in the atmosphere and the many bars, restaurants and nightclubs which most of the time have a very unique touch.

Except for wandering around during day we also tried the nightlife one day. Both me and Robert like electro music, which is the most common style when you go out in Berlin. Before heading to a club we walked around in the city. We made some interesting observations: 1) People don´t dress up when going out, very relaxed 2) Convenience stores are open all night long, they sell alcohol which people buy and drink on the streets as they walk the long distances between clubs/bars (Berlin is big!) 3) Some convenience stores had disco lights and a table outside where people partied 4) Everyone is drinking a special energy drink all night through since party in Berlin in many cases means the whole weekend, with no sleep. We managed to 04.00 am. In that time we tried both a convenience store and a very factory alike club where the electro music was far to heavy for my taste. But it was a fun experience 😀

One day we took the metro to the area called Friedrichshain, to stroll around in the afternoon. As we exit the metro we realize we are in the middle of a beer festival. We discovered that Berlin has a yearly beer festival where a two kilomtere long wide road offer 2000 different beers to choose between. You buy a special beer glass (2 dl) for 5 Euro. That can then be filled for 1,50 Euro at most beer tents. A nice way to try many sorts! But be prepared, it is crowded!!!

One thing we tried as well which I don´t have any photos from but still want to recommend is the cool spa “Liquidrom”. I read about it in a magazine three years ago and wanted to visit ever since. The biggest draw is a dark room with a big saltwater pool. Colours are projected on the walls and downtempo electro played. If you float you hear the music under water. I loved this spa even if I had to get used to the mixed men/woman saunas where naked was obligatory. In Sweden we have one sauna for women and one for men or mixed with bathing suits. Anyhow, I absolutely loved this place and since it was very affordable I visited twice. I had to wait for a night train to Copenhagen that departed midnight and since Liquidrom is open until midnight I spent my last Berlin hours there. I just love sauna and hot baths. And I like Berlin very much too 🙂 And I absolutely adore the french bulldog I met in a store…