Christmas in Berlin
The German capital Berlin is a busy and interesting destination at any time of the year, but comes alive during the festive period, with events across the city and a winter chill in the air.
By James Stone
The German capital Berlin is a busy and interesting destination at any time of the year, but comes alive during the festive period, with events across the city and a winter chill in the air.
We flew into the city on one of the array of budget flights now available between the UK and Germany and transferred to our hotel on the cheaper east side of the city for a week. The hotel was comfortable and quirky and the staff were efficient and very friendly.
Berlin has been one of Europe's most important cities for a long time now and boasts architecture befitting such a title, with the imposing Brandenburg Gate, the fabulous museum district, and the vast Reichstag crowned with its class dome.
I would recommend a trip up the Television Tower, gracing the centre of Berlin since 1969 and home to an excellent viewing gallery and revolving restaurant at the top. It is the perfect place to eat and enjoy a leisurely 360-degree view of the city, taking pictures and marvelling at the stark difference in architecture between east and west Berlin.
If heights are not for you, another way to see the city is by boat and we spent a very pleasant few hours meandering down the River Spree, sipping drinks and watching the magnificent sights and buildings pass by.
With such a vast array of museums to choose from, we opted for the sombre and beautifully designed Judisches Museum, the largest Jewish Museum in Europe, the beautiful Gemaldegalerie with its huge collection of European painting, the classical Pergamon Museum and the Wall Museum - House at Checkpoint Charlie.
Germany's nightlife is legendary, with restaurants, pubs, nightclubs and concert halls across the city busy throughout the week. During the Christmas period, head for one of the many famous squares around the city, for festive markets and activities, try and see a world class concert or theatre performance, and take in the atmosphere of Berlin in the numerous cafes, bars and pubs.
Food in Berlin is keenly prices, rich and plentiful, with a range of world cuisines available alongside hefty German offerings. Spend time in the cafes sipping hot chocolate and eating delicious German cake and sample local dishes.
The city is a great place to shop, with regular markets, quirky boutiques, huge department stores and art shops and galleries. We returned from our trip laden with gifts, paintings, wooden items and clothing.
One of the things we noticed, possibly because of our very limited German, was how interested people were in speaking to us and speaking in England. We met a number of very polite, engaging Germans during our visit and found the city particularly friendly and easy to negotiate.
The transport system in Berlin is excellent and, unlike the UK, services invariably turn up at the time they are due to arrive and leave punctually. We used both the comprehensive bus system and the underground system during our stay and managed to find our way around easily with the help of a basic map.
Christmas in Berlin is festive, lively and immensely enjoyable, with crisp winter air, carols, lights and decorations throughout the city. Although it was grey and cloudy while we were there, it is often possible to enjoy a white Christmas.
