Berlin Berlin Berlin, how much do I love thee let me count the ways……..
What’s so great about Berlin? First off it’s a relatively inexpensive city compared to other European cities. Secondly there is so so much to do in Berlin, daytime and nighttime, including museums, walking around, remnants of the wall, lovely cafés and restaurants, all the Platz’s (including Alexander and Potsdamer), and just soaking it all up. There are so many unique and diverse neighbourhoods all over this fantastic city where two are not the same. Plus good transportation links, easy access to the airport, a nightlife that is off the charts and the best in the world! And it’s a city that never sleeps. Plus many shopping districts :)!
On your next trip to Berlin get yourself a three day Museums pass that’s gets you into 30 top museums (all in this link):
Must see places of Berlin include:
The LGBTQ + Schwules Museum is a fantastic place to discover this community and currently there is a look at the life of celebrated Lesbian author and critic Susan Sontag: Seeing and Being Seen (on until Nov. 2, 2026), alongside Cruising the Countryside – a look at queer life in the countryside. The farmers, labourers and non city folk living their LGBTQ+ lives in farms, remote villages, and small towns. It’s an interesting look at queer life in the countryside. Excellent.
Pop over to the Berlinische Galerie for the shocking and erotic work of the gay artist Marc Brandenburg in “20th Century Debris.” Brandenburg ranks internationally among the leading graphic artists of our day. On display – until September 19th – are around 170 works, including recent pieces as well as very early, rarely seen drawings from the 1990s, videos, tattoo sheets, installations, pencil drawings, and photographs, abstract sheets, black light rooms and more. The Berlinische Galerie is near the Jewish Museum.
The Anne Frank Center (Zentrum) is a must visit – in Hackescher Markt (next to Alexanderplatz) – and is dedicated to the life of the young woman who, with her family and other people, were in hiding from the Nazis during WWII, and eventually murdered. If you think you knew a lot about Anne Frank you’ll learn more about her at this excellent museum. This exhibition is biographical, interactive and inclusive.
https://www.annefrank.de/en/exhibition-berlin
If your thing is Queer Cinema then head to Deutsche Kinemathek for its exhibition titled ‘Inventing Queer Cinema’ presenting key LGBTQ+ films and paying tribute to the pioneers of this genre, focusing on Berlin as a hub of queer film culture. It’s excellently laid out and easy to navigate and in display until September 13th.
A must must visit is to Gropius Bau for the Marina Abramovic Balkan Erotic Epic exhibition. It’s in your face, and her first solo exhibition in Berlin since the 1990’s. The exhibition brings together historical and new works by the performance artist, with ritual, eroticism, death and the body as key themes of her work. Including scenes of nudity and mutilation, and not for the squeamish. On until August 30th.
The DDR Museum shows life In the GDR in all its aspects: from politically influenced everyday life to the military and economic structures. The museum conveys life under a dictatorship. The exhibition shows history from the point of view of the people and focuses on everyday consequences of the decisions of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany lands (SED).
If illusions are your thing then you’ll love the Illuseum Berlin – a museum full of illusions, art and digital technologies, to create a new understanding of society, culture and the environment.
Helmut Newton
One of my favorite exhibitions in Berlin is at the Museum for Photography and is a two floor tribute to famed photographer Helmut Newton.
His photographs are famous as they set the template for fashion photography. On the ground floor there are eight video projectors showing a film about his life. In the rear section of the ground-floor gallery, nearly 100 of Newton’s exhibition posters are on view. There are vintage magazines featuring Newton’s published work. It’s a great display of the evolution of fashion photography and the changing image of women and how they are portrayed – from the late 1950s to the turn of the 21st century. Also included are large wall panels that feature illustrated biographies on the life and work of Helmut and June Newton. There is also a room off to the side of the gallery which is a replica of Newtons’ actual study including work on the walls by Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. It’s overall a fascinating look at the work and life of Newton who changed fashion photography by his unique eye and style. Until Nov 36, 2026.
Iconic – A Timeless Journey of Culture, Society and Mobility is now on at the Volkswagen showroom on Unter Den Linden. It is indeed a journey of modern day icons from the past to the present day including exceptional personalities, technological innovations, visionary architecture, symbols of various eras, and timeless design language, which continue to shape society, culture and technology to this day.
The exhibition presents worlds with automotive icons at their core.
2026 marked the 25th anniversary of the start of the Afghanistan mission. To commemorate this occasion, the Bundeswehr Military History Museum at Berlin-Gatow Airfield is presenting an exhibition entitled “War Zones” – featuring photographs by the Dutch photographer Martin Roemers.
Photographs taken during peacekeeping missions in the Balkans will also be on display.
Martin Roemers’ photographs focus on the people in the harsh, bleak, and tense everyday life of the “War Zones.” Located in Spandau – Outside of Berlin – but worth a trek if you have time on your hands.
Time Machine at the Humboldt Forum takes us on a journey through time, exploring queer migrant Berlin.
The multimedia installation moves through the past, present and future to highlight and honor the presence and cultural heritage of queer migrants and BIPoC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) in the city via a series of videos, the artists, together with numerous protagonists, focus on spaces of exchange, self‑organisation and visibility for queer BIPoC. Queer-migrant history of the 1920s and queer Jewish life before the Second World War are connected with political activism, extending to visions of the youth ballroom scene for a queer Berlin of the future. Time Machine is on until Jan. 31, 2028.
Of course there are loads of other museums and outdoor exhibitions in Berlin (East Side Gallery – remnants of the Wall, Alexanderplatz) but the above is just a small sampling/recommendation. Also worth a mention is galerie-newman.de which displays, and sells, queer contemporary art.
For more information on upcoming events in Berlin, the best resource is this:
https://www.visitberlin.de/en/top-events-berlin
If fashion is your thing, then take a fashion tour. One of their guides (my guide was Tania who was very very knowledgeable about the Berlin Fashion Scene) will take you to shops in Berlin that are undiscovered and very fashionable. We went to several shops and I was tempted in each one to buy something! Highlights include Melinda Stokes Stokx Shop for her very well fitting designs and who shares a shop with Remesalt, an eclectic brand born in Berlin with fashion for everyone; genderless pieces that break the mold and celebrate individuality. I have to say his pieces were fantastic!
If you still require more shopping then you can head outside of Berlin to the Designer Outlet Berlin where there is an open air village with over 90 shops representing more than 100 designers, plus a wide range of cafes and restaurants.
A place that I had never been before though it’s quite central is Raw Gelände. Right next to Warschauer Strasse station, Raw is an expansive, 19th-century former railway repair yard in Friedrichshain. Today, it operates as a vibrant, gritty cultural hub. It has alternative nightlife, street art, vendors selling offbeat goods, and it’s just an eclectic place to hang out. And if you are lucky enough and in Berlin in good weather get a ticket to whatever party is happenning at Maaya, an outdoor pool/club inside Raw that hosts all sorts of dance events (from naughty to, well, naughty!).
Also recommended is a food tour given by https://forkandwalktoursberlin.com. My guide – Sören – introduced me to many lovely cafes and bars (some off the beaten track), and also included a huge Sören cake that was just extremely delicious (at Romeo und Romeo in the Nollendorfkiez section of Berlin).
Highly recommended for your trip to Berlin is to get The Berlin Welcome Card. It combines unlimited public transport with discounts of 25% to 50% on over 170 attractions, museums, and tours. Valid for 48 hours to 6 days, it also allows up to three children (ages 6–14) to travel free.
After this most recent visit, I love Berlin even more, and I want to go back as often as I can – I can’t get enough!
Berlin is one of the very few European cities where there is an abundance of hotels. From pricey ones in nice neighbourhoods to edgy hotels for travelers on a budget.
Hotels are in every neighbourhood, but of course if you’re a tourist you want to be close to most of the tourist sites – there are two that we can recommend.
Hotel Palace Berlin
Located steps from Zoologischer Garten train station and one of the main shopping districts, and right across the street from Zoo Berlin is Hotel Palace Berlin.
It is one of the original hotels from a bygone era (opening in 1968), and it still looks as beautiful today as it did back then. With rooms at every price level and sizes (239 rooms and 39 suites), they are modern with design-oriented interior, enough desk space if you are there for work, and a much needed mini refrigerator to store drinks and food. And you can’t go wrong due to its very central location and close to many transportation links. The hotel also has a sumptuous spa with a lovely pool which is great to use in the warmer summer months, or any time really.
And the breakfast buffet is one of the best I have ever seen: from eggs cooked your way to pancakes, loads of fruit choices, cheeses, meats and excellent coffee and juices, and all served by an extremely warm and friendly staff. Hotel Palace Berlin belongs to the Pink Pillow Berlin Collection which is a network of LGBTQ+ friendly hotels in Berlin.The Hotel Palace Berlin is a place where I plan to stay again on one of my next visits to Berlin.
beef 45
And don’t forget the restaurant downstairs, beef 45 (Meat Culture reimagined!!) where I had the honour of enjoying a fantastic and delicious meal. The starters were so so good I wanted more but the Black Angus Beef Fillet was one of these best I have ever had. It was excellent and cooked perfectly. Kudos to chef Herr Hendrich for an excellent meal (beef 45 ranks among Germany’s top 50 steakhouses). The room is darkly decorated which allows other features of the room to stand out (lots of gold, including a miniature Ape!). And the night doesn’t have to end there as there is a cosy bar next door called House of Gin and where I would recommend the Por Star Martini and a Negroni.
The Westin Grand Berlin
Another hotel that we recommend is The Westin Grand Berlin. Located a few blocks away from Brandenburg Gate and The Reichstag building (Germany’s Houses of Parliament) and Friedrichstraße train station, The Westin is a glamorous hotel with a sweeping staircase in the lobby where rooms are set within an atrium and is absolutely stunning. With a ground floor restaurant and bar (and even an outdoor terrace in warm weather) – the hotel ticks every box.
With over 400 newly designed rooms and suites (designed with relaxation in mind), there’s something for everyone no matter what budget you’re on, and their Heavenly Beds are so so comfortable. Looking at rooms for August, the King Deluxe Rooms are a snip at only 154 EUR per night! The rooms are super modern looking, with very comfortable beds, and suites that are not overly big and are just the perfect size. The rooms are actually the most perfect hotel rooms I have ever seen, with beautiful and modern design and beautiful appointed bathrooms – everything you need.
The Westin Grand Berlin has a good breakfast buffet, and a stunning outdoor garden, so beautiful that the weekend I was there a wedding was taking place. The hotel also has a spa (with a swimming pool which was being modernised while I was there), but what made it very special for me was the staff. They are so very nice, attentive but not nosy, and are a credit to the hotel. Located at the Boulevard Unter den Linden, this Berlin luxury hotel offers space for both business and leisure. Residing in the middle of the city, close to the main station, historical landmarks and the government district.
https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/berwi-the-westin-grand-berlin/overview/
A place where we had the pleasure to dine was the Kink Bar & Restaurant.
There’s nothing kinky about Kink Bar & Restaurant, but if you’re looking for somewhere to eat that is a bit different, very trendy and hot, off the beaten tourist path, then this is the place!
Located in the edgy but cool neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg, Kink Bar & Restaurant is urban dining at its most modern and dynamic, offering up a unique smattering of dishes, with, in the summertime, a fantastic outdoor garden to eat al fresco, while the indoors is welcoming and warm. Their motto – come as strangers, leave as friends – is so true as the staff are all very nice and at your beck and call. As for the food – our waiter recommended dishes to share – I would highly recommend the Hokkaido Pumpkin Tempura with sweet and sour plum dressing – absolutely delicious – a dish like no other. Also unique were the Corn Flautas – filled with grilled spinach and potatoes, served with salsa tattemada, achiote oil, and sour cream, and covered in greens. There are two to an order so you might want to order two of these. White Asparagus with sake-hollandaise was another standout, but it was the Wood-Grilled, Bone-In Steak that was eindrucksvo (impressive)ll! It’s 30 days dry-aged, quite large, tender, and a snip at only 29EUR! And one can’t leave without trying their decadent and sexy (it’s Berlin after all) Chocolate Fondant (with an amaretto custard and amarena cherries) and Bergamot Sorbet on Earl Grey jelly topped with meringue.
A superb selection of drinks are on offer, and we had the frozen margaritas to cool us off as it was a very warm evening the night we dined there.
Kink Bar & Restaurant also does brunch and includes my all time favourite French Toast, and also Eggs Benedict, Avocado Toast (for the millennials), and loads of coffee to help out with the previous nights festivities (what happens in Berlin stays in Berlin!). Anything goes at Kink Bar & Restaurant (well almost anything) – except boredom!