Berlin is a fabulous megacity, with many a resemblance to NYC. It’s happening, vibrant, chick and loaded with bars and cool restaurants.
My favorite area to wonder about is the area surrounding the Alexanderplatz. I just love the small streets surrounding the famous square loaded with cafes, boutiques
and designer stores.
Another aspect of Berlin is the famous Sunday flea markets.
There are a few that we went to, where you could get anything from great lightning to cheap designer clothes to great antiques and even Legos.
Berlin also has a lot of great excursions to offer kids.
From museums to the zoo, there is so much to explore one cannot get bored for a second.
We always stay at the same hotel in Berlin, and I will mention it too. It’s luxurious but very family friendly and is located at the elegant Mitte district.
So let’s start here at the hotel.
The Titanic Gendarmenmarkt Berlin is located at the heart of the Mitte district. Within walking distance are all the major Berlin museums and galleries. As these are all located
in a beautiful park right across the street from the hotel.
Alexaderplatz, is just a little further down the street as well.
It is a lavish hotel that is reasonably priced and offers gigantic, classically decorated rooms, all equipped with beautiful furnishing and soft carpets. The reception and the concierge are so welcoming and helpful you can basically have them plan your visit for you.
In fact, every time we get to this hotel, a bottle of bubbly and some chocolates awaits for us in the room.
The breakfast at this hotel is just as elegant and lavish as the hotel itself. It offers a great variety of cold cuts, an array of cheeses, an assortment of pastries and of course the rest of the delicacies that are the components of a beautiful breakfast.
My personal favorite was the complimentary bottle of champagne that is offered to all diners.
Kids’ Activities in Berlin
The Berlin Zoo is most definitely a highlight for kids. It is gigantic and never ending and a great way to spend a day in Berlin that is wonderous for kids. One can see all the animals on display during a day at the zoo, and it is a much grander zoo than the ones in other towns. So I highly recommend it!
A different kind of activity is the German Museum of Technology (Trebbiner Str. 9 10963, Berlin).
It’s a vast museum with a never ending display of automotives, trains and aircrafts from different makers and periods in human history. I have never seen anything like it, there are floors over floors of engineering wonders all designed for kids’ hands-on experience. It’s a must-see with kids in Berlin.
For art, which my kids seem to love, I highly recommend the Old German National Gallery.
It’s literally across the street from the hotel and offers great displays of classical art.
Flea Markets in Berlin
We visited quite a few of those and loved every second. But before I go into describing the colorful, exuberant markets I will mention the kilo store, where I for one got a great vintage designer dress.
So you should most definitely check it out.
The Sunday Flea Market
With a substantial array of antiques the Sunday Flea Market is the best place to get actual antiques for the home. We got an antique accordion, a bunch of metal toy soldiers and various decorations for the house. It’s not a place to go clothes-shopping but it’s most definitely a place to hang out and get a variety of home décor stuff.
Flea Market in Mauerpark
This flea market is essentially an outdoor party. With live dance shows out on the lawns and cool antiques, jewelry and vintage clothing, this market offers more of a cultural experience than any other market.
In addition, there are a bunch of restaurants outside the park where one can get lunch and feel the Berlin hip vibe, even more so as a family. We got a bunch of vintage Legos and cool clothes at this market and loved its vitality and ambiance. It’s definitely rock n’roll in Maurepark.
Nightlife Sans Kids
In terms of nightlife, sans kids, I would highly recommend the Charlie Sheen Bar, which offers a wide selection of drinks and liquors and is a social hotspot.
The Monkey’s Bar is another must go joint. It’s right outside the zoo and overlooks it and is probably the coolest bar in Berlin. It’s variety of cocktails and people is unparallel and it is packed with beautiful people. It’s downside is the crazy line outside.
All in all Berlin is a lot of fun for families and offers a wide variety of attractions and adventures.
So pack up and go!
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