Berlin was not all Christmas markets and weekend excursions to more Christmas markets…in between, we squeezed in a lot of walking, a lot of tasty food, a bit of shopping, and some fun other excursions.
This traveling exhibition of mini bear sculptures, each painted by an artist from a different country to represent their home greeted me at the airport on arrival.
And while it is about an hour from the airport into the city on transit, it is a relaxing and efficiently easy ride on a train right from the airport terminal to the corner of Jenna’s apartment building complex. Oh that we had anything even CLOSE to that in Boston!
Of course the trains are maintained and sometimes we ran into short delays while they routed around sections of track to work on them late at night. I got a kick out of the labels on the maintenance cars!
Food
We ate delicious food - it is a very international city so in addition to German specialties like spaetzle, schnitzel, rosti, and of course, the national obsession with pretzels, we also had fabulous Italian and Turkish foods.
Turkish döner sandwich shops (think gyro only with more focaccia-like pita bread and a tasty combination of creamy and spicy sauces) are a fixture all over the city and Jenna has one that dangerously stays open until midnight right at the train station adjacent to her building that we passed through on nearly every outing.
This particular döner shop also carried Turkish baklava which the proprietor claims is the best in Berlin. More extensive research should be conducted…(challenge accepted!) but it was indeed excellent. Containing pistachios instead of the walnuts I’ve had in typical baklava here, it is a unique and delightful change.
Other Turkish restaurant fare features sesame seed breads and strong black Turkish tea.
Italian cuisine really needs no explanation, but I did have the best lasagna bolognese I have ever had in my life here in Berlin at a cafe inside an Italian grocery market!
I seem to be in a pistachio phase and this pistachio cream filled panettone followed us home from the Italian market,,,
Jenna has an Italian restaurant near the school where she teaches AND one a couple blocks from her apartment. Naturally, we ate at both.
An interesting feature of liquor glasses in the EU is that they all, no matter how casual or fancy the restaurant, have glasses marked with the volumes - I guess to make sure you are getting the right amount!
At most Italian restaurants here they ALWAYS offer a complimentary aperitif - we chose limoncello and it was so smooth and delicious.
We also popped into the food halls at the famous KaDeWe department store for some gourmet donuts one afternoon.
In spite of all the dining out, we worked it off with a LOT of walking and 5 flights of stairs just to get in and out of the apartment 😏
Botanical Garden
I’ve visited the Botanical Garden here before in the summer when it is open and it is truly a treat, but this time of year it is decked out for the seasonal Christmas display.
Thousands of lights line the paths and dozens of displays along the path are set to different music scores. Light tunnels, a wishing tree, music synchronized projected light shows on the greenhouses and dancing water light shows, a ‘sing-the-light’ interactive exhibit with microphones (the diva rocked that one!) to name a few.
dancing water light show at the Christmas Garden Berlin
Synchronized light show at the greenhouses at the Christmas Botanical Garden Berlin
Snacks and gluhwein stands allowed guest to amble along the paths and enjoy warm treats along the way.
I’ve been to a few Christmas light shows over the years and this is a standout favorite for me. It is SO beautifully and thoughtfully designed and a delightful experience.
Futurium
The Futurism is a fabulous museum exploring themes of technology, innovation, and sustainability around how we live and build and manufacture.
Aside from the fascinating subject matter, this gets an A+ in museum design - it is worth the visit just to see how the displays are so thoughtfully put together and how they have used technology to enhance the experience. Even the restrooms feature future-forward Dyson faucets that incorporate hand dryers alongside the spout.
You can use a personalized wristband to capture any information you want to learn more about or remember and at the end of your visit exchange it for a personalized website code that allows you to retrieve what you have chosen online.
Royal Garden Academy
The Royal Garden Academy is a gardening school, garden center, gift shop, and cafe all rolled into one delightful destination.
We visited just before Christmas and the gardens were stocked with cut Christmas trees and winter flowers, and the gift shops were burgeoning with unique ornaments and a beautiful selection of gift items,
The gift shops and cafe are located in greenhouses on the property and it makes for the most magical ambiance. We went for afternoon tea and possibly the best scones I’ve ever had.
Shopping
In addition to shopping at the Garden Academy, we also visited what is billed as “perhaps the smallest perfume factory in the world”. Established in 1926, Harry Lehmann offers over 70 high quality unique scents.
The original owner passed away, and the the shop was closed for 1 1/2 years, but recently a pair of Berliners have taken over the business and revived it, preserving the legacy and history of this iconic shop.
In the walking mall of this shopping district is, of course, a small smattering of Christmas Market rides and stands - these bedecked in a woodsy cabin decor. Last time I was here, these same stands were set up for Halloween just before they were redecorated for the Christmas season.
This is also the area where we did the most damage in candy and chocolate acquisition. (I believe it weighed in at 20+ pounds…it was truly an act of service to schlepp it up and down those 5 flights of stairs to get it home for our friends and family!).
The candy in Germany is made with superior ingredients. Even though many of the same brands are available in the states, the quality is so much better in Germany that it is worth it to bring back a stash!
Berlin has plenty of pretty buildings, some really old and some rebuilt after the devastation of the bombings from the war. Here are a few that caught my eye.
The first leg of the flight home…
I’m happy to be home, but Christmastime in Germany is magical and unparalleled. I look forward to going back - there is so much more to explore, we’ve only scratched the surface!
