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Travel tips for wintery Berlin

Elisabeth Yorck von WartenburgFebruary 26, 2016

DW presenter Nicole Frölich was out on the town in Berlin to shoot the next edition of Discover Germany, DW's weekly travel show. She wanted to find out if Berlin is worth visiting in winter. Yes, it is!

https://p.dw.com/p/1I2mq
Nicole Frölich und Eisbär Knut
Image: DW/N. Frölich

Sightseeing

Cold or not, some sights just can't be missed on any first-time visit to Berlin:

  • Brandenburg Gate: the symbol of Berlin
  • Berlin Cathedral: Berlin's biggest church
  • The Reichstag: seat of the German Bundestag
  • TV Tower: the visitors' platform offers a breathtaking view of the city

Museums

Museums are a staple of urban sightseeing!

Deutschland Berlin Tyrannosaurus Rex
Nicole was very impressed by T-Rex Tristan Otto in the Natural History MuseumImage: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Pedersen
  • The Museum Island is a sight in itself with a listing as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
  • The Natural History Museum: A sensational new exhibit is thrilling visitors: the only Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton on display anywhere in Europe.
  • The Currywurst Museum: whimsical, delectable and typical for Berlin
  • Topography of Terror: an eye-opening, horrifying and informative exhibit on the crimes of the Nazi era

Shopping

Berlin is a shopper's paradise. Here are some of the best places to shop:

Nicole im Pop Up Fashion Store im Bikini-Haus
Pop Up Fashion in the Bikini House: Does the dress suit Nicole?Image: DW/L. Hofmann
  • Kurfürstendamm: Berlin's premier shopping boulevard
  • Bikini: a shopping center full of unusual little boutiques
  • Schlossstrasse: after Kurfürstendamm, it's one of Berlin's largest shopping boulevards
  • Mitte District: a big selection of little shops, from upcycling to high fashion

Food & Drink

Nothing helps fight the cold and damp like a layer of winter fat - easily and tastefully obtained in Berlin's vast selection of dining establishments. Increasingly popular is the vegan cuisine, to be found, among other places, here:

Essen im veganen Restaurant Pêle-Mêle in Berlin-Neukölln
On the shoot Nicole tested vegan food and she liked it.Image: DW/V. Kern
  • Chipps: a vegetarian restaurant with many vegan dishes on the menu
  • The Bowl: This restaurant serves vegan dishes with organic ingredients, all of them prepared strictly according to the Clean Eating concept.
  • Viasko: a vegan restaurant with soya gyros and gluten-free dishes
  • Vöner: Berlin is known for its kebab. It can be found here in a vegan edition.

Activities

Swimming in the lake and playing beach volleyball are winter activities only for a very hardy few. More popular for the colder days are:

With snow:

Nicole Frölich in der Kletterhalle MagicMountain
Nicole's climbing attempts in the Magic Mountain gymImage: DW/K. Schmidt
  • Sledding down the Teufelsberg
  • Cross-country skiing on the Tempelhofer Feld

Without snow:

  • Climbing in the Magic Mountain Climbing Gym
  • Ice skating (there are several rinks around Berlin)

Nightlife

Berlin's nightlife is legendary, summer, winter, spring and fall. The colder outside, the hotter inside:

Nicole in der Kletterhalle Magic Mountain
Chatting and chilling in the Mein Haus am See bar.Image: DW/L. Hofmann
  • Simon-Dach-Strasse in Friedrichshain: the place to go bar hopping without going long distances in the cold. Here it's one pub after the other.
  • Rosenthaler Platz in Mitte: Bars with and without dance floors are concentrated here, for example: Mein Haus am See.
  • Berghain: Berlin's most famous club for the fetish-oriented. Not everyone gets through the door.
  • The Pearl and Felix: these two clubs are the places to go to party down in style.

And action! Here's a personal peek behind the scenes by Nicole Frölich.