Berlin is somewhere I’ve been aching to return to since my first visit in 2018.
A European city that’s only really matched by Paris and London in terms of sprawl; there’s so much to do within it, and even after my second visit, I am eager to get back there.
This trip was my stag do (or bachelor party, depending on where you’re from). So I apologise in advance for any holes in my memory that I may have, but rest assured, I enjoyed myself. Accompanying me on my trip, were my Dad, my godfather, my 2 brothers and 17 friends. We all embarked on was to be my last trip pre-wedding (to a city that ironically has a district called Wedding in it).
When we landed, our first mission was dropping bags off in our hostel, which was straightforward as the train line from the airport ran directly to Charlottenburg, where we were staying. And conveniently, there was a 24/7 bar beside our hostel (the famous Zum Hecht) which would become our meeting point over the next few days.
I was overly optimistic about how much I’d be able to achieve whilst in the city, but my main priorities were attending a Hertha Berlin game, and seeing the wall, which I didn’t manage last time around.
We had a few beers in Zum Hecht to become acquainted with Berliner Kindl, the beer sponsor for the trip, before venturing into the centre.
After leaving Alexanderplatz station, we admired the giant Fernsehturm tower, and then Marx-Engels forum due to my political views.
The Marx-Engels forum had underwent a facelift since my last time there, with the shrubbery making way for a more open square.
After finishing up an extensive photoshoot at the statue, we opted to try Lemke brewery, a newer addition to Berlin’s bustling beer scene.
We were initially apprehensive as to whether 22 of us would be allowed in, but we were sat across 3 tables with no issues and got a quick drink in before beginning a bit of a pub crawl.
Starting off in an alleyway, stopping by an Irish bar, and playing foosball in (I’m going to say Neukölln), it was a fun start to the trip.
Day 2 began quite similar to the first, with our kind sponsor, Berliner Kindl in Zum Hecht. Our plan was to visit the famous Bürgermeister, and then the Eastside Gallery before making tracks towards the Olympiastadion for the football game.
The burgers were otherworldly. Any of the hype you see only about Burgermeister is valid. Yes, it’s funky that the burger stand used to be a public toilet – but beyond that novelty, the food was fantastic. Perhaps the best burger I’ve ever ate, I would recommend.
We crossed the road and had a quick beer as we waited for a few of the group to catch up, and then ventured to the most famous remaining tract of the Berlin Wall; The Eastside Gallery.
It was surreal seeing the famous Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker kiss mural on the wall, as it features so prominently in regards to Berlin as a city.
The stretch of the gallery featured some other interesting art pieces, all of which I’ll share below.
After the wall, we found a bar to catch a break from the rain (and because it was a stag do, let’s be real) and then proceeded towards the Olympiastadion. We first tried to go to the Hertha Fan bar “Westend-Klause” but it was full, they however recommended another bar nearby, “Westend Pinte” where we were able to mix with Hertha fans, and some Hamburg fans prior to kick off. Who were extremely friendly (see below).
At the stadium itself, we were greeted with an electric atmosphere, and as with previous German football games I had been at, I ensured everybody took full advantage of the fact you’re able to drink in the stadium.
The Hamburg fans let off flares, the crowd chanted for the duration of the game, the game was delayed for half an hour when tennis balls rained down on to the field. The tennis balls were due to fan protests at how the DFL (the German football federation) planned to open up the sport to foreign investors – a protest which although lasted months, ultimately caused the DFL to backtrack.
After the game, we gathered ourselves up, and returned to the 24/7 bar, where the night gets more and more blurry.
Sunday morning was a little slow at the beginning as we gathered ourselves, but when we did, we realised one of the crew had lost their phone in a taxi the previous night. We tried logging into “find my iPhone” and ringing before eventually getting through to the driver, who agreed to drop it off at a nearby hotel. So we left some money in an envelope for his troubles, and ventured off towards the Brandenburg gate, to see it and the Bundestag building.
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews is also next to the Brandenburg gate, so we stopped by to pay our respects and see it too. The vast concrete blocks continuing on in every direction was a bit reminiscent of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where the camp housing the prisoners seemed never ending itself.
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews isn’t the only holocaust memorial in the city, there are also memorials to homosexuals, Sinti Roma and other victims through the city, and there are numerous Stolperstein scattered around the city too, indicating where victims of the holocaust last lived prior to their exterminations.
The remainder of the night was spent in a descent into drunkenness as we sampled bars before settling back with our old trusty Zum Hecht.
Like with my first trip to Berlin, I’m itching to return. Hopefully in the summer next time. And hopefully not with a 6 year wait like last time.
I will leave you with a photo of one of Berlin’s symbols, the green Ampelmännchen traffic light.
