Never Considered Berlin? Here's Why I Love It...

I had never really considered Berlin for a city break, so when my partner suggested a few nights there in March, I'll admit I searched every other possible city in Europe to try and find somehwere else, but ultimately, Berlin offered great value and he was so keen I found it hard to say no. So, we booked... Where to stay? Berlin has some fantastic hotel, from modest budget offerings to out and out luxury. We chose the Hotel Amano, a contemporary three star, partly for it's modern feel and also it's brilliant location as well as cost. Close enough to walk to some great areas, such as the Hackescher Markt, with it's lively restaurants and bars and near the tube station, so it was really easy to get around. It was next to a nightclub, which meant we had great options for cocktails as the hotel bar was also fabulous. What To Do There? There's a huge amount to do in Berlin, so much so that I will definitely have to go back. In order to make the most of our time, we decided to take a hop on hop off bus tour. This was a brilliant way to take in lots of the famous sights in one day and started at just €22 per person. You can start at any point in the city and choose to use the tour for one or several days. We managed to see The Brandenburg Gate, The Reichstag Building, Gendarmenmarkt, Checkpoint Charlie, Kurfürstendamm, the zoo and KaDeWe in one day and we later travelled back to the Bradenburg gate to see it lit up at night and what an amazing sight it was! There are also some great markets around Berlin including a great one every Sumday at Mauerpark, well worth a visit. What Is The Food Like? I'm big on food and I was very pleasantly surprised with what Berlin had to offer. We were lucky to find a gem of a restaurant, Zur Rose, on our first night. It was small and full of locals, but we were lucky enough to be seated immediately. I had a Schnitzel with warm potato and bacon salad and cucumber and dill salad, a dish so amazing I have since tried to recreate it at home. Other dishes offered were traditional sausages and Spaetzel, a kind of german noodle-dumpling, almost like a pasta and meatballs in a stunning cream sauce. We made a visit to KaDeWe, Germany's largest department store, as we had heard about the food hall, but nothing quite prepared me for it. They have over 1,300 cheese alone and it's the perfect place to find a foodie gift to take home. Of course, it would have been rude not to try out the amazing desert and champagne bars... Costs? Berlin offers great value. A package break with flights, transfers and even a luxury hotel costs less than most cities. A currywurst is around €2.50 and a large beer from around €4. A nice meal for two in an average type of restaurant will be from around €30 and portions are large! Undergrund tickets start at around €2.80 and taxi's or Uber aren't too expensive either. Who will like Berlin? I went with my partner as a couple, but I think my children will also love Berlin. It's a very easy city to travel around and also doesn't feel too busy in most areas. I found it surprisingly romantic and it's history is poignant and thought provoking. It has a side that is education for children for that reason, but also has plenty for children to have fun doing, such as the two zoos. Berlin Zoo is one of the few zoos in Europe to house Pandas and Tierpark, a landscape zoo offering other animals you just don't see that often, such as Polar Bears and Manatees. There's also an aqaurium as well as a Sea Life centre, a Planetarium and the amazing Gardens Of The World, with it's maze, cable cars and bobsleigh run. So, it turns out I actually really loved Berlin and the three nights we stayed probably weren't enough. I'd definitely love to go back with the children and catch all the things we didn't get to do last time.