Berliner Weekend. Day2

I woke up quite late. In my hotel there is no proper breakfast, but at 12:30 I had the reservation at Hallesches Haus for the brunch. Very nice place with good food, the garden and friendly personnel.

For today the main event would be visiting The Berlinische Galerie, which is located in the Kreuzberg district. The museum is in a cool, modern building, and it does not look overcrowded.

The museum shows art, photography and architecture by Berlin artists from the 1800s to today, featuring works from such artists as Otto Dix and Hannah Höch.

I should admit, it is a very calm space to enjoy thought-provoking art and learn how Berlin’s history has shaped its creativity.

The rest of the day I have spent strolling around the Museum Island. I love this area so much! Surrounded by grand neoclassical buildings like the Altes Museum, Pergamon Museum and Berlin Cathedral, the whole area feels like an open-air gallery.

It was a good time in Berlin, and I would love to come here for another weekend very soon. I would say, you never really "finish" seeing Berlin. Museums, galleries, monuments, hidden bars, flea markets, rooftop views or just streets, which can be elegant or full of chaos here. So many things to see, to experience and to admire.

Full of nice experiences and with Pretzel in hands I am on the way back to cozy and romantic Prague. 

Berliner Weekend. Day1

Another attempt to pal up with Berlin. The first one was almost a year ago, and at that time I have noticed that the city was very diverse, but quite gloomy and not very friendly.

I came to Berlin with the train. I think we even do not have any direct flights from Prague. However, if you set off early in the morning, you would still most probably feel sleepy, so you can sleep on the train some hours.

The spring has just come to the city. Not much greenery and leaves on the trees.

Wide streets in the city centre. Very pedestrian-friendly, with large sidewalks, bike lanes, and well-marked crossings.

Here is the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. A powerful symbol of the destruction of war and the resilience of peace. It was largely destroyed in a bombing raid in 1943 during World War II, but nowadays it is preserved in its ruined state as a memorial to remind the horrors of war.

I am staying at SORAT hotel, a small, cozy city hotel in a prime location directly on Wittenbergplatz, located in Berlin's Schoneberg district, at the edge of the famous shopping boulevard Kurfurstendamm. One of the main attractions here is the iconic KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens), a Berlin institution and the largest department store in continental Europe.

The late lunch I had in some traditional restaurant. And in that traditional restaurant I tried the traditional food - the Schnitzel. To tell the truth, Schnitzel originated in Austria. But it has become a beloved and widespread dish in German cuisine too. In Germany, the most common version is Schnitzel "Wiener Art" (Viennese-style Schnitzel), usually made with pork instead of veal. The Schnitzel was served here with potato salad (Kartoffelsalat). Very delicious and very heavy :-)

The day was not finished with Schnitzel, of course. After having a nap at the hotel I had a long walking in the neighborhood of Wittenbergplatz, visiting many local bars. Yet, the night life in Berlin is more exciting than the daylight life.

Munich, Christmas Mood

It is less than a month before Christmas, and I am already seeking for a Christmas mood. So, my point of destination is Munich, Bavaria, in the south of Germany.

The direct train from Prague to Munich takes about 6 hours and 30 minutes. Not very far I would say.

So, after arriving to the city I immediately headed to the old town, to see the main Christmas tree and to eat something after a long trip.

Of course, I could not but taste the famous sausage, at Viktualienmarkt. And it was so good, that I have eaten two of them. Definitely, you should go there if you want to try some delicious fast food.

After walking around and having some rest at the hotel I went out for dinner. And I came to the Ratskeller restaurant in the very city centre. This place is so spacious that I am pretty sure you will always find a free table there.

My order was some pork with a crunchy part, with potato dumplings and cabbage. Yet it is fat, but at the same time you will be extremely satisfied, especially with the local blonde beer.

It was necessary to have a walk after such a heavy meal. The city was bright and colourful at this moment. Very nice illumination boosted my mood, and I finally started feeling approaching of the Christmas time. Of course, one weekend is not enough for such a big city, so I would come back here for more days, somewhere in summer. Meanwhile, I am already planning my next Christmas trip.