Ich bin eine Berlinerin.

A perfect weekend in Berlin … an absolutely amazing city, a cross between a Tucholsky novel and a history book.

Stay in a hotel near Prenzlauberg, better known as P’berg, wake up and head out to Barcomi’s inside the Sophienhof, near the Hackeschemarkt U-bahn station, the only restaurants in Berlin, or in Germany for that matter, where we could get toasted cinnamon raisin bagels with cream cheese.

Afterwards, explore the area: all the beautiful streets filled with the grand turn-of-century architecture, wonderful selection of shops, mostly corky and uniquely Berlin, just absorbing the only city in Europe that truly embodies the comprehensive history of the past. Afterwards, walk or take the S-bahn to Friedrichstrasse, the 5th Ave of Berlin, and stop for lunch at Galerie Lafayette, the tastiest seafood bouillabaisse outside of France. Spend the remaining part of the afternoon shopping or strolling along through the Potsdomer Platz and walk up to the Brandenburg Gate stopping by the Holocaust Memorial (Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe) along the way.

Then, top off the evening in Kreuzberg with scrumptious dinner at one of the multi-ethnic restaurants and to-die-for desserts at Barcomi’s, and if we still have energy left, we like to take in a movie at one of the local movie theaters, our favorite being the one at the Sony Center or the one in Hackeschehöfe.

Next day, wake or take the U/S-Bahn to the Kolwitz Platz and have an extensive brunch at one of the lovely restaurants, especially on a sunny summer mornings when the entire neighborhood (or it feels like the entire city) is sitting outdoors. Afterwards, walk around observing the beautifully unique area, which embodies the pre-reunification era.

Then, head out to one of the numerous museums and attractions which are uniquely Berlin: the Museum of History, built by the one-and-only I.M. Pei, the Jewish Museum by Liebeskind, the Brucke Museum, the Hamburger Bahnhof, aka the Contemporary Museum, the Helmut Newton Museum of Photography, and the East Side Gallery, where the last remains of the ‘Berlin Wall’ still stands.

We like to top off the evening, usually before our long drive back home, with an early dinner at Monsieur Vong, and then, we get 2 slices of cake to go at Barcomi’s to enjoy and to remind us of our wonderful weekend in Berlin.

For an Insider's Guide to Berlin
My Favorite Places & Glimpses of Berlin