I was recently in Berlin to speak about content marketing at OMCap and it was a fantastic experience. One of the perks of being a global speaker is the opportunity to visit destinations you love, connect with exciting new people, explore new places and sneak in a dash of sightseeing before heading back home.
It might just be me, but I always have a small amount of guilt in sneaking in fun stuff (eg. sightseeing) when I’m traveling for work reasons. However, because this was a speaking engagement around my book, The Power of Visual Storytelling, I did the sensible thing and booked in some actual vacation time. Guilty conscience removed.
Here are a few things I saw and experienced on this trip to Berlin. I’ll include links to my previous blog posts on Berlin at the bottom of this post.
Things To See & Do Shopping in Ku’damm As an American, it’s always a joy to come to Europe and see what the stores have. Although we have the likes of Zara in Boston, I always like seeing how the stock varies by country. Ku’damm has a ton of upscale and lower priced stores, including the oh-so-posh Ka-De-We, which are worth a browse. Oh, and if you’re lucky like me to have your hotel nearby (see below for recommendation), there’s less mileage involved in schlepping your haul home. Just leave some room in your suitcase ;)!
Walk Along The Death Strip, or “Wall Trail” While this seems like a strange one, it’s actually quite compelling. Originally called “The Death Strip” to mark the dangerous area around the Berlin Wall where many lost their lives trying to sneak between East and West Berlin, this area is now a walking trail with originally pieces of the Wall and its barricades still intact. Now called the “Wall Trail,” you see locals and tourists alike walking, jogging or cycling along this path. According to CNN, the trail has been divided by mapmakers into 14 sections that vary from seven to 21 miles in length and groups like Berlin on Bike offer tours.
Instead of cycling the trail, my friend led me to a free viewing platform. After climbing a few flights of stairs, we were able to look down upon the former Death Strip turned Wall Trail and reflect on Berlin’s past and present.
Sightseeing – Alexanderplatz, Berliner Dom and the TV Tower After stopping into the Alexanderplatz Dunkin’ Donuts for a coffee and donut fix (yup, they have DD in Berlin!), I wandered over to snap some photos of the famed TV Tower. Visitors can go to the top of the TV Tower for 360-degree views of Berlin (for a fee). I didn’t have a ton of time, but it sounds like fun. More information here.
Not far away from the TV tower is the Berliner Dom, or Berlin Cathedral. As someone who is interested in architecture, I was in awe of the beauty of this building. My biggest regret? Not going inside – it would have been great to see the interior of the dome! Here is more information on visiting.
Where To Stay Once again, I stayed at my favorite hotel in Berlin, the Swissotel Ku’damm. Simple with great amenities, including a gym, sauna, nice lobby bar, free apples in the lobby and in-room Nespresso machines, my experience was comfortable and consistent with past stays. Plus, the location in Ku’damm cannot be beat, especially if you’re flying out of Tegel Airport. There’s a bus that goes directly to the airport, or a taxi stand out front for those early AM flights.
All in all, I had another fantastic stay in Berlin. Looking for more tips on sights to see and restaurant/bar recommendations? Check out this post from my last trip, where I had way more time to see, do, explore and drink in Berlin.