Less than a two-hour flight from London or Manchester, Berlin is the ideal destination for a short European city break. Bringing together culture, clubs and cuisine - there's something for everyone. And while there's much to explore in this incredible city, it's also possible to pack a lot in, in just a long weekend. So if you're planning a trip to the German capital, here are our recommendations...
Where to stay in Berlin
If you're looking for someone stylish but great value, the Hotel Indigo from IHG Hotels & Resorts is a brilliant option. It's located along the open-air East Side Gallery, a recreation of a section of the Berlin Wall covered in thought-provoking murals, which serves as a permanent exhibition and monument to the city's reunification.
The Hotel Indigo - a four-star boutique hotel - looks out onto the East Side Gallery, and offers chic, comfortable rooms with a contemporary vibe. It's definitely worth heading up to the Gallery Rooftop Bar for cocktails (non-guests can visit too), which has panoramic views of the city.
Rooms start from £125
Situated in the heart of Berlin, you're in walking distance of Tiergarten park, the Brandenburg Gate and Museum Island. The rooms at Crown Plaza, another property from IHG Hotels & Resorts, are spacious and elegant.
The hotel’s restaurant, Layla - from renowned chef Meir Adoni - is not to be missed (and well-worth booking a table at, even if you aren’t staying at the hotel; make sure to arrive early to have a drink and the buzzy bar before you eat, too). With award-winning restaurants in Singapore, Tel Aviv and New York, Layla is Adoni’s first restaurant in central Europe. Ask for a seat at the kitchen bar so you can watching the spectacle of the chefs at work. Offering Mediterranean fusion dishes, you’ll find delicious dishes like puri filled with yoghurt foam and topped with sea bass tartar and tabasco aioli, or quatayef, a Lebanese savoury pancake filled with beef ragout.
Rooms start from £96
Right by Berlin Zoo, the recently refurbished Intercontinental, also part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, has 558 rooms (book on the Club Floor and enjoy access to a serene private lounge) and a truly excellent spa. The SPA InterContinental has its own bar, a proper swimming pool, enormous whirlpool, two relaxation rooms (the heated waterbeds are heaven) and multiple sauna, steam and ice plunge rooms. The massage treatments come highly recommended, too. Non-guests can access the spa with a day pass.
There are many dining options but for a real treat there’s Hugos restaurant on the 14th floor (check out the view, above), which has held a Michelin-star continuously since 1999. The eight-course menu, created by Eberhard Lange, regarded as one of the country’s most inventive chefs, is genuinely sensational. Each dish - the menu included octopus, caviar, pigeon breast - is a mini work of art.
Rooms start from £148
Things to do in Berlin
A walking tour by a local is a great way to discover the city and see more than the usual tourist hotspots.
An intimate Art and Culture tour via LocalBini has a maximum of six people, so you can really chat with your guide, and through takes you from the East Side Gallery through the storied Kreuzberg neighbourhood, where there is a thriving street art scene, via the must-visit Markthalle Neun food market, finishing up at the Holzmarkt creative quarter on the riverside.
To discover Berlin’s dining scene, book onto a private food tour experience with Fork & Walk where you'll learn the hottest places to eat - and what to order - in the Mitte district, from top brunch spots like Croissant Couture, to Kebap With Attitude for the best döner, Chén Chèfor Vietnamese, and Huadou for vegan patisserie.
If you’re in Berlin Mitte, the Hackesche Hoefe is a great spot to wander - a complex of interconnecting courtyards dotted with independent shops and eateries.
Berlin’s main shopping boulevard is Kurfuerstendamm, or check out Bikini Berlin, a new ‘concept shopping mall’ that combines curated boutiques and pop-ups for a slow-shopping experience (basically: an anti-Westfield).
How to get around Berlin
The best way to get around the city is using a combination of the U-Bahn (subway) and the S-Bahn (urban rail). Consider getting a Berlin WelcomeCard, which offers unlimited travel on public transport.
There is Uber in Berlin - it connects you to local taxi services, but otherwise works the same as Uber in the UK. Typically, ordering an Uber can work out more cost effective than hailing a cab on the street.