Berlin, Germany

Caroline Drucker

I've lived in Berlin for over a decade now but the city never ceases to surprise me.

Tips

Must Do Little Otik , One of the best meals you can get in Berlin - great for vegetarians! Try the Jerusalem Artichokes and the Ginger Schnapps!
Must Do Zum Hufeisen , Bruno Taut's beautiful horseshoe estate. Surrounded by exceptional examples of worker housing throughout the 20th century, this is a must for architecture buffs. But, if you're not into buildings, it's not worth the schlepp.
Must Do Sowjetisches Ehrenmal im Treptower Park , The definition of a monument. Grandiose, starkly beautiful and powerfully underscores the loss of war.
Must Do baerck , If you appreciate minimal scandinavian design, this clothing store is the place for you. There's always something unique but sensible enough that I'll actually wear it. I find it hard to leave without buying something. Also run by a wonderful ...
Do Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum Für Gegenwart , A fantastic contemporary art museum - one of the best collections of Beuys' works. You can also always a great temporary exhibit.
Do Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Haus 1 , Made famous in Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire, this is one of Hans Scharoun's architectural masterpieces. You have to pay to get in, but if you're an architecture buff, it's worth the entry fee! Remember to be quiet as it's ...
Do Park Am Nordbahnhof , One of the most interesting post-wall zones in Berlin for those interested in public space. Follow the birch trail to note the former path of the wall, view the monoliths made of stones from buildings intended as homes for insects ...
Do Wood Wood , a staple for stylish berliners.
Do The Corner Berlin East , Berlin's less-streetstylee version of Colette. Ladies, watch out for the shoe section.
Do Tempelhofer Park , A park on the former runway of europe's largest building and ex-airport, and site of the Berlin Airlift, Tempelhof. Great for a picnic!
Do Hard Wax , One of the best record stores in Berlin for electronic music.
Do Rotation Boutique Berlin , A fantastic record shop in Berlin Mitte - incredibly friendly and knowledgeable staff.
Do Papà Pane di Sorrento , A nice mid-priced italian restaurant. The pizza is great for hangovers, can be tough getting a table in the evenings.
Do Kaffeemitte , Like people watching? Get a seat outside, have a mini-cheesecake and watch the crowds go by.
Do Café Einstein , Pretend to be a german media mogul and have breakfast at Cafe Einstein, extra points if you sit in the back room.
Do Kollwitzplatz , Lovely park in the heart of prenzlauerberg - go when the market is on!
Do Soho House , A great place to stay - each room has hand selected records to listen to if you're so inclined and I've been told the beds are mighty compfy. The restaurant is so-so, but nothing beats a drink on the roof ...
Do Lux Eleven , I used to go to parties in someone's apartment every tuesday in this building. It was called the Tuesday Bar and they served homemade cocktails named after WMDs. Now its one of Berlin's top design hotels. go figure.
Do Galeries Lafayette , Go to the fish counter in the basement to have an amazing bouillabaisse or plate of oysters.
Do Volkspark Friedrichshain , A great park for a run. Or have a coffee and cake in cafe Schoenbrun inside the park. Climb to the top of the mountain (made of WWII rubble and a bunker!) to see a nice view of the city.
Do Il Pane e le Rose , Consistently good Italian food, great in the summer if you can sit outside!
Do Neue Wache , One of the most emotional monuments to the dead from the wars due to Kaethe Kollwitz's statue of a woman holding her dying son.
Do Bebelplatz , Go to the center of Bebelplatz (if Mercedes Benz Fashion week isn't on top of it) and see a monument to the first book burning which took place under the National Socialists.
Do Manufactum , Find amazing early 20th century odds and ends, kitchen supplies, writing implements, garden tools, feather dusters and anything else your grandparents may have owned and used to keep house. Manufactum specializes in high-quality household products, some of which are surprisingly ...
Miss Mauer Museum - Haus am Checkpoint Charlie , One of the worst museums I've ever been to. Unless it's secretly a Dada museum. If that's the case, it's brilliant.