Nina Trippel and Sven Hausherr are the dynamic duo behind Cee Cee Berlin, a weekly newsletter that shares hand-picked tips about restaurants, events and happenings in the German capital.
We recently caught up with both of them to get the inside story on what to do and where to go if you’re planning a trip to Berlin. Check out their advice…
NINA: I always take friends and visitors to the Tempelhofer field – the former airport. It’s such a unique spot.
Summer is the best time of the year to visit Berlin because the city becomes a different place. Everyone is outside all the time and people seem to live as if it was the last chance. The city is alive!
You get the best view of the city from Grunewald tower. You can see the city and the forest around it. It’s stunning all year round.
SVEN: When a friend visits me in Berlin, the first place I take them to is House of Small Wonder, a café in Berlin’s Mitte district. It has a charming and relaxing atmosphere and is a great place to start a day of exploring the city.
NINA: I recommend cycling – Berlin is a flat city and cycling gives you the chance to discover the city from a new perspective.
SVEN: The subway is the best way to get around Berlin because it’s what the locals use and it’s fast.
NINA: For breakfast, Café Westberlin in Mitte have great coffee and an inspirational selection of books and magazines. If I’m just grabbing a coffee, I go to Silo Coffee in Friedrichshain.
Try Nobelhart & Schmutzig at Friedrichstrasse for dinner – you’ll get to sample combinations of food/ingredients you’ve never had before – all of which are regional.
SVEN: Distrikt Coffee (and House of Small Wonder) in Mitte is my favourite place for breakfast in Berlin because of their amazing pancakes and poached eggs.
For coffee, I recommend The Barn Roastery at Schönhausher Allee. Dottír in Berlin Mitte is a great spot for dinner, it’s casual and the food is extraordinary.
SVEN: The Naturkunde Museum is a place not many people know about in Berlin but you should visit because you can see a real dinosaur skeleton and a huge collection of dead animals and it makes you aware of how little importance us human beings have on planet earth.
NINA: The Rathaus Turm, Neukölln is one of Berlin’s hidden gems – the view of the city is amazing from here.
SVEN: Before you come to Berlin you should read something about the history of East and West Berlin. People think Berlin is poor and sexy but it’s actually a well-developed city. It has never been sexy, just honest.
NINA: Do your research on how to buy a ticket for the public transportation system and read up on how it all works…
NINA: For shopping, I suggest Oranienstrasse in Kreuzberg. You will find everything from flowers to concert tickets to contemporary fashion and also Voo Store our favourite store in town.
We’ve just created a city map for the local neighbourhood with walking tour suggestions, together with its Creative Director Herbert Hofmann.
SVEN: Mulackstrasse is a good neighbourhood for shopping, here you’ll find a bunch of small boutiques from design pieces to kids’ wear to Berlin design to international brands such as APC and you can enjoy fantastic food.
NINA: Don’t leave Berlin without trying to get a ticket for the Sammlung Boros (art collection Boros). Seeing art in a bunker is an incomparable experience.
My other recommendation is to go and see the leftovers of the fall of the wall – it’s an integral part of the city’s history.
SVEN: If you get the chance, try to spend a night at the famous Berghain club. It will show you what Berlin used to be like. Also, make sure you go to The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. It’s a sobering and moving reminder of the past.
Flights to Berlin
- Fiona Hilliard
2017 © Ryanair DAC. All rights reserved.
