Berlin: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting

The skinny on the Berlin HBF.

A marvel of engineering, the Berlin Hauptbahnhof (HBF) is the largest train station in Europe. And, with multiple levels of shopping and eating options, the HBF is confusing. Trains run above and below the ground level, so give yourself plenty of time to find your connection.

Bonus tip, the world-famous Brandenburg Gate is approximately a 15 minute walk from the HBF. So, it’s easy to coordinate your arrival or departure with a visit to this neoclassical monument. If you’ve got the time, make sure to work this in your schedule.

Why go?

With more bridges than Venice, this gritty city remains wrapped up in heartbreak. Certain areas feel like the ghosts of a torturous past will haunt Berlin forever. However, resiliency pervades with an artistic, if not hipster scene.

Don’t be intimidated.

For the most part, locals do not outwardly appear friendly, but I don’t actually think this is the case. Since the German language sounds a bit harsh, I think it’s easy to misinterpret people as being rude when they are, in fact, being helpful.

Berlin’s artsy side.

Street art abounds throughout the city with thought provoking murals and graffiti at every turn. I even spotted a phone booth repurposed as an artistic book swap in shocking orange with a green silhouette. Apparently, the written word isn’t dead after all. 

Transportation, Berlin style.

As for getting around, Berlin is extremely walkable. And, sometimes getting lost teaches you more about a city than following a map. However, everything is pretty spread out, so you might want to hop on the tram or U-Bahn to save time.

Also, cyclists and motorized bikes are prevalent on the streets. People drive fairly aggressively at night, so take care. It’s not exactly dangerous, but you need to pay attention.

As for the TXL (Berlin Tegel) airport, the flights are organized a little differently. At the international concourse, find your flight on the board, because specific terminals are not marked for departures. Also, most of the lounges are located before you go through the security line. Everything is easy enough to figure out, but the process is less confusing if you know this information prior to taking off.

For more (free) things to do in Berlin, check out this awesome article from Ars Currendi!