Berlin's best parks

Berlin is not short of parks, and it's incomparable in terms of its foliage. Expect more than flat terrains, with a variation of flora and fauna, and even outdoor parties!

•  Tempelhofer Park

On first look, you may think who the hell would want to sit on an airport runway? Well, never fear, it is actually an abandoned airport, which makes it all the more unique. This space is a haven for skaters, bikers, roller-bladers, anything with wheels. Just think, there were 40 inch tyres going at 150mph at one time!

Now there are people in stripy aprons cooking up a storm with portable barbeques, watching sports on giant screens, wind and kite surfing, and planes still hang around the area! Party revellers like to hang around the area to sweat off a hangover.

Tempelhofer Park 

Platz der Luftbrücke, 12101 Berlin

Phone: +49 302 8018 162

Transport: Bus U Platz der Luftbrücke: 104, 248, N42, N6. U- Bahn Platz der Luftbrücke

• Mauerpark

(Daniel Antonaccio)

Mauer literally translates into 'wall', which basically is how this park came into existence. It was formerly a part of the Death Strip and Berlin Wall. In a completely different fashion, the park now hosts great music with a mini ampitheatre in the centre and people lugging around instruments and sound boxes in trollies. The Bearpit Kareoke is sadly under threat, as is anything that is free in Berlin, so enjoy it while it lasts. 

The Max Smelling Halle stadium for sports events is also held nearby. And you can stroll around on Sunday to catch all the vintage goodies at the flea market.

Mauerpark

Eberswalder Straße/Schwedter Straße, 10437 Berlin

• Treptower Park

This place is known for its Soviet Union Memorial in south central Berlin, so whilst you're lapping up the foliage, you can soak up a bit of history at the same time. It commemorates the 50,000 Soviet soldiers who fell in the Battle in Berlin in April–May 1945. It was opened four years after the war ended on May 8, 1949.

The coolest bit of Treptower, is the Spreepark section. In the 1960s', it was an entertainment park known as Kulturpark Plänterwald. It has been abandoned, but still has some remains of attractions on-site.

Alt-Treptow

12435 Berlin Treptow

Contact: kontakt@treptowerpark

Phone: +49302 50025

Website: www.treptowerpark.de

Transport: S-Bahn Bahnhof Treptower Park

• Tiergarten

Okay, so we covered a bit of Berlin's imperial park on 'Day Two' of the tour. But it's worth reiterating that Tiergarten is the largest park in the city.  Forested areas, lakes, fields of flowers, streamlets, meadows and large stretches of grass turn this part of former West-Berlin into one of the cities most appealing green spaces. 

While I was there, it was also used as the main spot for marathons, the equivalent to Hyde Park in London.

Tierpark Berlin-Friedrichsfelde

Am Tierpark 125, Berlin

Phone: +49 (0) 513 8141      

Transport: Bus 100, 187, 200, or 341. S-Bahn Tiergarten

• Görlitzer Park

Indoor minigolf Berlin

It's not the prettiest park, but it's not around for that reason. This once railway station (1867-1951) and home to British anarchist art communes, is now a seasonal snowball stadium and a full-time run-down park. It's a bohemian rhapsody for all hippies to enjoy themselves.

And at night, it becomes an ultraviolet underground crazy golf area. Located underneath Café Isa Mitz in Kreuzberg's Görlitzer Park, this mini-golf course has become a favourite word-of-mouth success.

Görlitzer Park

Görlitzer- / Wiener Straße, 10997 Berlin

• Sanssouci Park, Potsdam

Sanssouci is the name of the former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, in Potsdam, just on the outskirts of Berlin. It's like the Versaille of Germany. The baroque-style palace is surrounded by a panoramic vista of the garden. A series of architectural and landscaping masterpieces were built within a single space in 1745 to 1747.

Other highlights include the Chinese tea house with the floor plan in the form of a cloverleaf and the Orangery, with its Raphael Hall. The Evangelical Church of Peace and the dragon house is worth a peek.

Potsdam - Sanssouci palace 

Maulbeerallee 

14469 Potsdam

Phone: +49331 96 94 20 2

Website: www.spsg.de

Transport: Potsdam Park Sanssouci railway station, located on the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg line.

The palace is considered the major work of Rococo architecture in Germany. And surprise, surprise - it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Berlin: In Three Days - Day 3

Day Three

Right, so it's the last day. And you've still got to see the one site that makes Berlin one of the most unique cities in the world. A division that almost destroyed the country, but the destruction of it gave Germany a new lease of life. It could only be the East Side Gallery or as it is better known as the Berlin Wall.


For 28 years, the Berlin Wall cut an unrelenting gash through the whole of downtown Berlin in an attempt to prevent the citizens of East Berlin and the German Democratic Republic from fleeing to the West. By 1989, the wall fell with the collapse of the GDR.


The East Side Gallery is now an international memorial for freedom, which allows 106 artists from all around the world to display their message of hope through art.

The build-up to seeing the wall is exhilarating enough for any avid traveller. On the Mühlenstrasse stretch, the nearest stop to the wall is Ostbahnhof (line S5, S7, S9, S75) and it being a beacon of freedom, it only seems apt that it's free.

Seeing it in person, is a whole other kettle of fish. It's truly bizarre to imagine that such beautiful paintings reside on top of a canvas that caused so much misery. Only 23 years ago, 136 people had died in shootings, were killed in accidents or committed suicide after failing to cross the Wall.

In between the cracks of the wall, there are places to relax alongside the river. Oststrand or the 'East Beach' is a bar on the banks of the River Spree. Apparently, it's Berlin's biggest urban beach, so when it's sunny, you may think your in the Mediterranean somewhere. At this point, public transport is in order, as the next destination is 4km away, and you may not be up for walking for a third day running.

Spend the rest of the afternoon checking out Museum Island, (Alexanderplatz S- and U-Bahnhof). It has its own micro-climate, like putting your foot in the past. From ancient History to modern art, you can see everything Berlin has to offer in this square. Choose wisely, as time and money becomes rather precious here. I went to the German History Museum to get a better feel for the country for a mere 5 euros. There's even The Ramones Museum, solely dedicated to the Punk band. This whole area has been deemed an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Other Great Places to Visit

1. Gendarmenmarkt - Reported as one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. 
2. Charlottenburg palace- largest palace in Berlin, originally constructed in the 17th century.
3. Potsdam - 24km outside the city, contains the large baroque Neues Palace.
4. Russian Memorial - Dedication for soldiers who died in the war.
5. Tempelhof Park - Amazing abandoned airport, now used to host concerts and barbeques.

Berlin: In Three Days - Day 2

Day Two


Again, the History student in me tells everyone that you can't leave Berlin without visiting the infamous border, Checkpoint Charlie. Checkpoint Charlie, along with Glienicker Brücke (Glienicker Bridge) was the best known border-crossing of the Cold War days. The sign, which became a symbol of the division of Cold War Berlin and read like a dire warning to those about to venture beyond the Wall – YOU ARE NOW LEAVING THE AMERICAN SECTOR.

Until the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, it signified the border between West and East, Capitalism and Communism, freedom and confinement. The Museum, known as Haus am Checkpoint Charlie (entry is 12.50 euros), contains the best documentation available on the many escape attempts from East to West. The nearest station is Kochstraße U6, and around the corner is Wilhelmstrasse, which houses Germany's former governmental administration.

Wilhelmstrasse was the site of the Third Reich's most important ministries and embassies. The Topography of Terror is an open-air exhibition (free), which documents the history of this site as the control centre of the National Socialist programme of persecution and annihilation. Niederkirchnerstraße is the road you need to look for to find the site.


Walk far enough down Wilhelmstrasse, and turn left onto Hannah-Arendt-Straße, next thing you'll see is a grey labyrinth of concrete boxes. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe also known as the Holocaust Memorial, literally dawns on you as you meander through a field of of 2,700 concrete slabs.


The abstract graves is open to personal interpretation, however the overall feeling getting lost through the mammoth maze, is of suffocation and impending doom as the blocks gradually grow.

Back on Wilhelmstrasse, you can catch a glimpse of the Brandenburg Gate. The neoclassical triumphal arch is one of the most illustrious landmarks of Germany. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which Berlin was once entered. Just one block north stands the German Reichstag (Parliament), which once the governmental home of the Prussian Empire.

After being sufficiently 'historied'-out, Tiergarten not only was the preferred hunting ground of the elector princes of Brandenburg, but its swampy forests is like a magical wonderland. It's apparently the largest park in Berlin. And that's another thing, Berlin parks are like no other - and must be explored.


Again, the best way of unearthing a great place is to actually take a bicycle or your feet and get around the place.


It's time to head back for today, if you're feeling drained from the walk, but there's plenty of nightlife in Berlin to enjoy- so rest beforehand!

Berlin: In Three Days - Day 1

Day One

I had been to Berlin before when I was a wee little'un, but it doesn't quite have the same impact visiting it with friends as a young adult. For one I didn't need to hold someone's hand crossing the road (well, not always!)

It inadvertently became the day of trailing art. And it wasn't a bad start to get a better sense of the city. So the first stop was to Berlin's art district at Oranienburger Tor (line U6), which consisted of a dilapidated warehouse, with graffiti resembling a modern-day Sistine Chapel. It was literally caked in paint, beautifully formed into a master craft. But sadly, I'm not sure if it's still in existence, as last I heard, they were pulling it down.

At first glance, it's rather difficult to establish what the building was. Was it a building with Banksy replicas or were there actual artists at work here? As we made our way to the top of the tower, it became apparent that there skilled masters crafting a new piece, and showcasing their paintings and photography. Apparently, it is the skeletal ruin of a 1907 department store that has been occupied since 1990 by a collective of artists from all over the world.

There were two in particular that stood out. One was surrealism galore, as if Primus had been poured into the paint. The other had photographs of an aged woman, her innocence and sweetness peered from behind her eyes. It would be a shame if it no longer existed, but it being entirely run by donations, it's hardly likely to stay open.

Then a walkabout was in order. Down Oranienburger Street, a strange museum appeared next to the beautiful new Jewish synagogue. It must have been the C/O Photography exhibition, with an apt Soviet Union car sticking halfway out the building. Entrance was a 'student'-pricey ₤10, so I gave it miss that day.

Walk far enough down the road, and you will hit Hackeschen Höfe, a series of inner courtyards located in the district of Spandauer Vorstadt, in Mitte. They were built in 1904 as a sequence of buildings to be connected by inner courtyards that are not only areas of housing but also shops and workshops.

In these courtyards, you can find the “Chamäleon” theatre as well as the cinema Hackeschen Höfe Kino, not to mention a clothes, food and craft market open on Thursdays and Saturdays.

From there, turn right onto An der Spandauer Brücke and right again onto Anna-Louisa-Karsch-Straße (street), which will lead you towards the TV Tower (the tallest building in the country and an iconic image of Berlin). At the TV Tower, you can get a panoramic view of Berlin for 12 euros, remembering to book in advance to avoid the queues!

The Neptune Fountain (The neo-baroque fountain, decorated with bronze statues Zeus, was created between 1886 and 1891 by Reinhold Begas) and the Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall) are also down Spandauer Straße. This is also the place you can catch a hop on hop off city tour bus.

Next thing you know, you're at Alexanderplatz eating a burger on the steps.

Berlin, Germany: On a Shoestring

The Essentials

Accommodation: 

Okay, I've been rather blessed over the last few years to have people to stay with in Europe. Berlin was such a place, but I heard that Ostel is relatively cheap, (though the price has increased), and gives an 'authentic' feeling of East Berlin under the Soviet Union. If you're looking for something eccentric, then this place offers bunkbeds galore. Or if you really want to try something kooky, then my old friend Couchsurfing is supposed to be at the height of its services. Nothing beats staying in Berlin with a local who knows the night-life like the back of their hand.

And location-wise? Again Kotti/ Kottbusser Tor, is outside of the main tourist area and has quite a lot of restaurants, parks and random entertainment to explore. It is predominantly a Turkish area, so you know what that means- 2am kebabs. Again, I stayed in Berlin for about a month, so I had enough time to pace myself. But three days should be enough to get a taste of the Berlin flavour.

Places to See: 

The Reichstag (Parliament), Jewish memorial, Checkpoint Charlie (DDR Museum), Museum Island, Brandenburg Gate, Alexanderplatz, Berlin Wall, Art District (Kunsthaus Tacheles), Russian Memorial as well as all the various parks to visit. Former airport, Tempelhof Park is well worth the visit if you have extra time to spare.

Getting to and from Berlin: 

Both Easyjet and Ryanair do cheap-ish flights from London Stansted or Luton to Berlin Schoenefeld, which is less than the main airports. But you have to factor in transport to and from the airport which is ₤15 as well as extra luggage for ₤30. So a small bag should suffice. I had a handbag for one month! Ryanair can do return flights from £40 excluding tax, while Easyjet is a little more expensive £65.

Transport: 

Berlin is well-designed to get around fairly easily. Whether you want to cycle through the town or take the overground train/tram, there's a stop everywhere. Buying tickets was a little annoying from the machine, so you need to know your destination in advance. Insiders Berlin gives a handy guide on buying tickets:

When buying a ticket you need to choose your zones, which you can find on the map. Usually you’ll be travelling in Zones AB and to get to Schoenefeld airport you’ll need a zone ABC.

A basic zone AB ticket will cost you €2.10. The ticket is good for 2 hours and allows you to make as many changes as you need (from bus, to tram to U-bahn etc) in a 2 hour period as long as you are travelling in the same direction. In other words don’t try to treat it like a return ticket.

And Deutsche Bahn's Call-A-Bike service is a great place for renting a bicycle and the first-point of call to get a hold of one.


Luckily, a lot of people speak English, so don't be afraid to ask for help or try the Reisezentrum (Travel Centre) inside any train station. Otherwise it's a great place to stretch your legs and soak up the sights.

The Final Countdown: Penang, Malaysia

Accommodation: The Banana New Guest House was cheap and convenient ranging from RM25 to RM70 for a double/twin room. We stumbled upon the guesthouse on arrival to Georgetown, the best area to find cheap hostels, a buzzing nightlife and great restaurants nearby aka India town.

Places to See: Penang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, I think partially because the entire tiny island mixes all of the best sights together. From waterfalls, secluded beaches, to cultural heritages bringing a melting pot of yummy food together.

Getting to and from Penang: Buying a ticket in advance or extremely last minute for flights from Surabaya to Penang is VERY important. The prices can range from £34 to £87 on Air Asia, which is relatively pain-free. You can get some really good deals on South East Asian flights from there. From the airport, you can (most of the time) get a taxi from outside of the Penang Bayan Lepas International Airport. On the way back to Thailand, we took a train from Butterworth, the main port that connects Penang to the mainland. It takes about 23-27 hours on the train, so no mean feat and costs around £24 in a second-class sleeper.

Transport: We rented our own motorbike or scooter to get around. These shops can be found along Chulia Street and also Penang Road. Cost is around RM25 for 24 hour rental. Deposit is often RM200. We got ours from Banana Guest House's travel and tour company next door.

It was quite a change from the mountain-hiking, sooty landscape of Bromo. It was pouring in Penang, far from the idyllic sandy shores I had in mind, and finding a taxi outside of the airport was next to impossible under the rumbling thunder. But eventually, we arrived at Georgetown, which seemed to be buzzing with its humdrum nightlife and hundreds of tourists. And Banana New Guest House appeared to be the most enticing, specially as motorbikes lined the vicinity - which meant only one thing - travelling around Penang in style.

Around the corner came little India in the form of little restaurants and stalls. It was weird to be eating great home-cooked- style food, something that I cook myself, in Malaysia. There was South Asian faces everywhere, and I could understand everything they were saying, even conversing with them all myself. It's like I never left home. My boyfriend was also on a mission to eat the best Channa Masala since his trip to India, so we were in the right place.

Being back on the rear of a motorcycle was an exhilarating experience, and not just a painful one. Closing my eyes, letting the sun and wind seep into my skin. I got my much needed Vitamin D intake in Penang, particularly after 6 months of hibernating in Beijing. There were no plans or restrictions.

We went where the open roads took us. From eating authentic local cuisine from stalls lining the coast, to being the only people on our very own private beach. We even attempted to climb a steep hill to see the waterfall at the Botanical Gardens, but after the first flight of steps, it didn't quite fulfil the 'relaxing' leisurely time we had in mind. After trekking through Borneo, climbing volcanoes and other structures for the last five weeks, it started to take its toll.

But I did attempt to drive the motorcycle myself and that's when I realised that I am officially bi-wheel challenged. Whether it be bicycles or motorcycle, if it doesn't have an extra wheel, I have no sense of balance, and so riding the bike was not a pretty picture.

Then it was all over. Six weeks of being on the road ended with us taking a boat back to Butterworth for the final journey back to Beijing. It was one of those moments, a sigh of sadness rather then relief, despite all of the ups and down encountered. One word to sum up - unforgettable.

Apocalyptic Gunung Bromo, Indonesia

Accommodation: Well, we first stayed in the centre of town, in which they organised a one night stay and transport to and from Mount Bromo. Okay, I can't be completely sure, but we definitely stayed on a main road, so I think it was Hotel Bromo Permai. It was clean and my partner was over the moon when he found out he could watch the Arsenal match on TV.

Once we were on the actual mountain itself, we stayed in basic lodges, which was adequate for one night. I remember distinctly that it was part-owned by German people, hence sausages were on the menu, so I think it was Yoschi's Guest House (145,000- 180,000 for two and season dependent).

Unfortunately, since Bromo had just erupted 2 weeks before we arrived, they had struggled to clean the ash-sodden lodges. It was a good 5km hike from Mount Bromo, but worth the walk and smiles along the way. But watch out for the steep hills, and potentially toxic air. If you have breathing difficulties- wait until Bromo has been given the all-clear or otherwise bring a face mask! 

Places to See: Well, apart from Gunung Bromo, - I was excited to find out that it was named after the Hindu god Brahma - Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park contains the highest mountain in Java, Mount Semeru (3,676 m), as well as four lakes and 50 rivers. The nearby mountain village Cemoro Lawang is also worth the walk around. The town of Probolinggo itself is just a stop-off point for Mount Bromo.

Getting to and from Probolinggo-Mount Bromo: Bus from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo takes about 10 hours, not the most comfortable, but you get your money's worth (120,000Rp) and its direct. Then the local hotel can arrange minibus transport to Cemoro Lawang (nearest town to Mount Bromo) as well as accommodation. You can also book your bus back from them as well - we bought tickets to Surabaya airport. An express Patas air-conditioned bus from Probolinggo to Surabaya takes about 2/3 hours (about Rp 25,000).

Transport: Both towns are walkable, and transport to Cemoro Lawang/ Mount Bromo can be arranged in advance.

Right, being stubborn as a mule stuck in concrete, I made a rather dramatic scene when my compadres became reluctant to go to an erupting volcano. Two weeks prior to our arrival, Mount Bromo had given way, and it wasn't a common occurrence. The site had to be evacuated and was still in the danger zone.


Granted, it wasn't my best idea, but as things had already gone awry on this trip- including sinking boats, indecisive decision-making and general nuisances when you travel in a quintet-I was determined to, even if I had to go it alone.

After throwing a big enough tizzy (not my best moment I must admit) we decided to take a bus to the drop-off point, a town named Probolinggo.

The journey seemed endless, and it was dark before we hit the Indonesian town. After phoning a Lonely Planet hotel frantically before our arrival, we were thankfully greeted by local staff at 11 o'clock at night. I honestly didn't think it would happen, as my guide book is about 4 years old and starting to brown.

The hotel were friendly, but everyone was rather cranky (I take full responsibility). And it was then that we decided to book our trip to Mount Doom. It would be the next morning, so after a wee nap, wash and quick shop for all the essentials downtown, we jumped on our ride towards there.

We did have a bit of a queasy feeling as the rickety minibus slowly climbed higher. Especially the sheer impact of the eruption started to dawn on us.

It was a scene from The Road, or something rather more apocalyptic. Everything the eye could behold was covered in a powdery ash substance, it was like all the colours had been drained from a landscape photograph.

Upon arrival, we were welcomed by an air of tension as loud moans could be heard from Bromo's stomach. Every 5-10mins, he made his presence known, although he was a good 5km away from the area. And a beautiful moth, victim to nature's calamity, lay silently at the entrance to the wooden lodge.

The lodge itself had sadly taken a massive hit as well. It was literally covered by a layer from Bromo's breath, and we started to realise that it wasn't over. Our eyes started to sting, and soot started to crawl down our throat and nostrils. It was everywhere you went and everything you could see.

Inside our rooms however, I wasn't sure if the volcano had hit it or if it was naturally topsy-turvy, but there were beds overturned. It look like whoever resided there previously had left in a hurry. Was it a precursor to what could happen in an eruption? I hoped not.

After 'settling in', a stroll seemed in order, especially since I had just eaten my much needed English breakfast. It was an odd moment. Watching perfectly blissful, content people in front of an end-of-the-world backdrop. As if they had resigned to inevitability. The children played in a black field, using ash rocks as footballs, without worrying about the sulphuric residue left on their bodies.

It was like following a trail of breadcrumbs to the volcano, except it was miles of black stormy clouds shrouding the sky leading to Mount Doom. The people happily waved as we made our way through the hilly mountain pass. And the closer we got to it, the harder it became to breathe.

At one point it seemed endlessly distant, so close and yet invisible. And then it appeared in all of its glory. A barren wasteland, dry desert-like plains with large, black, cratered peaks- booming and spewing molten lava like it had a bad cold and was seriously pissed off.

We had been hearing Bromo grumbling since our arrival, and he sure as hell wasn't happy to see more tourists. But we gasped at its almighty splendour, savouring the moment with a much needed coffee. It was worth every moan and disaster on that trip hands down.

On the way back, we managed to catch a glimpse of the sun setting behind layers and wafts of smoke. Like the light at the end of a long tunnel.

Only when we returned did we realise we were literally caked in ash, and a shower was in order. We then traipsed through the lodges attempting to find warmish water. And I washed I did, with a spider as my companion.

Sleeping was terrifying, hearing the rumbles every few minutes. And waking up at twilight to catch the sunrise was a surreal experience. It felt like we were being kidnapped, we were hustled by what seemed to be hundreds of locals pushing us into a darkened minivan. But everything feels creepy when you are awoken abruptly.

Next thing we know, we're being ushered on donkeys up a hill. Climbing in the dark is a whole other kettle of fish. But watching the sun rise was even more climactic then it seeing it set. Bromo was beautiful.