Berlin is one of the most exciting cities in Europe: a mix of art, entertainment, innovation, history and lots of green.

Take an incredible number of museums, a remarkable and sometimes sad and torment history, a lively nightlife, all types of music, a more and more eco-friendly life, a great innovation and mix up. This is Berlin.

Berlin, green travel guide
Berlin

1. What to see in Berlin

To discover the exciting Berlin you don’t need the car. The public transport system will take you wherever you want to, without any delay or inconvenience. Just over € 26 for 3 days and you will travel by bus, train and metro limitless with discounts and reductions for guided tours, museums and the principal attractions. First destination: the Brandenburg Gate, the memory of the divided city and a symbol of the aspirations of a united Germany.

Brandenburg Gate,
Brandenburg Gate, photo by Wolfgang Staudt via Flickr

Not far away you will find the majestic Parliament. To visit the palace and its dome is necessary to book at least two days in advance on www.bundestag.de. Visit the Alexanderplatz, the heart and the main square of the former East Berlin and now the nerve center of the Mitte district, the historic inner city.

Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz, photo by Ali Eminov via Flickr

P Walk in the famous elegant boulevard of linden trees, the Unter den Linden, where there are the Neue Wache (a War Memorial), the beautiful State Library, and the university where Karl Marx studied, the Humboldtuniversitat.

Unter den Linden at night
Unter den Linden, photo by jameswberk via Flickr

When night falls we suggest you stay in Mitte, the most lively and creative part of the city, with a great number of bars and restaurants. In the district there’s also the Island Museum, one of the largest museum complexes in the world where you will be enchanted by the magnificence of the prestigious works of art contained in the 5 museums.

Walk through the city in search of the signs of the Berlin Wall, from the East Side Gallery to Bernauer Straße. Along the way there are memorials and historical reconstructions. And in order to understand completely the history of the wall and the effect that still has on the city today, we suggest you to visit Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall Museum.

Murals on the Berlin Wall in East Side Gallery
Murals on the Berlin Wall in East Side Gallery, photo by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra via Flickr

And yet, we can’t forget to mention the Gendarmenmarkt, the square of an architectural ensemble including the stunning German and the French Domes and the Konzerthaus(concert hall).

Gendarmenmarkt, the most beautiful square of Berlin
Gendarmenmarkt, photo by Thomas Keller via Flickr

 

2. Nature and Ecology

But Berlin is not only large squares and imposing monuments. It's green, it's nature. Considered one of the greenest cities in Europe, one-fifth of the urban area consists of green areas. At the center of the city there’s the beautiful Tiergarten park with its 210-hectare, but in every part of the city, the citizens can relax away from the frenzy of the city.

Tiergarten, the park in the center of Berlin
Tiergarten, photo by Karin Lizana via Flickr

Don’t miss a walk in the garden Blitzer, spread over 100 hectares of lakes, theme gardens, playgrounds and a geological garden. It will happen to you too: you’ll walk through the Grunewald or play sports in Hasenheide, you’ll admire the falls of Viktoriapark, swim in Schlachtensee and you’ll forget for a moment that you are in the center of one of the most vibrant cities in Europe.

One of the waterfalls of Viktoriapark
Viktoriapark, photo by Manuela Hoffmann via Flickr

But in Berlin, the nature and ecology are not only found in parks. For citizens it is always more and more a way of life. Cyclists are a lot and they easily move in the more than 1000 km of cycle paths. If you are in hurry and have no time to eat, you do not have to compromise on quality, it's easy to find organic bistro. And the bio markets are increasing day by day, if you walk in the picturesque district of Prenzlauer Berg, you will find organic supermarkets, which not only sell organic food but also cosmetics and clothing. The whole city is increasingly oriented to a green living.

Bio Market in Prenzlauer Berg
Bio Market in Prenzlauer Berg, photo by visitBerlin via Flickr

3. The local flavors and cuisine

Berlin cuisine is rustic and rich: the knuckle of ham with mashed peas is the typical dish of Berlin. During your holiday you cannot miss the "Currywurst" and "Boulette" (typical meatballs) accompanied by excellent Berliner Weisse, a beer specialties. And yet, the potatoes, the different types of sausages and the inevitable sauerkraut.

 

Currywurst and fries
Currywurst and fries, photo by Golf Resort Achental Team via Flickr

Berlin has so much to teach and so much to offer to its visitors and we know that you too will soon be amazed by this exciting city.

 4. Where to sleep in Berlin

Neontoaster, a green guesthouse, an excellent italian café and Bio Veg Restaurant in Berlin
Neontoaster, a green guesthouse, an excellent italian café and Bio Veg Restaurant in Berlin

Even in Berlin you will have the opportunity to stay in comfortable and welcoming eco-friendly accommodations!

Discover all eco-friendly accommodations in Berlin and surroundings

 

Immagine di copertina: photo by Mariano Mantel via Flickr

Author: Chiara Marras

Eco-friendly accommodations

Essentis Biohotel

Berlin (Berlin)

Starting from €110.00

Appartment located in green Berlin

Berlin (Berlin)

Starting from €124.00

Neontoaster

(Berlin)

Starting from €80.00

The Mandala Hotel

(Berlin)

Starting from €178.00

Charmantes Zimmer im Wilden Wedding

(Berlin)

Starting from €15.00

Colourful rooms in artist flatshare

(Berlin)

Starting from €32.00

Very comfy apartment in Kreuzberg

(Berlin)

Starting from €95.00