With the Italy part of the journey done it was time to head to Germany for the first time ever. I find it hard to believe that I’d never been to Germany having heard many wonderful things about the country.

And where better to start than Berlin? If you’ve been there before, you’ll know there’s a lot to do and see. It’s highly likely that you’d have to visit several times to fully appreciate Berlin unless you move there for 6 months to a year.

Being based in Hermanplatz meant walking into the centre of Berlin. The majority of Berlin is flat which makes it ideal for someone like me who loves walking. I made it with enough time to spare for yet another free walking tour while including stopping off here and there.

Florence was the first time I had heard of the concept of free walking tours let alone doing one free. On first impression I wasn’t sure I enjoyed it as much as I think I would initially. I think this is more the fact I hadn’t done one before and it was all pretty new to me.

In saying that I really enjoyed the one I did in Naples. I don’t think you enjoy it based on the location, I would say it is more of the fact you pay extra attention after your first one. You appreciate the surroundings more, and you pay more attention to the tour guide. As someone with a poor attention spam these walking tours are good at improving this.

Although I will add that a good, knowledge tour guide helps (not to suggest the ones I’ve had have been bad). An entertaining tour guide is an added bonus to the enjoyment of the tour.

I’ve grown to like these walking tours because it’s a good way of knowing the place you’re visiting. Whether you’re here for a quick trip or want tips on what to do, these tours have everything for everyone. The tour guides only earn tips from these tours, so you know it’s likely to be a good one because they obviously want to be tipped well.

We met at the Brandenburg Gate and because there were so many people, we were split into groups. I was put into a group which was headed up by our tour guide Lizzy. Her initial introduction went on for a long time leaving me fearful the tour would be boring if this was anything to go by.

To be fair to her she could justify taking her time because she was explaining a lot about Berlin’s history with the wall, the war and taking us through the itinerary of the tour etc before taking us around.

She had a bit of character about her and kept us interested in what she had to say. The introduction was the only bit which was very long. Otherwise it was one of the most interesting tours I’ve been on.

Lizzy had created her own Google Maps link with her tips and recommendations for places to eat, museums to visit, bars and clubs etc which she kindly shared with us. It was at that moment that I truly knew the meaning of giving people something of value. This was one of the most valuable things I’ve ever had travelling.

Having eaten nothing since I left Italy, it was time to try the well known Burger place Burgermeister. There are two Burgermeisters’ in Berlin, one that’s a normal restaurant and one the original Burgermeister that is built in an old toilet. This original Burgermeister is the one the locals will tell you to visit.

You’ll find the original Burgermeister beneath a bridge with a seating around. Unsurprisingly there was a long queue for a place which is small. Credit to the staff, they were very quick processing orders and getting people moved along. Not forgetting how good the burgers are! If the Italians boast about making delicious pizza and pasta, the Germans can do the same about their burgers.

I was advised by a few people to hire a bike to explore Berlin which is exactly what I did the next morning. It was raining and Sammy from reception asked me several times if I was sure I wanted to ride a bike in the rain.

Thanks for your concern Sammy but we’re use to the rain in England, and I’ve never known someone to stop cycling because it rained.

At least he meant well.

My only concern was I’ve been on a bike once in over 15 years and even then that was for less than an hour. I have really poor natural balance so my aim for the day was to make it back in one piece (I’m pretty sure that’s everyone’s aim but I had no idea how people drove over here).

My first stop would be the famous 1316m long East Side Gallery. Along the gallery are many mural paintings on the wall including the famous one of Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker kissing.

Something that struck me about the visit was seeing a tourist from the Far East trying to write something next to the painting of Brezhnev and Honecker. Quite a few people stood in disbelief at what they saw while others told her to stop writing on the mural.

When you think about what the history of this place and what these murals represent, it was a disrespectful thing to do. She stopped as soon as more and more people told her to do so. She seemed shocked at people having a go at her as if it what she was doing was normal.

As cool as it is writing your name or drawing something at an iconic landmark, it can be disrespectful depending where you are. Just learn to appreciate that places such as the East Side Gallery are associated with some of the tougher times people went through.

It’s fine if there’s a clear indication that you’re allowed to do so, like you are on the white board at Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro.

Next up was the Stasi Museum. The only thing I knew of the Stasi was what I learnt in school and even then I couldn’t remember the majority of what I was taught.

The fascination for me is how the Stasi operated and became a dominant force. I had at best the most basic understanding before coming here.

The Stasi Museum has exhibitions split over 3 floors and apart from the history of the secret police, there are bits on the influences of the GDR on East German politics. It’s amazing to think that as recent as the late 1980s, the Stasi was in operation.

With so many recommendations on Lizzy’s Google Maps link I knew I wouldn’t have time to do a lot. I’m happy I picked the Stasi Museum, the entry wasn’t expensive and you definitely get your money’s worth with what you see and learn. And there is a new permanent exhibition due to open as well.

Around 2 hours later it was on my (rental) bike to the Berlin Wall Memorial. Having decided to hire a bike at the last minute, I had to plan what I was going to do and how best to make sure I had an efficient route.

The Berlin Wall Memorial is the central memorial site of the German division and is located in the middle of Berlin. It stretches to nearly 1.5km in length along the former border strip. You’ll see the last piece of the Berlin Wall and the surrounding grounds preserved as it aims to give an impression of how the border continuously developed until it was taken down.

When you think of Berlin and associate it with history, you’ll think of the Berlin wall. If you’re going to visit Berlin, definitely make time to visit this place.

After a quick lunch at one of the markets, I stopped by the Marx-Engels memorial in the popular central Mitte district. For those of you that don’t know, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels were German philosopher’s who were co authors of The Communist Manifesto, and had a huge influence on the socialist movement.

It was one of the more popular spots for tourists. Admittedly I barely know the basics of their work, but I have no idea if visitors know much of Marx and Engels or if they simply wanted a picture of a statue of two guys who looked like the could be your Grand Dad.

At the memorial, I met a couple from the States, we got chatting and after telling them I was from Brighton their eyes lit up. I found this to be a strange reaction at first because when you tell most people you’re from England, 80% automatically assume you’re from London (as if it’s the only place in England) while the other 20% will ask where in England you’re from. 5% of the 20% will have probably heard of Brighton.

As it turned out their Grand Daughter wants to visit Brighton, they couldn’t tell me why. They asked if they could record a message from me (as a Brightonian) to their Grand Daughter telling her why she should visit Brighton. It was unusual but I went with it and I hope I won’t find the video somewhere on the internet!

After completing my good deed of the day it was off to the Spy Museum. This was an easy pick for me as I’m really into Bond films and love anything spy related.

The Spy Museum is hands down the best museum I’ve been to, and I include all the football related museums I’ve visited. There’s so much for everyone, from a unique insight into the world of espionage to fun interactive games. I don’t think I spent more time anywhere else. No matter how much I write I can’t do this place justice.

As the rain started to get heavier, I cycled to the Holocaust Memorial. The site is covered with concrete slabs in a grid pattern and none of the concrete slabs are the same size.

We went through here during the walking tour the previous day but I want to come here on my own. It’s different visiting somewhere on your own than in a group. Until then I’d never been to a site that had such a harrowing background, it was hard to imagine what life was like back then. I’m not sure anyone wants to imagine anything like it in their minds. All you can do is appreciate the period you grew up in and be thankful for what you have.

As the evening started to set in, and my legs feeling heavier from cycling. it was time to call it a day and ride back to the Hostel. Again the rain started to get heaver, it’d been spitting for the majority of the day. Thankfully I managed to avoid any potential drama to make it back to the Hostel in one piece via a short stop at a Sudanese place called Sahara for a chicken and falafel magali.

I came to Germany expecting it to find places to serving mainly German food, similar to how the majority of restaurants in Italy are mostly Italian. But Germany has many diverse places which was quite refreshing.

What did we learn here? If I can survive on a bike after one ride in over 15 years in unfavourable weather conditions, anyone can!

In the morning I decided against hiring a bike and choosing to explore on foot instead. My legs and calves deserved a break from peddling and I could as fast or as slow as I wanted.

There are two places where you can get a panoramic view of Berlin, the Alexander Platz Tower and The Victory Column. One of the members of staff from the Hostel recommended I go to Victory Column because you get a better view and it’s less crowded than the Alexander Platz Tower.

When I arrived at the Victory Column, I’d seen the road leading to the Mitte District closed off. They were preparing for the Berlin Marathon which would take place a couple of days later. What a fitting place to finish the race.

It’s a cheap 3 Euros to enter and you’ll first go through a Museum before climbing 285 steps. The best view you get of Berlin is looking towards the Mitte District.

After stopping off for some lunch at Brauhaus Lemke, I sat by the fountain next to the Alexanderplatz Tower for some chill time. If you’re not going up the tower, the complex is a good place, along with the Marx-Engel Memorial to sit and do nothing for a bit.

I met with Nadine, from Mannheim by the Brandenburg Gate. We met at the walking tour and she was in Berlin for a conference. From the Brandenburg Gate we walk to The Victory Column as she didn’t get a chance to see it. Having done everything I wanted I didn’t mind walking back there, by then the sun was setting and it was a pretty setting seeing The Victory Column as we were walking towards it.

Not too far from The Victory Column we walked towards Bellevue Palace. This has been the official home to the President of Germany since 1994. All we could do at this point was take pictures from the outside as it was closed to visitors.

As the evening began to set in, Nadine went to the Tower at Alexander Platz while I went to Hamy, a popular Vietnamese restaurant known for its 5 Euro curry specials. It would be there that I’d drink my first beer in Germany as I start thinking about training my liver for Oktoberfest.

So far I was loving Germany. Berlin is beautiful place which unless you plan on spending 1 or 2 months, you’ll struggle to see everything to appreciate the city. If you’re someone that likes to spend 3 or 4 days somewhere, you’ll need a fair few trips to Berlin to properly see it. Make sure you find a bike, hire it and explore.

In case you somehow struggle to find ideas on things to do in Berlin, check out Lizzy’s Guide to Berlin.