Wir gehen nach Berlin! Despite being relatively close, I’ve never been to Berlin. Time for a workation in this cool German city. Together with colleague Joy I took the train to Germany. Which is one of the big advantages of this destination, you can easily get there by train. It takes about 5 hours. You can also opt for a night train. We had a lot of work to do, so during the day we just worked on our laptops, and in the late afternoon we went out. In school I had 6 years of German and was pretty good at languages, but it’s been a while so I had to get back into it. If you don’t speak German, you can get by just fine in English. Or try to pronounce a Dutch word with a German accent and you’ll get a long way too.
About the city of Berlin
Berlin has a fierce history, which we all know. It was once divided into East and West Berlin, but in 1989 the Berlin Wall fell. This triggered the fall of communism. Today, you can still see remnants of the wall in various places around the city. Berlin is also known for its street art culture. This stems from resistance to authority. It is a way for people to express themselves and sometimes provoke. There is a hefty fine for making a work of art though, that prank can cost you as much as 10K. In that respect, it is better to make art with stickers, which you see everywhere. The fine is only a few dollars because it doesn’t stay on permanently.
By the way, in Mauerpark there is a section where you can legally make your own street art, very cool!
Checkpoint Charlie, in the days of divided Berlin, was a checkpoint on the border of the American and Russian sectors, at a passageway of the Berlin Wall. I wanted to have seen it briefly during my visit, but once there I found it terrible. There is a horde of tourists taking turns happily posing for a photo. I wonder if they realize the history that took place here.
To do in Berlin
We were in Berlin for 5 days, which is definitely enough time to just do your work during the day, and then explore the city. Herewith my favorite to do’s in Berlin:
An ideal way to discover a city is with a walking tour. A local guide takes you along and tells you about everything you encounter. I chose Alternative Berlin because I was already exploring the highlights on my own and wanted some different information. You also see a lot of street art and hear the stories behind it. Highly recommended!
- Rent a bicycle and visit the highlights.
Berlin is a big city so doing everything on foot is impossible. So rent a bike and make your own tour in Google Maps. We went to the Berliner Dom, Berlin TV Tower, Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island and East Side Gallery. In between, you can stop wherever you want for a coffee or a beer.
If you are looking for a nice rooftop in the typical Berlin vibe, this is really the place to go. I won’t give too much away, but it’s an experience. Small hint: if you think your navigation has misdirected you then you’re in the right place, you’ll have to do some searching.
- Art, culture and culinary at Holzmarkt
This place is exactly what I had in mind about hip Berlin. A little alternative, raw, creative. Then you get Holzmarkt. You can chill there, eat, listen to music and also party really hard.
Nice places to work in Berlin
It is always nice to go to work in different places. Depending on what kind of work you have to do that day, or what kind of atmosphere you like, you choose your workplace. I always like having other working people around me.
- Selina Berlin
This coliving is in the middle of the city and was also where we stayed. The rooms are very nice and affordable. You can work there in the lobby, in the workspace upstairs or on the rooftop. There are people everywhere with their laptops during the day and there is a very nice relaxed atmosphere. They also organize different activities to get to know others or just to do something fun, like yoga, a salsa night or live music. - St.
I wish we had this in Utrecht as well. This cafe is specifically geared towards remote workers. It looks super cozy and is nice and quiet. With your cup of coffee you get 90 minutes of fast wifi, or you pay €18 per day, which you use as credit for all your food and drinks. They have 3 locations in Berlin. - Father Carpenter
This nice restaurant is in a nice building and has a nice terrace. It’s nice and quiet and you can have great coffee. More people do sit there with their laptops. We combined a nice lunch and getting rid of some emails here.
Food & drink in Berlin
- Yafo Berlin – delicious food
Yafo Berlin brings Tel Aviv to Berlin they say. And how! We had a really delicious meal here and the service is super friendly. Very cheap it is not, but it is really delicious. You should definitely try the hummus there and the chicken. - The Dawn – rooftop lunch
I had read that The Dawn was a nice rooftop restaurant so wanted to go there. It’s next to the zoo, so you can watch monkeys while eating. Other than that, I didn’t find the location very inspiring, BUT! I ate the most delicious french toast with chocolate there ever. So my day couldn’t fail. - Dolden Mädel – beer tasting
If you go to Germany you have to drink beer. Well, nothing must, but you know what I mean. Therefore, a beer tasting seemed like fun. For this, Dolden Mädel really comes highly recommended. Both inside and outside you can sit here super nice. For € 8 you get 5 small glasses of beer, really great! - Restauration 1840 – tastiest schnitzel
If you are in Germany then of course the schnitzel cannot be missed. So on our first evening we went to Restauration 1840 where you can order this classic. It was really super tasty! Just do not order a Weisse Berliner if you want a white beer, because then you get chemical green beer which is not drinkable haha. - Mein Haus am See – techno vibe
In Berlin, I immediately think of techno raves. We thought we should go to such a party too. But after some long working days and quite a bit of sightseeing, the thirty-somethings were a bit too tired to go raving. However, on the recommendation of a local/Selina employee, we did go for a beer at Mein Haus am See, where you also experience that techno vibe.
The workation to Berlin went super well. It is very nice to combine a city trip with doing your work. You don’t have to take time off work and you can continue working on the train. Ideal for spending a few days in a different environment. There is plenty to do, but if you only go out in the evenings it is also doable. Would you like to go to Berlin with your team? Then take a look at the offer of our location there and we will be happy to arrange it for you.
