My visual guide on what to see in 24 hours in West Berlin. I am making the difference between east and west Berlin just as a way to better locate the area where I was staying for almost two days.

travel

24 Hours in West Berlin

Location:
West Berlin, Germany

Photography:
35mminstyle

Edits:
35mminstyle

Camera:
Canon 5D Mark III

As I previously touched in the post ‘why I no longer travel solo‘, my experience of visiting Berlin was quite traumatic. Nevertheless I have enjoyed a few spots in the city and I want to start by describing the area where I was staying. I booked a room in the neighborhood of Charlottenburg in the west side of Berlin at the Berlin Mark Hotel. I won’t really suggest you to stay there, the room was claustrophobic even though it was on the last floor with a nice view and it had a bath tub. Overall the hotel interiors were cheap old and the atmosphere was unfriendly.

Apart from this, the area was lovely, full of little restaurants and of wide pavements streets with trees alongside the main car roads. It reminded me a little of Paris and a little of NYC but less less chaotic. The architecture was so strict and clean, it was a pleasure to wander through this neighborhood.

Nearby locations worth visiting are:

Unfortunately I couldn’t visit them for a lack of time but I noted them down for future to go and visit. Starting from the Berlin Zoo that you can actually get glimpse of the animals inside by wandering through Tiergarten Park, it is massive and you would need minimum half a day for it. The other two points are photography museums and I don’t think I have to say nothing about it, but those collections always seem great to me.

So now let’s talk of what I have actually done in west Berlin and what I have visited in only 24 hours.

WHERE TO WANDER

Charlottenburg

As you can see from these images, the neighborhood is extremely white focused. Buildings have straight lines, huge doors, a little Art Decò, a little beginning of the 20th century. In fact most buildings are dated 1899 – 1910.

It was really lovely to wander around in the morning after breakfast and to come back around sunset where the more delicate sunlight was dropping down the streets.

24 hours in west berlin 35mminstyle

THE INFLUENCE

The French Quartier

While wandering the first morning, I stepped across the Cinema Paris. All I could do was staring and staring.

I don’t know where my fascination came from but I simply found it irresistible. I wish every big city has another European country cinema. So if I wanted to see a French movie, this was the place to go.

My French is way too basic for an entire movie but I would have gone nonetheless. I also love the façade, the riviera style and the font of the signs. Je l’adore.

LOCATION:

Kurfürstendamm 211, 10719 Berlin

WHERE TO SHOP

Kurfürstendamm

This metro station takes you directly to the shopping area of west Berlin. If Alexanderplatz has a big historical shopping center called Galleria, here you have a street called Kurfürstendamm.

On both sides of the street there are the most renowned high-street stores and high-end ones. You can find Urban Outfitters and 10 metres after a Gucci flagstore. I obviously had to window shopping a little.

Also I am a fan of supermarkets (don’t ask me why) and I was a little disappointed by the one I entered, really tiny and with not so many different products than the Italians. Also I don’t recall the name.

LOCATION:

Kurfürstendamm Metro station and then right and left

Now let me know. Have you ever been to Berlin? Soon I will post about the other day in East Berlin with the center area and the most touristic spots. But first I prefer giving you this alternative view over Berlin.

xx Cate