You know that emoji with the heart eyes? That's how I feel about Berlin. GO.
Berlin Tips:
The city is quite large so be prepared for lots of trips on the various Bahns
Berlin is very upfront with it's negative history, so be prepared to see memorials and museums telling it exactly how it was everywhere you turn
My best advice is go see history, go to a beer garden, go see history, go to a beer garden. Repeat until bedtime.
This is weird but don't go to a neighborhood called Wedding. I had heard it was up and coming and trendy. It is not. 100% not worth your time.
Adventures & Ales Top Berlin Recommendations:
Cafe Neur See Beer Garden in the Tiergarten Park: Wander through the Tiergarten then find yourself at a beer garden on the water in the middle of nature
The East Side Gallery: Check out the Berlin Wall and the art that is has become
Jockel Beer Garden: One of the best beer gardens in the city! Cash only.
Walk along the river after! There are lots of locals just hanging out enjoying the evening, creating a very cool atmosphere
Jewish History Museum: An incredibly interesting museum spanning multiple centuries
Brunch at Allan's Breakfast and Wine Club: So. Delicious.
Prater Beer Garden: Classic beer garden
Schleusenkrug Beer Garden: A community oriented and family friendly beer garden!
The Classic Tourist Spots in Berlin Actually Worth Visiting:
Topography of Terror: A really well done memorial with pieces of the Berlin Wall and stories of survivors and victims
New Europe Walking Tour: I did a free walking tour here and it was quite informative. We started at the Bradenberg Gate and stopped at places such as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the site of Hitler's bunker, and more. There is no cost to join but they only operate on tips, so be sure to bring some cash to pay for your experience!
Reichstag Building: Take a tour of the Dom. The security is very intense so be sure to bring your passport. The audio guide is really awesome as you walk up and back down the curving dome giving you history specific to the building but also on Berlin in totality
Part of the Berlin Wall
Other Berlin things to do:
Mauerpark on a Sunday: Absolutely one of the wildest things I've seen. The park was packed to the brim, there is karaoke happening between hundreds of people (pictured below), and pop up artist shops with awesome pieces
Checkpoint Charlie: The tourist haven. See the point where East and West Berlin were divided then roll out before you get taken over by the herds of Americans snapping selfies
Museum Island: Hang out in the lustgarten, gaze at the Berlin Cathedral, and venture into the museums if they spark your interest! They have free museum nights so be sure to look into that before paying for admission
Hackescher Market: A market with restaurants and vendors, pretty touristy but still decent.
Weinhenstephan Beer Garden is located here and had good beer!
Palace of Tears: Where families were split during the Cold War
