So, last week I went on a little city trip to Berlin with some of my friends. I'd been there before, and really love that city. It might not be as romantic as Paris or energetic as London, but it certainly has character. It might be heavily scarred in the past, but it holds it's history well. Now even to my surprise, it was here, in this growing, modern city, that I stumbled upon the most quaint, charming little hang out spot.
After dinner one night one of my friends and I decided to roam the city. Near our hotel on the Oranienburger Strasse, we decided to take a different route and explore. It turned out to be a great idea, as taking all these little streets took us away from the bustle of the city and led us to a more relaxed, quiet environment. We found ourselves living the true Berlin experience, coming across little local hang-out spots and cafés that were far away from the busy streets crowded with tourists, and filled with true Berlin crowds.
We almost got a little lost in these streets, trying to weave our way back to the main road again. Our little adventure brought us past some hidden gems, like a church Martin Luther King once preached in, a Holocaust memorial and a shop that sold all Irish goods - it was really random.
When we found our way back to the main road we decided to walk back to the hotel via the park on the Oranienburger Strasse, which we had already designated as our daily breakfasting spot. As we crossed the park for the first time, we discovered the most precious of hidden places - or at least hidden to us. Round the back of the park - the Monbijoupark - it is bordered by the Spree, and on the other side of the water lays the impressive Bode-Museum. Next to the water there is a little spot with palm trees and cute little lights where you can sit and enjoy a drink - or a few - which you can get at a bar area, that is actually next to an open-air theatre! There is also a dancefloor where people were dancing in pairs to the lovely twenties music that was being played. You could even grab a pizza there! The whole thing was just absolutely lovely. When we arrived it was just getting dark, and as the sun went down it was just a bit magical. The twenties music, the people dancing, the lit-up museum on the other side and the boats going past - it kinda felt like A Midnight in Paris.
My friend and I were really impressed and sat there for a long time, drinking wine and chatting away - we did not want to leave. I imagine most of the people there were locals, and the whole place just did not have a touristy feel at all, which just made it that much better.
So my dearest readers, if you ever find yourself in Berlin, and are looking for a nice spot to unwind, go find this little corner in the Monbijou Park. It's just a little bit of heaven - if you're into that sort of thing.
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